Top Breeds of Dogs in the 1980s

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the oldest all-breed dog registry in America, keeping records of dogs registered since 1884. In the 1980s, the most popular dog breed or the most registered dog breed position was shared by two dog breeds throughout the decade -- the cocker spaniel and the poodle. But despite their popularity, the dog breed that came to symbolize the 1980s was the Chinese shar-pei.

  1. Cocker Spaniel

    • Cocker spaniel puppy

      The cocker spaniel was the most popular dog of the 1980s. It earned the No. 1 most registered dog breed spot from 1983 to 1990. The cocker spaniel had also been America's most popular dog breed from 1936 to 1952. Originally bred for the hunting field, cocker spaniels make brilliant pets. Sometimes the breed is known as the American cocker spaniel, which is slightly different in conformation than the original English cocker spaniel. The English cocker spaniel became its own breed in 1946, according to "Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds."

    Poodle

    • The poodle was the top dog according to the AKC from 1960 to 1982. The poodle is shown in three sizes: the standard, the miniature and the toy. All of these sizes are lumped together as "poodles," according to AKC rules. Originally bred in Germany -- not France -- as a hunting dog for waterfowl, the highly intelligent and people-loving poodle quickly adjusted to life away from the hunting field and into the show ring, the entertainment industry or as a pet.

    Chinese Shar-Pei

    • However, the dog breed that symbolized the 1980s was the Chinese shar-pei, dubbed "the yuppy puppy" by the popular media. Neiman-Marcus sold puppies in its 1983 Christmas catalogue. It was once listed as the world's rarest dog breed by Guinness Book of World Records. This breed has an incredibly wrinkled face. Puppies have wrinkles all over their bodies. They grow into their body wrinkles as they mature, but not their facial wrinkles. It was the must-have dog because of the prestige and because of the wrinkles. They were not recognized by the AKC until 1991. By then the yuppy puppy craze had worn off. Chinese shar-peis were originally bred to fight other dogs, and this large breed became largely cast off because of its size and strength and its health needs.