Holy guacamole!
The Chihuahua is no longer one of Tucson's top dogs, at least according to the American Kennel Club.
Our feisty four-legged friends fell out of Tucson's top-10 dogs in 2007, dropping to the 12th slot in the registration race. That's down three spots from the year before.
"I am completely shocked," said Sandy Um, organizer for the Tucson Chihuahua Meetup Group. "It just seems that you see Chihuahuas everywhere."
Why the Chihuahua fell out of Tucson's top 10 despite having such a visible presence around town, no one seems to know.
But Chihuahua enthusiasts shouldn't take it personally, much less ponder its meaning late at night, AKC spokeswoman Daisy Okas said. It's best not to make too much of these rankings.
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"It just trends from year to year," Okas said. "Some years, the Chihuahua and other smaller dogs look more favorable."
But to Um, and other Chihuahua owners, the tiny breed always looks favorable.
Um said she was aware that some see the tiny dogs as snippy or mean. In fact, she once felt that way, too, she said. But that was two Chihuahuas ago (she currently owns a 2-year-old named after Olympia Dukakis).
Chihuahuas are devoted and funny, Um said. "They seem to feel they are quite large dogs themselves."
Lee Miracolo, a breeder who runs a kennel, said the problem is, people aren't breeding the dogs to AKC standards. Although Chihuahuas may be abundant in the Old Pueblo, their level of quality is low.
"There are a lot of backyard breeders here in Tucson," she said. "They are not breeding AKC registered dogs. They are breeding a lot of dogs that don't meet the standard. … They are like the 'Taco Bell dog.' " For the record, Miracolo breeds only AKC-registered Chihuahuas.
Other than the Chihuahua's precipitous fall from grace, there were few surprises in Tucson's top-10 list. The Labrador took the top spot, followed by German shepherd and Yorkshire terrier — which mirrored the national rankings.
And the newcomer to the top 10 list here in Tucson, the cocker spaniel.
Nationally, 157 breeds were ranked. For those curious, the English foxhound, which sort of looks like a beagle, was at the bottom of the list.
To see the complete list, go to www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_ stats.cfm.
Tucson's top dogs in 2007
1. Labrador retriever
2. German shepherd
3. Yorkshire terrier
4. Dachshund
5. Golden retriever
6. Poodle
7. Shih Tzu
8. Boxer
9. Bulldog
10. Cocker spaniel
Top dogs nationally
1. Labrador retriever
2. German shepherd
3. Yorkshire terrier
4. Golden retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Poodle
9. Shih Tzu
10. Bulldog
Source: American Kennel Club. Rankings are based on registrations.
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