A round of a-paws for the top 10 most popular dog breeds in the U.S.

Another year, another victory lap for the Lab.

The American Kennel Club announced its top breeds of 2014, and while the leader of the

This marks the 24th consecutive year that the Labrador Retriever was recognized as America's most popular breed -- just a few hairs behind were the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever.

The list is based upon AKC registries, and the nonprofit is the largest and most well-known among purebred organizations. A spokesperson for AKC told Mashable that last year's registry included 178 breeds, among which there were hundreds of thousands of dogs.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Though it may be the Year of the Sheep according to the Chinese zodiac, it is the Year of the Bulldog in pet world. The Bulldog landed fourth on the list -- outperforming the Beagle, which won Best in Show at Westminster -- making its highest ranking ever. The French Bulldog slid in at number 9, its highest ranking in nearly 100 years. The Frenchie and Bulldog are also the first and second (respectively) most popular breeds in New York.

AKC invited Mashable to celebrate America's favorite dogs with a few of the adorable contenders on the list. Take a look below to see if your favorite breed made the cut.

1. Labrador Retriever