Retro Dogs

In the 90's we suddenly noticed more Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers strutting the sidewalks thanks to the popularity of the Taco Bell "Yo Quiero Taco Bell!" dog and Eddie, the beloved dog of Frasier's dad, Martin. I had never even heard of a Jack Russell Terrier until Frasier aired, yet over the next few years saw them everywhere. I had seen Chihuahuas before, but rarely saw anyone with one until the Taco Bell commercials aired. I remember walking on a sidewalk in New York City with some friends the year that commercial first aired when a woman walked up with a Chihuahua on the end of a leash. A friend started to say, "Yo Quiero Taco Bell!" The woman replied, "Don't even say it... I got this dog BEFORE the commercial came out."

There have been other famous dogs that have made certain breeds popular. There was Rin Tin Tin, a German Shepherd. He starred in more than 25 films during the silent film era and was so popular that he helped to prevent Warner Brothers from going bankrupt. There was the lovely Lassie, a popular TV star Collie. Toto, from the Wizard of Oz, was a Cairn Terrier (although some say he was a Wire Terrier and some mistake him for a Scottie). Fala, FDR's Scottish Terrier, made the Scottie popular. More recently, dogs of a chocolate color have become popular because of Oprah's chocolate Cocker Spaniels.

I'm not sure if it was a famous dog that inspired some breed trends. There was a Boston Terrier trend in the 40's - 50's (I'll share a story of a famous Boston Terrier some day, but he wasn't the one that made them popular). The next dog trend was the 50's POODLE. The poodle trend was so big that even today when women search for a costume for a 50's party, they can't help but seek out a poodle skirt. 
The Dachshund has been the subject of many planters and bookends from the 50's, but the Doxie trend didn't reach the popularity of the prancing poodle in home decor.

Today the Dachshund is more popular than the poodle, according to akc.org. Both breeds are on the top 10 list in popularity for 2003. Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd, is number 4. Snoopy, the Beagle, is number 3. The Golden Retriever (as seen on Punky Brewster in the 80's) is number 2.

The most popular dog in the US today is the friendly Labrador Retriever. (But, although we saw French Poodle skirts in the 50's, we haven't seen any Chocolate Lab skirts yet).