Date of Article: December 22, 2009

American Kennel Club® & AOL’s PawNation.com Join
Forces to Unveil the Top 125 Dogs in Pop Culture

Proving that Snoopy is the hippest dog of all, "Joe Cool" himself was named the top dog in pop culture by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and AOL’s PawNation.com today during a press conference in front of a special Snoopy exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. The ranking, created in celebration of the AKC’s 125th anniversary this year, brings together canines from diverse backgrounds for a candid look at how dogs have been woven into every aspect of American culture from film and literature to sports and art.

A surprising second place went to Texas A&M’s mascot Reveille, showing Texas A&M students cheered louder than Georgetown (Jack the Bulldog), University of Georgia (UGA) and Yale (Handsome Dan) fans for the Collie that ranked higher than Lassie.

"There is no question that America loves dogs," said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "One look at popular culture proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that dogs have always had a profound influence on our daily lives. The collaboration between the AKC and Pawnation.com, in celebration of the AKC’s 125 anniversary, allowed the public to voice their opinions on the dogs that made the biggest impact over the years."

Top 10 Dogs in Pop Culture:

1. Snoopy
2. Texas A&M’s Reveille
3. Scooby Doo
4. Eddie from the TV show Frasier
5. Pound Puppy toys
6. Painting "Dogs Playing Poker"
7. Song "How Much is that Doggie in the Window"
8. Georgetown’s Jack the Bulldog
9. The song "Who Let the Dogs Out"
10. Brian Griffin from the animated TV show Family Guy

Top Dogs in Each Pop Culture Category:

Cartoons: Snoopy
Television:Eddie from Frasier

Movies:Lassie
Literature:Clifford the Big Red Dog
Song: How Much is That Doggie in the Window
College Mascot: Texas A&M’s Reveille
Advertising Mascot:Bush’s Baked Beans’ "Duke"
Art/Fashion: Painting "Dogs Playing Poker"

Toys: Pound Puppies
Famous Dogs: The National Crime Prevention’s crime dog McGruff

The list counts down from General Patton’s White Bull Terrier Willie "William the Conqueror" (No. 125) to Snoopy. Surprising results include:

• Major Upsets – Pound Puppy toys (No. 5) and "Dogs Playing Poker" (No. 6) received more votes than old-time favorites Toto from the Wizard of Oz (No. 24), Benji (No. 27), and Rin Tin Tin (No. 46).
• Canine College Mascots – Texas A&M’s Reveille (No. 2) scored more points than Georgetown’s Jack the Bulldog (No. 8), University of Georgia’s UGA (No. 12), Boston University’s Rhett the Boston Terrier (No. 48) and Yale’s Handsome Dan (No. 58).
• Political Dogs – Bo Obama captured the spotlight earlier this year but landed in the 42nd spot, yet still received more votes than Bill Clinton’s Buddy (No. 44), FDR’s Scottish Terrier Fala (No. 55) and even Richard Nixon’s Cocker Spaniel Checkers, referenced in his famous "Checker’s Speech" (No. 65).
• Dogs Bark to a Different Tune – Patti Page’s 1953 song "How Much is That Doggie in the Window" came in at No. 7, while "Who Let the Dogs Out" (No. 9) by the Baha Men outranked Elvis’ Hound Dog (No. 22).
• Newcomers Beat the Classics – Newcomer Brian Griffin, from the TV show Family Guy, landed in the top 10 (No. 10) while more classic animated dogs such as Huckleberry Hound (No. 38) and Underdog (No. 53) fell deeper down the list.

AKC experts created the initial list of pop culture dogs but the public returned each week from September 15 through December 14 to vote in a series of 11 polls on PawNation.com. In total, nearly 76,000 people had the final say of the Top 125 Dogs in Pop Culture.

The complete ranking of AKC and PawNation’s Top 125 Dogs in Pop Culture can be found here.