America's most popular pooch is once again from Canada's eastern-most province.

American Kennel Club officials confirmed in New York City on Monday that the Labrador retriever was the most popular purebred in 2006, a title it has maintained the past 16 years.

The retriever represented about 124,000 registrations, or 14 per cent of the club's total last year.

Labrador retrievers evolved over the last 1,000 years, descendants of the dogs European fishermen brought with them when they visited the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, says Sonny Allinson, spokesman for the Canadian Kennel Club.

"Many of them were left to run free on the island when the fishermen went back. So whatever dogs that came from Europe interbred," he told CBC News Online.

According to researchers at Memorial University in St. John's, the dog does not come from Labrador as its name suggests. The confusion arose when British breeders gave the dog the name Labrador to differentiate between it and the Newfoundland dog, also descended from the fishermen's dogs.

"(The Labrador retrievers) were shipped to England, where the breed was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1903. This dog is known around the world for its playful and friendly nature," reads a website on the province's heritage. The site is maintained by Memorial University.

In Canada, and indeed around the world, the Labrador retriever is the most popular purebred dog.

"From a temperamental point of view, it's a really balanced dog," says Allinson. "It's great with kids. It's a great sporting dog. It's a great family dog. It can even tolerate young kids pulling on its ears."

In 2005, there were 9,464 purebred Labrador retrievers registered with the Canadian Kennel Club, which will release its registration numbers for 2006 at the end of January.

Meanwhile, American Kennel Club officials say the Yorkshire Terrier, called the Yorkie by millions of enthusiasts, jumped to second place in the U.S., overtaking the beloved golden retriever and the iconic German shepherd to become the second most popular purebred dog in America.

In Canada, the No. 2 spot goes to the golden retriever.