Who’s a good boy? Golden retriever wins top dog…

The golden retriever is ranked No. 3 by the American Kennel Club on its list of 100 favorite breeds. It is intelligent and adaptable, which also make this breed a popular service dog.

It was never even close. The golden retriever, which had emerged through the brackets to face the Yorkshire terrier for the title of most popular dog, won the contest walking away.

Of the 1,092 votes cast, 77 percent were for the golden, 23 percent for the Yorkie.

This was a just-for-fun contest featuring 32 of America’s favorite breeds and mixed breeds. We started with 24 pure breeds and 8 mixed breeds, then cut the field in half for the sweet 16, and by half again before the semi-finals delivered our final two contestants.

Although the Yorkie had taken care of business in the previous rounds, all that cuteness couldn’t stand up to the handsome, loving nature and personality that has made the golden No. 3 on the American Kennel Club’s list of 100 most popular pure breeds.

The golden claims the crown just in time for National Dog Day on Sunday. The special day to salute dogs was the idea of author and animal behaviorist Colleen Paige, who launched the first National Dog Day in 2004.

Paige’s goal in creating the holiday was not just to show an appreciation for our canine companions, but also to bring attention to the plight of abused dogs, to end puppy mills and to stop breed-specific legislation that regulates, restricts or bans certain dogs.

There’s no one way to celebrate National Dog Day. You can spend the day with your favorite pup, go to a shelter and adopt a new friend or donate money to a group that works to rescue and find homes for all dogs. You also can salute your dog by uploading a photo of your dog just being a dogfor our Dog Days of August slideshow.

However you choose, raise a glass to your dog, to dogs everywhere, and to the worthy winner of this top dog contest, the golden retriever. Long may his attention span wander.