Max collars top dog name in N.Y. in 2006

Max has collared the title of top dog name in New York City again. The name was engraved on 1,228 of the 101,274 dog licenses issued last year by the health department.

Lucky fetched second spot. Princess took third, and hot on her tail were Rocky and Buddy, leaving the Top 5 names unchanged from 2004.

Mixed breeds, with 7,374 new licenses, outnumbered other varieties in 2005. They were followed by Labrador retrievers. Pit bulls and Shih Tzus captured the third and fourth places, clawing their way up from fourth and fifth the year before. German shepherds were the fifth most popular breed, down from third place.

The health department, which oversees issues such as vaccinating dogs and spaying or neutering them, released the name and breed lists on Wednesday as part of its campaign to encourage licensing, since only about 20 percent of the dogs in the city have proper tags even though they are required by state law.