You could say that Molly the Mutt is the most typical dog in Wareham. But any Labrador retriever named Lilly, Bailey, Buddy, Jake, or Maggie is not far behind.

Wareham Week recently took a brief break from town politics, sewer rates, Walmart plans, and wind turbines to look at some really important information: The breeds and names of dogs in town. Here’s what we found.

Of the 670 dogs registered in Wareham as of two weeks ago, the 173 mixed-breed dogs (aka mutts) out-number those of any pedigree.

Among the purebreds, the 87 Labs rule. That’s more than the combined total of breeds No. 2 and 3:  German shepherds (30) and golden retrievers (25).

Eleven Molly/Mollies top the name list, beating out the eight Lilly/Lilys - and Bailey, Buddy, Jake, and Maggie (seven each).

That’s all very American. According to the American Kennel Club, the Labrador retriever has been the most popular breed in America since at least 2000. In 2010 it was followed by, as in Wareham, the German shepherd.

Representing both the most popular breed and most popular name in town is seven-year-old mutt Molly of East Wareham.

Molly is Labrador/Shar Pei mix. Owner Julie Seger and her husband adopted Molly when she was about four months old.

“My husband and I do not have children yet, so Miss Molly is totally spoiled,” Seger said. “Molly has an amazing personality. She does silly things that make us smile all day long. She loves to snuggle and is the sweetest thing, until the mailman, the Fedex or the UPS trucks come by. Then she is not so sweet.”

Labrador Lilly of Wareham has the second most popular name and is the second most popular breed.

Owner Rene Moniz is the first to admit her pup is a little overweight, but adds it hasn’t slowed Lilly down. The 6 year old pooch loves to run around the yard with the family's other dog, Bailey.

"She's so friendly," Moniz said. While Bailey is the watchdog of the pack, Lilly takes a more welcoming attitude toward guests, she added.

Every one of the 21 dog names found four or more times on the Wareham list makes dogtime.com’s list of the most popular dog names. Molly comes in second, while Lily is number 18 on that list.

One has to dig down into the Wareham names to find the more unusual. Scollay Square, Shaa Kerr Raa, and Velcro were three of our favorites.

Is your dog’s breed or name under-represented on our list? Perhaps it’s because you haven’t been to Town Hall to purchase a 2011 dog license – this year in the shape of a little blue dog house.

Town Clerk Mary Ann Silva reminds Wareham dog owners that they have until April 1 to avoid the $10 late fee. Citing the 670 dogs licensed as of mid-March, Silva noted: “We know that in the past we have licensed over 800 dogs by April and in any given year approximately 1,100 for the year. So please get in and license your animals!”

Top dog breeds in Wareham

Mixed breed (173)

Labrador retriever (87)

German shepherd (30)

Golden retriever (25)

Beagle (24)

Chihuahua (24)

Shih Tzu (16)

Yorkshire Terrier (16)

Boxer (14)

Maltese (14)

Pug (14)

Cairn Terrier (11)

Siberian Husky (11)

Pomeranian (10)

Top dog names in Wareham

Molly/Mollie (11)

Lilly/Lily (8)

Bailey (7)

Buddy (7)

Jake (7)

Maggie (7)

Ginger (6)

Rockey (6)

Sasha (6)

Zoe (6)

Bella (5)

Chloe (5)

Duke (5)

Lady (5)

Sadie (5)

Toby (5)

Bear (4)

Jasper (4)

Lucy (4)

Max (4)

Sam (4)