Directory of Breed of Dogs

The many branches of the dog world - The AKC group breeds...

DIRECTORY OF BREED OF DOGS

For many years, dog owners have shown their pets and had  them demonstrating some of their amazing traits. Because of this, it became necessary to have uniform show rules and to document the winnings and pedigrees of the top dogs for many different breeds. A purebred dog registry known as the American Kennel Club (AKC) was therefore founded in 1884. The AKC works with National Breed Clubs along with other organized dog groups that serve as the Parent Club for a breed.

Such clubs must meet the AKC breed acceptance criteria before they are accepted into the miscellaneous group, after which they has the opportunity to move up into a permanent dog group.

The AKC has 8 recognized Dog Breed Groups. These groups are made up to broadly comply with the original uses which each individual dog breed was originally developed for.

To give some idea of the complexity of showing and judging dogs, one against another, the common dog comes in more than 400 different breed types in the world, and that there are more varieties of family dog than there are of any other species of animal worldwide?

The AKC groups together different breeds of dogs on their overall purpose and what they were originally bred for.

Listed below are the various AKC dog breed groups along with the breeds that are within that group.

1. Herding Dog Group

The Herding Dog Group was created in 1983 and it is the most recent AKC classification. The members of this group were previously members of the Working Group. All of the breeds in this group share the ability to control the movement of other animals. One fantastic example of this would be the low-set Corgi, maybe because this breed is one foot tall at the shoulders, which allows it to drive a herd of cows many times more than its own size to pasture by leaping and nipping at their heels. These dogs are intelligent and make fantastic companions and respond extremely well to training exercises. Most herding dogs will gently herd their owners, especially the children of the family.

The dogs that are included in the herding dog group are:

- Welsh Corgi (Cardigan & Pembroke)
- Swedish Valhund
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Pyrenean Shepherd
- Puli
- Polish Lowland Sheepdog
- Old English Sheepdog
- Norwegian Buhund
- German Shepherd
- Collies (Rough & Smooth)
- Canaan Dog
- Briard
- Bouvier Des Flandres
- Border Collie
- Belgian Tervuren
- Belgian Sheepdog
- Belgian Malinois
- Beauceron
- Bearded Collie
- Australian Shepherd
- Australian Cattle Dog

2. Hound Dog Group

A majority of the breeds in the Hound Dog Group share the common ancestral trait of being used for hunting. Some use their amazing powers of scenting to follow a trail. Others demonstrate an excellent gift of stamina as they relentlessly run down quarry. However, it is important to remember that certain hounds do have the distinct ability to produce a unique sound known as baying. If you were thinking of obtaining a hound, then it may be better to sample this sound before making your final decision.

The dogs that are included in the hound dog group are:

- Whippet
- Scottish Deerhound
- Saluki
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Plott Hound
- Pharaoh Hound
- Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
- Otterhound
- Norwegian Elkhound
- Irish Wolfhound
- Ibizan Hound
- Harrier
- Greyhound
- Dachshund (3 varieties)
- Borzoi
- Bloodhound
- Black & Tan Coonhound
- Beagle
- Basset Hound
- Basenji
- American & English Foxhounds
- Afghan Hound

3. Miscellaneous group

It is acknowledged by authorities that throughout the world there are several hundred distinct dog breeds of purebred origin. However, not all of these are recognized by AKC. The AKC provides a regular path of development for a new dog breed, which may result in the full recognition and appearance of that breed in the official Stud Book.

The requirement for gaining admission into the Stud Book is clear and categorical proof that there exists a substantial, sustained nationwide interest and activity in the breed. This includes an active parent club, with serious and expanding breeding activity over a wide geographic area.

When such activity exists, a dog breed is admitted into the Miscellaneous Class. These breeds may then compete in AKC obedience trials and earn themselves titles. It is also possible for them to compete in conformation shows.

It is when the Board of Directors is satisfied that a dog breed is continuing a healthy and dynamic growth in the Miscellaneous Class, that they may be admitted to registration in the Stud Book, which will then give them the opportunity to compete in regular classes.

The dogs that are included in this group are:

- Xoloitzcuintli
- Treeing Walker Coonhound
- Redbone Coonhound
- Norwegian Lundehund
- Leonberger
- Icelandic Sheepdog
- Entlebucher Mountain Dog
- Cesky Terrier
- Cane Corso
- Boykin Spaniel
- Bluetick Coonhound

4. Non-Sporting Dog Group

The dogs in the Non-Sporting Dog Group are diverse. They are sturdy animals with different personalities and appearances such as the Dalmatian, Keeshond, French Bulldog, and Chow Chow. There are then those dogs that are uncommon sights in the average neighborhood such as the Schipperke and Tibetan Spaniel. Then there are those that have rather a large following such as the Poodle and the Lhasa Apso. The dogs in this group are a varied collection when it comes to size, coat, personality, and overall appearance.

The dogs that are included in the Non-Sporting Dog Group are:

- Tibetan Terrier
- Tibetan Spaniel
- Shina Inu
- Schipperke
- Poodle (Miniature & Standard)
- Lowchen
- Lhasa Apso
- Keeshond
- French Bulldog
- Finnish Spitz
- Dalmatian
- Chow Chow
- Chinese Shar-Pei
- Bulldog
- Boston Terrier
- Bichon Frise
- American Eskimo Dog

5. Sporting Dog Group

The dogs in the Sporting Dog Group are naturally active and alert. This makes them great companions. Members of this group include spaniels, setters, retrievers, and pointers. They are extremely outstanding for their instincts in the water and the woods, and many of these breeds continue to participate in hunting and other field activities. It is important that the owners of sporting dogs realize and remember that such breeds require regular, invigorating exercise.

The dogs that are included in this group are:

- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
- Weinaraner
- Vizsla
- Sussex Spaniel
- Spinone Italiano
- Pointer
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Labrador Retriever
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Irish Red & White Setter
- Irish Setter
- Gordon Setter
- Golden Retriever
- German Shorthaired & German Wirehaired Pointers
- Flat-coated Retriever
- Field Spaniel
- English Springer Spaniel
- English Setter
- Curly-coated Retriever
- Cocker Spaniel (American & English)
- Clumber Spaniel
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Brittany
- American Water Spaniel

6. Terrier Group

The dogs that are present in this group are renowned for being feisty and energetic. They generally have little tolerance for other animals, including other dogs. They were originally bred to hunt and kill vermin. However, they generally make good pets when their owners have the same amount of determination as they do in order to match their characters.

The dogs that are included in this group are:

- West Highland White Terrier
- Welsh Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
- Skye Terrier
- Sealyham Terrier
- Scottish Terrier
- Parson Russell Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Norfolk Terrier
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Miniature Bull Terrier
- Manchester Terrier
- Lakeland Terrier
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Irish Terrier
- Glen of Imaal Terrier
- Fox Terrier (Smooth & Wire)
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- Border Terrier
- Bedlington Terrier
-Australian Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Airedale Terrier

7. Toy Group

You should never be fooled when it comes to toy dogs. They may be small in size, but what they lack in size, they make up for in attitude. There is a common saying when it comes to toy dogs, which is “there is a lot of dog in a small body”. Toy dogs will always be popular with city dwellers and those who do not have a great deal of space for a large dog. They make ideal apartment dogs and lap warmers on chilly evenings.

The dogs that are included in this group are:

- Yorkshire Terrier
- Toy Fox Terrier
- Silky Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Toy Poodle
- Pug
- Pomeranian
- Pekingese
- Papillon
- Miniature Pinscher
- Toy Manchester Terrier
- Maltese
- Japanese Chin
- Italian Greyhound
- Havanese
- English Toy Dog (Blenheim and Prince Charles, King Charles and Ruby)
- Chinese Crested
- Chihuahua (Smooth & Longcoated)
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Brussels Griffon
- Affenpinscher

8. Working dogs

Dogs in the Working Group were originally bred to undertake jobs such as guarding property, pulling sleds, and performing water rescues. They have proven to be invaluable to man throughout the ages. The dogs in this group are intelligent, quick to learn, and make solid companions. However, many working dogs do make unsuitable pets for the average family, due to their size and strength alone. It is essential that these dogs are correctly trained and given a sufficient amount of exercise.

The dogs included in this group are:

- Tibetan Mastiff
- Standard Schnauzer
- Siberian Husky
- Samoyed
- Saint Bernard
- Rottweiler
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Newfoundland
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Mastiff
- Kuvasz
- Komondor
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Great Pyrenees
- Great Dane
- Giant Schnauzer
- German Pinscher
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Doberman Pinscher
- Bullmastiff
- Boxer
- Black Russian Terrier
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Anatolian Shepherd Dog
- Alaskan Malamute
- Akita Dog

I hope you will find this basic information on the various AKC recognised dog breed groups interesting and useful.  Bare in mind that the AKC and the Kennel Club of England do have slightly different groupings although their judging standards are very similar.

We do have separate pages for many of the breeds and will be adding to these as time allows.  If you have a special interest in a particular breed then please tell us.

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