 
The American Kennel Club's classification
of groups and breeds. Many Kennel clubs all over the world use a similar system. The AKC breaks down all the different breeds
into groups to make understanding the big picture a little easier. The breeds are grouped by key features in personality and
breeding. There are seven groups of pure bred dogs classified by the American Kennel Club:
Sporting
Working
Herding
Hound Non-Sporting Toy
Terrier
The American Kennel Club also has a Miscellaneous Class, a sort of "holding"
groups for breeds that have not met all the criteria for full registration (of which there are many). You may have a purebred dog or be considering getting a purebred, or you may have
a mixed breed. Either way, your dog will behave in ways that have been bred into him over the centuries by people who wanted
a breed to perform a certain function. If you wonder why your retriever is always bringing you something in his mouth
when you come home, its because every cell in his body is programmed to bring in downed birds to earn his keep. When he brings
you a favorite toy, he's doing the next best thing. But remember, every dog is an individual.
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The Complete
AKC Sporting Group |
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German Shorthaired Pointer |
Wirehaired Pointing
Griffon
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German Wirehaired Pointer |
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Sporting Dogs The Sporting Group is made
up of some of the oldest breeds registered by the AKC. Many of the dogs in this category were bred for hunting. Specifically,
they were bred for one or two of the following purposes: to "point," retrieve, "flush" game birds. That
is why the Sporting Group is broken down into pointers, retrievers and setters. The Sporting Group is home to many of the
AKC's most popular breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever, the Cocker Spaniel and the English
Springer Spaniel. These were dogs bred for specific purposes, and most are still doing the jobs they were bred for. While
many people who buy these dogs will never need them to do anything but be the family pet, these dogs, when given the opportunity,
will begin to automatically use their hunting instincts, pointing and retrieving with abandon. These traits can be the most
enjoyable aspects of owning a sporting dog. It's wonderful to see your Weimaraner go on point while running a hedgerow;
it's fun to have your retriever tirelessly retrieve a tennis ball from a lake or an ocean; it's reassuring to have
your spaniel go back and forth in front of you on a walk (this is called quartering in the hunt field). But be forewarned: your dog is a dog, and one day he may come back with not just a ball or toy,
but with a fresh kill. Aside from that, the sporting breeds are renowned for their outgoing personalities. Many of them, suited
to the right families, make wonderful family pets. They also make good watchdogs (as opposed to guard dogs). They are known to be sociable,
but are not known to be overly aggressive, and will always let you know when somone is approaching. It is important to
keep in mind that the early breeders of these dogs wanted them to be able to hunt all day, and bred them for strength and
stamina. The better the dog worked and the longer, the more highly prized it was. While that's great news if your a hunter,
it is particularly important to remember when you buy one of these breeds. They tend to be very active, in most cases.
And you should ask the breeder about the parents of your soon-to-be pet so you know about their temperaments and exercise
needs, as well as about any health problems that might run in the family.
The
Complete AKC Hound Group
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Petit Basset Griffon
Vandeen
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Hounds The Hound Group has in it some of the dogs whose
ancestors were humans earliest companions and assistants. Alexander the Great hunted with hounds. This group also offers the
widest range in size of any group. The smallest hound is the Dachshund, which is the only dog in this group that is neither
a sight - nor a scenthound, but rather was bred to hunt smaller game "ground," going gamely into burrows and dens
for smaller mammals. The largest dog in the group is the Giant Irish Wolfhound. So then, why are these dogs grouped together
? Hounds are generally grouped together because they will actually hunt down prey and either corner it or kill it. They will
not wait for the hunter, but will let the hunter know where they are by various types of barking. Hound people make a distinction
between "barking" (meaning
just your average dog bark) and
"baying" or "tonguing." These terms refer to the different types of barking when a Hound is on the trail,
hot behind some fast-moving game. As the dog follows the tracks it lets out what I have heard some Hound owners refer to as
a "song." Hounds are generally categorized into two distinct groups. The first are the scent hounds. These are the
trackers who hunt with their noses. The best known of these are Bloodhounds and Foxhounds. The other group are sighthounds.
The Afgan, the Pharaoh Hound and the Irish Wolfhound fall into this second category. All of these dogs had very specific uses,
and many dogs date back either to the feudal hunts or to ancient Egypt. The Irish Wolfhound hunted wolves; the Harrier and
the Petit Basset Griffon Vandeen hunted rabbit, the Otterhound hunted otter, the Scottish Deerhound hunted deer and the Rhodesian
Ridgeback hunted lions. The most popular hounds (by AKC registrations) are the Beagle, Dachshund, Basset Hound, Bloodhound and Rhodesian Ridgeback. Most
hounds have loud barks and are very vocal. However, there are many popular dogs in this group. They all tend to be social,
as many of these dogs have hunted in packs. Like the sporting dogs, these animals were intended to be bred for stamina. Some
of them, the Foxhounds especially, need exercise to be happy pets. Others are less demanding.
The
Complete AKC Working Group
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Greater Swiss Mountain
Dog
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Working Dogs Most of the dogs in the working
group were bred for specific jobs. Many of these date back to the Romans, where guarding valuables such as property and family
was paramount. However, there were other jobs to be done. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was used to drive cattle and was
the most popular dog in the Alps until about 80 years ago. The Portuguese Water Dog was the fisherman's dog, used
to retrieve items, or people, that had fallen overboard or to carry messages from one boat to another. The Newfoundland was
bred for hauling in huge fishing nets laden with fresh fish. Saint Bernard's were rescue dogs, saving lives throughout
the Alps. And, of course, the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky were sled dogs, pulling people and their families back
and forth across frozen tundras. There are many popular dogs in this group, most notably the Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher,
Akita and Mastiff, which were bred primarily as guard dogs. They are powerful dogs, and when properly trained and socialized,
they make invaluable friends. These dogs will risk life and limb to protect there families and a great source of pride and
love. However, there are many people who have given these dogs a bad name. Because they are large, powerful dogs, if they
are not properly trained and socialized with other dogs, they can become a menace. It is not in their nature - it is in the
nature of the people who buy these dogs and then train them to be that way. The Rottweiler is the best example of this kind
of training. Rottweilers, by nature, are very sociable dogs. They are even cuddly and fun-loving, like big teddy bears. But
they need to be socialized at a young age and given proper obedience training. Take that same dog, don't socialize him,
encourage his aggressive behavior, and give him the kind of training that ununiformed people perceive is right for guard dogs,
and you have a dog that is a danger not only to himself, but to his own master as well. These dogs desire love and affection.
If you discourage their aggressive behavior at a young age, you will have an excellent pet who is great with children and
a wonderful guard dog. Encourage his negative traits and you will have a dog that is a constant danger to anyone- friend or
foe. These dogs are not "gangstas." There trained by irresponsible, immature thugs into ticking time bombs, giving
those people a false sense of power. If it weren't for the fact of these thugs with dogs give this group in particular
a bad name, what is being said here goes for all dogs. All of these dogs can be very good family pets. It's a matter of
socializing your dog with other dogs at an early age, and with humans as well. Do this, and you will have a loving, devoted
family pet that is in fact wonderful with children.
The
Complete AKC Terrier Group
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American Staffordshire
Terrier
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Soft Coated Wheaten
Terrier
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier |
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West Highland White
Terrier |
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Terriers Talk about your basic Napoleonic complex. The dog in this group are by turns tenacious,
lovable, energetic and downright funny. The terriers group is mostly made up of a number of wirehaired, smaller dogs that
were originally bred to help land owners and gamekeepers keep undesireables off their properties - namely racoons, foxes,
rats, weasels and badgers. The word Terrier finds it's root in the Latin word Terra, which means earth. And that's what
many of these dogs were used for. They were bred way back to dig out animals that went to ground for cover or safety, then
kill them or chase them out. They would bark and dig simultaneously, driving away vermin, or fighting their adversaries right
their in the den's entrance. Indeed many dogs in the Terrier Group have short, strong tails that many a gamekeeper or
huntsman used to pull the little fighter out when it seemed he might be getting the worst of the scrap, or when it seemed
that the contest has been decided. In the 1800's dog fighting, though a cruel and inhumane sport, was popular. While Mastiff's
and Bulldogs were the most prized in the area, breeders decided they needed a new dog, and several new breeds were created
in this period. Many were achieved by crossing certain breeds with Terriers, which added fleet movement and tenacity to their
part of the match. Usually married to them were brawn and size. The resulting breeds are no less lovable than any other breed
of dog. Many of these dogs get lumped under the rubric "pitbull." The term pitbull refers to the time when two dogs
were thrown into a pit and fought to the death, an abhorrent practice that is outlawed today. For the most part, terriers
are well suited to urban, suburban or rural life. However, they are determined to be little dogs and will require training
in many cases, to keep them on a straight and narrow. Like some of their larger brethren, these dogs need obedience and love,
and they need a real leader to keep them from ruining the house or backyard. Don't be fooled by the package. Just because
these dogs are small does'nt mean they are all good apartment dogs. Many of these are high energy animals and require
extensive exercise.
The
Complete AKC Toy Group
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Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel
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Toy Group The toy group is composed exclusively
of some of the smallest dogs in the canine world. And also some of the cutest! Many of these cuddly little rascals have been
bred purely for companionship and were never intended to be anyting other than pets. Some of them come from very obscure backgrounds,
but make no mistake - these are dogs. The most amazing thing about little dogs is that they think just like big dogs. They
mark territory; they are loving; they are protective; they are great watchdogs; and they will bite too, if they feel threatened.
The best thing about them is they get away with a lot more because of their size and cuteness, and guard their priviledges
jealously; they are usually welcome on the couch to sleep in your lap; they're usually allowed in public places and on
transportation, where their larger cousin's are absolutely forbidden; hotels even sometimes turn a blind eye to them.
At the very least, they're so small, their easier to hide. Some of these dogs are so small that many centuries ago in
Europe they were called sleeve dogs, because ladies of means hid the dogs in their sleeves. If thats not a companion dog,
I dont know what is. There are stories about many of these breeds regarding loyalty. In other stories, one of these dogs keeps
vigilant watch over his master, with shrill barking in the middle of the night to warn of approaching assassins. Toy dogs
tend to be smart and feisty. They can be trained easily for the most part and many do not require to much exercise. These
are all good house and apartment dogs. They love attention and expect to get it. They also require grooming, and they love
that too.
The Complete
AKC Non-Sporting Group
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Non-Sporting Dogs These dogs have
one thing in common - they all don't fit into any other catagory. While some of them were working or sporting dogs in
previous lives, their jobs have been so outmoded that they have primarily been companion dogs for almost a century, in some
cases longer. Other than that , this is a miscellaneous crowd as far as the AKC and other breeders are concerned. But in here
you have some very popular if desparate dogs. You have the Poodle (originally one of Europe's finest hunting dogs); the Dalmation (the ubiquitous coach dog) the Bulldog (used to fight bulls centuries ago); the bichon Frise ( a
companion dog to big for the toy group);
and many, many others. All of the dogs in this group are very much worth looking at - especially so because the dog world
lumped them together only because they couldn't pigeonhole these individuals.
The
Complete AKC Herding Group
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Herding Dogs The Herding is relatively new, having been established
in 1983. Herding breeds were originally part of the Working Group, but when it became so large as to be unmanageable, the
breeds were subtracted from it and the Herding Group was established independently. Some of the oldest breeds we know of today
got their first job guarding and managing humans livestock. Among all of the dogs we have covered, these are some of the smartest,
most trainable, and energetic of dogs. It is important to remember that these dogs have been bred to do a job, and it is in
their genes to perform it. They Herd. While you are walking down the street they will want to circle you - especially if you
are with a friend, loved one, or family. The bigger the crowd, the more they want to shape you into a nice group. The Herding
Group tends to have some dogs who bark a lot - they are trying to communicate. These are dogs whose natural instincts are
to communicate with one another and with people. Because they have been used through the centuries to guard sheep and cattle,.
they can nip and snarl to get their charges to move where they want them to. These breeds are usually the happiest in homes
with large yards and should be given plenty of things to do. In general, they are very active, so you need to be able to keep
them busy. These dogs really, really want to work; they have bodies and minds to do jobs and do them well. That's why
you find so many Herding breeds in obedience, agility, herding and flyball competitions. They usually make good guard dogs.
Herding dogs were meant to guard the sheep and cattle as well as herd them. They were especially an important part of keeping
away predators. Many of them are aggressive, ferocious fighters, who are strong and willful. Herding breeds have long been
employed as police dogs as well. Some have been trained as guide dogs for the blind. Not all of these dogs are for the novice
owner. Indeed, many were developed to think on their own, or do the bidding of their human counterparts. With some of them,
when you are unsure, either you will fill them with confusion, or they will make decisions for themselves. You need to be
the lead dog - and they will follow. Many dogs in this breed will respond quickly and easily to obedience. In fact, they excel
at it.
Other Breeds Most certainly there are other breeds. We have only skimmed over the most popular breeds
in the seven AKC's - recognized groups. A great many breeds in the world are not recognized by the AKC. This isn't
because they're not good enough, it's because they do not have a large enough representation in the United States,
or a well-organized breed club. or a proven stud book. The AKC does maintain a miscellaneous class, in which you'll find
Havanese, Anatolian Shepherds, and Italian Spinonis, among others. These breeds are up-and-coming breeds, or breeds that want
to participate in some AKC programs without gaining full recognition. Many breeds from all over the world are registered with
other registries, or are still being developed.
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