Dog Breed Groups: Dog Breeds are organized in 7 different groups such as Terrier, Toy, Working, Sporting, Hound, Non-Sporting, and Herding breeds. Each dog breed originally bred for different purposes and assigned to one of these groups based on characteristics and functions.

With close to 200 dog varieties and breeds recognized by AKC, every dog was placed in one among the seven groups. Each of the seven groups details a dog’s specific functions, tasks, and traits. In this article, we shall have a thorough overview of the seven types of dog breeds. This will cover their histories, and what prospective owners are to expect when taking one of these four-legged companion animals referred to as man’s best friend home.

1. Sporting Group

Breeds in this particular group are typically bred in order to help hunters in capturing and retrieving feathered game. Retrievers, specifically have features which are helpful in swimming, on waterfowl. On the other hand, the hunting sites of spaniels, setters, and pointing breeds are grasslands where pheasant, quail, and many other game birds live.

Numerous dogs in the Sporting Group breeds exhibit heavy, coats that are resistant to water. Additionally, these thick coats are weatherproof.

All dogs in the Sporting Group show distinctive characters of naturally alert and active personalities, stable attitudes. Additionally, they also have notable instincts both when inside the water and while they are out in the woods. We can describe Sporting dogs as adorable, all-round companion animals.

Dogs in the sporting group are the ideal addition to outgoing households. These powerful and ever attentive dogs will need quite vigorous exercises and plenty of hours spent outdoors.

Here is the complete List of Sporting Group Dog Breeds:

• American Water Spaniel
• Boykin Spaniel
• Brittany
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
• Clumber Spaniel
• Cocker Spaniel
• Curly-Coated Retriever
• English Cocker Spaniel
• English Setter
• English Springer Spaniel
• Field Spaniel
• Flat-Coated Retriever
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• German Wirehaired Pointer
• Golden Retriever
• Gordon Setter
• Irish Red and White Setter
• Irish Setter
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Labrador Retriever
• Lagotto Romagnolo
• Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
• Pointer
• Spinone Italiano
• Sussex Spaniel
• Vizsla
• Weimaraner
• Welsh Springer Spaniel
• Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
• Wirehaired Vizsla

2. Hound Group

Initially, dogs in this particular group were used for hunting and were also classified as Sporting Dogs. However, later in the year 1930, the American Kennel Club changed the Hound Group to be inclusive of dogs that are exclusively bred to follow live prey.

Even Though Hounds have their sharp-witted hunting experience similar, the hound group includes a broad range of breeds. Long-legged and Fast sighthounds majorly depend on their extreme speeds, remarkable stamina, and a bright, comprehensive sight to ruin after fast prey, for instance, antelopes and jackrabbits.

These dogs either bring the fast animals down or hold the victim at bay until their owner arrives at the spot. Scent hounds are known to make use of their keen senses of smell to track game. Besides, scent hounds and are renowned for being very strong and long-lasting. They possess the unique ability to trail almost anything, either animals or even missing persons.

While it’s challenging to make certain generalizations concerning a group of dogs as diverse this, generally, the playful, loving dogs in this group will prove to be very loyal companion animals and family pets. However, some dogs will need more spirited exercises than others.

Here is the complete List of Hound Group Dog Breeds:

• Afghan Hound
• American English Coonhound
• American Foxhound
• Azawakh
• Basenji
• Basset Hound
• Beagle
• Black and Tan Coonhound
• Bloodhound
• Bluetick Coonhound
• Borzoi
• Cirneco Dell’Etna
• Dachshund
• English Foxhound
• Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen
• Greyhound
• Harrier
• Ibizan Hound
• Irish Wolfhound
• Norwegian Elkhound
• Otterhound
• Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
• Pharaoh Hound
• Plott
• Portuguese Podengo Pequeno
• Redbone Coonhound
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Saluki
• Scottish Deerhound
• Sloughi
• Treeing Walker Coonhound
• Whippet

3. Toy Group

This particular toy group has been in existence for thousands of years now. Dogs in the toy group were bred for the sole purpose of being companions to their owners. These tiny, easy to carry dogs can most frequently be sighted sitting in their owner’s lap or even their humans taking them around.

Dogs in this group are popular with city dwellers, apartment living, or even for people with a confined space. Breeders have bred numerous of these dogs down from their bigger cousins.

The breeds found in the Toy group are likely to be loving and are easy to adapt to their owner’s household surroundings. They are talented, friendly, and very energetic. Regardless of their tiny height, many of them possess strong guarding instincts and accommodating characters. The small breeds of this group are available in a range of kinds of colors, and coats cater to almost every preference.

Here is the complete List of Toy Group Dog Breeds:

• Affenpinscher
• Brussels Griffon
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Chihuahua
• Chinese Crested
• English Toy Spaniel
• Havanese
• Italian Greyhound
• Japanese Chin
• Maltese
• Manchester Terrier
• Miniature Pinscher
• Papillon
• Pekingese
• Pomeranian
• Poodle (Toy)
• Pug
• Shih Tzu
• Silky Terrier
• Toy Fox Terrier
• Yorkshire Terrier

4. Non-Sporting Group

Dogs in this group don’t fit in anywhere else. The Non-Sporting Group is inclusive of a range of breeds with tasks that don’t satisfy the needs of the entire other six groups of dog breeds.

The American Kennel Club initially recognized dogs as either Sporting or Non-Sporting. However, with time, terriers and hounds were split up from the Sporting Group. On the other hand, Toy and Working dogs rose from the Non-Sporting group. In the long run, there was a discrete category to differentiate Herding dogs from Working dogs.

Dogs in the Non-Sporting Group are all the ones that remain. Therefore, have are available in a wide range of sizes, history, and functions. Many among these dogs are typically good watchdogs as well as house dogs. However, with breeds in this group in the broad range of the French bulldog to the Poodles. Their dissimilarities are very many. These vast differences make it very hard to generalize their individual characteristics.

Presently, the different breeds of the Non-Sporting Group are widely sought after as companion animals, as they were all bred to interact with human beings in some manner.

Here is the complete List of Non-Sporting Group Dog Breeds:

• American Eskimo Dog
• Bichon Frise
• Boston Terrier
• Bulldog
• Chinese Shar-Pei
• Chow Chow
• Coton De Tulear
• Dalmatian
• Finish Spitz
• French Bulldog
• Keeshond
• Lhasa Apso
• Lowchen
• Norwegian Lundhund
• Poodle
• Schipperke
• Shiba Inu
• Tibetan Spaniel
• Tibetan Terrier
• Xoloitzcuintli

5. Working Group

Dogs in this Working Group dogs were separated from the Non-Sporting Group. They perform the task of doing particular jobs that relate to safeguarding the owner’s property or carrying out rescues. Dogs in this group are labeled the blue-collar workers in the canine fraternity. Dogs that are included in this particular group have a history of being performing tasks in the range of pulling sleds and carts to guarding animals and premises.

While the looks and tasks of dogs in this particular group are very different, most are strong and clever. These dogs can be trusted to carry out rescues and any other functions regarding protecting their loved ones.

These dogs are inclusive of draft and farm animals, police, security, and military dogs, and service and guide dogs. Therefore, these dogs make trustworthy, faithful pets with remarkable wit and energy. The working group has some of the world’s oldest breeds. Besides, many among these breeds are still employed by families as working dogs all across the globe.

Here is the complete List of Working Group Dog Breeds:

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

6. Herding Group

The American Kennel Club Categorized the herding group back in the year 1983. The Herding Group is inclusive of the breeds with probably the easiest task.

Some time ago, these dogs were included with the Working Group dogs. This group is inclusive of 30 breeds. All the thirty breeds in this group come in a broad range of sizes, from the German shepherd to Corgi.

Historically, Dogs in the Herding group have been bred to herd, gather and guard domestic animals, and are close colleagues to human shepherds. The dogs exhibit natural responsiveness and intelligence, making them very easy to train. Although all these dogs share the innate knowledge of controlling and guiding the movements of other animals, those dogs that humans keep as pets will make use of their instinctual urges to protect their owners.

These instinctual urges are what make the especially perfect with kids. Also, these dogs tend to be loving and faithful companion animals. They are straightforward to train and resultantly respond exceptionally well to training.

In the modern world, some of the Herding breeds, which include the German Shepherd Dog, are customarily taken through training for police work. The extremely high levels of energy that are in Herding Group breeds means that it is advisable that you should find them a job, or else they will begin herding your kids at your home.

Here is the complete List of Herding Group Dog Breeds:

• Australian Cattle Dog
• Australian Shepherd
• Bearded Collie
• Beauceron
• Belgian Malinois
• Belgian Sheepdog
• Belgian Tervuren
• Bergamasco
• Berger Picard
• Border Collie
• Bouvier des Flandres
• Briard
• Canaan Dog
• Cardigan Welsh Corgi
• Collie
• Entlebucher Mountain Dog
• Finnish Lapphund
• German Shepherd Dog
• Icelandic Sheepdog
• Miniature American Shepherd
• Norwegian Buhund
• Old English Sheepdog
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi
• Polish Lowland Sheepdog
• Puli
• Pumi
• Pyrenean Shepherd
• Shetland Sheepdog
• Spanish Water Dog
• Swedish Vallhund

7. Terrier Group

A great majority of the dogs in this particular group have their origin in the British Isles. Additionally, they evolved with specific tasks on the basis of the geography of their particular location. The mentioned evolutions include killing harmful animals and protecting their owner’s family living premises or stores. Dog breeders bred a majority of these dogs for jobs, which include hunting tiny animals such as otters, rats, and badgers.

However, Terriers have a few variations; short-legged terriers are built to follow rodents underground. On the other hand, long-legged terriers can dig out the rodent creatures instead of burrowing in their pursuit.

“Bully” breeds were once bred for bull dogfights and baiting. However, happily, ”bully” breeds are currently among present day’s most reliable companion dogs.

All these dogs have a common characteristic of self-assuredness and are very courageous. These dogs are ever determined to do anything it takes them to track its quarry regardless of the terrain, whether the ground is water, plain lands, or mountains.

Dogs in this Terrier Group tend to be intense and strong-willed. While they are very lovable companion animals, they, at times, have a stubborn characteristic. Additionally, some of the breeds may call for special grooming. Breeds in this particular group are ideal participants in the Earth dog sport.

Here is the complete List of Terrier Group Dog Breeds:

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

Indeed, various dog groups have multiple physical appearances, personalities, traits, and attitudes. This variation calls for varied care too. Therefore, be sure to be aware of the above-discussed characteristics so that you can take good care of your friend.

Meals are another vital part of a dog’s life. Dogs will thrive on a good meal, either industrially manufactured or prepared at home. Some dogs have a tendency to grow overweight. This means that it is imperative to check on your dog’s meal and weight levels. Remember to keep the food as low-calorie as possible so that you can keep your dog healthy.

Additionally, remember to give your dog enough exercise and always avail fresh and clean water. Again, always remember to follow your veterinarian’s advice and only feed or medicate your dog with the veterinarian’s approval. All the best with your friend!