Dog Breed Groups

Dog Breed Groups Illustration Drawing The Dog

Dog Breed Groups Unleashed: A Handy Guide for Dog Lovers

Are you a dog lover curious about different breeds and their unique characteristics? As a dog owner or enthusiast, understanding the various dog breed groups and their traits can be both fascinating and fun when looking for your perfect furry companion.

With so many different breeds to choose from, it can be confusing to navigate the world of dog breeds and their groups. But don’t worry! Here’s a quick guide to how the biggest kennel clubs in the world categorize dogs into groups.

From popular breeds like the loyal Labrador Retriever to the energetic Border Collie, each dog breed has its distinct personality, physical traits, and exercise needs. The world of dog breeds is one of wide variety. Dog breeds originate from different parts of the world and have served various purposes throughout history. Understanding the characteristics and needs of different breeds can help you make informed decisions when it comes to selecting a dog that best suits your lifestyle and preferences.

Kennel Clubs & Dog Breed Groups

kennel club is an organization that promotes the welfare and breeding of dogs. There are over 350 recognized dog breeds worldwide. Not every kennel club recognises every breed though. And not every kennel club uses the same group names to categorize dogs. Understanding these groups help potential pet owners understand their furry friend’s lineage, from providing companionship to guarding, herding or hunting.

Classifying dog breeds into groups is not just a way to tidy up a list, it is a practical approach to understanding our canine companions’ diverse roles and characteristics. The American Kennel Club, the UK Kennel Club, and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) are the biggest and most influential Kennel Clubs. Each has developed their own groupings based on a combination of factors including historical purpose, physical characteristics, and behaviour traits.

The American Kennel Club Groups

The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognises just over two hundred dog breeds. Pet owners can find out more about their pooch’s personality traits and the breed standard by visiting the site.
If you want to get into the nitty-gritty details of a particular breed or group, check out our dog breed guides. Pet parents can familiarize themselves with their chosen breed’s basics. Whether it’s the beautiful coat of the Charles Spaniel, the bouncy zeal of a Herding breed, or the rugged charm of the Staffordshire Terrier, each breed standard dictates their care, grooming, and exercise needs.

AKC Breed Groups

The American Kennel Club (AKC) organizes dogs into seven principal breed groups. Each group reflects the roles for which these breeds were originally developed. The groups are:

  1. Sporting: These dogs are high-energy and enthusiastic, especially in hunting and outdoor activities.
  2. Hound: This group boasts a strong instinct and unmatched tracking abilities, with a specialized focus on scent or sight.
  3. Working: Working dogs are intelligent and have excellent capabilities in jobs like guarding, rescuing, and pulling.
  4. Terriers: Terriers are spirited hunters of vermin and small game.
  5. Toy: The Toy group is a collection of diminutive breeds that excel in providing affectionate companionship.
  6. Non-Sporting: A diverse array of breeds that do not fit neatly into the other groups, with wide-ranging personalities and appearances.
  7. Herding: These are the stalwart gatherers and guardians of livestock, showcasing intense intelligence and trainability.

UK Kennel Club Groups

The UK Kennel Club recognises 222 pedigree dog breeds. It also has a breed classification system for dogs, but it has some differences compared to the AKC. It identifies seven groups, defined as follows:

  1. Gundog: Similar to the Sporting group of AKC, these dog breeds are skilled hunters and retrievers.
  2. Hound: As with the AKC, these dogs are adept at hunting primarily through scent and sight.
  3. Working: Valued for their roles as guard dogs, police dogs, and service animals, among various duties.
  4. Terriers: This group are spirited and fearless dogs. They were historically bred to hunt underground.
  5. Toy: Small in size but big in personality. These dogs serve as companions and are similar to the AKC’s Toy group.
  6. Utility: Comparable to the Non-Sporting group of the AKC. This is a catch-all category for breeds that don’t fit into other groups.
  7. Pastoral: Aligning closely with the Herding group of the AKC, the Pastoral breeds are associated with herding and guarding livestock.

Each group embodies distinct characteristics and historical backgrounds that define how these dogs interact with humans and the roles they can serve.

Fédération Cynologique Internationale Groups

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), recognises 356 dog breeds. The FCI classifies dog breeds into ten unique and diverse groups.

  1. Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs): Includes breeds that are used for herding and often possess strong working instincts and intelligence.
  2. Pinscher and Schnauzer – Molossoid Breeds – Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and Other Breeds: A mix of guardian breeds, sturdy working dogs, and Swiss cattle dogs.
  3. Terriers: Similar to the AKC and UK Kennel Club, featuring energetic breeds that are often skilled in vermin control.
  4. Dachshunds: The FCI has a group dedicated to the various types of Dachshunds due to their distinctive characteristics.
  5. Spitz and Primitive Types: Breeds with historical roots in ancient or ‘primitive’ dog types.
  6. Scenthounds and Related Breeds: These are specialized hounds that hunt primarily with their sense of smell.
  7. Pointing Dogs: Bird-hunting dogs are trained to point out game locations.
  8. Retrievers – Flushing Dogs – Water Dogs: These dogs are skilled in finding and retrieving game, both on land and in water.
  9. Companion and Toy Dogs: Encompassing small breeds adept at providing companionship.
  10. Sighthounds: Elegant and fast, these hounds are adept at hunting by sight and chasing down prey.

The FCI’s grouping provides a more detailed categorization. It offers a deeper understanding of each breed’s roles, traits, and capabilities within the international canine community.


A Growing List Of Dog Breeds

The following list includes dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, with some overlap with the UKC, FCI, and the Australian Kennel Club.

Dog BreedDog Category or GroupDog Breed Art & Gifts By Drawing The Dog (Links Below)
AffenpinscherToyAffenpinscher Art Prints & Gifts
Afghan HoundHound
Airedale TerrierTerriersAiredale Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Alaskan Klee KaiNon-Sporting
Alaskan MalamuteWorkingAlaskan Malamute Art Prints & Gifts
AkitaWorkingAkita Art Prints & Gifts
American BulldogNon-Sporting
American English CoonhoundHound
American Eskimo DogNon-Sporting
American FoxhoundHound
American Hairless TerrierTerriers
American LeopardoundHound
American Staffordshire TerrierTerriersAmerican Staffordshire Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
American Water SpanielSporting
Anatolian Shepherd DogWorking
Appenzeller SennenhundeWorking
Australian Cattle DogHerdingAustralian Cattle Dog Art Prints & Gifts
Australian ShepherdHerdingAustralian Shepherd Art Prints & Gifts
Australian TerrierTerriers
AzawakhHound
BarbetSporting
BasenjiHoundBasenji Art Prints & Gifts
Basset HoundHoundBasset Hound Art Prints & Gifts
BeagleHoundBeagle Art Prints & Gifts
Bearded CollieHerding
BeauceronHerding
Bedlington TerrierTerriers
Belgian LaekenoisHerding
Belgian MalinoisHerdingBelgian Malinois Art Prints & Gifts
Belgian SheepdogHerding
Belgian TervurenHerdingBelgian Tervuren Art Prints & Gifts
Bergamasco SheepdogHerding
Berger PicardHerding
Bernese Mountain DogWorkingBernese Mountain Dog Art Prints & Gifts
Bichon FriseNon-SportingBichon Frise Art Prints & Gifts
Biewer TerrierToyBiewer Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Black and Tan CoonhoundHound
Black Russian TerrierWorking
BloodhoundHoundBloodhound Dog Art Prints & Gifts
Bluetick CoonhoundHound
BoerboelWorking
BologneseToy
Border CollieHerdingBorder Collie Art Prints & Gifts
Border TerrierTerriersBorder Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
BorzoiHoundBorzoi Art Prints & Gifts
Boston TerrierNon-SportingBoston Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Bouvier des FlandresHerdingBouvier des Flandres Art Prints & Gifts
BoxerWorkingBoxer Art Prints & Gifts
Boykin SpanielSportingBoykin Spaniel Art Prints & Gifts
Bracco ItalianoSporting
BriardHerding
BrittanySportingBrittany Spaniel Art Prints & Gifts
Brussels GriffonToy
Bull TerrierTerriersBull Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Bulldog (English)Non-SportingEnglish Bulldog Art Prints & Gifts
BullmastiffWorkingBull Mastiff Art Prints & Gifts
Cairn TerrierTerriersCairn Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Canaan DogHerding
Cane CorsoWorkingCane Corso Art Prints & Gifts
Cardigan Welsh CorgiHerdingCardigan Welsh Corgi Art Prints & Gifts
Cavalier King Charles SpanielToyCavalier King Charles Spaniel Art Prints & Gifts
Cesky TerrierTerriers
Chesapeake Bay RetrieverSportingChesapeake Bay Retriever Art Prints & Gifts
ChihuahuaToyChihuahua Art Prints & Gifts
Chinese CrestedToy
ChinookWorking
Chow ChowNon-SportingChow Chow Art Prints & Gifts
Cirneco dell’EtnaHound
Clumber SpanielSporting
Cocker SpanielSportingCocker Spaniel Art Prints & Gifts
Collie (Rough)HerdingRough Collie Art Prints & Gifts
Coton de TulearNon-SportingCoton de Tulear Art Prints & Gifts
Croatian SheepdogHerding
Curly-Coated RetrieverSporting
Czechoslovakian VlcakWorking
DachshundHoundDachshund Art Prints & Gifts
DalmatianNon-SportingDalmatian Art Prints & Gifts
Dandie Dinmont TerrierTerriers
Danish-Swedish FarmdogFoundation Stock Service
Deutscher WachtelhundSporting
Dachshund (Longhaired)Hound
Dachshund HoundDachshund Art Prints & Gifts
DalmatianNon-SportingDalmatian Art Prints & Gifts
Dandie Dinmont TerrierTerriers
Danish-Swedish FarmdogFoundation Stock Service
Deutscher WachtelhundSporting
Doberman PinscherWorkingDoberman Art Prints & Gifts
Dogo ArgentinoWorking
Dogue de BordeauxWorking
Drentsche PatrijshondFoundation Stock Service
Dutch ShepherdHerding
English Cocker SpanielSportingEnglish Cocker Spaniel Art Prints & Gifts
English FoxhoundHound
English SetterSportingEnglish Setter Art Prints & Gifts
English Springer SpanielSportingEnglish Springer Spaniel Art Prints & Gifts
English Toy SpanielToy
Entlebucher Mountain DogHerding
Estonian HoundFoundation Stock Service
EurasierNon-Sporting
Field SpanielSporting
Finnish LapphundHerding
Finnish SpitzNon-Sporting
Flat-Coated RetrieverSportingFlat Coated Retriever Art Prints & Gifts
French BulldogNon-SportingFrench Bulldog Art Prints & Gifts
French SpanielFoundation Stock Service
German Longhaired PointerSporting
German PinscherWorking
German Shepherd DogHerdingGerman Shepherd Art Prints & Gifts
German Shorthaired PointerSportingGerman Shorthaired Pointer Art Prints & Gifts
German Wirehaired PointerSportingGerman Wirehaired Pointer Art Prints & Gifts
Giant SchnauzerWorkingGiant Schnauzer Art Prints & Gifts
Glen of Imaal TerrierTerriers
Golden RetrieverSportingGolden Retriever Art Prints & Gifts
Gordon SetterSportingGordon Setter Art Prints & Gifts
Grand Basset Griffon VendeenHound
Great DaneWorkingGreat Dane Art Prints & Gifts
Great PyreneesWorking
Greater Swiss Mountain DogWorking
GreyhoundHound
HamiltonstovareHound
HarrierHound
HavaneseToyHavanese Art Prints & Gifts
HokkaidoWorking
HovawartWorking
Ibizan HoundHound
Icelandic SheepdogHerding
Irish Red and White SetterSporting
Irish (Red) SetterSportingIrish Setter Art Prints & Gifts
Irish TerrierTerriers
Irish Water SpanielSporting
Irish WolfhoundHoundIrish Wolfhound Art Prints & Gifts
Italian GreyhoundToyItalian Greyhound Art Prints & Gifts
JagdterrierTerriers
Japanese ChinToy
Japanese SpitzNon-Sporting
Japanese TerrierFoundation Stock Service
Kai KenWorking
Karelian Bear DogNon-Sporting
KeeshondNon-SportingKeeshond Art Prints & Gifts
Kerry Blue TerrierTerriers
Kishu KenWorking
KomondorWorking
KromfohrlanderFoundation Stock Service
KuvaszWorking
Labrador RetrieverSportingLabrador Retriever Art Prints & Gifts
Lagotto RomagnoloSportingLagotto Romagnolo Art Prints & Gifts
Lakeland TerrierTerriers
Lancashire HeelerHerding
Lhasa Apso Non-SportingLhasa Apso Art Prints & Gifts
LöwchenNon-Sporting
MalteseToyMaltese Art Prints & Gifts
Manchester TerrierTerriers
Maremma SheepdogWorking
MastiffWorkingMastiff Art Prints & Gifts
Miniature American ShepherdHerdingMiniature American Shepherd Art Prints & Gifts
Miniature Bull TerrierTerriers
Miniature PinscherToyMiniature Pinscher Art Prints & Gifts
Miniature SchnauzerTerriersMiniature Schnauzer Art Prints & Gifts
MudiHerding
Neapolitan MastiffWorking
Nederlandse KooikerhondjeSporting
NewfoundlandWorkingNewfoundland Dog Art Prints & Gifts
Norfolk TerrierTerriers
Norwegian BuhundHerding
Norwegian ElkhoundHoundNorwegian Elkhound Art Prints & Gifts
Norwegian LundehundNon-Sporting
Norwich TerrierTerriers
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverSportingNova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Art Prints & Gifts
Old English SheepdogHerdingOld English Sheepdog Art Prints & Gifts
OtterhoundHound
PapillonToyPapillon Dog Art Prints & Gifts
Parson Russell TerrierTerriers
PekingeseToy
Pembroke Welsh CorgiHerdingPembroke Welsh Corgi Art Prints & Gifts
Perro de Presa CanarioWorking
Peruvian Inca OrchidNon-Sporting
Petit Basset Griffon VendeenHound
Pharaoh HoundHound
PlottHound
PointerSporting
Polish Lowland SheepdogHerding
PomeranianToyPomeranian Art Prints & Gifts
PoodleNon-SportingPoodle Art Prints & Gifts
Portuguese PodengoHound
Portuguese PointerSporting
Portuguese SheepdogHerding
Portuguese Water DogWorkingPortuguese Water Dog Art Prints & Gifts
PugToyPug Art Prints & Gifts
PuliHerding
PumiHerding
Pyrenean MastiffWorking
Pyrenean ShepherdHerding
Rafeiro do AlentejoFoundation Stock Service
Rat TerrierTerriersRat Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Redbone CoonhoundHound
Rhodesian RidgebackHoundRhodesian Ridgeback Art Prints & Gifts
RottweilerWorkingRottweiler Art Prints & Gifts
Russell TerrierTerriersRussell Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Russian ToyToy
Russian Tsvetnaya BolonkaNon-Sporting
Saint BernardWorkingSaint Bernard Art Prints & Gifts
SalukiHound
SamoyedWorkingSamoyed Art Prints & Gifts
SchapendoesFoundation Stock Service
SchipperkeNon-Sporting
Scottish DeerhoundHound
Scottish TerrierTerriersScottish Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Sealyham TerrierTerriers
Shar PeiNon-SportingShar Pei Art Prints & Gifts
Shetland SheepdogHerdingShetland Sheepdog Art Prints & Gifts
Shiba InuNon-SportingShiba Inu Art Prints & Gifts
Shih TzuToyShih Tzu Art Prints & Gifts
ShikokuWorking
Siberian HuskyWorkingSiberian Husky Art Prints & Gifts
Silky TerrierToy
Skye TerrierTerriers
SloughiHound
Slovakian Wirehaired PointerSporting
Slovensky CuvacFoundation Stock Service
Slovensky KopovFoundation Stock Service
Small Munsterlander PointerSporting
Smooth Fox TerrierTerriers
Soft Coated Wheaten TerrierTerriersSoft Coated Wheaten Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Spanish MastiffWorking
Spanish Water DogHerding
Spinone ItalianoSporting
StabyhounFoundation Stock Service
Staffordshire Bull TerrierTerriersStaffordshire Bull Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Standard SchnauzerWorking
Sussex SpanielSporting
Swedish LapphundFoundation Stock Service
Swedish VallhundHerding
Thai RidgebackFoundation Stock Service
Tibetan MastiffWorking
Tibetan SpanielNon-Sporting
Tibetan TerrierNon-Sporting
TornjakFoundation Stock Service
TosaFoundation Stock Service
Toy Fox TerrierToy
Transylvanian HoundFoundation Stock Service
Treeing Tennessee BrindleFoundation Stock Service
Treeing Walker CoonhoundHound
VizslaSportingVizsla Art Prints & Gifts
WeimaranerSportingWeimaraner Art Prints & Gifts
Welsh Springer SpanielSporting
Welsh TerrierTerriers
West Highland White TerrierTerriersWest Highland Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
WhippetHoundWhippet Art Prints & Gifts
Wire Fox TerrierTerriersWire Fox Terrier Art Prints & Gifts
Wirehaired Pointing GriffonSportingWirehaired Pointing Griffon Art Prints & Gifts
Wirehaired VizslaSporting
Working KelpieFoundation Stock Service
XoloitzcuintliNon-Sporting
Yakutian LaikaFoundation Stock Service
Yorkshire TerrierToyYorkshire Terrier Art Prints & Gifts