A Closer Look at the Various Dog Breeds

Have you been to a dog show? If you did for the first time, I’m sure you were immediately struck by the sight of so many diverse breeds assembled in one place—the giant, tough looking shaggy Old English Sheepdog alongside with the small, fine-boned American Hairless Terrier; elegant, sleek Afghan Hound beside the mournful, dwarfed short-legged Basset Hound, the wrinkled Shar Pei with the smooth, egg-shaped face of the Bull Terrier.

It seems unbelievable that all these dogs once came from the same wolf-like ancestor. The diversity of today’s breeds is due to intensive selective breeding of the early dogs. For many centuries, man has created dogs to aid him in the hunt in different way from dogs to guard, dogs to herd, dog to hunt, and dogs to play with.

What Is a Breed?

A breed is defined as a group of certain species that have common ancestors and have certain distinguishable traits and characteristics.

What Makes a Breed?

The main guideline for determining when a new breed has been developed is when its individual are able to permanently “breed true,” that’s if all or almost all of their descendants over several generations displaying all the characteristics that distinguish that breed from others.

The process of getting a new breed to breed true can be long and complicated. It needs years of care, responsibility, recording of every individual’s ancestry to prevent too much inbreeding, many individuals along the way omitted from the program because they haven’t the desired look or characteristic, and false hopes of breeding true over a couple of generations before unexpectedly unsuitable offspring in the third.

Amateur and backyard breeders who are only messing with breeds for fun or profit can do great harm to the animal’s health by over-breeding them, excessive inbreeding, and not being aware of potential genetic defects through the crossing of certain breeds or individual. Such processes are best left to responsible and experienced breeders!

How Does a Breed Become Officially Recognized?

When a new breed is developed, it must be officially recognized to be eligible for showing. The association or club that sets the standards for breed characteristics in that species of dog must accept it first.

A national association or club may refuse to approve a breed for various reasons. Judges might decide the breed’s individual show too much variation to have “bred true;” the breed may be too similar genetically or physically to an existing recognized one; or the animals may exhibit characteristics indicating genetic defects.

Without official acceptance, the breed cannot be entered in shows sanctioned by the national association, and won’t receive as much notice from potential fanciers.

A breed may be recognized in one country but not in others, meaning it can be shown in that country, but cannot be entered in shows elsewhere.

How Each Club Groups The Various Breeds?

Each breed registry categorizes breeds by a number of groups. Although the group names of the America Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), The Kennel Club (KC), and Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) differ, they follow fairly standard lines and can tell you a great deal about the dogs included within them.

The Seven Breed Groups of Dogs assigned by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

• Hound Group
• Herding Group
• Sporting Group
• Working Group
• Toy Group
• Terrier Group
• Non-sporting Group

The Eight Breed Groups Dogs assigned by the United Kennel Club (UKC).

• Companion Dog
• Guardian Dog
• Gun Dog
• Herding Dog
• Northern Breed
• Scenthound
• Sighthound & Pariah
• Terrier

The Seven Breed Groups of Dogs assigned by The Kennel Club (KC).

• Hound Group
• Gundog Group
• Terrier Group
• Utility Group
• Working Group
• Pastoral Group
• Toy Group

The Ten Breed Groups of Dogs assigned by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI).

• Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
• Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid Breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and Other
• Breeds
• Terriers
• Dachshunds
• Spitz and Primitive types
• Scenthounds and Related Breeds
• Pointing Dogs
• Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs
• Companion and Toy Dogs
• Sighthounds

Since I’m more familiar with AKC and KC standards, I’ll use the AKC guideline base on the readership here. I’ll post the seven breed groups spread over a few weeks, so you can get a better understanding of the individual breed group.

Before you get a new puppy, you have to consider a breed that will fit your lifestyle, environment, and financial capability (to some extend). It is best to get the breed of puppy that will suit your personality and living condition. For example, you wouldn’t get a Mastiff if you live in a small one bedroom apartment. Similarly, you wouldn’t get a Borzoi if you don’t have the time to give him the proper amount of exercise, activity, firm training, and grooming that he requires.