Dog Breeds & Their Groups
- Genesis Hawke
- May 5
- 4 min read
Updated: May 5
Introduction
If you follow dog breeds, you know that there is an incredible variety ranging from toy poodles to greyhounds! While dogs have a common ancestry, their temperaments and abilities are vastly different! In today’s blog, we’ll dive into different groups of dog breeds and what they do! For this blog, the focus will be on the main groups recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
The Herding Group
If you’re familiar with sheepdogs, collies, and shepherds, then you’re already acquainted with the herding group!
These dogs are smart, high-energy, and bred specifically for livestock management. They thrive in environments that give them clear tasks or work, like herding sheep. These breeds are famous for working with humans. Police dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, and search and rescue dogs are examples of jobs you can find these breeds in.
If they are in an environment that doesn’t give them work to do, they can get bored and destructive. You must give them work to do; it’s their version of having fun!
Examples of breeds from this group include:
German shepherds
Border collies
Belgian Malinois
Cardigan Welsh corgis
The Sporting Group
When we think of sports, basketball and football come to mind. Unfortunately, these are not the sports that the sporting group breeds to play. They’re all about hunting!
The sporting breeds assist hunters with locating, flushing, and retrieving game animals. The targets are usually waterfowl and game fowl. This group is known for its trainability, loyalty, and high energy. Some dogs from this group, like Labrador Retrievers and Portuguese Water Dogs, are especially known for their love of water.
Breeds in this group include:
Golden retrievers
Labradors
Cocker spaniels
Irish setters
German shorthair pointers
The Terrier Group
The terrier group was originally bred to hunt and eliminate small animals, such as rodents. Terriers are bold, energetic, and often very determined behavior-wise.
Terriers are fearless and alert in all they do. You might know them for their wiry coat, which is present in breeds like the Russell terrier and the Scottish terrier. Aside from this, terriers have a reputation for being vocal, stubborn, and high-prey-driven.
Some of the breeds in this group include:
Miniature schnauzer
American Staffordshire terrier
Wire fox terrier
Bull terrier
The Toy Group
The toy group is made up of small breeds that people would consider “lap dogs” or “family dogs”. They have been bred and developed for one thing: companionship.
The toy group is known for its strong loyalty and friendly nature. Despite their small size, the toy breeds have a big personality. They are the perfect dog if you need a companion and nothing more!
Examples of toy breeds are:
Toy poodle
Maltese
Shih tzu
Pug
The Hound Group
Hounds are well known for hunting, having a droopy face, being loud, and drooling a lot. However, you’ll find that the hound group is more diverse than this. Hound breeds are known for their love of chasing after prey and hunting it down.
There are different types of hounds, and the type can dictate a lot about them. Sighthounds, like greyhounds, are speedy and thin. Scent hounds, like basset hounds and beagles, are bulkier but can track well.
Other hounds in this group include:
Dachshunds
Salukis
Irish wolfhounds
Bloodhounds
The Working Group
The working group encompasses dogs that can perform a variety of jobs beyond herding, hunting, and retrieving.
These jobs may include personal protection, sled work, rescue work, hunting, and livestock protection. The group is known for its adaptability, history of helping humans, and need for a job. Dogs from this group tend to be strong, intelligent, and trainable. Just like the sporting group, they need tasks and structure.
Types of working group dogs include:
Great pyrenees
Siberian husky
Anatolian shepherd dog
Saint Bernards
The Non-Sporting Group
The non-sporting group is dedicated to dogs that don’t neatly fit into other groups. It’s like a box of chocolates; you never know what to expect until you look into the group!
The group itself does not have a defined purpose. Individually, the breeds themselves have their own defined standards and set purposes. This makes the group diverse in appearance and temperament. Dogs from this group tend to be companion dogs, sport dogs, or even personal watchdogs.
Breeds who fit here include:
Dalmatian
Bulldog
Shiba inu
Chow chow
Are there more groups?
Yes! Today’s focus was on the seven main groups that the AKC recognizes. There is one last group: the miscellaneous group
Miscellaneous Group: breeds in the process of becoming fully recognized by the AKC; recognized by and more developed than the Foundation Stock Service; can compete in a few competitions/shows (Example: Dutch Shepherd)
Foundation Stock Service (FSS) Breeds: newer breeds that are not AKC recognized but are in the FSS as a pathway to be recognized; rarer than the miscellaneous group; usaully cannot compete in regular shows (Example: Japanese Spitz)
Other kennel clubs have their own groups and categories for dog breeds! For example, the United Kennel Club (UKC) has a group for gun dogs (which would be the sporting group in AKC terms).
What about overlap?
There is a lot of overlap when it comes to groups of dog breeds. For the AKC, dog breeds are grouped based on their original purpose and shared traits. That said, many breeds are versatile and capable of performing multiple roles.
For instance, the Portuguese water dog is a part of the working group. This breed is known for being great with families and for being good at various tasks and training. It could also be in the sporting group based on its traits, like swimming and trainability.
Conclusion
Dog breeds are incredibly diverse, and their groupings help us better understand their history, behavior, and strengths. From high-energy herders to loyal companions, each group highlights a different side of what makes dogs such valuable partners to humans.
No matter your lifestyle, there’s a breed and group for it.
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