Know The Breed

Know The Breed

Each breed of dog has its own personality type. The way a dog acts and behaves has as much to do with hereditary and breeding as it does with its upbringing and the training it receives. Knowing a breed's history allows you to take advantage of the traits that are inherent in your dog as well as to understand his behavior.

Dogs are usually categorized by their functional type, based on what they were bred for. What drives your dog?

SPORTING GROUP

AMERICAN COCKER SPANIEL            

hunting and retrieving of game, usually birds

GOLDEN RETRIEVER                             

hunting and retrieving of game, usually birds; search and rescue; service and guide dog

LABRADOR RETRIEVER                        

hunting and retrieving of game, usually birds; search and rescue; service and guide dog; detection work

HOUND GROUP

AFGHAN HOUND                                   

sighthound, hounds that primarily hunt by speed and sight

BASSET HOUND                                     

scent hound, bred to hunt rabbits by scent; trackers

BEAGLE                                                    

scent hound, bred to hunt hare, rabbit, and other game; tracking; detection work

BLOODHOUND                                       

scent hound, bred originally to hunt deer and wild boar; track human beings by scent

DACHSHUND                                          

scent hound, developed to scent, chase, flush and hunt badgers, rabbits and other burrow-dwelling animals

GREYHOUND                                          

hunting dog; primarily bred for coursing game and racing

WHIPPET                                                 

sighthound, bred to hunt by sight, coursing game in open areas at high speeds

WORKING GROUP

AKITA                                                      

tracked large game and held it at bay until the hunters arrived to make the kill

ALASKAN MALAMUTE                        

originally bred for use as an Alaskan sled dog

BOUVIER DES FLANDRES                    

herding dog, originally used for general farm work including cattle droving, sheep herding, and cart pulling; guard dogs and police dogs

BOXER                                                     

hunting dog, employed in the pursuit of bear, wild boar, and deer

BULLMASTIFF                                        

originally bred to find and immobilize poachers

DOBERMANN PINSCHER                     

historically used as a guard dog; police dog

GREAT DANE                                          

boar hunters

ROTTWEILER                                          

herding dog; worked as draft dogs, pulling carts to carry livestock, meat and other products; search and rescue assistant; guide dog

SAMOYED                                               

reindeer herder; were used to pull sleds

SCHNAUZER, GIANT                            

used to herd cattle; guard dog

SCHNAUZER, STANDARD                    

used to catch rats; guard dog; police dog

SIBERIAN HUSKY                                  

used as sled dogs

ST. BERNARD                                         

originally bred for rescue operations; draft dog used for carting and weight pulling

TERRIER GROUP

JACK RUSSELL TERRIER                      

hunting fox

MINIATURE SCHNAUZER                   

originally bred to be farm dogs to keep the rats and other vermin out of the barn; used for guarding herds, small farms, and families

TOY GROUP

CHIHUAHUA                                          

lap dog; companion dog

CHINESE CRESTED                               

lap dog; companion dog

JAPANESE CHIN                                    

lap dog; companion dog

MALTESE                                                

lap dog; companion dog

MINIATURE PINSCHER                        

were first bred to hunt vermin, especially rats

PAPILLON                                               

companion dog; watch dog

PEKINGESE                                              lap dog; companion dog

POMERANIAN                                        

lap dog; companion dog

POODLE, TOY                                         

originally bred as a type of water dog; skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding

PUG                                                           

lap dog; companion dog

YORKSHIRE TERRIER                            

lap dog; companion dog; show dog

NON-SPORTING GROUP

BICHON FRISE                                        

lap dog, companion dog

BOSTON TERRIER                                  

companion dog

BULLDOG                                                

originally used in the sport of bull baiting; were also used on farms to hold livestock, as butchers' dogs, and as guardians

CHINESE SHAR-PEI                               

herding cattle and guarding the home; hunters of game, usually wild pigs

CHOW CHOW                                         

hunting, herding, pulling and protection of the home

DALMATIAN                                           

guard dog; hunting rats and other vermin; were also used as bird dogs, trail hounds, retrievers and in boar or stag hunting.

JAPANESE SPITZ                                    

companion dog

LHASA APSO                                          

guard dog

POODLE (STANDARD)                          

originally bred as a type of water dog; skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding

SHIH TZU                                                 

companion dog

HERDING GROUP

AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD                     

herding dog; stockdog; excels at dog sports such as agility, flyball, and frisbee; search and rescue assistant; detection dog; guide dog; service, and therapy dog

BELGIAN MALINOIS                              

bred primarily as a working dog for personal protection, detection, police work, search and rescue, herding, sledding and tracking

BORDER COLLIE                                     

used on farms to assist with the herding of livestock; companion dog

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG                    

developed originally for herding sheep; search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics detection, explosives detection, accelerant detection, and mine detection