Akc Dog Breeds
Did you know that the AKC (American Kennel Club) recognizes 8 dog breed groups? These include the sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, terrier and miscellaneous groups.
Dogs are assigned to a specific group based on the purpose for which the dog was originally bred or has been used for historically. For example, dogs in the herding group are well suited to herding animals such as cows or sheep.
Working Group
The Working Group includes 25 large breeds that are bred for the purpose of labor. Jobs like guarding property or livestock and pulling carts.
Hound Group
The Hound Group has 26 breeds that are instinctual hunters like sight hounds and scent hounds.
Sporting Group
The Sporting Group has 28 dog breeds that include Pointers, Retrievers, Setters and Spaniels that are known for tracking down and catching birds.
Non-sporting Group
The different purebred dog breeds in the non-sporting group are a wide collection of dogs in all different types of shapes, sizes, coat types, jobs types, personalities and overall appearances. Many people call this the AKC “catch-all” dog group. The diverse membership of the non-sporting group contains a little bit of everything - big dogs, little dogs, hairy dogs, bald dog breeds and some of the finest companion dogs you might possibly ever own.
Miscellaneous Dog Group
The many different dog breeds included in the AKC Miscellaneous Group are awaiting final breed recognition by the AKC. All dog breeds that are in this group can compete and earn titles in AKC Obedience, Tracking and Agility events.
The Terrier Group is a feisty and high energy group that includes Miniature Schnauzer, Scottish Terrier, Bull Terrier, Airedale Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. These dogs are bred primarily to hunt below and above ground vermin. They can make great pets for the right owner but be warned… they are feisty with little tolerance for other small animals, the mailman and other neighborhood dogs.
Toy Group
Bred for their small size, these breeds are good for people with little living space. Don’t let their size fool you. Some dogs can be feisty and protective, big dogs in little bodies. They prove the old adage, ‘It isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.’ But that doesn’t mean they can’t be loving companion dogs. Some breeds in the group are: Maltese, Chihuahua, Papillion, Pomeranian, Pekinese, Poodle, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier.
