Some Characteristics of the Seven Major Groups of Dogs

The American Kennel Club recognizes more than 150 dog breeds, all of which fall into seven groups. This canine classification system looks at common characteristics for each breed, such as history, breeding, personality and purpose. The seven groups for dog breeds are: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, nonsporting and herding.

  1. Temperament

    • Rottweilers, a working dog breed, are said to be calm, alert and intelligent dogs.

      Temperament, or a dog's general personality, can vary widely, but the Kennel Club classification system helps categorize basic traits. Working dogs, like the Great Dane and boxer, are known as intelligent, alert and hardy pets. Terriers, such as Jack Russell and American Staffordshire terriers, are also intelligent but are sometimes described as high-energy and "overconfident." Hounds, like the basset hound and whippet, can be more laid-back and easygoing but at times can be high-energy canines. Toy breeds, like poodles and pugs, were created for the diminutive stature but can often have strong-willed temperaments.

    Size

    • A poodle can range in size from the small toy classification to the much larger standard size.

      A dog's size can vary a great deal, even within the breed classification system. The toy dog category is one of the most uniform, with these breeds created for their small size. Their small stature makes them suitable apartment pets and lapdogs. Terriers can be small, bred to fit into rabbit and rat warrens. The Airedale terrier, however, can be up to 23 inches tall at the shoulder. Sporting breeds, which include setters, retrievers, pointers and spaniels, tend to be medium- to larger-size dogs. Nonsporting dogs can be small, like the Boston terrier or shiba inu, or more chunky, like the bulldog.

    Purpose

    • The Labrador retriever, a sporting breed, is still one of the best dogs for hunters.

      The sporting, working, herding, terrier and hound dog breeds are now mostly companion dogs but were originally created to help humans with livestock, capturing prey and guarding property. Sporting dogs like the English spaniel and Labrador retriever were once regularly afield hunting with their owners, so these dogs require more exercise. Working dogs, such as the Rottweiler and Samoyed, have long histories as not just guard dogs but also as canines that pulled carts and sleds. Even small terriers were bred to be energetic hunters of small prey, like rabbits and badgers.

    Training

    • Teaching a dog to play Frisbee can be an easy or daunting task, depending on the dog's breed and personality.

      Trainability can vary even within a breed since, just like people, every dog is an individual. Herding dogs, such as the border collie and German shepherd, are often born with innate protective and herding instincts. These breeds often top the trainability charts. Sporting and working dogs are known to be highly trainable, since they have been bred to follow their owners' commands. Some dogs within the hound and terrier classifications can be stronger-willed, since they were bred to be independent thinkers while hunting; they will, however, respond to consistent training.