Names of Different Kinds of Dogs

The American Kennel Club divides dog breeds into specific groups based on the size of the canine and the functions for which people bred the dog. Many of these dog breeds trace their origins back many centuries, while some are relatively new. Among these groups are the sporting group, the working group and the herding group---all containing some familiar dog breeds and some about which you may know little.

  1. Sporting Group Breeds

    • Spaniels are part of the sporting group.

      The dogs of the sporting group require regular exercise to stay fit, and many are pointers and retrievers. The spaniels are in this category, including the cocker spaniel, the American water spaniel, the field spaniel, the Boykin spaniel and the Clumber spaniel. Some pointers possess a German background, such as the German wirehaired pointer and the German shorthaired pointer. The American Kennel Club website states that the golden retriever is among the most beloved of all breeds, and the Labrador retriever is as well. Setters such as the Gordon setter, the Irish setter and the English setter served as bird dogs, locating their quarry and then standing still over it until a hunter arrived. The Spinone Italiano breed features a dense coat that protected it as it went through brush looking for game, and the Vizsla is a Hungarian hunting dog that nearly went extinct after World War I.

    Working Group Breeds

    • Great Dane was bred as a guard dog.

      The different dogs that compose the working group had such tasks as guarding people and property, driving livestock to market and pulling sleds. Some are rescue breeds and most are large animals. Dogs like the Doberman pinscher and the Great Dane are breeds of guard dogs, with the latter at one time used to hunt game as ferocious as wild boar. A French breed, the Dogue de Bordeaux, was active in bull-baiting and is a relative of the mastiff breeds, which include the Neapolitan mastiff and the bullmastiff---species that guarded estates and farms in Europe. The odd-looking Komondor, a Hungarian sheep dog with long white cords for hair, dates back about 1,000 years. Other dogs of the working group are the Siberian husky, greater Swiss mountain dog, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Akita, boxer and giant Schnauzer.

    Herding Group Breeds

    • Collies belong to the herding group.

      It was not until 1983 that the AKC created the herding group. The dogs within this classification were all part of the working dog category. These canines are adept at keeping animals like cows and sheep under control, and are eager to please their masters. The collie, border collie and bearded collie are herding dogs, as are familiar dog breeds like the German shepherd and Old English sheepdog. Short-legged breeds like the Corgi and the Swedish Vallhund got their start as farm dogs used to herd cows and chickens and other animals. The Puli, with its long black woolly corded coat, is another of the Hungarian sheepdogs. Tapestries from the eighth century show a French breed called the Briard, which makes a fine watchdog in modern times. The Australian shepherd's name can confuse those who do not realize this herding dog did not originate from that continent but instead came from the Pyrenees Mountains.