Dog’s are a truly diverse species in this world. There are so many varieties of dogs that if your goal is to have each breed for yourself then prepare a big home for there are so many of them. Over the years, there are canine breeds with different physical appearances and traits added to the recognized breed list. If you want options for your next dog breed, then get to know all the breeds that exist. You’ll be surprised that you’re missing a lot of breeds just by focusing on the popular canine breeds broadcast in the world today.
Recognized breeds vary on each registry and here are the collected counts:
*American Kennel Club recognizes 190 dog breeds.
*The Kennel Club recognizes 211 dog breeds.
*Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes 339 breeds of dog.
These are the most influential Kennel Club in the world and they have different standards and priorities on which breed to recognize. However, dog organizations and clubs are not only limited to the three.
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) or World Canine Organization group the 339 breeds into groups for easier classification.
10 Groups of Canine That Exist
1. Sheepdog
Sheepdogs or Cattle dogs are the groups that are herding dogs. The original purpose of these dogs is to guard livestock such as cattle and sheep. Because of their line of work, it’s evident that they are intelligent, responsive, obedient, and quick in their actions. Some of them are useful to be police dogs, military dogs, and assistants in law enforcement because above all they are easy to train. You can use the basic commands such as Find, Get out, Walk, Wait, Stand, Look, and Cast.
Top 10 Herding Breeds
- Old English Sheepdog
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Belgian Malinois
- Rough Collie
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Australian Shepherd
- German Shepherd
- Border Collie
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi
2. Mastiffs
Mastiffs are dogs that are heavy-boned and have full-grown muscles. They are the ones you can call a protector through their build and appearances. Due to their large size, some of them are also used as guards and hunting dogs. Although they are aggressive and need proper training, they can be loyal and loving to their human families.
Top 10 Mastiff Dog Breed
- Abruzzese Mastiff
- American Mastiff
- Brazilian Mastiff /Fila Brasileiro
- Bullmastiff
- Argentinian Mastiff / Dogo Argentino
- English Mastiff
- Dutch Mastiff / Pug
- Tibetan Mastiff
- South African Mastiff / Boerboel
- German Mastiff / Great Dane
3. Terriers
Terriers are a group of Dog Breeds that were bred so that the rodent population can be minimized. They are small to medium-sized dogs that are active and would love a lot of action in their life. Chasing rats is one of the things they could do in your home. If they don’t exercise they have the tendency to be destructive in your home.
13 Terrier Dog Breeds
- West Highland White Terrier
- Scottish Terrier
- Rat Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Irish Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- Bedlington Terrier
- Airedale Terrier
- Fox Terrier
4. Dachshund
The FCI has 3 sub-categories for Dachshund it’s the Standard, Miniature, and Rabbit Dachshund.
All are sub-classified from long-haired, wire-haired, and smooth-haired.
5. Primitive Dog Breeds
Primitive dog breeds are the older dogs that exist in the world. Their original form was preserved and most likely they still look like their ancestors. Their breed is intelligent and alert, and their body size is similar to that of fox and wolf. In addition, they are loyal and loving domesticated dogs.
13 Pminitive Popular Dog Breeds
- Swedish Lapphund
- Shar-pei
- Saluki
- Pharaoh Hound
- Norwegian Elkhound
- New Guinea Singing Dog
- Canaan Dog
- Shiba Inu
- Laponian Herder
- Alaskan Malamute
- Chow Chow
- Siberian Husky
- Spitz
6. Scenthounds
The Hound group was useful in tracking missing persons or animals. In addition, they are up to game in hunting with their owners.
Top 10 Most Popular Hound Dog
- American Foxhound
- Spanish Hound
- Scottish Deerhound
- Dachshunds
- Beagle
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Basenji
- Irish Wolfhound
- Bloodhound
- Basset Hound
7. Pointers & Setters
Pointer dogs or Setter dogs are the go-to dog breed for hunters. They have high hunting instincts and they have been around 4 centuries old.
Best Pointer & Setter Dogs
- English Setter
- Irish Setter
- Gordon Setter
- English Pointer
- Hungarian Pointer
- German Short-haired Pointer
- Britanny
- Italian Spinone
- Small Munsterlander
- Irish Red & White Setter
- Wire-haired Pointing Griffon
- Weimaraner
- Pudelpointer
- German Longhaired Pointer
- German Wirehaired Pointer
8. Retriever, Water Dogs & Flushing Dogs
The group of Retriever, Water Dogs & Flushing dogs are the ones that have a passion for fetching. They are also socially friendly dogs, intelligent, gentle, and easy to train. In addition, they also have a very high sense of smell that is useful to their human families. It is also notable that they love exercise and are very good with Children.
Top Dog Breeds in the Group
- American Cocker Spaniel
- Barbet
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Clumber Spaniel
- Curly-Coated Retriever
- English Cocker Spaniel
- Field Spaniel
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- Golden Retriever
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Kooikerhondje
- Labrador Retriever
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Sussex Spaniel
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
9. Companion & Toy Dogs
The toy dog breeds are the ones that are small in size. However, that does mean that they are not great companions and pets because they are. They are cute, huggable, and also loyal breeds.
Top 10 Toy Dogs
- Toy Poodle
- Chihuahua
- Maltese
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Pug
- Havanese
- Pomeranian
- Bichon Frise
10. Sighthounds
Sighthounds are the dog breeds that hunt primarily based on sight and speed and not through the scent like the scent hounds do. They have a very clear vision and are quick to move to their prey because that is their strength to overcome their target.
Top 10 Sighthound Dog Breeds
- Afghan Hound
- Saluki
- Russian Hunting Sighthound
- Deerhound
- Irish Wolfhound
- Greyhound
- Whippet
- Hungarian Greyhound
- Italian Sighthound
- Sloughi
The list fluctuates each year because there are dog breeds that will be deleted and there are dog breeds that will be added. A lot of breeders gave extra effort to breed new species that could be added to the list and others do it so that they can put extra dollars on it.
How Did Dog Breeding Start?
It started when humans realized that they could make the looks of dogs nicer, cuter, and fit in farming. It was in the Victorian Era, around 1837-1901 that people started to discover things and be really into it. The “dog fancy” or what they called at those times, the hobby of breeding, advocating, and appreciating dogs. People are more keen and interested in different breeds and how you can create a new one based on the standards.
Up until today, different organizations are still judging which breed is recognized and which one is not. Based on the number of breeds today plus the cuteness of every dog breed, then we can say that our ancestors were successful in creating different varieties of dog breeds based on their traits, appearances, and purpose.
How Are Dog Breeds Recognized?
Different Kennel Club decides which dog breeds are to be recognized. Of course, each Kennel Club registry has its own standards that every dog breed needs to pass. They will identify the dog if it is Purebred or Pedigreed.
Purebred if it has a pureblood coming from both purebred parents while the Pedigreed dogs are the ones whose lineage has been recorded and still exist.
The Kennel Clubs also have programs for cross-breeding and they are supportive of dog owners and the dog’s health and wellness.
How Breeds Affect Pet Health?
Breeds affect Pet Health because there are genetic diseases that could be passed on in a specific dog breed and inbreeding. In fact, most purebred dogs are more prone to health issues than mixed breeds.
The major health problems that can occur is because of inbreeding, meaning for dogs to still remain a purebred it has to be bred to the dog with its same lineage and breed. The breeding is limited to the families alone and there is not much genetic diversity with the breeding situation. The gene pool is limited thus can affect the health of the dog breed.
Another major reason is genetic diseases caused by selective breeding. Selective breeding is done so that the breeder can achieve the certain features it needed on a dog. Some things can’t be forced, that’s why diseases occur in a breed. One of the common problems on a specific breed is the ear infections for Cocker Spaniels, hip dysplasia for German Shepherds, and back problems for the Dachshund.
There are a lot of Dog Breeds indeed with different purposes, appearances and traits yet despite how diverse a dog can be. They are still human’s best friends and would protect their human family. It’s nice that breeders are continually seeking better breeds that could be introduced in the world and because of how modern we are today then most probably we can expect more breeds to come.
