It is said that variety is the spice of life and if you know anything about spices, you would know that it adds flavor to any dish. This saying is a truth that is reflected daily in the various aspects of life. This variety also gives us a rich plethora of options to choose from.

Again, some of the options or varieties that we have especially with some animal species were also facilitated or engineered by human hands and actions but then, they all form part of the varieties we now enjoy. One prime example of such an animal are dogs and the various breeds around.

What Are Dog Breeds?

This basically refers to the various types and classes of dogs that are. They are the perfect examples of animals that humans have bred and continue breeding for many reasons. They have a very storied history with humans which is why they are generally referred to as a best friend to humans. They basically serve three purposes namely; guarding, herding and hunting; you can read more about that here.

While humans have always been breeding them for a variety of reasons, the breeding part in modern times as we know it today started in the 19^th century. Since then, a lot of breeds have been bred or even created by humans although the pure breeds remain in large numbers to this day.

What Are The Various Dog Breeds There Are?

Now, there are a lot of dog breeds around the world (it is estimated to be about 400). However, the American Kennel Club (AKC) based on their breed standards only recognizes 197 breeds (which is still quite a lot). They are also the ones to define, register and prescribe the characteristics that a canine must have to qualify and be categorized as a breed. However, these various breeds are generally classified into 7 categories or groups and they are:

The Hound Group

These are basically hunting canines and are bred primarily to hunt game. Their typical body type is sleek and swift with the great ability to pick up scents. They are also very hardworking; some of the dogs in this category include:

• The Basset Hound

• The Beagle

• The Grey Hound

These are the most common hounds there are. Some of the less common and rare ones include:

• The Rhodesian Ridgeback

• The Irish Wolfhound

• The Treeing Walker Coonhound

The Terrier Group

This group is made up of dogs that originated mostly from the British Isles and their particular skill sets mostly evolved because of their environment (vermin presence which they had to kill and to also guard homes and barns). They also were bred for hunting duties though it mostly involved pursuing rodents underground and either digging up the ground or burrowing after them. You can read more about them at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrier. Examples of this category includes:

• The Bull Terrier

• The American Staffordshire Terrier

• The Silky Terrier

• The Boston Terrier

• The Dandie Dinmont Terrier

The Working Group

This category of dogs is regarded as blue collar workers because of their ability to perform particular tasks like guarding property or working rescues. In the past, they were used to pull carts and sleds. Some of them in this category include:

• The Great Dane

• The Mastiff

• The Boxer

• The Leonberger

• The Bernese Mountain Dog

• The Dogo Argentino

The Sporting Group

They can be classified as the hunter’s friend that helps out with retrieving and keeping games caught during a hunt. Also, they generally fall under categories based on their uses namely; pointers, spaniels, retrievers and setters. Some examples of this group include:

• The Golden Retriever

• The Labrador Retriever

• The English Springer Spaniel

• The Irish Setter

The Non-Sporting Group

The dogs in this category are mostly had as companions though they can also perform a specific task. They are mostly the ones people have in the house today for affection and cuddling purposes. Examples of the canines in this category include:

• The Lhasa Apso

• The Dalmatian

• The Chow Chow

• The Poodle

• The Bulldog

• The French Bulldog

The Herding Group

Well, as tasks and duties go, theirs is quite straight forward which is herd duty over livestock, this they do with human shepherds. They are also very protecting of little children and are easily trainable so they are mostly found in homes today. It is also important to note that there are various breeds under this category (about 30 actually). Some of the breeds under this category are:

• The German Shepherd

• The Pembroke Welsh Corgi

• The Border Collie

• The Australian Shepherd

• The Old English Sheepdog

The Toy Group

This category of dogs where simply bred to be pets to human and for companionship. They are usually smallish (this is why they are mostly found on the laps of their owners) and some are also quite delicate. Despite their small size, they can have quite strong personalities and protective instincts. Examples include:

• The Chihuahua

• The Chinese Crested

• The Japanese Chin

• The Maltese

• The Havanese

Choosing the Dog Breed for You

This is obviously a personal decision but your choice should generally be hinged on purpose, that is, what purpose is the canine to serve for you? This helps you to narrow down your choice to the most suitable for that purpose.

You also will have to care for them and make sure that they are always in the best of conditions. This care would include; ensuring that they are well fed and are always in good health, getting them dog treats from shops like holistapet and so on. Note that they are yours to take care of now and you should do that responsibly.

Conclusion

We all love dogs. These days, many families are not complete without them. But like many other things in life, they come in various shapes, sizes and breeds.

Knowing what category, they fall into and what breed they are helps you understand better how to handle them. Better still, it helps you understand how to take care of them.