Breed groups
Kennel clubs sort breeds by the job they were bred to do. The American Kennel Club, The Kennel Club and the FCI use similar ideas with different names — here's all three, side by side.
57 breeds
FCI splits gundogs across two groups (7 pointing dogs, 8 retrievers, flushing and water dogs).
Breeds developed to work alongside hunters — finding, flushing and retrieving game. Typically biddable, energetic and people-focused. The Kennel Club calls this group Gundog; the American Kennel Club calls it Sporting.
117 breeds
FCI separates scenthounds (6) from sighthounds (10); some primitive hounds sit in Group 5.
Breeds bred to hunt by scent or by sight. Sighthounds are built for explosive speed; scenthounds for stamina and a nose that overrides most other instincts.
40 breeds
Small to medium breeds originally used to control vermin above and below ground. Bold, quick to react and rarely short of opinions.
34 breeds
Companion breeds bred primarily for close human company. Small in frame, but temperament varies enormously across the group.
56 breeds
Sled and spitz-type working breeds sit in FCI Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types), not Group 2.
Breeds developed for guarding, hauling, water rescue and other physical jobs. Powerful dogs that generally want a task.
68 breeds
Breeds bred to move and protect livestock. Highly trainable, highly aware, and unhappy when under-occupied. The KC calls this Pastoral; the AKC calls it Herding.
Appenzeller Sennenhund
Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Kelpie
Australian Shepherd
Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog
Austrian Pinscher
Barbado da Terceira
Bearded Collie
Beauceron
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois)
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)
Bergamasco38 breeds
Utility / Non-Sporting is a catch-all with no FCI counterpart; its breeds land in Groups 2, 5 and 9.
A catch-all group for breeds that don't fit the working categories — often ancient companion or specialist breeds. The KC calls it Utility; the AKC calls it Non-Sporting.
49 breeds
Not recognised by the FCI.
Crossbreeds, regional types and emerging breeds that aren't currently recognised by the AKC or The Kennel Club. Included here because people own them, search for them, and deserve accurate information about them.
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