Choosing The Right Dog--Canine Classification

Are you considering to purchase or adopt a dog? Have you picked a breed that you would like to bring home? With over 460 breeds to choose from, it might be quite a challenge to pick just one. Do you want a jogging companion, or a guardian? Do you want a noisy barker, or a silent watcher? Do you want a long-haired beauty, or a short-haired athlete? It might be easy to pick a dog just because it looks cute, but the very first step to become a responsible pet owner is by determining which breed would suit your lifestyle. To know which dog suits you best, check out this canine classification by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

1. Sporting Dogs

Labrador Retriever:world's most popular breed

Sporting dogs are what you would call "natural athletes". They are active, alert, energetic and requires a lot of daily exercise. Sporting dogs are also well-known for their instincts around water and woods. They usually make well-rounded family companions, but many still participate in hunting and field activities.
If you're an active person that is often involved in activities like hiking or camping, Sporting Dogs would probably be the right choice for you.
The "Sporting Dogs" group include: Retrievers (e.g Labrador Retriever), Setters (e.g Irish Setter), Spaniels (e.g American Cocker Spaniel) and Pointers (e.g German Shorthaired Pointer).

2. Hound Dogs

Basset Hound: the logo of "Hush Puppies" 

Most hounds are born to be hunters. Dogs that belong to this group typically use their acute power of scent to track, or their stamina to chase preys down. However hound dogs vary greatly from one another and difficult to generalize. They are best to be kept inside a secure yard because of their tendency to wander, and would not do well with other pets such as rabbits.
The "Hound Dogs" group include: Greyhound, Basset Hound, Beagle, Dachshund and many more. 



3. Working Dogs

Siberian Husky:the famous sled-puller dog

Breeds that fall into the "working dog" category have historically performed various jobs for humans including guarding, rescuing or sled-pulling. Most working dogs are extremely intelligent, quick to learn commands and eager to learn more. They are medium to large-sized and sometimes don't suit a certain living condition due to their size. But if you have a mid-sized to large-sized yard, a spacious home, patience and experience Working Dogs would make a good companion. Just remember that they're often described as "stubborn"!
The "Working Dogs" group include: Akita, Great Dane, Mastiffs (e.g Japanese Mastiff), Siberian Husky and many more.


4. Terriers

Yorkshire Terrier: one of the most popular lap dogs 

Terriers are notorious for being lively and feisty dogs whose ancestors were bred to exterminate pests (e.g mice). They range in size from the toy-sized Cairn Terrier to the largest of the Terriers: Airedale. Most terriers require regular, special grooming to maintain their look. They would make great pets for people that are ready with a dog that has a lot of personality.
The "Terriers" group include: Yorkshire Terrier, Airedale Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Jack Russel Terrier and many more.


5. Toys

Chihuahua: "Chloe" in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"

Toy dogs are probably Indonesia's most famous dog group nowadays. But how could they not steal the spotlight? They're cute, small, doesn't shed much and costs less to care for. But don't let their size fool you because many is very tough and won't mind telling off a larger dog! Toy dogs would not suit families with young children as they're very fragile (due to their size) and might suffer from a serious bone fracture just because a toddler dropped it from his/her arms. They are also not the kind of dog that you'd want to cuddle without asking permission from their owners first. A toy dog is very small compared to you and might react aggressively if you accidentally (remember, you're a giant in its eyes) startled or scared it. Unless you're very sure you know how to treat your mini-sized dog just like any other dogs (which means: not overlooking its mischiefs just because it's "cute") I would not recommend toy dogs to you.
The "Toys" group include: Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Maltese, Toy and Mini Poodle, Shih Tzu and many more. 

6. Non-Sporting Dogs

Standard Poodle: the dog featured in "Princess Diaries"

This is the most diverse group in all seven canine categories made by the AKC. These breeds vary greatly in terms of size, look and personality which makes it very hard to make a generalized comment about the Non-Sporting Dogs. The best generalized comment I managed to think about is that these dogs aren't athletic enough to be classified as sporting dogs, but do not serve as ultimate lap dogs either. Which is why some members of this group may give us quite a shock. Did you know that standard-sized Poodles are originally bred for hunting?
The "Non-Sporting Dogs" group include: Boston Terrier, Bulldogs, Poodle and many more. 

7. Herding

Rough Collie:the famous "Lassie dog"

The "Herding" group is AKC's newest canine classification category. It has "just" been added in 1983. It is previously merged together with the working group as they, too, are dogs that have historically performed jobs for humans. But since herding dogs have a very distinctive trait and personality, they were soon separated from the working group. As the name indicates, Herding dogs are those with the ability to control the movement of animals. Generally, Herding Group dogs make excellent companions and respond well to training. Like their cousin the working group, they are also extremely intelligent and eager to please their trainer. However, since their herding instinct develops at an early age, Herding dogs require a special training to make them understand that humans are not animals they can herd. Puppies may nip (gently bite) a human's heel or circle them in order to herd them, so you might want to think whether you want to deal with this behavior or not. Herding dogs does best with a person that wouldn't mind jogging or walking them 2-3 times a day.
The "Herding" group include: Collies (e.g Rough Collie), Old English Sheepdog, German Shepherd, Shetland Sheepdog, and many more.

Dogs As Pets--How It All Begins

The history of domestic dogs dates back thousands of years. Some resources claim that pet dogs we know today were domesticated from gray wolves about fifteen thousand years ago. It is also said that these faithful creatures started off as a scavenger around the humans' settlement before they got used to the presence of humans and learned to live with them.




Dogs were a vital part of humans' every day life back then. They hunt for food, retrieve objects, herd livestock, guard camps and even rescue lives. That is when dogs started to be categorized into different groups and specifically bred for a certain purpose. Soon, dogs adapted to their working purposes and developed supportive traits. For example, hunt dogs often have long, bright-colored tails so that the hunter would be able to tell where his dog is from a distance. Herding dogs grow a thick fluffy coat around their collar bone to protect their neck when they're fighting wolves that tried to kill their master's farm animals.

But as time goes by, these dogs start to lose their job as machines and robots grew in popularity. Little by little, people start to remove dogs from their jobs and breed them as a companion only. In our society today, only a handful of breeds still get the chance to do what they were originally bred to do. Most dogs serve as a family companion or a personal property guardian. However, there are still some feral dogs scattered all over the world. These feral, domestic dogs that were often cooked or thrown away are actually the ones most closely-related to wolves!