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Your Guide to Dog Breed Groups

Ever wonder where all these dog breed groups come from?

People like to classify things to put order into their lives, and this skill is learned from a very young age.  Dog Breeds are no exception.  Kennel Clubs around the world group dogs by their common characteristics. 

Traditionally, these groups were based on the dog’s purpose such as hunting or herding

Some clubs have categories for where the dog’s originated such as the Northern Spitz type breeds whose heritage involved surviving the harsh cold climates of the far north.  Fédération Cynologique Internationale is probably the only organization that divides its breed groupings by dog type and breed history.   

Other clubs, such as the American Kennel Club group these Spitz type dogs into other categories such as Working, Non-sporting or even Toys. 

Each kennel club around the world has different labels for their groups of dogs, but in some respects, they are all similar.  A gun dog in the UK will be a sporting dog in the US.  Pastoral and Herding Breeds are virtually the same. 

Some groups are more confusing than others.  Take, for example, the AKC’s Non-sporting group and the UK’s Utility Grouping.

The Kennel Club in the UK defines "Utility" as meaning fitness for a purpose, not covered by other Groups.

In other countries, kennel clubs use the term “Utility” to mean something entirely different. 

The New Zealand Kennel Club and the Australian National Kennel Council each have a Utility Group, but dogs in their Utility Group are large dogs that guard livestock, Spitz-type dogs and even those breeds used in rescue work. 

Many of the dogs that are placed in either of these groups do not fit comfortably in other groups so you could say that they are a catch-all for dogs that can’t be classified in the traditional way.

Knowing where your dog is placed in the larger dog kingdom may help you understand some his peculiarities.  Don’t use this as a foolproof method of choosing a dog, just another piece of the puzzle. 

So, if I haven’t confused you sufficiently, see what Wikipedia has to say about the Utility Group. 

Dog Breed Groups

To simplify this page, we have used the breed categories of the American Kennel Club.

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