Dog breed groups
All dog breeds are part of an overall breed group - either because of a common background or a common working area. These groups can give you, as a prospective dog owner, information and guidance on what type of dog is best for you - or if you just want to know a bit more about a specific breed group that you didn't know before!
Wolfhounds, cattle dogs and sheepdogs
In this group you will find dog breeds that were originally used to herd or guard sheep and cattle on farms. Some of these dog breeds are: the Collie, English Sheepdog, Corgi, German Shepherd and Border Collie. Several of the breeds are now used as working dogs by the police and military but are also popular companion dogs. Many owners also use them for their original purpose.
Guard and livestock dogs
The guard and livestock dog breed group includes a wide variety of breeds, some of which are: Affenpinscher, Grand Danois, Dobermann, Mastiff and Miniature Schnauzer. Most of the breeds have been and are still used in some places as guard and herding dogs and also in police contexts.
Terriers for hunting
A large proportion of the dog breeds included in the group of hunting terriers originated in the UK and were originally used for various types of hunting. Some of these breeds are: Border Terriers, Bull Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers and Jack Russell Terriers. Some of the breeds are still used for hunting purposes, such as pot hunting, but most of them are also popular companion and competition dogs today.
Taxis
Originally a hunting dog, the dachshund comes in three different sizes and the larger varieties are still widely used for pot hunting and as a hunting dog for cloven-hoofed game. The dachshund originated in Germany and the breed is said to have evolved and purified from low-legged German stoats. The Dachshund, also known as Dachshund or Dachshund, has been known since the Middle Ages, when dogs specially suited for hunting pigs were continuously bred from the poacher.
Pointed and primal breeds
This group is very large and can be divided into a number of specific subgroups. These include polar spitzers and the Nordic hunting spitzers used for hunting moose, bear and forest birds. The group also includes so-called primitive dogs and dogs of the primeval type - this means that they are more closely related to their wild ancestors genetically, unlike other breed groups. Something of a wilder nature can be found in these breeds and they are better at looking after themselves.
Hunting, tracking and tracing dogs
In this breed group you will find mainly driven hunting dogs as well as a few search and tracking dogs such as the Beagle, Basset hound, Foxhound and Petit bleu de gascogne. Many of these breeds originated in the UK, France and Switzerland. Most of the breeds are excellent hunting dogs and are still used today, depending on their size, for hunting hare, fox and deer, for example.
Standing bird dogs
Standing bird dogsinclude breeds such as English and Continental standing bird dogs, i.e. hunting dogs that search for birds in the air and mark for the hunter where the bird is. Some of these breeds are: the Breton, the English Setter, the Pointer and the Épagneul francais. Most of the breeds are still used for bird hunting but many are also popular companion dogs.
Offending dogs, retrievers and companion dogs
Many breeds within this group were originally used as bird dogs, searching the ground and shooing the bird away from the hunter. In this group you will also find some of our most common companion dogs such as the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Cocker Spaniel and Springer Spaniel.
Pet dogs
In the group of companion dogs you will find dog breeds that have been bred for companionship since very long ago. The breeds in this group originate from many different countries (e.g. Italy, Asia, France, Russia, etc.) and have in common that, with few exceptions, they are small in size and very social. Some breeds from this group are the Pug, Papillon, Pekingese, Tibetan Spaniel and Russkiy toy.
Greyhounds
The groupGreyhounds a small and relatively homogeneous group consisting of different varieties of Greyhounds - slender and fast hunting dogs. The breeds were originally used for hunting, where the dogs hunt prey alone or in groups. Nowadays, some of the breeds are used for dog racing but most are purely companion dogs.
