Dog breeds are divided into six categories based on their use:
1. Working Dogs
This type includes traditional guard and working dogs such as Rottweilers. Mainly used for work, they are often fearless and natural guards, generally happy to work for their owners.
2. Non-Sporting Dogs
Most pet dogs come from this category. Their sole purpose nowadays is lifelong companionship with their owner.
Examples: Dalmatian, French Bulldog, Chow Chow.
3. Herding Dogs
Originally used to protect sheep and cattle, many are still used by farmers and shepherds, but they also make great pets.
Examples: Collie Sheepdog, Welsh Corgi, German Shepherd.
4. Gun Dogs
Gun dogs are used for scouting, flushing out, and retrieving game.
They usually have gentle temperaments and often serve as both hunting and family pets.
Examples: Guide Dogs, Golden Retrievers.
5. Hounds
Some hounds hunt by scent, others by sharp eyesight. Hounds are naturally active and usually kept in packs outdoors.
Examples: French Short-legged Hound, Great Dane, Beagle.
6. Toy Dogs
Traditionally viewed as lap dogs, many can still walk independently. Many are excellent guards, intelligent, cute, possessive, and bravely almost to a fault.
Examples: Pomeranian, Chihuahua.
According to the P.C.I dog breed classification, dogs are further categorized as:
1. Herding Dogs "Sheepdogs and Cattledogs" (excluding Swiss cattle dogs)
2. Pinscher
3. Schnauzer, Swiss Mountain Dogs, and Cattledogs
4. Terriers
5. Dachshunds
6. Spitz
7. Scent Hounds and their descendants
8. Pointing Dogs
9. Retrievers and Water Dogs
10. Companions
11. Toy Dogs
12. Visual Hounds
Dogs are also categorized by size:
1. Large/Giant Dogs: Doberman, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Afghan Hound, Great Dane, Mastiff, Golden Retriever, Boxer, etc.
2. Medium Dogs: Cocker Spaniel, Basset Hound, Shar Pei, Dalmatian, French Bulldog, Beagle, Chow Chow, etc.
3. Small Dogs: Sheltie, Dachshund, Schnauzer, Pekingese, West Highland White Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Miniature Poodle, etc.
4. Small/Toy Dogs: Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier, etc.
Another classification is by lineage or origin, which leads to many varieties. Currently, there are around 400 purebred famous dogs worldwide, with more than 100 popular and recognized breeds.
China has bred over a dozen famous dogs, such as Pekingese, Pug (Axe Head Dog), Chow Chow, Tibetan Mastiff, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu (Chinese Lion Dog), Chinese Crested Dog, Tibetan Spaniel, Shar Pei, etc.
Let's mention some currently popular breeds (listed alphabetically):
A: Afghan Hound, Alaskan Malamute
B: North American Shepherd, Braque du Bourbonnais, Bolognese, Pekingese, Dalmatian, Bichon Frise
C: Cavalier King Charles?
D: Bull Boxer, Danish/Swedish Farmdog
E: Russian Wolfhound
F: French Bulldog
G: King Charles Spaniel?, Old English Bulldog, Poodle
H: Havana Dog, Pug (Barb Dog)
J: Chihuahua
K: Kerry Blue Terrier, Cocker Spaniel
L: Lowchen, Labrador Retriever, Lhasa Apso, Lucas Terrier
M: Maltese, American Bulldog
R: Akita Inu
S: Pekingese/Yorkshire Terrier
T: Thai Ridgeback Dog, Tullier Plush Dog
X: Tibetan Dog?, Shih Tzu, Sheiloh Shepherd, Tibetan Spaniel, Himalayan Sheepdog
Z: Chinese Crested Dog
Herding and Guard Dogs (total 87 breeds)
A: Mastiff, Australian Kelpie, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Appenzeller Mountain Dog, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Argentine Mastiff, Anatolian Shepherd, Akbash, Aidi Dog, Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, Ardennes Cattle Dog
B: Border Collie, Bernese Mountain Dog, Briard, Bichon Frisé (?), Berger Picard, Bergamasco, Brazilian Mastiff, Bordeaux Dog, Pyrenean Shepherd, Pyrenean Mastiff, Polish Lowland Sheepdog
C: Rough Collie, Bearded Collie
D: German Shepherd Dog, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Bulldog, Great Dane
E: Russian Shepherd Dog
F: Flemish Sheepdog
G: Groenendael, Old English Sheepdog, Caucasian Shepherd, King's Sheepdog
H: Dutch Shepherd, Hovawart
J: Giant Schnauzer, Canary Dog, Catalan Sheepdog, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, Galician Hound
K: Komondor, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Croatian Sheepdog, Komondor, Cardigan Dog, Cadi Bess Terrier, Caudipeledermall Valley (?)
L: Lacrosse, Lancashire Heeler, Rottweiler, Leonberger, Lancashire Terrier
M: Maremma Sheepdog, Mudi, Maremmana Sheepdog
N: Neapolitan Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Newfoundland Dog
P: Pumi Dog, Smooth Collie, Portuguese Cattle Dog, Portuguese Watchdog, Portuguese Sheepdog, Picardy Sheepdog
Q: Boxer Dog
R: Swedish Vallhund
S: Schnauzer, Slovakian Kuvasz, Saarloos Wolfdog, Saint Bernard, Shar Pei
T: Tervuren, Tatra Mountain Sheepdog, Tosa Inu
W: Welsh Corgi Dog
X: Spanish Mastiff, Sheltie, Hungarian Kuvasz, Tibetan Kyi Apso, Tibetan Mastiff, New Zealand Huntaway, Greek Shepherd
Y: Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Istrian Shepherd, Illyrian Sheepdog
Z: Central Asian Shepherd Dog
Terriers
A: Airedale Terrier, Irish Terrier, Irish Blue Terrier, Australian Terrier, Australian Terrier, Austrian Pinscher, Affenpinscher
B: Border Terrier, Boston Bulldog, Brussels Griffon, Bedlington Terrier, Brazilian Terrier, Rat Terrier
D: German Hunting Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, German Pinscher, Bull Terrier, Dachshund Hunting
E: Russian Black Terrier
G: Highland White Terrier
H: Dutch Smoushond
J: Czech Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier
K: Cairn Terrier, Cromford Dog
L: Lakeland Terrier, Dachshund
M: Manchester Terrier, American Bulldog Terrier, American Toy Terrier, American Hairless Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer
N: Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier
P: Plummer Terrier, Pinscher Miniature, Parson Russell Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Terrier
R: Japanese Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
S: Scottish Terrier, Skye Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier
W: Welsh Terrier
X: Silky Terrier, Canyon-type Weimaraner, Miniature Bull Terrier
Y: Wire Fox Terrier, English Toy Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier
Gun Dogs (75 breeds)
A: Irish Water Dog?, Irish Red and White Setter, Ariège Guide Dog
B: Standard Poodle, Brittany Dog, Pyrenean Guide Dog, Bourbonnais Pointer
C: Curly-coated Retriever, Long-haired Spanish Hound
D: German?, Corduroy Poodle, Great Münsterländer Dog, German Guide Dog, German Weimaraner
F: French?
G: Gordon Setter, Old Danish Guide Dog
H: Dutch Partridge Dog
J: Curly Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Gascony Guide Dog
K: Kelb Ber?
L: Blue Picardy?, Labrador Retriever, Lagotto Romagnolo
M: American Long-haired?
P: Picardy?, Portuguese Water Dog, Smooth-coated Retriever, Portuguese Guide Dog, Poodle Pointing Dog
Q: Chesapeake Bay Retriever
S: Sussex?, Stabyhoun, Cesky Fousek, Saint Germain Guide Dog, Slovenian Dog
W: Wetterhoun, Welsh Springer Spaniel
X: Spanish Water Dog, Hungarian Puli, Hungarian Vizsla, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Small Münsterländer, Spanish Guide Dog
Y: Wild?, English Setter, English Springer?, English Long-haired?, English Long-haired Retriever, Wire-haired Curly Guide Dog, Italian Bracco, Italian Spinone
Scent Hounds (74 breeds)
A: Artois Hound, Ariège Hound
B: Beagle, Basset Hound, Brittany Long-haired, Brittany Short-legged, Braque Du Bourbonnais, Braque Du Buc, Polish Hound, Bosnian Rough-coated Hound, Balkan Hound, Bernese Hound, Bavarian Mountain Hound, Billy Dog, Bosnian Dog
C: Silesian Hound
D: English French Tri-color Hound, English French Black and White Hound, Greater Gascony Blue Hound, Large Vendée Curly Dog, Large Long-haired Short-legged Dog, Danish Dog, Dachshund, Doberman
F: French Black and White Dog, French Tri-color Dog, Finnish Hound
H: Hygeni Hound, Hoed Dennis Dotwa, Hamilton Dotwa, Brown Raccoon Hunting Dog, Red Bone Raccoon Hunting Dog, Black Forest Hound, Hanoverian Hound
J: Gascony Blue Short-legged Dog
K: Catahoula Leopard Dog, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Kerry Small Hound
L: Harrier, Luzern Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback
M: American Foxhound, American Long-haired Droopy Dog
N: Newfane Long Curly Dog, Normandy Artois Dog, Yugoslavian Mountain Dog, Yugoslavian Tri-color Dog, Jura Bruno Hound, Niedrauf Dog
P: Poitou Dog, Poissac Hound
S: St. Hubert Dog, Otterhound, Smaland Hound, Scharle Dana Dog, Thicket Raccoon Hunting Dog, Cyprus Long-eared Dog, Styria Rough Mountain Hound, Swiss Hound, Mountain Dog
W: Vendée Long Curly Dog
X: Small Gascony Blue Dog, Small Gascony Curly Dog, Small Long Curly Short-legged Dog, Small Harrier Dog, Greek Hound, Bloodhound
Y: English French Small Hound, Italian Segugio Dog, Istrian Hound, English Raccoon Dog, Istrian Rough, Jube Hound, English Foxhound
Z: Zwettl Dog
Fluffy Dogs (40 breeds)
A: Afghan Hound, Ashawa Dog, Ainu Dog, Alaskan Klee Kai
B: Nordic Fluffy Dogs, Pomeranian, Icelandic Sheepdog
D: German Fluffy Wolfhound, East Siberian Laika
E: Russian European Laika
F: Fily Dog, Finnish Fluffy Dog, Finnish Lapphund
G: Greenland Dog
J: Jindo Dog, Kiss Hunting Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog
K: Karelian Bear Dog, Kai Dog
L: Lundehund, Lapponian Herder Dog
M: Malamute Sled Dog, American Eskimo Dog
N: Norwegian Elkhound, Norwegian Black Elkhound, Norwegian Buhund
O: Eurasian Dog
P: Papillon Dog
Q: Chinook Dog
R: Swedish Lapphund, Swedish Elkhound, Japanese Akita Inu, Japanese Fluffy Dog
S: Samoyed, Shikoku Dog, Seba Inu
X: Wopanu Dog, Siberian Kimo Dog, West Siberian Laika, Hyberg Dog
Z: Chinese Chow Chow
Sighthounds (16 breeds)
C: Chart Polski
E: Russian Wolfhound
L: Lić; Deerhound; Le Char Dog
M: American Deerhound
R: Rimu Perry Deerhound
S: Saluki, Sloughi
W: Whippet
X: Spanish Lić Dog, Hungarian Lić Dog
Y: Italian Lić Dog
Ancient Dogs (18 breeds)
A: Australian Dingo, Ibizan Hound, Aetraconic Dog
B: Basenji, Standard Mexican Hairless
D: Large Inca Hairless Dog
F: Pharaoh Hound
J: Canaan Dog, Canary Hound
K: Carolina Dog
M: Peruvian Inca Orchid Dog, Mexican Hairless Toy Dog
P: Portuguese Podengo
X: New Guinea Singing Dog, Small Inca Hairless Dog, Small Mexican Hairless Dog, Small Portuguese Podengo
Z: Medium Inca Hairless Dog.