Man’s best friend has been around for a very long time. Evolution has taught us that dogs have come a long way from their original ancestors- the wolves.
They are much more friendly, are undeniably lovable, and come in all shapes and sizes to fit your every need. Owning a dog is full of joy and entertainment.
There are a variety of dogs out there. From big family dogs such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers to small fancy dogs such as poodles and Chihuahuas, dogs can be of many types.
However, based on specific attributes they share, dogs only have a few particular breeds. The seven types of dog breeds are around us are classified as the following:
1. Herding dogs
Herding refers to the act of taking care of and keeping together various farm animals. The likes of sheep, goat, and cows are often reared by farmers and traders alike.
They may do so for the collection of milk, meat or fur and usually have a large number of animals to deal with.
Herding dogs, as the name suggests, are dogs that are purely bred to help their owners in herding.
This type is the most recent in the list of classifications and was only made in 1973.
The dogs are often kept by shepherds and farmers alike who take care of a large number of animals.
A herding dog is one that’s able to dominate over the animals and exercise its control, making the animals follow him and so as he directs.
They are very popular in farms and ranches where they are often found helping their master deal with and take care of other animals.
The breeds that come under this category of dogs are usually the Australian Cattle Dog and the Sheppard, the Border Collie, and English sheepdogs.
2. Sporting Dogs
Next on the list of dogs based on their usefulness and characteristics are sporting dogs.
These dogs are used mainly for sports such as hunting and fishing, amongst other outdoor activities.
These dogs have a strong sense of smell, and just like their herding counterparts have plenty of stamina to go running around with their owners when out hunting.
While hunting as a sport has many restrictions imposed on it today, the olden days were quite different.
Men would often go on a hunting spree on equipped with what was called a Shooting Brake, which was a horse-drawn carriage with all the equipment they might need.
Their sporting dogs would often accompany them on such trips and be primarily used to track down game and even help with the final kill.
These dogs need plenty of exercise and runs because of how energetic they are. Some examples of these breeds are Golden Retrievers, Huskies, and Hounds.
3. Non-sporting dogs
On the other side of the overly enthusiastic and energetic dogs are the ones who would instead relax in your backyard all day.
These dogs aren’t bred for sports alone and can be used for activities. These dogs may be used as guard dogs, family dogs, or the ones that are more of a style statement.
These dogs usually need more effort in maintaining and taking care of them. Their sizes may vary widely, though most of them are usually to keep at home.
They don’t need too much exercise and are comparatively calmer and less agile than their sporting counterparts.
These dogs are for people who can’t spend too much time with the dog away from work and would like to keep something that doesn’t need too much maintaining.
Breeds of such dogs are Bulldogs, Dalmatians, and Boxers. These dogs usually show dogs and are bred for their looks and appeal over their friendliness.
4. Working dogs
Just as humans go to work and have various jobs and tasks to perform, various kinds of dogs also do the same.
While their job is not as complicated as doing your taxes or running a company, it’s more along the lines of public service and serving humans who need them.
Such dogs are also known as service dogs and are have the sole purpose of looking after or doing the job they have been trained for.
Such dogs usually work as police dogs, rescue dogs, or service dogs. A police dog, as the name suggests, is your usual K-9 that works with law enforcement agencies throughout the world for the betterment of society.
These dogs can also be part of bomb disposal and drug detection dogs because of their heightened sense of smell and the ability to find things their human handlers might miss.
Examples of such dogs are usually Labradors and German Shepherds.
A rescue dog works with paramedics to help in search and rescue operations and access places humans may find difficult.
They also find people under rubble when humans can’t hear them. In special places where the temperatures are very low, St Bernard’s are trained to carry a cask of rum to use as a medicine for anyone suffering from hypothermia.
Service dogs are specially trained dogs who move around with people with special needs.
They are trained to cater to their personal needs and always act as guards and serve them when needed. These dogs can be of any breed as requested and needed by the patient.
5. Hounds
Similar to the dogs that work as sporting dogs, hounds have one job alone – to track and hunt any subject their handlers might need of them.
Their sense of smell is the strongest of all dogs, and they also have a stamina that can keep them running for miles together without breaking a sweat.
They’re also fast dogs, which means they can keep up with most subjects on foot without ease and track them down before the subjects make a run for it.
Because of their heightened sense of smell and their ability to track almost anything that moves, hounds are famous amongst hunters.
Even in the olden days of law enforcement agencies, hounds were used to track down escaped convicts, especially when the terrain was difficult to see and steer through. They are skillful dogs and can easily track down whoever they’re out hunting for.
Some famous breeds of hounds include the Beagle, the Bloodhound, and the Greyhound. They are all well-known family dogs and are often kept by families as one, but one shouldn’t disregard their legendary sense of smell.
6. Terriers
Next on the list of dogs are terriers. They are small dogs that aren’t widely known for their ability to bond with other dogs.
This may make them tough to keep with other dogs as you may find a terrier often snapping and biting at the legs of others around him.
A terrier is used to describe a dog that digs into the earth to catch its prey. These dogs are smaller in size than your average everyday Joe, but they still make for fantastic family dogs for anyone who’s in half a mind if keeping any one of them.
The class of terriers is a wide one, with as many as 25 different breeds making it into the classification.
Some common terriers kept by people as their dogs are the Australian Terriers, the Irish Terrier, and the Bull Terrier.
They may not be able to bond well with other dogs, but they make fantastic pets and are as faithful and friendly as dogs come.
7. Toy breeds
The last category in the list are dogs that are a fashion statement over utility. This means that these dogs don’t have a heightened sense of smell, aren’t suitable for rescue and relief, and are not the types you want, pulling your sleigh across the Arctic.
They are instead dogs that are best kept with small families. They aren’t difficult to maintain.
Their lack of shenanigans and the fact that they don’t perform too many heavy tasks or fulfill any obligations also results in them having a comparatively longer lifespan when compared to the other dogs on this list.
Their small size also makes it easier for owners to keep them in small and tight places without the need to push them around and take them on long walks to exercise them.
These dogs are usually Pugs, Poodles, and Pomeranians. They fit the perfect hammer in the head for people who need dogs to enjoy the loyalty and friendship of but can also not afford to keep a big dog due to lack of space to maintain them.
These are The seven types of dog breeds you’ll find around you. All other breeds usually get classified into subcategories under these types.
No matter what dog you plan to keep and under what category it lies, an indisputable fact of life is that if you take good care of your dog, he’ll take good care of you too. No matter what you do in life, your dog will always love you and stay loyal to you.
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