The American Kennel Club (AKC) maintains a registry of over 150 breeds of dogs that are divided into seven groups. The groups are:

1) Sporting Breeds - dogs that are used for hunting, such as spaniels, setters, retrievers and pointers which are commonly referred to as Gun Dogs;

2) Hound Breeds - dogs that hunt and track by either sight (sight hounds) or scent (scent hounds);

3) Working Breeds - dogs that work as guard dogs, stock dogs or draft dogs;

4) Terrier Breeds - dogs that originally were used to hunt rodents and vermin;

5) Toy Breeds - small breed dogs bred to fit comfortably in one's lap;

6) Non-Sporting Breeds - dogs that generally don't fit in any other group;

7) Herding Breeds - dogs that are bred to herd sheep, cattle and other stock

Breeds in the Miscellaneous Class are new breeds that are not yet fully recognized by the AKC. They may compete and earn titles in AKC Obedience, Tracking and Agility events. Miscellaneous breeds are also eligible to compete in Junior Showmanship. They may also compete at conformation shows, but here are limited to competition in the Miscellaneous Class and are not eligible for championship points.

Below you will find the seven groups listed with the breeds that make up the group. You can click on any of the groups to learn more about it as well as the breeds in that group.