Types Of Dogs
Posted by admin on January 24th, 2009The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes about 157 dog breeds. Whatever the number of breeds all dogs can be divided in to seven distinct types of dogs.
The first of the seven types of dogs are the Primitive and Spitz breeds, these include Samoyeds and Australian Dingo’s. These are mainly wild or relatively untamed dogs. The term used to be an epithet to the same extent that the word pariah could be used to denigrate as well as designate the lowest social caste of Indians, but is now used by kennel clubs with no negative judgment implied.
All pariah dogs are feral, but not all feral dogs are pariah dogs in the genetic sense.
Pariah dogs are at risk of losing their genetic uniqueness by interbreeding with purebred and mixed-breed strays. To insure against this, some strains of pariah dogs are becoming formally recognized, registered, and pedigreed breeds as their fanciers attempt to preserve the pure type.
Companion And Toy Dogs is the name of a breed group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds, and does not necessarily include all dogs kept as companions or pets. In some kennel clubs the Companion Group is called the Companion and Toy Group.
The United Kennel Club (US) defines the dogs in its Companion Dog Group to be “miniaturized versions of their ancestors” except for the English Bulldog and the Dalmatian. Most of the United Kennel Club’s Companion Dog Group breeds may be found in other kennel club’s Toy or Non-Sporting Groups, although some are in other groups as well.
The international kennel club association, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale has companion dogs in Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs. These dogs were origionally bred by royalty who kept them for protection as well as companionship.
The third type of dog are the Hunting dogs, A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, cur type dogs, and gun dogs. Among these categories further divisions can be made based upon the dogs’ skill sets.
This category can be split into general, gun, scent or wind dogs, all provide a different role with in hunting, either retrieving, finding prey or chasing.
Flushing spaniels combine hunting, flushing, and retrieving skills. English Springer Spaniels are popular gundogs for a variety of cover but are closely followed in popularity by English Cocker Spaniels.[citation needed] Both breeds are adept at finding and flushing then retrieving game from thick cover. Clumbers, Sussex, and Field Spaniels are also popular for their slower, methodical hunting pattern. The American Water Spaniel and the Boykin Spaniel are noted for their water work.
When trained, Beagles are particularly adept at chasing through thick briars and brush after rabbits. However, spaniels are also excellent rabbit hunting dogs. Spaniel field trials in the UK use both game birds as well as rabbits.[1] Many hound breeds are excellent at treeing raccoons.
Sighthounds are different from scenthounds in their methods and adaptations. The long lean head of the sighthound gives it a greater degree of binocular vision. Their speed, agility and visual acuity are particularly adapted for coursing game in open meadows or steppes. They are independent in nature, and are worked singly or in a “brace” of two or three dogs. Sighthounds are generally quiet and placid dogs compared to other hunting breeds.
Retrievers are good swimmers so are used for retrieving game shot down over water. Retrievers skin secretes an oily substance that sheds water.[citation needed] Retrievers are good at retrieving birds on land or in water.
Hounds have sensitive noses that are used to locate small animals like rabbits and squirrels. Hound breeds include the bluetick, red tick, walker, and redbone.
Flushers are frequently used for pheasant hunting and can be trained to work within gun range. Other flushers, like the cocker, the Boykin and several types of spaniels pursue game until it goes for cover.
The fourth of the seven types of dogs is the herding dog. This type of dog is a kind of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to a breed developed for herding. Their ability to be trained to act on the sound of a whistle or word of command is renowned throughout the world. Any sheepdog trial will demonstrate this.
In general terms when categorizing dog breeds, herding dogs are considered a subcategory of working dogs. These dogs originated in medieval Europe, and were bred and trained to round up cattle or grazing animals and to move them about the countryside from a shepherds command.
Due to their intelligence and beauty, herding dogs are often chosen as family pets.
The Collie breeds including the Bearded Collie and Border Collie are well known. Although they make good family dogs and show dogs they are at their best when they have a job to do. These dogs have been bred as working dogs and need to be active. They retain their herding instincts and may sometimes nip at people’s heels or bump them in an effort to ‘herd’ their family, and may need to be trained not to do so. Their activity level and intelligence makes them excellent canine athletes. The Shetland Sheepdog or Sheltie was originally used in the Shetland Islands for herding sheep, but today, like the Rough Collie, Smooth Collie and Old English Sheepdog it is more popular as a family companion dog.
The fifth type of dog is related to the fourth. A livestock guardian dog is a domesticated canine used to defend livestock against predators. Livestock guardian dog are also commonly referred to as sheepdogs since they most often have guarded flocks of sheep, but most are capable of guarding other species of livestock.
They can be characterized as part of Pastoral dogs. Unlike a herding dog such as the border collie, a livestock guardian dog does not control the movement of the flock with aggressive or predatory actions causing bunching. Instead, it tends to blend into the flock and generally ignore the individual animals in favor of keeping an eye out for potential threats. While bunching behaviour is observed, it is the livestock that tend to bunch around the guarding dogs, especially on open range when predators are near.
Many of these dogs are kept as pets and work as family and home guardians. Some are used as assistance dogs to their disabled owners, as they are sturdy enough to provide physical support. This type of dog can be successfully trained to become a family pet, they are generally cautious of strangers and their size alone is often enough to deter wrongdoers. While they are a strong and independent minded animal normally they are gently around children.
The sixth type of dog is the Bull Mastiff. This dog is a powerful working dog developed in England in the second half of the 19th cent. It stands from 24 to 27 in. (61-68.6 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 100 to 130 lb (45.4-59 kg). Its dense, short coat may be fawn, red, or brindle, with a darker shading on the ears and muzzle.
Because of the increasing need to protect game preserves and large estates from poachers, English gamekeepers began to cross existing breeds in an attempt to produce a dog that would possess the required speed, strength, aggressiveness, good night vision, and the capacity to remain silent at the approach of the poacher. It would be the task of the desired dog to knock down the intruder and keep him down until he was captured, rather than simply alarming him into running away. After many breeds were tried, mastiff and bulldog stock were crossed, producing a dog with all the necessary qualities, the bull mastiff. Today it is raised as a guard and shown dog and as a pet.
The last type of dog is the fighting dog. Most people will think of a fight dog as one been involved in the illegal dog fighting industry, but their history is not solely related to what we know of them today. These types of dogs were originally bred and sought for their ability to protect humans and also to fight of wild animals.
From an historical point of view the fighting dog was bred to either serve as a war dog, to guard property or for hunting of dangerous animals. As such their have a tendency to be both courageous and tireless and very tenacious. When they enter a fight they will often fight to the death, it is this warrior appeal that illegal gamers seek out.
When they were first bread their fighting abilities were necessary because in earlier centuries conditions were much more dangerous and harsh than they are today. The cattle that Bull – dogs had to drive to the slaughterhouse were much more difficult to handle than they are today.
Consider also that one dog may have been guarding a flock and would have been expected to see off lions, wild boar and such like. Historically when dogs were used to guard property it did not mean that they sounded the alert (as alarm or watch dogs today) but meant physically guarding against poachers, intruders and wild animals,
The fighting dog was also expected to guard its owner and his family, and perform other tasks like ratting.
While there may be no need for war dogs, or dogs to fight of wild animals now unscrupulous people have breed these dogs to fight in pits to the death, often bets are placed on the winner. Thankfully these ‘games’ are illegal in most parts of the world.