Find Your Perfect Dog By Looking At Dog Breed Groups

Selecting the perfect dog to be your pet is an important decision. You will need to consider the size of your home, your lifestyle and your reason for wanting a dog. It involves a lot more than knowing how big a dog you are looking for. If you choose a pure-bred dog, you will have the advantage of knowing something about his personality before you take him home.

Each pure-bred dog is placed in a specific breed group. Each dog breed group has specific characteristics that are unique to that group. Dogs were originally placed in a group based on the job they were bred to perform. By looking at these groups you will learn more about the basic traits that dogs within that group share. Hopefully this will help you to make a more informed decision. Let's take a look at these groups.

Sporting Dogs, sometimes referred to as Hunting Dogs, are known as a gun dog breed. They are able to mark, flush or retrieve game. They are usually easy to train and are loyal and friendly. They make great pets and are good with children, but often require a lot of attention and exercise. Pointers, Retrievers, Spaniels and Setters are in this group.

Hounds are hunting dogs that find game with their noses (scent hounds) or their eyes (sight hounds). This breed too requires a lot of exercise to keep them content, but make good pets. Hounds vary in size from the small Dachshund and Beagle to the large Afghan and Greyhound.

A third group is classified as Working Dogs or Herding Dogs. These are very large dogs. They are used to protect livestock and property and for police work. Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Collies and Great Danes are part of this breed.

Terriers were bred to chase rodents, badgers, and fox. Terriers tend to be small to medium sized dogs and are highly determined when pursuing their quarry. Terriers are often high-strung and may be difficult to handle. Some examples of terriers are Airedales, Jack Russell Terriers, and Miniature Schnauzers.

Toy dogs are grouped together mainly because of their small size. They were originally bred to be companions for nobility. Today these affectionate lap dogs make wonderful pets. They are very intelligent and are so appealing that it's difficult to avoid spoiling them. Members of the Toy Family include Poodles, Yerkes, Pomeranians and Pekingese.

Finally there is a group that is designated to include dogs that don't easily fit into any of the other groups. This group is referred to as Non-sporting or Utility Dogs. Dalmatians, Shih Tzu's, Bulldogs, and some of the larger Poodle variety are in this diverse group.

This brief description of each of the dog breed groups will hopefully help you to narrow down your choices and come to a final decision. Have fun finding your perfect dog!

By: Chris Station

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Chris enjoys writing about a variety of topics. As a dog lover, Chris is always looking for ways to keep the family pet happy. A comfortable bed is a must. Check out his website heateddogbedreview.com/ for information about a heated dog bed as well as a cozy cave dog bed for dogs that like to snuggle.