How many dog breeds are there in the world?

One of the first domesticated animals in the world is the dog. Since ancient times, she has regularly served man, guarding the home, herding livestock and helping to hunt. For more than 10 thousand years, the dog has been a faithful friend of people. During all this time, many different varieties and breeds of these wonderful animals were bred.

It is not possible to accurately calculate how many dog breeds exist in the world. We can say with confidence that their number exceeds 400 species. This figure is growing every year, as breeding work is ongoing. Some breeds disappear as unpromising and unpopular, while others, on the contrary, appear and develop rapidly.

Classification of dog breeds into groups

In addition to those officially registered with the International Canine Association, there are many dog breeds that have not received recognition. Work to improve and standardize them continues to this day.

There are more than 400 dog breeds of different sizes and colors around the world.

Interesting. The largest breed of dog in the world is considered to be the Irish Wolfhound, whose weight is more than 100 kg, and whose height at the withers is about 80-85 cm. And the smallest breed is the Chihuahua. The tiny dog weighs only 1500 grams, and its height is 10-12 cm at the withers.

All dog breeds are subject to group classification. Conventionally, they can be divided into decorative and working, although there are many breeds used both for work and for participation in exhibitions and competitions. Within these larger groups there is a more detailed division.

What will the RKF (Russian Cynological Federation) tell you?

There are dog breeds that are pre-recognized. There are five such breeds in the RKF. These are the Thai Bangkaew, Bukovinian Shepherd Dog, Danish-Swedish Guardhound, Australian Short-tailed Cattle Dog and Lancashire Heeler.

We found out how many dog breeds there are: about 400 officially recognized. There are 5 more breeds that are not yet recognized.

In the RKF, as well as in the FCI, breeds are divided into 10 groups. Each has a standard.

Herding and cattle dogs

The oldest and most ancient dogs are considered to be herding breeds.

The most popular and widespread of them are:

Border Collie is the smartest dog in the world, quickly and easily trained, independent and good-natured;
Alabai is a large herding dog with a rather complex character, today it is mainly used as a watchman and security guard;
Since ancient times, the Caucasian Shepherd has been used to herd sheep in the mountains; it is distinguished by its sharp intelligence, endurance and courage;
The Bernese Mountain Dog is another typical representative of herding breeds, with a beautiful, original appearance and a calm character.

Dog's fidelity

A dog will never betray you and will be a loyal friend to the end.
Her devotion knows no bounds.
Will give his life for the owner, sacrificing himself.

Many people think it's instinct. The ancient dog lived in a pack and obeyed the leader. Now she chooses the owner and also obeys.

But that's not true. Not every dog and not every owner will sacrifice itself. A dog will give his life for the one he loves.

Even during excavations in Pompeii, they found the skeleton of a dog on the skeleton of a child - the dog was covering it with itself.
Pit bull Zeus saved children from a poisonous snake at the cost of his life.
The little dog Siko almost lost her eye while protecting her owner’s daughter from a snake.
Another dog threw himself under the wheels of a motorcycle and saved the owner’s daughter, receiving severe injuries.

Pitbull Lefty from Virginia protected his owner from bullets that burst into the house of bandits. Briton Graham Nuttell died on a mountain walk while walking his four-legged friend. A quarter of a year later, quite by accident, his body was discovered in the mountains. His faithful friend lay nearby, dying of hunger. But he didn’t leave. He died almost immediately after the body of his beloved owner was interred

In honor of the devoted Rusvarp, a monument was even erected in this settlement. In the thirties of the last century, people noticed a dog that was sitting near the entrance to the hospital, waiting for its owner. But, unfortunately, the farmer, her owner, died

His body was sent by train to the place where he was from. His faithful dog accompanied him on his last journey. But he did not think that the owner would not return.

He continued to wait for five whole years without losing hope. During this time, old age came to him, and with it deafness, which became the cause of his death. The dog was hit by a train. Local residents perpetuated the memory of man's faithful friend by erecting a bronze monument to the dog Shepa.

Bloodhounds and related breeds

Hound dogs belong to the oldest hunting group, which has long been used for driving game.

Hounds are excellent hunters, but these dogs are quite difficult to train.

The main working breeds, excellent for hunting, remain:

Russian piebald hound is an excellent hunting dog, but very capricious and stubborn, difficult to train;
American Foxhound is an elegant hound breed that develops very high speed when pursuing prey;
Biyi are considered the best deer hunter, they are energetic, intelligent, brave and proud.

There are about 70-75 hound breeds in total, and all of them are excellent and brave hunters.

Pinschers and Schnauzers

A separate group are the German dog breeds - pinschers and schnauzers. These are quite interesting breeds, with a long history of formation.

The most famous dogs are:

Doberman is the best watchman and bodyguard, aggressive towards strangers, but loyal to the owner;
The Giant Schnauzer is a large service dog with a distrustful and angry disposition, used in security and investigative activities.

Miniature Schnauzers, Miniature Schnauzers, Austrian and Dutch Pinschers are also no less popular.

Simplified technique

The easiest way to calculate the age of a dog in relation to a person is to take 1 dog year as 7 human years. This technique spread in the middle of the 20th century at the suggestion of veterinarians, who proceeded from the simple ratio that a person lives on average 70 years, and a dog 10.

Due to its simplicity, this rule has become very widespread, but it does not take into account social aspects. A person is actually dependent on his parents for a quarter or even a third of his life - he does not create a family, studies, and learns the norms of morality and behavior in society.

The animal world cannot afford such luxury. So, a one-year-old pet approximately corresponds to 15 years of a person.

A one-year-old pet is already quite capable of performing its work functions.

Terriers

Terriers have long been considered ideal burrow hunters. However, among these fearless and intelligent dogs, only decorative pets (Yorkies) are found.

Among terriers, the most widespread are Yorkshire terriers.

The most common and beloved terriers by dog breeders:

Yorkshire Terrier is a miniature companion dog, fearless, courageous and independent;
the bull terrier is a real working dog, absolutely insensitive to pain, courageous and sometimes aggressive towards its relatives, but unusually devoted to its owner;
The German Jagdterrier is considered an irreplaceable dog not only for burrowing, but also for any other hunting, and is distinguished by a difficult, difficult disposition.

Russian canine

It so happened that in Russia, since ancient times, hunting has been held in high esteem by nobles and landowners. Therefore, it is not surprising that at the turn of the 10th century, almost every kennel had representatives of this breed.

The modern greyhound is a symbiosis of European and Asian elements. The European trait is revealed immediately when looking at the dog, but the Asian trait is expressed in the specifics of its character.

Although admittedly this breed is not one of the fastest, their talent for running at fantastic speed over short distances has been appreciated by many hunters. Running speed can reach 57 km/h.

The Russian dog is characterized by an elegant and narrow body combined with a fairly tall stature. Slightly elongated eyes are located on an elongated head, which is crowned with small, pointed ears that fit tightly to the neck. The presence of a thin and fairly long, saber-shaped tail makes the dog easily recognizable.

Primitive type breeds and Spitz

Separately, it is worth mentioning primitive dog breeds, i.e. obtained naturally without human intervention. They are fully adapted to local natural conditions and are distinguished by their versatility and endurance.

The following breeds can be classified as primitive:

Siberian Huskies;
malamutes;
Basenji.

In addition, there is a separate category of breeds included in this rare group - Spitz. There are two types of Spitz: European and Asian.

European ones include:

German;
dwarf;
Pomeranian;
Finnish.

There are slightly more Asian Spitz dogs, but the most common are Akita Inu and Chow Chow.

Coping dogs

All of these breeds are used for tracking and presenting game, but there are several ways to use them: dogs for hunting on water, on land and as universal hunters.

Cops are actively used for hunting - they are excellent universal dogs.

Thus, the Hungarian Vizsla is an absolutely universal hunting dog, with an excellent sense of smell and excellent working qualities.

The English Pointer is one of the best breeds intended for gun hunting of waterfowl. He is distinguished by his endurance, concentration on work, and is easy to learn.

The English Setter excels at catching wild birds and serving shot game. Dogs have excellent hearing, they are brave, good-natured, active and inquisitive.

Weimaraner

And this is a representative of hunting breeds, whose homeland is Germany. He is well versed in the terrain and has excellent instincts. The Weimaraner tracks game not only by smell, but also by its tracks on the ground. This large breed of dog looks very confident in the photo. It weighs about 45 kg and has a height of 65-75 cm.

The Weimaraner's psyche is quite stable; they are good-natured animals. These qualities make them good companions. However, they do not forgive insults. If you harm a dog once, he will remember it for the rest of his life. The animal has short dark gray or brown fur, very soft to the touch, large eyes and a slightly elongated muzzle.

Since the Weimaraner is a hunter, it needs to be walked for a long time, and at least 3 times a day. Otherwise, he will become sad. He is driven by the instincts of a hunter, therefore, sniffing out game is a priority task for him.

Particular attention should be paid to the animal's nutrition. Remember that food for large breed dogs should be premium, not economy class.

But giving them human food, especially sweet ones, is not recommended.

Retrievers, spaniels, water dogs

Retrievers and spaniels are also a fairly large group of hunting dogs with excellent characteristics.

The most interesting and common breeds include:

the American water spaniel, specially bred for hunting on water, can swim quickly and brings up to 6 shot ducks at a time;
Labrador Retriever is an excellent hunting dog, capable of accurately finding game, but extremely good-natured and cheerful;
the golden retriever has not only a developed hunting instinct, but also a bright, harmless character;
The German Wachtelhund is considered an intelligent, courageous hunter, working equally easily both in water and on land.

Many representatives of these breeds have not been used for hunting for a long time, but are bred, most often, as companion dogs.

Spaniels and other dogs in this group are often kept as companions.

Addressing the IFF

What will an organization that deals with dogs at the international level tell us? We are talking about the International Canine Federation, as many have already guessed. It is called ICF for short.

So, according to her data, there are just over 400 dog breeds in the world. It is officially registered. And no one will tell us how many are unregistered.

Let's look at the main classifications that the ICF offers.

Herding and cattle dogs. There is no need to explain anything here. Everything is clear and without explanation. The most popular breed belonging to this group is the border collie.

Hound dogs. These are born hunters. But how stubborn these dogs are is difficult to convey in words. The most popular hounds include the Russian pinto, American foxhound and biyi.

Pinschers and Schnauzers. Who doesn't know the Giant Schnauzer, a huge black dog with a beard and bangs? "Rizens" are characterized as ferocious, but this is not true. Wonderful dogs. Another group that is popular among dog lovers are the miniature schnauzer and the miniature schnauzer.

Terriers. Cunning dogs with a very specific disposition. This includes the Jagdterrier, Scotch terrier, Jack Russell terrier and many others. But the soul of many dog lovers is given to the Yorkshire Terrier.

Primitive dogs. These are breeds in the selection of which people took minimal participation. Oddly enough, this includes Malamutes and Siberian Huskies.

Spitz. The Pomeranian is one of the most beautiful representatives of the group. But besides him, there are also Finnish and German ones. Have you ever heard about Asian Spitz dogs? This is a chow chow.

Retrievers and water dogs. We will also include spaniels here. These are hunting dogs. But many people prefer to keep them for the soul.

Decorative dogs. The largest group. Due to their distribution, these dogs have gained the love of people around the world. Some people can't resist a cute pug. Others like Pekingese. And some are simply in love with Chinese crested dogs.

Greyhounds. Unsurpassed runners, kept for hunting and sports. This dog can be an excellent companion living in an apartment. The only condition for such maintenance is regular walks on which the animal can run. The most popular are the Russian Borzoi, the Afghan Hound and the Greyhound.

Dachshunds. These small and harmful, but very cute dogs were separated into a separate group. There are three types: long-haired, wire-haired and short-haired. Very smart dogs, you can hunt burrowing animals with them.

There are ten groups in total. We now know approximately how many dog breeds there are, according to these groups.

Companion dogs, decorative dogs

Representatives of decorative dogs are rightfully called the largest group of breeds. They are the most common, perfect as a “couch” pet, and are good friends and companions.

Here are a few typical representatives of decorative breeds:

The Bichon Frize is a very small, cheerful dog with snow-white fluffy fur, easy to train, gets along well with all family members;
the Chinese Crested dog is no less attractive as a small pet, because it is extremely loving, friendly and affectionate;
the pug is one of the most popular breeds with a funny face and a wonderful mischievous but balanced character;
Pekingese is a real imperial dog with luxurious fur and an original appearance, originally from China, it has a complex, arrogant disposition, and is not suitable for families with children;
The poodle is an ideal decorative breed, very obedient, active, cheerful, gets along with children and pets.

Comparison of existing pets

In addition to the “official” classification presented above, which takes into account the name and etymology, there are unspoken divisions according to various criteria:

By size - dogs can be small (weight less than 12 kg, height up to 28 cm), medium (weight 12-25 kg, height 28-60 cm), large (weight more than 25 kg, height from 60 cm).
Depending on the type of coat, several parameters are taken into account: the degree of hairlessness, hair growth, hair length, hair thickness.
By hypoallergenicity - the presence or degree of salivation and the intensity of shedding are taken into account here.
By popularity – the ten most frequently purchased breeds are taken into account. It depends on various factors: convenience, cultural reference, price, etc.
By purpose - a classification that highlights the working qualities of animals. All breeds can be divided into: hunting, service, companions.

Greyhounds

Greyhounds are bred specifically for hunting and driving game in open areas. The speed they develop far exceeds the running speed of hounds.

Representatives of the greyhound group are capable of developing incredible speeds for dogs.

These unique breeds include:

Russian Borzoi is a large, vicious and ferocious dog, a real hunter;
the Afghan hound is a very beautiful, large and strong animal with unusual long hair;
The Greyhound is the fastest dog in the world, excellent for hunting hares.

Dogue de Bordeaux

A specific feature of the breed is a serious look. However, despite the enormous body weight and wide muzzle, the Dogue de Bordeaux cannot be called an angry dog. Yes, his character is difficult. He often shows stubbornness and resentment, however, this does not prevent the animal from remaining faithful to its owner.

Despite the seriousness in his gaze, this dog becomes very attached to the person raising him, remaining faithful to him throughout his life. With people who treat the Dogue de Bordeaux well, he will be gentle and loving.

This breed is considered one of the most cautious and suspicious. She will never offend her owner and members of his family, but she will also not attack others unnecessarily.

Due to its strong attachment to people living nearby, the dog will prefer to share sofas, beds, and even a table with them. However, you should not spoil such a pet too much. The Dogue de Bordeaux is a very strong animal with short red hair, drooping cheeks, ears and folds on the muzzle.

Dachshunds

Dachshunds are typically hunting, burrowing dogs with a long, strong body and short, thick legs. Considered to be the oldest breed in the world.

There are three types of breed:

smooth-haired;
wire-haired;
long-haired

In addition, they come in standard or rabbit (small) sizes. They are distinguished by a sharp mind and are well trained.

Dachshund dogs are classified as a separate breed group.

With such a huge number of breeds, it is very difficult to choose the best one. Professional breeders work every year to improve existing dog breeds and create completely new ones. Each owner chooses a pet based on personal preferences, and for each owner his dog is the best.