Dogs are the most diverse mammal species on earth. Early on in their domestication they became specialized as hunters, guardians, sled dogs, and warriors. By ancient Roman times, dogs were divided into six families: 鈥淰illatici鈥� (house or guardian dogs), 鈥淰enatici鈥� (sporting dogs), 鈥淧ugnaces鈥� and 鈥淏ellicosi鈥� (war dogs), 鈥淣ares Sagaces,鈥� (scenthounds) and 鈥淧edibus Celeres鈥� (sighthounds). Terriers would join in later, and other breeds, such as Northern or Spitz types, were known elsewhere. These and other family groupings were loosely employed for centuries, well before any formal kennel clubs or registries.
That all changed in the late 1800s with the advent of registries and of kennel clubs such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), formed in1884.
The First Dog Groupings
The first American dog registry (the National American Kennel Club, in 1877) predated the AKC, but its registration book (or stud book) was quickly acquired by the AKC. It only registered gun dogs like setters, spaniels and one retriever breed.
In 1885 the AKC added the first non-gun dogs such as Beagles, Mastiffs, Pugs, Bull Terriers, Dachshunds and others. The AKC subsequently divided the breeds into Sporting dogs (which included gun dogs and hounds) and Non-Sporting dogs (which included any breed not used for hunting).
This division was only in place until 1891, though, perhaps because as more breeds entered AKC ranks some didn鈥檛 fit clearly into one or another group. Were various terriers, for example, Sporting or Non-Sporting?
Meanwhile, each AKC dog show had the choice of dividing its entrants into whatever groupings it felt like, or often used no groupings at all. The same dog might be entered as a Sporting dog at one show, a Non-Sporting dog at another, and a Terrier at yet another. It didn鈥檛 help that some breeds had misleading names, such as the Congo Terrier (now known as the Basenji and not a terrier!), Lhassa Terrier (now Lhasa Apso and also not a terrier), Tibetan Spaniel (not a spaniel), and others that were named simply because of their size or coat type.
Mass confusion ruled at dog shows until finally the Sporting versus Non-Sporting designation was reinstated in 1915, debuting at the dog show. But as the AKC recognized more and more breeds, even this division proved inadequate, especially at dog shows which might or might not offer Best in Show competition. When they did, there were no rules deciding which dogs could compete, and often every Best of Breed dog was in the Best in Show ring.
The Modern Group System Is Born
In 1924 the basis for today鈥檚 AKC group system was implemented. The Sporting breeds would remain basically the same, and included gun dogs and hounds. But the diverse Non-Sporting breeds were divided into Working (which included mastiff-like breeds, guardians, draft dogs, and herding dogs), Terriers (which included vermin catchers and fighting dogs), Toys (mostly lapdogs), and Non-Sporting (made up of the remaining Non-Sporting breeds that didn鈥檛 fit into the other categories).
By 1930 the Sporting group had become so large and diverse it was split into Sporting (gun dogs like Pointers, Setters, Spaniels and Retrievers) and Hounds. Actually Hounds were called Sporting (Hounds) until the name was shortened to simply 鈥淗ounds鈥� in 1937. There were still breeds that did not fit clearly into a particular group. The Dachshund holds the record for being placed in the most groups, starting out in the Non-Sporting group, moving to the Working group in 1924, then to the Sporting group in 1929, and finally to the Hound group in 1930.
This six-group system remained until 1983, when the ever-growing Working group was split, with the Herding breeds now forming their own group.
Today鈥檚 AKC Groups
Today the AKC鈥檚 seven groups are organized mostly by function鈥攁nd a bit by tradition. They are numbered one through seven, loosely reflecting the order in which they were first recognized and grouped together.
The Sporting Group
The Sporting Group consists of dogs that hunt birds alongside hunters. They include pointers, setters, spaniels, and retrievers, plus some versatile hunters that combine the abilities of more than one family. Brittanys, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers are all members of the Sporting Group.
The Hound Group
The Hound Group consists of dogs that hunt mammals, often on their own. They are roughly divided into scenthounds and sighthounds, although several breeds fall into neither category. Some hounds include the Beagle, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and the Dachshund.
The Working Group
The Working Group consists of dogs that use brawn or bravery to serve people. They include guardians, draft dogs (sledding or carting), human-rescue dogs, and even fishermen鈥檚 helpers. Working Group members include the Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, and Giant Schnauzer.
The Terrier Group
The Terrier Group consists of dogs that either go-to-ground in search of vermin, dispatch larger nuisance mammals, or use their terrier feistiness to fight. Some Terrier Group members include the Bull Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, and the West Highland White Terrier.
The Toy Group
The Toy Group consists of miniaturized breeds often used as lapdogs. Famous members of the Toy Group include the Chihuahua, Pug, and the Shih Tzu.
The Non-Sporting Group
The Non-Sporting Group consists of those breeds that didn鈥檛 quite fit anywhere else, or whose job is long obsolete. The Bichon Frise, Dalmatian, and French Bulldog are members of the Non-Sporting Group.
The Herding Group
The Herding Group consists of dogs that control groups of livestock. Herding breeds include the Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Old English Sheepdog.
Why Groups Matter
Groups are handy categories because dogs within a group will tend to share some behavioral tendencies. For example, Sporting and Herding breeds must work tirelessly, and be quick to follow commands. They are easy to train but can be extremely active. Hounds and Terriers must often work independently. Their independence makes them harder to train. Other groups have families within them that tend to share traits.
The AKC鈥檚 seven-group system has remained since 1983, despite several devise a different system, as AKC now has almost twice as many breeds as it did when the last split took place.