DOG BREEDS

Dog breeds

• DNA evidence now suggests that dogs are directly related to wolves

• Species name is now Canis lupus

• Breed variation is great, from chihuahua (weighing about 3 kg) through to breeds in excess of 80kg

• About 400 breeds worldwide

Dog breeds

• A ‘breed’ is an animal that will produce a similar type if mated with an animal of the same breed

• Breeds are produced by selection for particular behaviours and physical appearances

• Breeds are placed into categories for the purpose of showing

HOUNDS

• All dogs in this group will pursue game (animals or human), corner it and, in some cases, alert the human to its presence (barking, yodelling etc)

• Scent hounds eg beagles, fox hounds• Sight hounds eg greyhounds, borzoi• Some breeds with combination eg Pharaoh

Hound• All purpose hounds eg the Spitz dogs

AFGHAN HOUND

• Sight hounds• Long fur, any colour• Males 27kg, females

23kg• Not known for road

sense

AMERICAN FOXHOUND

• Used for field trials and racing, hunting with gun

• Any colour, short coat• Weight 30-34kg• Excellent scent

hunters• Difficult to train

BASENJI

• Originally from central Africa

• Guard dog, companion and hunter

• Short coat, should be white on chest, feet and tail tip

• Males 11kg• Have no odour• Yodel, can be

destructive

BASSET FAUVE DE BRETAGNE

• From Brittany, France• Harsh, dense coat,

gold, red or fawn• 16-18kg• Relatively new to

Australia

BEAGLE

BASSET HOUND

• French monks used in middle ages for hunting, modern breed from cross breeding with bloodhounds

• 32kg

• Tenacious hunters, although tend to be lazy otherwise

• Smallest of pack hounds• Very popular worldwide• Very ‘enthusiastic’• 9kg• Dense short coat, waterproof• Can be hard to train

BLOODHOUND

• Very old breed (7C)• Blood refers to

bloodstock and is referring to superior breeding

• Coat is short, smooth and waterproof

• Dogs up to 50kg• Black and tan, liver and

tan, solid red• Can be difficult to handle

BORZOI

• Sighthound, from Russia, used for bringing down wolves

• Coat is long, silky, flat or curly, any colour

• Up to 48kg• Can be

temperamental, difficult to train

COONHOUND

• Bred from bloodhounds

• Short dense coat, black and tan is normal

• Up to 41kg• Can be aggressive

DACHSHUND

• Means ‘badger dog’• Short legs, strong jaws• Different sizes• Coat may be smooth,

wirey or long• Up to 12kg for large

versions, 4.5kg for small• Should be well trained as

they can be disobedient and wilful

GREYHOUND

• Middle East?• Sighthound/

gazehound• Up to 32kg- racing

dogs are often heavier• Fast with good

stamina• Quiet animals• Will chase small

furries

IRISH WOLFHOUND

• Very old breed• Tallest breed• Coat is rough, hard

and shaggy• Dogs up to 54 kg• Usually very people

friendly, although can be very possessive

PHARAOH HOUND

• Very old breed• Fine or slightly harsh

coat, short and glossy• About 20kg• Good hunter• Doesn’t like cold

conditions

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

• Developed for hunting in Africa- lions etc

• Short dense coat, glossy and sleek

• Colour light wheaten to red wheaten

• Up to 36 kg• Robust personality,

good climber• May hunt smaller

animals

SALUKI

• Sight hound• North Africa, very old

breed• Coat is soft and silky,

with feathering• Many different colours• Can be destructive if

left alone

SLOUGHI

• Sighthound from North Africa

• Not common• 13.5kg

WHIPPET

• Small sighthound• Coat is fine, dense

and short, any colour• Up to 13.5 kg• Make good pets,

gentle and affectionate

GUNDOGS

• Bred to assist in the hunting and retrieving of game

• Search for quarry by scent, points or ‘sets’, flushes game and retrieves game

• Coats tend to be weatherproof• Tend to be loyal, trainable, friendly• Less likely to be noisy (scares off game)• Pointers, Setters, Retrievers, and all purpose

dogs

BRACCO ITALIANO

• Mixed gundog and hound

• Fine dense glossy coat

• Up to 40kg• Friendly and docile• In Australia?

BRITTANY SPANIEL

• From France, hunts, points and retrieves

• Coat is flat and dense, fine and wavy

• About 18kg• Active, trainable

ENGLISH SETTER

• One of oldest gundog breeds

• Coat is wavy, long and silky

• Weight up to 30kg• Very active, needs

good training if a pet• Excellent hunting dog

GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER

• Hunts, points and retrieves

• Coat is short, dense and flat

• Weight up 32kg• Very powerful, need

plenty of exercise if to be pets

• Easily trained

GORDON SETTER

• Scottish origin• Coat soft and glossy,

straight or with slight wave

• Colour coal black with tan markings.

• Up to 29kg

HUNGARIAN VIZSLA

• Tail docked to 2/3 of length

• Very active dogs• Short smooth dense

and glossy coat, rusty gold

• Weight up to 30kg• Require a great deal

of exercise

IRISH SETTER

• Have reputation for single mindedness

• Coat should be flat and free from wave or curl, rich chestnut red

• Up to 32kg• Very active dog, high

maintenance

KOOIKERHONDJE

• Dutch• Used to trap

swimming ducks into nets

• Fairly new breed internationally

• 11kg

NOVIA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER

• Canadian, arrived in Britain in 1988

• Supposedly uses its tail to attract ducks and then retrieves the kills

• Double coat• Up to 23kg• Good pet?

POINTER

• Spanish?• Short fine coat• Very strong for size,

good endurance and speed

CURLY COATED RETRIEVER

• Common in some parts of Aust and NZ

• Coat is very curly, black or liver

• Up to 36kg• Trainable, requires

much exercise

GOLDEN RETRIEVER

• One of most popular breeds of dog in world

• Multi purpose apart from hunting- guide, PAT, sniffer, pet

• Flat or wavy coat, with dense undercoat

• Up to 36 kg• Very trainable, usually

docile

LABRADOR RETRIEVER

• Also very popular, similar to Golden

• Coat is short and dense, gold, black or liver

• Up to 34 kg• Also very trainable,

docile, soft mouthed

AMERICAN COCKER SPANIELS

• Smallest of gundogs• Medium length coat,

silky and flat or slightly wavy

• Weight up to 13kg• Usually very friendly,

there have been lines with aggressive tendencies

ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL

• Long dense and soft coat

• Used to flush game• Up to 21kg• Needs lots of exercise

SUSSEX SPANIEL

WEIMERANER

• Hunting, pointing and retrieving dog

• Coat is short and sleek, different shades of grey

• Up to 27kg• Has a reputation for

lack of road sense

TERRIERS

• ‘Terrier’ comes from latin word for earth- bred to chase and hunt animals in burrows, dens etc

• Most are small to medium size, tenacious and strong

• Have a reputation for ‘picking’ fights with other dogs

AIREDALE TERRIER

• Largest terrier• Sometimes used as

guard dog• Coat is hard and wiry,

dense• About 20kg• Can be a problem

with smaller animals

AUSTRALIAN TERRIER

• One of only a few terriers from outside Britain

• Long, straight and hard coat, either blue or sandy

• 6kg• Tough and lively

BEDLINGTON TERRIER

• Old terrier• Thick and ‘linty’ coat,

blue, blue and tan, liver and sandy

• Gentle appearance, but typical terrier temperament

BULL TERRIER

• Derived from terriers and bulldogs

• Bred for fighting, amongst other things

• Short, flat coat• Up to 33kg• Generally good with

people, can be problem with other dogs/cats

CAIRN TERRIER

• From Isle of Skye in Scotland

• Coat is thick and harsh outer with close undercoat

• Weight to 7.5kg• Very alert, ‘fearless’,

may fight with larger dogs

DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER

• From border of Scotland and England

• Double coat• Up to 11kg• Makes a more

suitable pet than many other terriers, although can be wilful

SMOOTH HAIRED FOX TERRIER

• Very popular terrier• Coat is smooth, short,

hard and dense• Weight 7-8kg• Unlikely to withdraw

readily from a fight, usually peaceable

WIREHAIRED FOX TERRIER

GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIER

• Irish• Not common• Medium length,

coarse coat, blue, wheaten and brindle

• Weight up to 16kg• Likes water, good pet

animal

KERRY BLUE TERRIER

• Irish• Coat is soft and wavy,

blue• Puppies born black• Weight up to 17kg• Can be a good guard

dog, high maintenance coat

NORFOLK TERRIER AND NORWICH TERRIER

• Dropped ears are Norfolk, prick ears Norwich

• Coat is hard, straight and wiry

• Weight 5.5kg• Tough and active,

diggers.

JACK RUSSELL TERRIER

• Tough, active dog• Hard, dense and

close coat• Weight 6.5kg• Can be destructive,

suffer from ‘small dog’ syndrome

SCOTTISH TERRIER

• Outercoat is dense, hard and wiry, the undercoat is short, soft and dense

• Colours back, wheaten and brindle

• 10kg• Excellent guard dog,

very active and alert

SEALYHAM TERRIER

• Derived from terriers and corgis

• Hard, wiry coat with weather resistant undercoat

• 9kg• Perhaps less active than

other terriers and therefore less destructive

SKYE TERRIER

• Bred to hunt foxes, martens, otters etc

• Outercoat is long, hard and straight. Undercoat is woolly and soft

• 11kg• Good watchdog, very

loyal

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

• Bulldog and terrier cross• Bred for fighting bulls and

bears• Coat is smooth and short• 17kg• Needs to be trained and

handled with confidence• May be a problem with

other dogs and cats

WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER

• Harsh, long coat, without curls

• Should be pure white• 8.5kg• Very lively, friendly

personality• Can be good

watchdog

NON SPORTING

• Australian grouping• Various sizes & types of dogs• Range from Great Danes to Shih Tzu

BOSTON TERRIER

• Derived from bulldogs and bull terriers

• National dog of America?

• Short and glossy coat• Weight up to 11.5kg• Strong willed and

determined

BULLDOG

• Bred to fight and bait bulls

• Coat is fine, close and short

• Weight up to 25kg• Very friendly with

people, can be aggressive towards other dogs

CHOW CHOW

• Extremely old breed• Spitz type• Guard, hunting and food

dog• Either rough or smooth

coat, thick undercoat• Weight 25kg• Very protective of ‘pack’

and can be aggressive towards strangers

DALMATION

• Spaniel background• Short, dense, glossy

coat• Black or liver spots• Very active, but can

be good pet with appropriate training

FRENCH BULLDOG

• Derived from English bulldog

• Short, close, glossy coat

• Weight 13kg• Fairly quiet dog, can

be a good pet

FINNISH SPITZ

• One of several ‘spitz’ breeds

• Bred to track game• Fox like appearance• Coat is double• 16kg max• Lively, needs lots of

exercise

GERMAN SPITZ

• Five varieties in Germany

• Double coat-long straight outer coat and soft wooly under coat

• Cheerful and friendly, coat can be high maintenance

KEESHOND

• Holland• Bred to guard on the

barges• Double coat• Excellent watchdog,

can be aloof with strangers

• About 19kg

LHASA APSO

• Tibetan origin, watchdog

• Dense undercoat for cold weather

• 7kg• Alert and watchful,

but very playful with people that it knows

POODLE

• Three sizes- toy, mini, standard

• Dense coat that doesn’t moult

• Standards up to 34kg• Extremely trainable,

can be excellent guard dogs, surprisingly robust

SHAR PEI

• Bred as guard, herding and hunting dog

• Coat is short and hard• Active, can be

unpredictable

GREAT DANE

• German dog• Up to 54kg• Very tall, short

lifespan• Can become

overprotective of human companions

SHIH TZU

• Tibetan origin, developed in China

• Long, straight and dense coat

• Weight about 6kg• Enthusiastic dog that

fits well into families• Coat is high

maintenance

WORKING DOGS

• More breeds than any other- can be split into working dogs and herding dogs

• Working dogs do a variety of jobs- guarding, herding, pulling loads or sleds, law enforcement, rescue work etc

• Great diversity of size and shape

• Highly bred group- usually old breeds

ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD

• Developed from mastiffs

• Black muzzle and ears, coat is short, flat and dense

• Up to 64kg• Guard dog

AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG

• Dingo?, Dalmation and bulldog heritage

• Double coat, outer is weather resistant

• Up to 20kg• Prone to obesity if not

worked, temperament can be questionable

• Untiring when working

ROUGH COLLIE

• Up to 30kg• High maintenance• Have a reputation for

being ‘snappy’• Can be very good

guards

COLLIE SMOOTH

BEARDED COLLIE

• Lean under all the fur, very active

• Double coat• Up to 27kg• Great stamina,

considered a very people friendly working dog

BELGIAN SHEPHERD

• Three separate coat types and four coat colours

• Basic body shape same for all types

• Groenendael=black• Tervueren= red, fawn or

grey with black tipping• Malinois=shorter coat,

same colour as above• Laekenois=wiry but not

curled coat, reddish fawn with black shading

KOMONDOR

• Bigger than Puli, used as guard dog, has white coat

• Up to 60kg• Not suited for living in

cities• Coat is high

maintenance

BORDER COLLIE

• From border of England and Scotland

• Very popular breed in Australia

• Controls stock by ‘eye’

• Can exhibit behavioural problems if not working

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

• Once the most popular breed in world

• Many genetic faults, now attempting to eliminate

• Up to 37kg• Temperament can

vary depending on lines used

HUNGARIAN PULI

• Sheepdog• Easily recognised by

coat• Up to 15kg• Tends to be wary of

strangers

KELPIE

• Older breed than cattle dog

• Up to 20.5 kg• Can be difficult to

deal with if not working

• Wary of strangers• Great stamina and

will to work

CORGIS

• Pembroke (no tail) and Cardigan (tail)

• Cattle dogs• Both about 11kg• Reputation for being

‘snappy’ particularly the males

• Trainable

OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG

• Shaggy coat, undercoat is waterproof

• Up to 37kg• Very active dog that

loves to play and be with people

• High maintenance coat

MAREMMA SHEEPDOG

• Large dog with thick long coat

• Bred to bond with stock animals and therefore doesn’t always make good pet

• Up to 45kg• Very ‘brave’

BOUVIER DES FLANDRES

• Belgium and France• Name means

Flanders Ox driver• Coarse, thick coat• Up to 40kg• Excellent guard dogs,

usually not aggressive

BRIARD

• French sheep dog• Long, slightly wavy

coat, dense undercoat

• Up to 38.5kg• May be used as

guard dog, must be trained to get full benefit

SHETLAND SHEEPDOG

• Sheepdog• Up to 9kg• High maintenance

coat• Otherwise

undemanding

UTILITY DOGS

• Many different sizes and shapes, for a variety of tasks

• Most breeds have an aptitude for guarding and defending

• Includes many of the ‘spitz’ dogs

BOXER

• Extremely vibrant dogs, need an owner with good discipline

• Up to 32 kg• Short coat, dropped

ears• Very confident dog,

can be good guard, can be dog aggressive

BULLMASTIFF

• Very large dog, bred for guarding and accompanying gamekeepers

• Up to 59kg• Not recommended for

inexperienced owners, can be strong willed

JAPANESE AKITA

• Also known as Akita Inu=‘large dog’

• Double coat• Weight up to 50kg• Bred for fighting and

hunting• Dominant personality,

poor pet

DOBERMANN

• Bred by a tax collector (Herr Dobermann)!

• Short, close lying coat• Up to 38kg• Very loyal and

trainable pet• Reputation probably

unwarranted

NEAPOLITAN MASTIFF

• Rare in Australia• Very old breed• Ugly, short coat• Up to 70kg• Bred to guard, not

suitable for inexperienced owners

SCHNAUZER

• German origin• Placed with terriers in

America• Rough wiry coat• Different sizes• Very active dog,

adapts well to family situations

NEWFOUNDLAND

• Very large dog with oily waterproof double coat

• Up to 68kg• Love water• Docile and

affectionate, but can still be good guards

PYRENEAN MOUNTAIN DOG

• Guard dog against wolves and bears

• Double coat• Usually white• Make good pets if

experienced handler• At least 50kg for

males

ROTTWEILER

• Up to 50kg• Bold, active, requires

exercise• Should be trained to

harness natural guarding and working behaviours

ALASKAN MALAMUTE

• Exact origin not known• Largest of sled dogs• Thick coarse outercoat,

dense undercoat• Up to 58kg• People friendly, very

dominant personality. Needs training and may resist discipline

SAINT BERNARD

• Very recognisable breed

• Rough or smooth coated

• Up to 75kg• Usually very placid

dogs• Many health problems

SAMOYED

• Bred as guard for reindeer and to pull sleds

• Up to 23kg• High maintenance

coat, although they love attention

SIBERIAN HUSKY

• Smaller than malamutes (27kg)

• Eyes can be blue• Many coat colours• Can be hard to train

(except to pull!)• Often dog (and cat)

aggressive

TOY DOGS

• Small

• Bred primarily as lap or pet dogs

• Often treated inappropriately by owners (as real ‘toys’) and therefore are very prone to behavioural abnormalities

• Very diverse group

• Extremely popular pets

AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER

• Also known as Sydney silky

• Straight long glossy coat

• 4kg

BICHON FRISE

• Thick woolly coat• Often mistaken for

poodle with bad clip• Always white• 3-6kg

BOLOGNESE

• Type of sauce used with pasta

• Italian dog• Pure white• Rare- 3-4kg

CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL

• Very popular dog• Very placid, forgiving• 5-8kg• Has some persistent

health problems

CHIHUAHUA

• Rounded head• Often treated like

spoilt brats and behave accordingly

• Short or long coated• 1-3kg• Can be aggressive

CHINESE CRESTED DOG

• Rare• Prone to sunburn• Variety with full coat

exists• 5.5kg

GRIFFON BRUXELLOIS

• Belgium• Rat killer, alarm dog• Rough and smooth

coated varieties• 2.5-5kg

ITALIAN GREYHOUND

• Looks like greyhound, only smaller

• 3-4.5kg• Very fine boned

JAPANESE CHIN

• 2-3kg

MALTESE

• Extremely popular• See notes for

chihuahua• 2-3kg

PAPILLON

• Name refers to butterfly appearance of ears

• Very trainable• 3.5kg

PEKINGESE

• Brachycephalic toy• 5kg• Many health problems• Can be aggressive

but poor dentition usually means can’t deliver decent bite

POMERANIAN

• Toy spitz• 2-2.5kg• Excellent alarm dogs

PUG

• Another brachycephalic toy

• Many health problems• Up to 8kg• Usually very people

friendly

YORKSHIRE TERRIER

• 3kg• Coat can be high

maintenance