Many people decide to adopt shelter dogs to offer them a better life while avoiding an undeserved sacrifice. If you are also one of them, perhaps you are trying to find out the roots of your dog or it is simply that you cannot differentiate one breed from another, as is the case with the French bulldog and the boston terrier.
In this article we make a general review of the different breeds of dog that exist and we will help you identify the origin of your dog through physical and behavioral aspects. Keep reading this article on our site on how to identify a dog's breed:
Observe your dog's physical characteristics:
Empezaremos noticing the different physical attributes that accompany our dog. Believe it or not, guiding yourself by certain characteristics will help you find the breed of your dog or its parents:
The size:
- Toy
- Little
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
The size can help us rule out certain breeds and want to investigate others. For example, we find a limited number of specimens in giant dog breeds, such as the Great Dane or the Tibetan Mastiff, among others.
The coat type:
- Length
- Short
- Medium
- Lasted
- Fine
- Curly
Curly coats usually belong to water dogs such as poodles, those with very thick coats may belong to the group of European shepherds or spitz-type dogs
Snout shape:
- Elongate
- Short
- Wrinkled
- Square
Wrinkled snouts usually belong to molossian-type dogs such as the English bulldog or the boxer, among others. On the other hand, the thinnest and most elongated snouts may belong to the group of sighthounds and those with powerful and thick jaws to that of terriers.
Bearing in mind the specific attributes of your dog, we will analyze the FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) groups one by one so you can locate the breed most similar to your dog's and orient yourself like this a continuation of the freepick image.
Group 1, section 1
Group 1 is divided into two sections and so that you can orient yourself we will explain the most common breeds in each of them. They are sheepdogs and cattle dogs although we do not include Swiss cattle dogs:
1. Sheepdogs:
- German shepherd
- Belgian Shepherd
- Gos d'atura català
- Australian Shepherd Dog
- Berger picard
- Komondor
- White Swiss Shepherd
- Border collie
- Rough collie
Group 1, section 2
two. Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs):
- Australian Mountain Dog
- Boyero of the Ardennes
- Flanders Mountain Dog
Group 2, Section 1
Group 2 is divided into several sections which we will discuss below. We find pinscher and schnauzer type dogs as well as molossoids and Swiss Mountain and Cattle dogs. As in the previous case, we will offer images and the most characteristic breeds:
1. Type Pinscher and Schnauzer
- Doberman
- Schnauzer
Group 2, section 2
two. Molossoid
- Boxer
- Great Dane
- Rottweiler
- Argentine Dogo
- Brazilian Row
- Shar pei
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Bulldog
- Bullmastiff
- Saint Bernard
Group 2, section 3
3. Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs
- Bern Mountain Dog
- Great Swiss Mountain Dog
- Appenzell Cattle Dog
- Entlebuch Cattle Dog
Group 3, section 1
Group 3 is organized into 4 sections, all of them belonging to the terrier group. Here we go with some of the most common:
1. Large Terriers
- Brazilian Terrier
- Irish Terrier
- Airedale terrier
- Border terrier
- Fox terrier
Group 3, section 2
two. Small Terriers
- Japanese Terrier
- Norwich terrier
- Jack Russell
- West highland white terrier
Group 3, section 3
3. Bull Terriers
- American staffordshire terrier
- English bull terrier
- Staffordshire bull terrier
Group 3, Section 4
4. Companion Terriers
- Australian Silky Terrier
- English "Toy" Terrier
- Yorkshire terrier
Group 4
In group 4 we find a single breed, the dachshunds, which can vary depending on the size of the body, the length of the hair or color.
Group 5, section 1
In group 5 of the FCI we find 7 sections in which we divide the different types of Nordic dogs, spitz-type dogs and primitive-type dogs.
1. Nordic sled dogs
- Siberian Husky
- Alaskan malamute
- Greenland Dog
- Samoyed
Group 5, section 2
two. Nordic hunting dogs
- Carlelia Bear Dog
- Finnish Spitz
- Grey Norwegian Elkhound
- Black Norwegian Moose Hunter
- Norwegian Lundehund
- West Siberian Laika
- East Siberian Laika
- Russian-European Laika
- Swedish Moose Hound
- Norrbotten's Spitz
Group 5, section 3
3. Nordic guard and herding dogs
- Lapland Sheepdog
- Finnish Lapland Dog
- Icelandic Sheepdog
- Norwegian Buhund
- Swedish Lapland Dog
- Swedish Vallhund
Group 5, section 4
4. European Spitz
- Wolf Spitz
- Great spitz
- Medium Spitz
- Small Spitz
- Dwarf or Pomeranian Spitz
- Italian Volpino
Group 5, Section 5
5. Asian Spitz and related breeds
- Eurasian
- Chow chow
- Akita
- American Akita
- Hokkaido
- Kai
- Kishu
- Shiba
- Shikoku
- Japanese Spitz
- Korea jindo dog
Group 5, Section 6
6. Primitive type
- Basenji
- Canaan dog
- Pharaoh's Hound
- Xoloizcuintle
- Peruvian Hairless Dog
Group 5, section 7
7. Primitive Type - Hunting Dogs
- Canary Hound
- Ibicenco Hound
- Cireco del Etna
- Portuguese Podenco
- Thai Ridgeback dog
- Taiwan Dog
Group 6, section 1
In group 6 we find hound-type dogs, divided into three sections: hound-type dogs, trail and similar breeds. Below we show you the most representative:
1. Hound-type dogs
- St. Hubertus Dog
- American Foxhound
- Black and tan dog for raccoon hunting
- Billy
- Gascon saintongeois
- Great Vendean Griffon
- Great Orange and White Anglo-French Hound
- Great Anglo-French Black and White Hound
- Great Anglo-French Tricolor Hound
- Great Blue Gascony Hound
- White and Orange French Hound
- Black and White French Hound
- Tricolor French Hound
- Polish Hound
- English Foxhound
- Otter Dog
- Australian Black and Tan Hound
- Tirol Hound
- Styrian Wirehaired Hound
- A bosnian bristling hound-named Barak
- Istrian Shorthaired Hound
- Istrian Wirehaired Hound
- Save Valley Hound
- Slovak Hound
- Spanish Hound
- Finnish Hound
- Beagle-Harrier
- Briquet Griffon Vendée
- Gascony Blue Griffon
- Nivernais griffon
- Brittany Griffon Griffon
- Little Blue Gascony Hound
- Ariege Hound
- Poitevin Hound
- Hellenic Hound
- Hungarian or Transylvanian Hound
- Italian Wirehaired Hound
- Italian Flat-Coated Hound
- Montenegro Mountain Hound
- Hygen Hound
- Halden's Hound
- Norwegian Hound
- Harrier
- Serbian Hound
- Serbian tricolor hound
- Hound of Smaland
- Hamilton Hound
- Schiller Hound
- Swiss Hound
- Westphalian Dachshund
- German Hound
- Artisan Basset from Normandy
- Gascony Blue Basset
- Brittany Fawn Basset
- Great Basset Griffon Vendeen
- Little Vendean Griffon Basset
- Basset hound
- Beagle
- Swedish Dachshund
- Small Swiss Hound
Group 6, section 2
two. Trail dogs
- Hanover Tracker
- Bavarian Mountain Tracker
- Alpine dachbracke
Group 6, section 3
3. Similar Breeds
- Dalmatian
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
Group 7, Section 1
In group 7 we find the pointer dogs This is the name given to the hunting dogs that point or "show" with their muzzles the address where the game is located. There are two sections: Continental Pointing Dogs and English and Irish Pointing Dogs.
1. Continental Pointing Dogs
- German Shorthaired Pointer
- German Coarse-haired Pointing Dog
- German Wirehaired Pointer
- Pudelpointer
- Weimaraner
- Old Danish Pointing Dog
- Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer
- Burgos Pointer
- Braque d'Auvergne
- Ariege Pointer
- Bourbonnais braco
- Gascony-type French Shorthaired Pointer
- Pyrenees-type French Shorthaired Pointer
- Braco Saint-Germain
- Hungarian Shorthaired Pointer
- Hungarian Wirehaired Pointer
- Italian Shorthaired Pointer
- Portuguese Retriever
- Deutsch-Langhaar
- Great Munsterlander
- Little Münsterländer
- Blue Picardie Spaniel
- Breton Spaniel
- Pont-Audemer Spaniel
- French Spaniel
- Picardy Spaniel
- Drenthe Pointer
- Frisian Retriever
- Wire-haired sample griffon
- Espinone
- Bohemian Wirehaired Pointer Griffon
Group 7, section 2
two. English and Irish Pointing Dogs
- English Pointer
- Irish Red Setter
- Irish Red and White Setter
- Gordon setter
- English Setter
Group 8, section 1
Group 8 is mainly divided into three sections, the game retrievers, the game lifters and the water dogs. Here we explain what they are and some pictures so you can learn to identify them:
1. Hunting retrievers
- Nova Scotia Retriever
- Chesapeake bay retriever
- Smooth-Coated Retriever
- Curly-Coated Retriever
- Golden retriever
- Labrador retriever
Group 8, section 2
two. Hunting lifting dogs
- German Pointer
- American Cocker Spaniel
- Nederlandse kooikerhondje
- Clumber spaniel
- English Cocker Spaniel
- Field spaniel
- Welsh Springel Spaniel
- English Springel Spaniel
- Sussex spaniel
Group 8, section 3
3. Water Dogs
- Spanish Water Dog
- American Water Spaniel
- French Water Dog
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Romagna Water Dog
- Frisian Water Dog
- Portuguese Water Dog
Group 9, section 1
The FCI group 9 found 11 sections of companion dogs:
1. Bichons and similar breeds
- Curly-coated Bichon
- M altese
- Bolognese
- Havanese
- Coton de Tulear
- Little Lion Dog
Group 9, section 2
two. Poodle
- Large Poodle
- Medium Poodle
- Toy Poodle
- Toy poodle
Group 9, section 3
3. Belgian Small Dogs
- Belgian Griffon
- Brussels Griffon
- Petit Brabançon
Group 9, Section 4
4. Hairless dogs
Chinese Crested Dog
Group 9, Section 5
5. Tibetan Dogs
- Lhasa apso
- Shih Tzu
- Tibetan Spaniel
- Tibetan Terrier
Group 9, Section 6
6. Chihuahua
Chihuahueño
Group 9, Section 7
7. Companion English Spaniels
- Cavalier king Charles spaniel
- King Charles spaniel
Group 9, section 8
8. Japanese and Pekingese Spaniels
- Pekingese
- Japanese Spaniel
Group 9, Section 9
9. Companion Continental Dwarf Spaniel and Russkiy Toy
Companion Dwarf Continental Spaniel (papillon or phalène)
Group 9, section 10
10. Kromfohrländer
Kromfohrländer
Group 9, Section 11
eleven. Small-sized molossoid
- Pug
- Boston terrier
- French Bulldog
Group 10, section 1
In group 10 of the FCI we find los hounds, divided into 3 sections:
1. Long-haired or wavy sighthounds
- Afghan Hound
- Saluki
- Russian Hound for hunting
Group 10, section 2
two. Wirehaired hounds
- Irish hound
- Scottish Hound
Group 10, section 3
3. Short-haired hounds
- Spanish Greyhound
- Hungarian Hound
- Little Italian Greyhound
- Azawakh
- Sloughi
- Polish Hound
- Greyhound
- Whipped
The ultimate test: the DNA test for dogs
There are many people who want to know definitively what the breed of their dog is or from which breeds it descends, with the aim of offering better care, knowing more about the hereditary diseases that can affect it and even know if it belongs to one of the breeds considered "potentially dangerous", included in the law of Potentially Dangerous Dogs of Spain.
Is this also your case? Then you might be interested in knowing what DNA tests for dogs are like, how much they cost and what they are used for. Would you dare to do it? Leave us your comments!
