Dogs
223 breeds listed on Pet Listings.
221 pages written
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AffenpinscherThe name means monkey terrier in German and the face earns it. Bred to clear rats out of stables, so it is bolder than ten pounds of dog has any right to be.
Afghan HoundA sighthound from the Afghan mountains, where the long coat is insulation rather than decoration. Aloof by nature: it hears you and then decides whether to come.
Airedale TerrierThe largest of the terriers and known as the king of them. Bred in the Aire valley to hunt otter and rat, and used as a messenger dog in the First World War.
AkitaJapan's national dog and a bear hunter by origin. Hachiko, who kept meeting the same train for nine years after his owner died, was an Akita.
Alaskan MalamuteBuilt to haul heavy freight slowly rather than to race, which is what separates it from the husky. It howls instead of barking, and it digs given any chance.
American BulldogA working farm dog rather than a show one: it was kept to catch stock and guard the place. Taller and far more athletic than the English bulldog behind it.
American Cocker SpanielThe smallest of the sporting dogs, and it carries more coat than any of them. Bred down from the English cocker into a companion, and it kept the soft mouth.
American Eskimo DogNothing to do with the Arctic: it descends from the German spitz and was renamed during the First World War. It was a circus dog, and it still learns tricks fast.
American FoxhoundA pack hound bred in colonial Virginia, with George Washington among the people who shaped it. Lighter and faster than the English foxhound, and much louder.
American Hairless TerrierDescended from a single hairless rat terrier born in Louisiana in 1972. It has terrier drive without the terrier coat, and it sunburns like anyone else.American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire TerrierBred up from the Staffordshire bull terrier once it reached America, and it stands taller and heavier for it. Confident, strong through the chest, and people oriented.
American Water SpanielBred in Wisconsin to work from a canoe, so it is small enough to sit in one and steady enough not to tip it. The curly coat sheds a duck marsh straight off.
Anatolian Shepherd DogA livestock guardian from Turkey that works with no shepherd nearby and decides for itself. It bonds to the flock rather than to a handler.
Appenzeller SennenhundOne of the four Swiss mountain breeds and the liveliest: a drover that moved cattle and guarded the farm. The tail curls tight over the back.
Australian Cattle DogIt moves cattle by nipping at the heels and ducking the kick. Dingo was crossed in for stamina, and the oldest dog ever recorded, at twenty nine, was one of these.
Australian KelpieA sheepdog that will run across the backs of a packed mob to reach the front. Bred for Australian distances, and it works in heat that stops other dogs.
Australian ShepherdDeveloped in the American west despite the name, working sheep on ranches. Merle coats and odd eyes are common, and it needs a job or it invents one.
Australian TerrierOne of the smallest working terriers, kept on Australian farms for rats and snakes. The harsh coat is weatherproof and needs no trimming.
AzawakhA Sahel sighthound, lean enough that the bones show by design rather than by neglect. It guards as well as it runs, which few sighthounds do.B
BarbetAn old French water dog and an ancestor of the poodle, curly right down to the beard on its muzzle. It works marshes and is happiest wet.
BasenjiIt does not bark: the larynx is shaped differently and it yodels instead. It grooms itself like a cat and comes into season once a year rather than twice.
Basset HoundShort legs put its nose on the ground and the long ears sweep scent up towards it. Only the bloodhound tracks better, and neither of them gives up.
BeagleA pack hound with a voice built to carry across a field, which is not what most streets want. Nose first in everything, and food moves it when nothing else will.
Bearded CollieA Scottish drover's dog under a shaggy weatherproof coat. It works cattle by bounce and by noise rather than by the border collie's stare.
BeauceronA French herding dog that must carry double dewclaws on each hind leg to be registered. Big, serious, and three years from puppy to finished dog.
Bedlington TerrierIt looks like a lamb and was bred to fight and to kill vermin, which is the whole joke of the breed. Fast enough to course a rabbit, and it never quits.
Belgian LaekenoisThe rarest of the four Belgian shepherds and the only rough coated one. It guarded linen drying in the fields, which is where the name comes from.
Belgian MalinoisThe police and military dog of choice now, chosen for drive rather than size. Lighter than a German shepherd and considerably harder to tire out.
Belgian SheepdogThe long black coated Belgian shepherd, known at home as the Groenendael. Herding, guarding and search work all sit inside what it was bred for.
Belgian TervurenThe fawn long coated Belgian shepherd, with a black overlay that darkens as it matures. Watchful, quick to learn, and happiest with something to do.
BergamascoThe coat mats itself deliberately into flat felted plates that hang like a rug. An Italian mountain herder, and the flocks take several years to form.
Berger PicardOne of the oldest French sheepdogs, nearly lost when both world wars swept its home region. Rough coated, tall eared, and it has a sense of humour about work.
Bernese Mountain DogA Swiss draft dog that pulled carts to market, and it will still lean its whole weight against you. Big and gentle, and its years are fewer than its size suggests.
Bichon FriseA Mediterranean sailor's dog that became a circus performer and then a lap dog. The coat curls back on itself and sheds into itself rather than onto the floor.
Black and Tan CoonhoundIt trails raccoon at night on its own and bays when the quarry goes up a tree. A cold nose, which means it can follow a trail hours old.
Black Russian TerrierMade by the Soviet military in the 1940s out of more than a dozen breeds, for work in the cold. Not really a terrier: a guardian the size of a giant schnauzer.
BloodhoundThe best nose of any animal people work with, and its trail evidence has stood up in court. Once it is following, it stops noticing anything else.
Bluetick CoonhoundThe blue is thousands of black flecks ticked onto white rather than a solid colour. A cold nosed night hunter with a bawl you can hear a long way off.
BoerboelA South African farm mastiff, bred to hold a farm against whatever came at it. Powerful, confident, and it needs someone who knows what to do with that.
BologneseAn Italian companion breed from Bologna, white and nothing else, kept by nobility for centuries. Quieter and more reserved than the bichon it resembles.
Border CollieIt works sheep by stare rather than by force, and the stare has its own name: eye. The dog that learned the names of over a thousand objects was one of these.
Border TerrierBuilt to keep up with the hounds and the horses and then go to ground when they stopped. Longer in the leg than most terriers, with a head shaped like an otter's.
BorzoiRussian, and it coursed wolves in pairs, one dog to each ear. It hunts silently, and over a short distance it outruns almost anything.
Boston TerrierOne of the first breeds developed in the United States, wearing the markings that got it called the American gentleman. Terrier in name, companion in fact.
Bouvier des FlandresA Flemish cattle drover under a tousled weatherproof coat. It pulled carts, drove cattle and carried messages in the First World War, which nearly wiped it out.
BoxerIt spars with its front paws while standing up, which is where the name comes from. German, bred to hold big game, and it stays a puppy for the first three years.
Boykin SpanielBred in South Carolina to sit in a small boat without swamping it and still bring back a turkey. Brown all over, and the state dog there.
Bracco ItalianoOne of the oldest pointing breeds in Europe and Italian to the bone. It works at a long trot rather than a gallop, and it has a face full of loose skin.
BriardA French sheepdog with its eyes behind a curtain of hair and double dewclaws on each hind leg. It herds by putting itself between the flock and whatever worries it.
BrittanyCalled a spaniel for most of its history, but it points rather than flushes, so the name was dropped. Compact, French, and one of the birdiest dogs in the field.
BroholmerA Danish mastiff that all but vanished after the Second World War and was rebuilt from the handful of dogs left. Big, calm, and still uncommon outside Denmark.
Brussels GriffonA Belgian stable ratter with a face people keep describing as almost human. Small, and with no interest at all in being handled like a small dog.
Bull TerrierThe only breed with a truly egg shaped head and triangular eyes, and both were bred in on purpose. Strong minded, comic, and it will lean on a decision for hours.
BulldogBred for bull baiting until that was banned in 1835, then rebuilt as a companion. Front heavy enough that most cannot swim, which surprises new owners.
BullmastiffThe gamekeeper's night dog: bred to find a poacher in the dark, put him down and hold him there without biting. Sixty parts mastiff to forty parts bulldog.C
Cairn TerrierBred to bolt vermin out of the rock cairns of the Scottish highlands, which is where the name comes from. Toto in the Wizard of Oz was one.
Canaan DogIsrael's national dog, and one of the few breeds developed out of a free living pariah population. Wary of strangers by instinct rather than by training.
Cane CorsoAn Italian mastiff descended from Roman war dogs, and the name traces to a Latin phrase for bodyguard dog. Serious, and it takes its property personally.
Cardigan Welsh CorgiThe corgi with a tail, and the older of the two by a long way. It drove cattle by nipping heels, and the low body kept it under the kick.
Catahoula Leopard DogLouisiana's state dog, marbled in the coat and often glass eyed. It works wild hogs in swamp country, and the webbed feet are for exactly that ground.
Cavalier King Charles SpanielNamed for the king who was said never to be seen without two or three of them. A spaniel that kept the sporting instincts and lost the need for a field.
Central Asian Shepherd DogOne of the oldest livestock guardians there is, shaped by thousands of years of work rather than by any registry. It decides, and it expects to be left to it.
Cesky TerrierMade in Czechoslovakia in the 1940s by crossing the Sealyham with the Scottish terrier, to get a narrower dog that could work a burrow and come back out.
Chesapeake Bay RetrieverThe coat is oily enough to shed ice water, and it will break ice to make a retrieve. It traces to two puppies pulled from a shipwreck off Maryland in 1807.
ChihuahuaThe smallest breed there is, from Mexico, and many are born with a soft spot on the skull that never fully closes. It attaches hard to one person.
Chinese CrestedHairless and fully coated puppies come out of the same litter and both are the same breed. The hairless one needs sun cream and a jumper.
Chinese Shar-PeiThe wrinkles and the harsh prickly coat were both defences in a fight, giving nothing to get hold of. The tongue is blue black, which few breeds share.
ChinookNew Hampshire's state dog, and every one descends from a single sled dog named Chinook, born in 1917. It has come close to extinction twice.
Chow ChowA blue black tongue and hind legs so straight the walk comes out stilted. An ancient Chinese breed, and it behaves more like a cat than most dogs do.
Clumber SpanielThe heaviest of the spaniels and the slowest: it works a hedge methodically rather than quickly. Bred on an English estate for walking guns, not running ones.
Cocker SpanielNamed for the woodcock it was bred to flush, and it works with its tail going the whole time. The English and the American are two separate breeds now.
CollieA Scottish sheepdog that became famous through one fictional dog. It comes rough coated or smooth, and both are sensitive to a raised voice.
Coton de TulearFrom Tulear in Madagascar, where it belonged to the ruling families and nobody else was allowed one. The coat has the texture of raw cotton.
Curly-Coated RetrieverOne of the oldest retrievers, and the curls run right to the tail with no feathering anywhere. Independent for a retriever, and slow to grow up.D
DachshundThe name is German for badger dog, and the shape is the job: long enough to go down a set and stubborn enough to face what is waiting at the bottom.
DalmatianPuppies are born white and the spots come in over the first few weeks. It ran alongside carriages for miles, which is how it ended up as the firehouse dog.
Dandie Dinmont TerrierThe only breed named after a character in a novel, from Walter Scott's Guy Mannering. Long, low and topknotted, with a bark far bigger than the body under it.
Doberman PinscherBred in the 1890s by a German tax collector who wanted protection on his rounds, and it worked. Fast, alert, and it thinks several steps ahead of most dogs.
Dogo ArgentinoBred in Argentina in the 1920s to hunt wild boar in packs, and white so the hunters could pick it out in cover. Powerful, and built to work alongside other dogs.
Dogue de BordeauxIt carries the largest head of any breed relative to its body. A French mastiff, gentle indoors, and its life is short even by big dog standards.
Dutch ShepherdBrindle, always, which is what separates it from the Belgian shepherds beside it. Bred as an all rounder on Dutch farms: herd, guard, pull a cart, whatever came up.E
English FoxhoundA pack hound with one of the oldest stud books in existence, kept by hunts rather than by households. It was bred to run for hours behind horses.
English SetterThe flecked coat pattern has its own name, belton, after a village in Northumberland. One of the oldest gundogs, and it crouches to mark birds rather than standing tall.
English Springer SpanielIt takes the name from springing game out of cover for the guns. Field and show lines have drifted so far apart that they barely look like one breed.
Entlebucher Mountain DogThe smallest and quickest of the four Swiss mountain dogs, and a cattle drover rather than a cart puller. It works close, and it works loudly.
Eskimo DogAn Arctic sled dog that has been in the north for a thousand years, and one of the rarest breeds alive. Bred for hauling and for hunting seal.
EurasierDesigned in Germany in the 1960s from the chow, the wolfspitz and the samoyed, with one aim: a family dog. Reserved with strangers and quiet about it.F
Field SpanielLonger in the body than the cocker and rarer than either breed it sits between. Nearly bred out of existence by fashion, then recovered from working stock.
Finnish LapphundBred by the Sami to herd reindeer, and it herds by voice: a lapphund barks to move stock. The coat is built for a Lapland winter and looks it.
Finnish SpitzFinland's national dog, and it hunts by barking at a bird in a tree until the hunter arrives. A good one barks over a hundred times a minute.
Flat-Coated RetrieverIt stays a puppy longer than any other retriever, well past the point where the others settle. Black or liver, and the tail is going before it is fully awake.
French BulldogThe bat ears came over with English lace makers' small bulldogs when the trade moved to France. Front heavy and flat faced, so it cannot swim at all.G
German PinscherThe dog behind both the doberman and the miniature pinscher, and older than either. A farm ratter, medium sized, and it misses nothing that moves.
German Shepherd DogStandardised from a single dog in 1899 by a man who wanted a working breed and got one. Herder, soldier, guide dog and police dog, all within a century.
German Shorthaired PointerBred to do the whole job: find the bird, point it, then retrieve it from land or water. Webbed feet, endless stamina, and no off switch worth speaking of.
German SpitzThe family that gave the world the pomeranian, kept in several sizes from toy upwards. Alert to the point of noisy, and a watchdog on barges and farms.
German Wirehaired PointerThe wire coat and the beard are armour: it works thorn and cold water that would stop a shorthaired dog. One of the most versatile gundogs there is.
Giant SchnauzerBred in Bavaria to drive cattle and then to guard breweries, and it takes both jobs seriously. The beard is functional and it carries half the dinner home in it.
Glen of Imaal TerrierAn Irish terrier out of one valley in Wicklow, and it worked silently underground, which terriers rarely do. It once turned a kitchen spit by walking a wheel.
Golden RetrieverDeveloped on a Scottish estate in the 1860s for retrieving from water and from land. The mouth is soft enough to carry an egg, and that was part of the point.Goldendoodle
Gordon SetterThe heaviest of the setters and the only black and tan one, from the Scottish estate that named it. Slower than the others, and it works closer to the gun.
Great DaneThe tallest dogs on record have all been Great Danes, though the breed is German and hunted boar. It leans on people, and the whole weight comes with it.
Great PyreneesA mountain livestock guardian that works at night and barks to warn off what it cannot yet see. Double dewclaws on the hind legs, and it decides for itself.
Greater Swiss Mountain DogThe largest and oldest of the four Swiss mountain breeds, and a draft dog: it pulled milk carts. Slower to rouse than the Bernese and heavier when it does.
GreyhoundThe fastest dog there is, at around forty five miles an hour, and then it sleeps the rest of the day. Retired racers are famously easy to live with.H
HamiltonstovareSweden's tricolour hunting hound, named for the man who founded the Swedish Kennel Club and bred it. It hunts alone rather than in a pack.
HarrierBred to hunt hare in packs, and it sits squarely between the beagle and the foxhound in size. Rare now, and it still wants company all day long.
HavaneseCuba's national dog, and the only breed native to the island. The coat is silk rather than wool, and the gait has a spring in it that nothing else has.I
Ibizan HoundA Balearic sighthound that hunts rabbit by sight, sound and scent together, which sighthounds usually do not. It clears high walls from a standing start.
Icelandic SheepdogIceland's only native breed, brought by the Vikings and working ever since. It herds by voice, and it watches the sky, because it guarded lambs from birds.
Irish Red and White SetterOlder than the solid red Irish setter, and nearly lost to it when red became fashionable. The white was there so a handler could see the dog in cover.
Irish SetterSolid mahogany red, bred that way for the show ring rather than for the field. Fast, tall and enthusiastic, and it takes years to settle into itself.
Irish TerrierSolid red, and it earned the nickname daredevil honestly: it carried messages under fire in the First World War. It will not start a fight or leave one.
Irish Water SpanielThe tallest of the spaniels, with a curly topknot and a tail left bare like a rat's. Both are breed requirements, and both are unmistakable in the water.
Irish WolfhoundThe tallest breed there is, bred to pull a wolf down, then bred back from near extinction. Gentle to a fault, and its years are far too few.
Italian GreyhoundThe smallest sighthound, and a companion for over two thousand years. It seeks heat relentlessly and will be under the blanket before you are.J
Jack Russell TerrierBred by a Devon parson to bolt fox, and the chest had to stay small enough to follow one underground. Energy well out of proportion to the size of the dog.
Japanese ChinA court dog in Japan for centuries, and it behaves like a cat: it climbs, it grooms with a paw, and it spins on the spot when it is pleased.
Japanese SpitzWhite all over, small, and quieter than most spitz breeds. Developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s, and the coat sheds dirt instead of holding it.K
KeeshondThe Dutch barge dog, and the markings around the eyes are called spectacles, which the standard requires. It was the emblem of an eighteenth century party.
Kerry Blue TerrierPuppies are born black and the coat clears to blue over the first year and a half. An Irish farm all rounder: herd, hunt, guard, and argue with other dogs.
King Charles SpanielThe older, flatter faced spaniel that the cavalier was later bred back out of. Small, quiet, and content to spend the day on the cushion you left it on.
Kishu KenA Japanese boar hunter, almost always white, and it stalks silently rather than baying. Reserved, clean in its habits, and bonded to one household.
KomondorThe corded white coat forms over years and lets it pass for a sheep until it is too late. A Hungarian flock guardian, and it does its work at night.
KooikerhondjeA Dutch decoy dog: it waves its white tail to lure ducks along a channel into a trap. Nearly extinct after the Second World War and rebuilt from a handful.
KuvaszA Hungarian flock guardian in white, and a royal guard dog before that. It works independently, and it is slow to take an order it disagrees with.L
Labrador RetrieverIt comes from Newfoundland rather than Labrador, and the thick tail works as a rudder. The most registered breed in the English speaking world for decades.
Lagotto RomagnoloThe only breed in the world bred specifically to find truffles, and it still does it in Italy. Curly and waterproof, from work in marshes long since drained.
Lakeland TerrierA fell terrier from the Lake District, kept to follow a fox into rock and stop it taking lambs. Narrow through the chest, and unbothered by any weather.
Lancashire HeelerA very small cattle dog that drove stock by the heels and killed rats between jobs. It has a lifted lip that owners insist on calling a smile.
LeonbergerBred in the German town of Leonberg to resemble the lion on the town crest. A water rescue dog with webbed feet, and gentle out of all proportion to its size.
Lhasa ApsoA sentinel inside Tibetan monasteries, where it raised the alarm and the mastiffs outside did the rest. Long coated, long lived, and suspicious of strangers.
LowchenThe little lion dog, clipped into a mane and bare hindquarters since the middle ages. Small, bright, and once counted among the rarest breeds in the world.M
MalteseA Mediterranean lap dog for well over two thousand years, and white for all of them. There is no undercoat, so the hair hangs straight and sheds very little.
Manchester TerrierBred in Manchester for the rat pit and rabbit coursing at once, which is why it is a terrier built like a small whippet. Black and tan, always.
Maremma SheepdogAn Italian flock guardian, white so a shepherd could tell it from a wolf at dusk. It lives with the stock rather than the family, and it has guarded penguins.
MastiffThe heaviest breed by weight, and one of the oldest in Britain: it went to war with the Romans and came home again. Enormous, and quiet with it.
Miniature American ShepherdA small Australian shepherd, bred down on the American horse show circuit where a dog had to fit in the trailer. Same drive, same coat, two thirds the size.
Miniature Bull TerrierThe bull terrier at half the height with none of the volume turned down. Same egg shaped head, same triangular eyes, same refusal to drop an idea.
Miniature PinscherNot a small doberman: it is the older breed of the two and was never bred down from anything. The high stepping front gait is named after the hackney horse.
Miniature SchnauzerBred down from the standard schnauzer with affenpinscher behind it, to catch rats in smaller spaces. The beard is the breed, and it holds most of the dinner.N
Neapolitan MastiffWrinkles and a heavy dewlap over a Roman guard dog's frame, and both were protection in a fight. It moves slowly, and it watches everything that moves.
NewfoundlandA water rescue dog with webbed feet and a coat that sheds cold water. It swims out to people rather than waiting to be sent, and has done for centuries.
Norfolk TerrierThe drop eared half of a pair split into two breeds in 1964, the Norwich being the other. One of the smallest working terriers, and it was bred to work in a pack.
Norwegian BuhundA Norwegian farm spitz that herded, guarded and sailed with the Vikings. Vocal, tight coated, and the tail stays curled over the back.
Norwegian ElkhoundIt holds a moose in place by barking and circling until the hunter arrives, which can take hours. Norway's national dog, and there since the Vikings.
Norwegian LundehundSix toes on each foot, ears it can fold shut, and a neck that bends back to the spine. All of it was for pulling puffins out of cliff crevices.
Norwich TerrierThe prick eared half of the pair split from the Norfolk in 1964. One of the smallest working terriers, and it was bred to bolt fox alongside the hounds.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverIt lures ducks into range by playing along the shoreline until curiosity brings them in, which is what tolling means. The smallest retriever and the reddest.O
Old English SheepdogA drover's dog whose tail was docked to show it was exempt from tax, which is why it is still called the bobtail. The coat over the eyes is meant to be there.
OtterhoundFewer than a thousand are thought to exist, which makes it rarer than the giant panda. Webbed feet and an oily coat, from hunting otter in cold rivers.P
PapillonPapillon is French for butterfly, and the ears are the reason. One of the brightest toy breeds, and a regular winner in agility against far larger dogs.
Parson Russell TerrierThe taller, squarer relative of the Jack Russell, out of the same Devon parson's kennel. Bred to stand level with the hounds and still fit down an earth.
PekingeseAn imperial Chinese lion dog, and stealing one was once a capital offence. The rolling gait is required by the standard and comes from bowed front legs.
Pembroke Welsh CorgiThe tailless corgi, and the younger of the two. It drove cattle by the heels, and it was the breed Elizabeth II kept for most of her life.
Peruvian Inca OrchidA hairless Peruvian sighthound older than the Inca, and it appears on pottery a thousand years old. The bare skin runs warm and needs sun cream.
Petit Basset Griffon VendéenA rough coated French hound built low to hunt hare through brambles on the Vendee coast. The tousled look is functional armour, not a grooming choice.
Pharaoh HoundMalta's national dog, and it blushes: the nose and ears flush rose when it is excited. Bred to hunt rabbit by sight, sound and scent all at once.
Plott HoundNorth Carolina's state dog, and the only American hound that came from Germany rather than Britain. Brindle, and bred to hold bear and boar at bay.
PointerThe dog the pointing stance is named for: it freezes with one foot up and holds it until released. Bred for wide open going, and it covers ground fast.
Polish Lowland SheepdogA shaggy Polish herding dog rebuilt after the Second World War from a handful of survivors. It remembers routes and routines to a degree that unnerves people.
PomeranianBred down from full sized sled spitz, and Queen Victoria's fondness for the small ones halved the breed within her reign. The coat stands out from the body.
Poodle (Miniature)The middle of the three poodle sizes, and it was the truffle hunter in France while the standard worked water. Same coat, same brain, less dog to house.
Poodle (Standard)A German water retriever long before it was anything French, and the show clip is functional: hair over the joints, bare wherever it would drag in water.
Poodle (Toy)The smallest of the three, bred in the twentieth century purely as a companion. It keeps the poodle coat and the poodle brain in under ten inches of dog.
Portuguese PodengoA Portuguese rabbit hound kept in three sizes and two coats, and the smallest hunts by going into the burrow itself. Ancient, and still working in Portugal.
Portuguese Water DogFishermen used it to herd fish into nets, carry messages between boats and fetch gear out of the sea. The lion clip left the hindquarters free to kick.
Presa CanarioThe Canary Island molosser, listed under this shorter name by several registries. Heavy through the head, watchful, and bred to work stock rather than to show.
PugChinese and imperial long before it was European, and the motto attached to it means a lot in a little. The curled tail is required, and a double curl is prized.
PuliHungarian, corded like the komondor at a quarter of the size, and it herds rather than guards. It bounces over the backs of sheep to get where it is going.
PumiA Hungarian herding dog with curls and a comic set of ears, one tip usually folded over. It works cattle and sheep by voice, and it is rarely quiet for long.
Pyrenean ShepherdThe smallest French herding dog, and it worked the flocks that the Great Pyrenees guarded. Wiry, quick, and it did the thinking for both of them.R
Rat TerrierAn American farm terrier named, by the usual story, by Theodore Roosevelt. Kept to clear vermin out of a barn, and it will still empty one in an afternoon.
Redbone CoonhoundSolid red all over, and one of the few coonhounds bred for looks as well as work. It trails raccoon at night, and it takes swamp and mountain equally.
Rhodesian RidgebackThe ridge along the back is hair growing the wrong way, and it is a breed requirement. Bred in southern Africa to hold a lion at bay until the hunter came up.
RottweilerA Roman drover's dog that stayed on in the German town of Rottweil, driving cattle to market. Butchers tied the day's takings round its neck and slept easy.
Russian ToyOne of the smallest breeds in the world, developed in Russia out of English toy terriers. The long coated variety carries a heavy fringe on the ears.S
Saint BernardAlpine hospice monks bred it to find travellers lost in snow, and it did, for centuries. The brandy barrel was invented by a Victorian painter and never existed.
SalukiOne of the oldest breeds on earth, kept by desert tribes who called it a gift rather than a possession. Built for endurance over sand rather than a short sprint.
SamoyedThe upturned mouth stops it drooling, which would freeze in Siberia, and it is why it looks like it is smiling. It herded reindeer and slept in the tent.
SchapendoesA Dutch shaggy sheepdog, light enough on its feet to spring over obstacles rather than go round them. Nearly lost in the Second World War and rebuilt after it.
SchipperkeA Belgian barge dog whose name means little captain, and it patrolled boats for rats. Black, sharp faced, with a ruff that lifts when something is wrong.
Scottish DeerhoundA rough coated sighthound bred to pull down red deer on the Scottish hills, alone or in a pair. Enormous, quiet indoors, and famously useless as a guard.
Scottish TerrierShort legged, harsh coated, and entirely convinced of its own opinion. Bred to go into a den after fox and badger, which takes exactly that temperament.
Sealyham TerrierBred in Wales, and white on purpose so the hunters would not mistake it for the badger it was digging out. One of the rarest terriers in Britain now.
Shetland SheepdogA small herding dog from Shetland, where hard ground and small stock favoured a small dog. Sharp, sensitive, and it announces every change in the house.
Shiba InuThe smallest of the Japanese native breeds and the most cat like: it grooms itself and picks its own company. The noise it makes when annoyed has its own name.
Shih TzuA Tibetan lion dog that spent centuries in the Chinese court, where it was given rather than sold. The coat grows to the floor if nobody takes scissors to it.
Siberian HuskyBred by the Chukchi to pull light loads over long distances rather than to haul heavy freight. It runs, and a loose husky keeps running, which is the problem.
Silky TerrierAustralian, and made by crossing the Yorkshire terrier with the Australian terrier. Bigger than a yorkie, and far more terrier about it than the coat suggests.
Skye TerrierTwice as long as it is tall, under a coat that reaches the ground. Greyfriars Bobby was one, and the breed is rarer today than most people realise.
SloughiA North African sighthound, lean and short coated, bred to hunt gazelle across desert. Reserved with strangers, and it attaches to one household completely.
Small MunsterlanderA German gundog that points, retrieves and tracks, and is expected to do all three well. Smaller than most versatile breeds and just as hard working.
Smooth Fox TerrierWhite so the hunt would not mistake it for the fox it was sent to bolt. Smooth coated, and the energy is a constant rather than an occasional thing.
Soft Coated Wheaten TerrierAn Irish farm terrier with a silky wheaten coat that never quite behaves. The greeting is a jump, and generations of owners have failed to train it out.
Spanish Water DogThe corded coat is never brushed, only sheared once a year, all of it to the same length. It herds and it fishes, and it still does both in Spain.
Spinone ItalianoAn Italian gundog that works at a patient trot and crosses marsh ground other pointers refuse. Wiry, bearded, and remarkably tolerant of everything at home.
Staffordshire Bull TerrierEnglish, muscular, and so fond of people that it makes a poor guard dog. Strong out of all proportion to its size, and it thinks it is a lap dog.
Standard SchnauzerThe original schnauzer, and the other two sizes were bred from it. A German farm dog: ratter, cart guard and companion, and the name means whiskered snout.
Sussex SpanielThe only spaniel that gives tongue while it works, so a walking gun could follow it through thick cover. Low, slow, golden liver, and genuinely rare.
Swedish VallhundA Swedish cattle dog that has been on farms since the Vikings, which is why it and the corgi look related. Short legged, loud, and it herds by the heel.T
Thai RidgebackA ridge of reversed hair down the back, arrived at entirely separately from the Rhodesian. Thai, primitive in type, and independent to the point of aloof.
Tibetan MastiffA Tibetan livestock guardian that works at night and sleeps through the day. It blows its entire coat once a year rather than shedding steadily through it.
Tibetan SpanielNot a spaniel at all: a small Tibetan monastery dog that sat up on the walls and barked at what was coming. It still looks for the highest point in the room.
Tibetan TerrierNot a terrier either, but a Tibetan monastery dog with flat round feet that work like snowshoes. It was given as a luck gift and never sold.
TornjakA livestock guardian from the mountains of Bosnia and Croatia, recorded there for over a thousand years. It lives with the flock and works without instruction.
TosaBred in Japan by crossing native dogs with western mastiffs, for a contest style that demanded silence. Enormous, calm, and restricted by law in several countries.
Toy Fox TerrierAn American toy bred down from the smooth fox terrier and still all terrier underneath. It was a circus performer about as often as it was a ratter.
Treeing Walker CoonhoundIt runs a raccoon down and then changes its voice the moment the quarry goes up a tree, so the hunter knows. Faster than most coonhounds and just as loud.V
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WeimaranerThe grey ghost, bred by German nobility to hunt big game and kept a closed secret for years. Puppies are born with blue eyes that turn amber as they grow.
Welsh Springer SpanielRed and white, always, and older than the English springer it is named beside. It works closer to the gun, and it attaches to one family rather than everyone.
Welsh TerrierBlack and tan, square, and bred in Wales to face otter and badger underground. It looks like a small airedale because both come from the same old rough terrier.
West Highland White TerrierWhite because a Scottish laird lost a dark terrier to a misplaced shot and bred for a colour he could see. Kept to work rock and go to ground after vermin.
WhippetThe fastest accelerating dog there is, and it was called the poor man's racehorse in the north of England. It sprints for a minute and sleeps out the day.
Wire Fox TerrierIt has won more Best in Show titles at Westminster than any other breed. The wire coat is hand stripped rather than clipped, which keeps colour and texture.
Wirehaired Pointing GriffonDeveloped by a Dutchman in France in the 1870s to be the one gundog that could do everything. It works slowly and close, which suits a walking hunter.
Wirehaired VizslaA separate breed from the smooth vizsla rather than a coat variety: it was bred in the 1930s for colder water and rougher cover. Same russet, with a beard.X
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Yakutian LaikaA Siberian sled and hunting dog from the Sakha region, where it worked for the Yakut people for centuries. Often blue eyed, and it hunts as readily as it hauls.
Yorkshire TerrierA Yorkshire mill and mine ratter long before it was ever a lap dog, and the size came later. The coat is hair rather than fur, and it grows until it is cut.