Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘small dog breeds’

Learning about the different classes of small dogs can help narrow down the search for a new dog. The AKC (American Kennel Club), which is the main registrar of breeds in the US, categorizes dog breeds into seven categories, plus the miscellaneous category. The miscellaneous [class is for those breeds who are in the process of getting their AKC registration, but are yet tobe recognized as official breeds due to some requirements for membership having not yet been met.

The 7 types of American Kennel Club recognized dog breeds are:

•  sporting
•  hound
•  working
•  terrier
•  toy
•  non-sporting
•  herding

You’ll find most small dog breeds are in the toy group, but there are also a lot in the terrier class, and some in the sporting, hound, herding, and non-sporting classes. There are no AKC recognized small dogs in the working class.

What Do These Classes Mean?

The dogs in most classes have common characteristics. Some are classified due to particular talents like a great hunting or herding ability, (in the herding and hound groups). Others because of their size (toy dogs), or ancestry (terriers). The working and sporting dogs are a bit like the medley racers in Olympic swimming – they are all-rounders, talented in doggy sports, or excelling in the many skills needed for working dogs. The non-sporting group are more dissimilar than similar however. This is the most diverse group of dog breeds.

Breed Types

Sporting Dogs

Sporting dogs are great hunters, although they make loyal and loving pets to the right owners. Sporting dogs can hunt all types of small game animals, including birds, on land or in the water. There are in this group 27 breeds, including the English cocker spaniel dog breed, a type of small spaniel. There are other larger spaniels in here as well, plus pointers, retrievers, and setters. Sporting dogs are high energy dogs, and do need exercise on a regular basis.

Hound Dogs

Dogs in the hound dog grouping have historically helped people in the hunt. And they were bred to hone particular talents each breed had. Some hounds use smell, others sight or speed, to find their prey. There are 23 breeds in this group, which includes 3 small breeds – the whippet, basenji, and dachshund.

Working Dogs

Dogs in the working group are kept as pets, but they are called working dogs because they provide some service to people, whether it is herding livestock, as a guide dog, or part of a paid entertainment act.

The AKC uses the definition a little bit differently. It puts breeds in the working dog category when they have been bred to do a task which cannot be properly categorized in one of the other existing categories. There aren’t any small dogs in this category.

In part 2 of this article, we look at small dogs in the non-sporting, toy, terrier, and herding groups.

Terrier Dogs

Terrier dogs were bred to hunt – foxes, rabbits, rats, and even river rats, badgers, and otters. Today, almost all terriers are bred as pets. And with their affectionate and loyal temperament, they make lovely pets. However, they are dogs with a strong personality, and they need equally strong and determined owners. This is just as true for the small, toy terriers – they don’t see themselves as little dogs. Terriers also have a lot of energy, so will need their exercise. Their coats are wiry, and to keep the characteristic wiriness of their coats you’ll need to learn a special grooming technique called stripping.

There are many small breeds in the terrier grouping. They are: the West Highland White Terrier, Border Terrier, Irish Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Australian Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Norwich Terrier and Norfolk Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Welsh Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Bedlington Terrier dog breed, Sealyham Terrier, and Scottish Terrier.

Toy Dogs

Toy dogs are a very recognizable small dog type, due to their popularity with both people and celebrities. Because some toy dogs are large breeds bred down to size, you’ll find toy breeds in many of the other categories as well.

Toy dogs are generally very friendly, though they can be fierce and angry as well. They do make great lap dogs, however, and are often cherished members of the family, akin to a child. Toy dogs include: Miniature Poodle, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, the Papillon, and the Pomeranian dog breed.

Non-Sporting Dogs

Non-sporting dogs is a general term for those breeds the AKC recognizes, that don’t fit into any of the other groups. They are different in terms of their ancestry, temperament, coat, size, and color. Small breeds in the non-sporting group are: the bichon frise, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Boston Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Schipperke, and the French Bulldog.

Herding Dogs

Herding dogs are a relatively new classification in the American Kennel Club. The dogs in this group used to be part of the working group. And, a number of breed registrars in other countries they still are a sub-catgory of the working group. In the American Kennel Club, most dogs in this group are bought as pets, although herding (and working) dogs are still used worldwide on cattle stations and farms due to their talents in herd livestock. They can be trained to respond to specific commands and whistles, and perform a variety of herding related tasks particularly well. When herding dogs are pets, the herding instinct is still there. They generally express it by gently herding their humans, particularly if there are any kids in the family.

Small dog breeds in the herding group are the Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. 

Miscellaneous Dogs

This category is for dog breeds not fully accredited by AKC. There aren’t any small dogs in it currently, however.

If you don’t have the space for a large dog, there are a lot of smaller breeds that are suited to condos or smaller backyards. Yet while many love the lap dogs, there are also those that prefer the mannerisms of larger dogs. For these people, who like the temperament of larger dogs but cannot have one, small terrier dogs are an ideal pet. Small terrier dogs were bred down from regular terriers, so they retain the characteristics of their ancestors. They aren’t at all submissive like a lap dog.

Small terriers are, actually, quite the opposite of submissive. They are feisty, strong-willed, self-confident dogs that are tenacious and fearless. As a result they need strong leadership from their owners, so they always know their place in the ‘pack’. Don’t get a terrier if you can’t be firm and assertive when it’s necessary. And you can’t allow a situation to develop, even when you’re playing, when your terrier gets to win, even for a moment. – Because most terriers will challenge their owner some time anyway, even if you do everything right. But if you don’t, you set up some potentially unruly behaviour in your terrier.

Terriers are fantastic dogs. They’re affectionate and happy. As long as they’re socialized properly they should be fine with the household cat, although all other cats will be prey. This is because terriers have a high prey drive, so if you have young kids and you have or want a terrier, they should always be supervised when together.

There are a lot of terriers that come in a small size. The breeds are:

•  Welsh Terrier 
•  Irish Terrier
•  Scottish Terrier 
•  Smooth Fox Terrier
•  Border Terrier 
•  Cairn Terrier 
•  West Highland White Terrier 
•  Norwich Terrier and Norfolk Terrier 
•  Yorkshire Terrier 
•  Australian Terrier 
•  Toy Manchester Terrier 
•  Manchester Terrier 
•  Miniature Bull Terrier
•  Sealyham Terrier
   Kerry Blue Terrier 
•  Boston Terrier 
•  Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Though terriers share the above characteristics in common, the various breeds have their own unique qualities. And the differences extend beyond how they look, to their personality Some breeds take longer to groom compared to others, even within the terrier group. That might also be something to think about when choosing a dog.