Create Lists of Dog Breeds: What Are The Rating Criterion?

Since there are so many different types of dogs throughout the world, it would be impossible to recognize them all thus they are each classified by breed and divided into different groups. This is the easiest way for people searching for dogs to find what they're looking for and how purebred dog owners can get their dog into dog shows and competitions. Let's take a closer look at the rating criteria used to create lists of dog breeds, or how lists of dog breeds are made.

Dogs have been selectively bred for over a thousand years. Sometimes they are bred by inbreeding from the same ancestral line and sometimes they are bred by mixing dogs from different lines. This has been the process until recently, which is why there are so many different dog breeds and types out there today. There are over 200 different breeds of dogs: some traditional, some rare and others still being developed. The dog breeds with the longest history, however, are the registered dog breeds. The rating criteria for each breed are different depending on the breed category.

Some Dog Breed Categories

It's important not to confuse a breed category with the breed groups as the breed categories may have several different dogs in them from the same breed group.

• Companion Breeds

If a dog is considered a good companion, this is one of the categories it would fit into. Any dog breed known to be a good companion will fall into this breed group. Companion dogs don't typically work and are merely mean to provide companionship to their owners. Many of the toy breeds are considered good companion dogs, but others, such as the retriever, can fit into this breed category as well because it is friendly by nature and enjoys the companionship of people.

• Fighting Breeds

When we talk about fighting dog breeds we are mainly referring to dogs that were bred to fight, as in war, or protect. The Bull terrier and the Pitbull terrier are prime examples of dogs bred specifically to fight or protect in one capacity or another.

• Hunting Breeds

A hunting dog refers to any dog that can assist humans in hunting or tracking. There are several different types of dogs that have been specifically bred to hunt or track. Most hunting dogs are found in three categories: hounds, terriers and gun dogs. There are further divisions made among these categories based upon skills that the dogs possess. For example, some breeds have special skills for hunting in the water while others may be bred to retrieve fowl or other game without harming them like retrievers. Some breeds have strong scent detection skills and can follow a trail better than others, while some breeds have excellent eyesight, able to find prey camouflaged in their natural environment.

There is certain criterion within each breed that each dog has to meet in order to be included in that breed category, just as there are certain traits a dog breed has to possess in order to be placed in a certain dog group. Depending on the dog you have and what types of skills it possesses will determine how and what breed list it will be placed in.

More Dog Breeds

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