Every dog is a descendant of a tamed wolf, and association with man is said to have existed since the ice age. This taming has led to more than 400 breeds of domestic dog throughout the world. Just like wolves, dogs think like pack animals and have the capability to hunt.

Studies suggest that dogs and wolves have marked similarities in behaviour, especially their instinct to protect territories and dependence on social structures. Dogs are now seen as mans loyal companion and are one of the most popular pets in the world.

Click below to find out more about your favourite breeds  

• Gundogs
• Hound
  
• Pastoral
  
• Terrier
  
• Toy
  
• Utility
  
• Working

Gun Dogs

Gundogs were originally bred as shooting companions, aiding hunters by pointing, springing and retrieving game. Developed from hearty stock, they possess a high level of energy and a keen sense of smell. These dogs make excellent family pets, but they do need a great deal of exercise and training.

Types of Gundog:

• Cocker Spaniel
• Curly Coated Retriever
• English Setter
• English Springer Spaniel
• Flat Coated Retriever
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• Golden Retriever
• Gordan Setter
• Irish Setter
• Labrador Retriever
• Pointer
• Weimaraner
• Welsh Springer Spaniel

Cocker Spaniel

This is the most popular of the spaniel family. The Cocker spaniel is an active, happy small dog, who is very adaptable.

This breed is highly intelligent and affectionate, and is in its element foraging in hedgerows and fields. These retrieving instincts are often used around the house, and can often be found with a toy or a slipper in his mouth. He originated as the 'cocking spaniel' and his name is derived from flushing woodcock. Cocker spaniels are easily trained as his main aim in life is to please his owners, and as an energetic dog, he will need plenty of exercise as well as human company.

As with a number of gundog breeds there is a difference between those that are working dogs and those which are displayed in the show ring. The show Cocker is sturdier, than the version used as a working dog, and it is one of many spaniels that are divided by their size and usefulness. This breed was first recognised separately from Field and Springer spaniels around 1873.

Curly Coated Retriever

Curly coated retrievers were originally bred from crosses of water spaniels and varieties of retrievers, even pointers.

Having existed for 200 years, the breed was very popular as a shooting dog during the latter part of the nineteenth century; many were exported to New Zealand and Australia.

This breed has a very distinctive feature - its coat. Curly coated retrievers are covered in tight, crisp curls over its body, tail and ears. What is even more amazing is that the coat is waterproof - after a swim and a few shakes, the coat is almost dry. Known for its excellent retrieving qualities, it also combines intelligence, endurance and strength. Curly coated retrievers are both friendly and can be used as a guard dog, however, they are outdoor dogs and will need plenty of exercise.

This has to be one of the most glamorous of breeds - a supermodel of the dog world.

The English setter is able to attract those who admire a stylish worker, but also those who like a dog that is a happy and friendly companion.

His coat is white overall with flecks of lemon, black or liver, occasionally intermingled with tan or a tri-colour. The flecking of the coat is often referred to by the cognoscenti as 'belton', thus the name lemon belton and orange belton.

This breed was developed around the mid 1800's and was first shown at the first dog show to be held in Newcastle in 1859.

English Springer Spaniel

Just like his cousin, the Cocker spaniel, this dog possesses a cheerful, extrovert nature, making it an excellent, energetic family dog.

The name 'Springer' comes from the use of this breed of spaniel to startle game from its cover. It is a traditional dog for the rough-shooter, capable of working tirelessly all day, whether on land or in water.

These dogs have tough, weather resistant coats, however, special care will need to be paid to its ear flaps, ensuring no foreign bodies get inside the ear. The name of this breed became official in 1900, followed by their official breed status in 1902. Prior to 1900 the English springer spaniel was known as the Norfolk spaniel.

Flat Coated Retriever

This breed manages to maintain his puppy-like qualities for many years, making him a slow maturing dog.

Flat Coated retrievers are always happy, extrovert and eager to please, with an incessantly wagging tail. He is a tireless worker and an excellent water dog making him a natural swimmer. This breed loves the company of people and certainly isn't a breed that enjoys being kept indoors. His Houdini-like characteristics make sure he will always be reunited with his owners.

They are in their element out in the country and were at one time known as the 'gamekeepers' dog, as they were widely used on large shooting estates. The breed was stablised by the founder of the Kennel Club, Mr Sewallis Evelyn Shirley between 1873 and 1899.

German Shorthaired Pointer

Following the end of the Second World War in 1945 there has been an influx of breeds from Europe and introduced to the UK, including the German Short-haired pointer.

The introduction of this breed has seen it gain success in both the show rings and shooting circles, becoming a Dual Champion.

Originally this breed was known collectively as bird dogs. The basis of the breed is believed to have come from Prince Albrecht zu Somsbraneufels, who owned Schweisshunds - a breed of working hounds with excellent scent for finding game, which were crossed with traditional English pointers. German short-haired pointers come in either black or liver, or both can be spotted or ticked with white. As a result this dog has a coat that is easy to keep clean - even in the worst of weathers. This breed combines stamina, grace and energy combined with the ability to be easily trained.

This is one the most popular breed of dogs found anywhere in the world.

Originally bred, as the name suggests to - retrieve game in the shooting field, over the years the breed has taken on a variety of roles, including guide dog, as well as a much-loved family pet.

These dogs are easy to train to basic obedience, or even higher and they fun-loving and energetic. Despite the thickness of their coat retrievers are reasonably easy to keep clean.

For a long period of time there was some confusion over the origin of the breed, however, it is accepted that the first Lord Tweedmouth who first began Golden Retrievers as a definite breed. 'Yellow retrievers' had already existed for many years in the Border country between England and Scotland. Initially Golden's were first registered as Flatcoats, only being defined by colour until 1913. The breed took its present name in 1920.

Gordan Setter

Gordon Setter's only come in one colour pattern - black and tan - and he gives the impression that he is built to be a steady worker. One of the attractions of this breed is their ability to work hard and be a successful heavy-weight hunter.

This breed originates from the estates of the Dukes of Gordon, and has a long history of excellent trainability, as well as being both intelligent and energetic.

With its long, sleek coat, anyone who takes on a Gordon setter must be prepared to keep it in excellent condition with regular grooming. Its length also means when wet the coat will take time to dry

This is another supermodel of the dog and ranks alongside the glamorous English setter.

The Irish setter has become extremely popular and loves to be centre of attention. This breed is friendly, energetic and affectionate making him an excellent family pet always ready to play and have fun. As well as his fun-loving nature he also very hard working.

The popularity of the solid Reds has been increasing since the latter part of the 1800's when they became one the top-winning dogs. A club for the Irish (Red) setter was formed in 1882, which pushed the red and white into a decline, which is now being reversed.

This breed is one of the best all-round dogs found anywhere in the world.

As the name suggests they, like all retrievers, were used to retrieve game, but more than that this breed makes an excellent guide dog and sniffer dog. It is believed that the breed originated from the coast of Greenland where local fishermen used a dog, similar in appearance, to retrieve fish.

Labradors have excellent temperaments, a fun-loving nature and adore children. This dog prefers country living to city living, he loves the freedom of the great outdoors. He is also an excellent water dog.

The Labrador is not a very old breed, its breed club was only formed back in 1916, while the Yellow labrador club was formed in 1925. Its role in field training brought the breed fame, having been introduced to the UK during the 1800's by Col Peter Hawker and the Earl of Malmesbury. The dog was called Malmesbury Tramp and it has been described as one of the roots of the modern labrador.

Pointer

It is believed the Pointer originated in Spain, however, it has become a very English breed over the last two centuries.

Pointer's have been used by shooting men in the traditional role of inidicating the presence and position of sitting game. The breed uses his sleekness to enable it to cover wide areas of ground at considerable bed.

This breed has a smooth, hard coat with a definite sheen and can be either lemon, orange, liver or black, all with white. The most distinguishing feature is the slight concavity on the top of his muzzle.

Pointer's have an even temperament, capable of fitting into a family, however, this is an outdoors dog who loves nothing better than exploring moorland. A good Pointer will have excellent scenting powers and be able to move quickly over ground. This was a vital quality in the days of the slow loading flintock weapons when having found the game, the Pointer had to hold on to it.

Weimaraner

This breed has its origin in Germany, in the court of Weimar.

Weimaraner has increased in popularity with the shooting fraternity, while also joining the companion animal realm.

A tall, rangy dog, larger than other members of his group, has a short sleek coat and distinctive amber into blue-grey eyes. Grooming for this breed is minimal, however, the longer-coated variety needs more care and attention.

There is a distinct family likeness between the two breeds of springer spaniel, however, the Welsh springer is smaller than its English counterpart.

Over the years the popularity of this breed has continued to increase, becoming a favourite household pet, just like other members of the Spaniel family. The standardisation of the breed coincided with both that of the Cocker and the English Springer, both the English and the Welsh were recognised by the Kennel Club in 1902.

The dark red of the coat on a white background appears to have become more noticeable around the early 1900's. The role of this breed is to spring or 'start' game and fame as a worker spread from its homeland. The smaller build than his English counterpart help to make him easier to keep clean in wet weather

Hound

Hounds have hunted for thousands of years, having been originally bred for such duties. This breed possesses great vision and speed; combining sight and scent when hunting, with extra ordinary stamina. Hounds make good family pets, however, they may not get on with other pets, and may need a lot of training.

Types of Hound

• Afghan Hound
• Basset Hound
• Bloodhound
• Borzoi
• Dachshund
• Greyhound
• Irish Wolfhound
• Otterhound
• Pharaoh Hound
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Saluki
• Whippet

Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound is in the Top Ten of the most glamorous dog breeds.

The breed standard describes Afghan's strength and dignity, as well as its Oriental expression. One of the greatest attractions of this breed is its silky coat that does require a great deal of grooming, which is often best displayed in the show ring.

Afghan hounds are one of the typical sighthounds of the world who, as his name implies, comes from the mountains of Afghanistan. This breed is a hunter that will chase electric hare or even the neighbour's cat!

The first Afghan's arrived in Britain in the early 1900's and one, called Zardin, won in spectacular style at the 1907 Crystal Palace show. The breed is also known as the Tazi, as it resembles the Russian breed of that name.

As a companion this breed appears aloof with those he doesn't know, but shows real affection and faithfulness for his owner.

Basset Hound

We are all familiar with Fred Basset, the cartoon dog, featured around the world as a kindly, yet worried pooch.

This breed makes an excellent family pet, he is happy both walking outdoors or sat inside the house. Basset Hounds are capable of hunting his natural prey, hare, persistently at a relatively slow pace over considerable distances.

This breed was reputedly bred by monks in France during the Middle Ages for hunting in heavy cover, keeping his nose close to the ground. They are closely related to the entire family of French Bassets, however, the breed was developed to perfection in the UK.

Basset hounds have slightly wrinkled skin on the top of his head and his are long, reaching below his muzzle. He loves to paddle through the wet and mud of a winter field, but is quite easy to keep clean. This breed might have a bark that suggests he is unfriendly, but nothing could be further from the truth. Basset hounds are placid and very affectionate.

Bloodhound

Like the Basset hound, the Bloodhound is one of the most recognisable dogs, even to non-dog lovers.

These dogs have an amazing ability to follow human scent over all types of terrain. This has made him an ideal choice to be featured regularly in many fictional detective series and books.

The breed originates from Belgium and its ancestry, like the Basset hound, can be traced back to the monastery of St Hubert. Back in his native country the Bloodhound is known as the St Hubert Hound, and is thought to have been introduced to England, by the Normans, in 1066.

His main characteristic are the loose folds of skin over his forehead and his long ears, combined with his powerful limbs and body make him a truly big dog. Despite his size Bloodhounds are good-natured and affectionate, and have coats that are easy to maintain.

Borzoi

The wolf hunter of Russia his name means 'swift', although he isn't used for his original purpose, this breed is built on the lines of speed and grace.

Borzoi is an aristocrat of a dog who was first seen in the UK when he was presented by the Tsar of all the Russias to Queen Alexandra, and soon became popular.

His long silky coat has a slight wave and comes in a mass of different colours, and will require regular grooming to prevent it from matting. He is a loveable and faithful dog, who may appear aloof to strangers.

This breed has been used in a variety of roles over many years, as a result there are now six varieties, ranging in size.

Each of the sizes split into Smooth-haired, Long-haired and Wire-haired and there are also a variety of colours.

Dachshunds were bred to enter badger sets and remove the occupants hence their long low bodies, making them an ideal choice. All varieties are make excellent family pets although they have an independent nature, which may need to be dealt with through training.

It is believed that the Greyhound originated in the Middle East, although this is not totally agreed upon by the experts.

Drawings were discovered on the walls in Ancient Egyptian tombs, showing a Greyhound-type dogs, as far back as 4000 BC.

These dogs were found right across Europe, however, it is believed that the breed was developed in the UK.

The show animal is larger than his racing cousin, while the coursing version - that hunts hare - is slightly smaller making him more agile. The racing Greyhound was developed from its coursing cousin, only the Cheetah can top the breed for speed. A greyhound once recorded a speed of 45 mph.

Greyhounds have an insatiable instinct to chase a trait that must be remembered when around small dogs and cats. With humans this breed is affectionate, gentle and faithful making him an excellent family pet.

Irish Wolfhound

These giants stand at nearly a yard high at the shoulder making him the tallest of the hound group, and the largest of all dog breeds.

In spite of the size, Irish Wolfhounds are gentle and calm, but can be slightly mischievous and has a harsh, rough coat. Originally this breed could be found with either a smooth or rough coat, though earlier there was probably more of a variation.

The breed almost died out when the last wolf was killed in Ireland and was further affected by the potato famine in 1840. The breed was restored in 1870 and the breed club was created in 1855.

Wolfhounds never appear to hurry, but can cover a lot of ground gracefully. This dog needs space and exercise - a dog that should not be taken on lightly. He also has a hearty appetite, especially in his growing years, when he will need a high calibre diet.

Otterhound

The Otterhound is a large, rugged dog. Built to gallop across the land, he was originally bred to spend his working day in water.

It is believed his ancestry includes a French influence combined with original English hound status.

This breed has a rough double coat making it extremely water resistance, but it will mean he will bring in much of the outdoors with him. These dogs are fun loving and playful, but he's not an ideal choice for those of us who are house-proud.

An Otterhound has webbed feet making this breed a remarkable swimmer, as well as energetic and boisterous. These dogs need plenty of exercise and grooming.

Pharaoh Hound

These dogs will be instantly recognisable as the breed featured on paintings or pottery taken from the tombs of ancient Egypt.

This elegant hound has survived for thousands of years and remains popular today.

Pharaoh hounds became a native of Malta, an island colonised by the Pheonicians around 1000 BC. These people almost certainly took their dogs with them and from Malta the first imports originated. The breed finally established itself in Britain in the 1970's.

A striking feature of this breed is it rich tan colouring and amber eyes. Coupled with athletic enthusiasm he has the ability to hunt both by scent and sight, and is a hard working dog. Pharaoh hounds make ideal companions for people who love a dog with energy and affection.

Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback, is regarded by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa, as the native dog of this continent.

It is also one only two dogs in the world to have a ridge of hair growing the wrong way down it's spine. The other known breed is found in Thailand, but the origins are believed to have come from Africa.

The breed is very agile, powerful and fast. It's original purpose for a Ridgeback was to assist big game hunters in pursuit of their prey, which often included lions. The ridge is a feature of the breed and there are two crowns either side of the ridge just behind the shoulders.

Today the Ridgeback is used on the African continent as a guard dog, however, the breed makes an excellent family dog, as they are good with children, affectionate, loyal and protective.

Saluki

A graceful, elegant dog, the Saluki has always been a prized possession of the Arabs.

The breed has a highly developed hunting instinct, combined with his excellent speed over all types of terrain; making him a suitable dog for work in the Middle East.

Like the Pharaoh hound, the Saluki has been in existence for many, many years, with records having been kept by Sheikhs for hundreds of years. The breed was first seen in Britain in 1840, but was not officially recognised until 1923.

There are two possibilities for the origin of the name, firstly it was taken from the long-gone Arabian city of Saluk, or secondly from the town of Seleukia, in ancient Syria.

The Saluki needs a lot of attention making him unsuitable as the average family pet. This breed is highly strung, sensitive, intelligent and extremely affectionate towards those he loves. If left alone in a house, he can be very naughty and can easily become bored.

Whippet

Whippet's are dainty, sleek and agile dogs, whose size varies across different countries.

The Whippet is described as both gentle and affectionate; this breed loves the company of humans and will make a great addition to any family. Smaller than the Greyhound, the Whippet is light enough to pick up, but just as just as energetic and athletic when he wants to play.

Whippet's have been used as racing dogs, particularly in the north east of England, where the dogs devloped into straight racers. Some could cover 180 metres in around 12 seconds.

The Pastoral Group consists of dogs that herd livestock and guard farms. They exhibit brave and protective spirits, matched by ample strength and speed. Many of the pastoral breeds, such as Border Collies, are still used for their original purpose of herding sheep and cattle. Other breeds, including Old English Sheepdogs, make suitable family pets, but many of them will require regular grooming due to their long and shaggy coats.

Types of Pastoral Dogs:

Bearded Collie; Border Collie; Briard; Collie; German Shepherd Dog; Komondor; Old English Sheep Dog; Puli; Samoyed; Shetland Sheep Dog.

Terriers evolved primarily in Britain as small game hunters that could burrow underground. The group name comes from the Latin 'Terra', meaning Earth. This breed often hunted rabbits and other underground prey, an instinct which is still present in most terrier breeds today. Terriers often need a lot of training and they may be best kept away from other smaller pets.

Types of Terriers:

Airdale; Bedlington; Border; Bull; Cairn; Dandie Dinmont; Irish; Jack Russell; Kerry Blue; Lakeland; Manchester; Norfolk; Norwich; Scottish; Sealyham; Skye; Soft Coat Wheaten; Staffordshire Bull; Welsh; West Highland.

Toy dogs are the smallest group of dogs and have descended primarily from larger breeds solely for the function of companionship. The appearance of toy dogs varies widely, as does their temperament and behaviourial characteristics.

Types of Toy Dog:

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; Chihuahua; Chinese Crested; Italian Greyhound; Japanese Chin; Maltese; Miniature Pinscher; Papillon; Pekingese; Pug; Yorkshire Terrier.

Utility dogs were bred for many purposes from companions to sentries. Their appearance and historical functions vary dramatically, as well as their temperament; however, most of the dogs in this group make good family pets.

Type of Utility Dogs:

Boston Terrier; Bulldogs; Dalmatian; Finnish Spitz; French Bulldog; Keeshond; Miniature Schnauzer; Poodle; Schipperke; Standard Schnauzer; Tibetan Spaniel; Tibetan Terrier.

Working dogs are rugged animals with adaptable natures. Their roles include guarding property, hauling objects, guiding the blind and aiding police. Many working breeds need a considerable amount of exercise and training. They are demanding pets and need plenty of time devoted to them, however; in return they make marvellous companions.

Type of Working Dogs:

Bernese Mountain Dog; Boxer; Bullmastiff; Doberman; Giant Schnauzer; Great Dane; Mastiffs; Neopolitan Mastiff; Newfoundland; Rottweiler