Every Dog Breed Explained (Part 1) | WIRED

Hi, I'm Gail Miller Beisher, the voice of the Westminster Kennel Club, and this is Every Single Breed of Dog. There are 205 breeds that we're going to go over, so grab your lead, your bait, and let's head out to the show floor. The 205 breeds that we're looking at are all AKC-recognized breeds. That means the American Kennel Club has deemed these breeds as eligible to show at AKC-recognized dog shows, such as the Westminster Kennel Club. Today, we have seven groups. Hound, toy, non-sporting, herding, working, terrier, and sporting. The groups are determined by the original function the dog was bred for. We have a couple of them put together in subgroups. That's because there's something that relates these breeds in some way. It might be country of origin, it may be coat texture, or it may be temperament. There are hundreds of breeds across the world that aren't even in the United States, but as they become popular in the U.S., that's when they're added to AKC recognition, and that's when they can show at dog shows, and they have to fit into one of these groups. Herding. There are 31 breeds in the herding group. The herding group is comprised of breeds that were moving livestock from one point to another. It might be sheep, it might be cattle. That is their main goal, is to make sure they're helping humans keep their livestock safe and keep them moving. Originally, herding breeds were part of the working group, and then in 1983, because there were so many dogs in the working group, they split off the herding breeds and formed the herding group. The Australian Cattle Dog, the Australian Shepherd, and the Miniature American Shepherd are grouped here because they're all hard-working herding breeds. The Australian Cattle Dog, originally from Australia, is known as a wonderful breed for cattle. They're really known to be brave. Cows are kicking, the dogs have to be fast, they have to be determined, and they cannot be swayed by a kicking cow. The Australian Shepherd actually is a misnomer. They're not from Australia. They actually were developed in the western part of the United States by ranchers. They're a wonderful herding dog that has a strong drive, just like the Australian Cattle Dog. The Miniature American Shepherd is actually just a smaller version of the Australian Shepherd. The ranchers wanted something a little smaller, a little more portable, and that they could use in quick ways, and it's become highly popular with city dwellers. The subgroup of the Bearded Collie and Border Collie is that they're both from Scotland. They're Scottish herding breeds, and the Bearded Collie has a much more profuse coat. They were in a cold temperature, whereas the Border Collie was, as the name says, on the border of Scotland and England. And both of them are great herding dogs, but they have very different herding styles. They have a double coat. They come in four different colors, fawn, brown, black, and blue. There's regular grooming with that long coat, but they're versatile, and they participate in all dog sports. This subgroup is what we call the Belgian group. So these obviously are all from Belgium, but they have different coat textures, and they have a different coloring. And the reason is they're from different regions in Belgium. They would have different needs of coat texture and type based on the terrain, based on the weather, and the conditions that the dog would be working. The Belgian Malinois has become very popular with the police and with military use. They can be very focused and highly trainable and very quick to move and very in tune with their handler. The Belgian Sheepdog is all black. They're, again, a very serious-minded dog. They're a hard-working dog. They're a large size, though. I mean, this is the type of thing you have to take into consideration. They're larger than the Malinois. The Belgian Trier-Veuren has a double coat as well. They often have that reddish color or mahogany color with the black overlay, black mask, upright ears. One thing you notice with all three of these breeds is they don't have a long stride in their gait. They have a powerful gait that can go all day, and that's a very unique part of these three breeds. I'll talk about how the dogs gait differently. The gait is how they trot, and there's a different trot based on the dog's function. Sometimes they have to have a stilted gait in the back. That means they're pushing. If they're a sled dog or a dog that's pulling, bone structure is such that they can push easily. There are other breeds, like herding breeds, some of them have a lot of extension in their gait, and that's so they can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Then there are other dogs that have a medium stretch of gait, the endurance gait, so they can continue all day long and work all day long. Here we have the Beauceron, we have the Berger Picard, the Bouvier de Flandre, and the Briard. Of course, these are all very different looking dogs. That's because they have different functions. The Beauceron is a little more protective, very obedient, very gentle. The Berger Picard has that tousled look. It's a very wiry coat. They're supposed to be very natural when they're shown. They're not supposed to be trimmed and soft furred. They're supposed to be rough and tumble. The Bouvier de Flandre, similar to the Old English Sheepdog, was a drover. They definitely were on watch, could be used as a guardian of flock and home. They're also a large size, so they could also be used to pull carts if needed. And then you have the Briard. They are a wonderful herding breed. It's a French breed known for its upright ear carriage, which gives it an interesting look to the face and head shape. Here we have the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. As the name implies, they're both from Wales. The Queen is very well known for having corgis. If you look at the head shape, the head size, the body shape and the front, they're very different. Again, they're for livestock, mostly cattle. Having that low center of gravity, when a cow kicks its hoof out back, the dog is low and back far enough that it can't get hit. Another thing that's interesting is both these dogs have the flat head, especially the Pembroke has a flat top skull, so that if it does get kicked by a cow, it won't hurt the dog's skull. Here we have the Rough Collie, which is the coated one, the Smooth Collie, and then the Shetland Sheepdog, which isn't a collie, but looks like a miniature collie. Oftentimes people think the Shelty is just a miniaturized collie, but it is a separate breed. So the Collie, of course, became famous when Lassie had his TV show, and they were actually entered at the Westminster Dog Show in the 1800s. J.P. Morgan had his collies at our dog show. The Smooth Collie, as the name implies, they have a smoother coat. The reason is, of course, temperature. It might be in the brambles of Scotland. You don't want to have to worry about that coat getting tangled up. So here you have a nice, smooth breed. If you're a shepherd, you don't want to have to worry about grooming your dog. You want to make sure your dogs are happy and healthy. Then there's the Shetland Sheepdog. Now, the Shetland Sheepdog is such a trainable, awesome breed that they're in so many different sports. They excel in agility, obedience. You see them everywhere, and that's because they want to please their owners, like most herding breeds. The next subgroup is the Scandinavian breeds. And, of course, these all were herding dogs, but they herd in different ways and in different climates. That would account for why their size and their coats are different. There's the Finnish Lapun, who has a little thicker coat. We have the Norwegian Buhund, who has a shorter coat and always a black mask. And then we have the Swedish Valhund, who's a little lower to the ground because he was working cattle. Here we have the two Hungarian breeds that are known for being really tough herding dogs. They don't take any guff from anybody. They may look cute and fluffy, but believe me, they are serious. The Puli can be corded or not corded. And the Pumi's characteristic feature is those high ears that are lifted up and look super cute. And they have a very soft coat that's a single coat. Don't be fooled. That is a very serious herding dog. The Bergamasco is known as working very closely with its owner. They sometimes can be a little suspicious of others. That's what they're originally bred to do is work with the shepherd and to make sure that their flock is safe. They have a very thick corded coat. It's made out of three different types of hair. The Canaan dog has a very strong, effortless gait. And they're known to be able to cover ground in an effortless manner. The Old English Sheepdog is known as a drover, which means they weren't necessarily running all day to capture or bring back a loose sheep. What they were really used for is keeping the flock together and moving them down the road. Maybe they're taking them to the market for sale. Maybe they're moving them to another paddock. But it's really just driving the sheep versus herding the sheep, which is a great skill to have. The Entley Booger Mountain Dog is the smallest of the four Swiss breeds. The German Shepherd Dog has long been a favorite of family and police and military. They're very courageous. They have an exceptional trainability. They're very versatile. They're very attentive. And what they're most known for is their work ethic. They will not slow down on the job. They're always ready to go, ready for action. They have a very unique gait. And originally, they were called a living fence because they would trot around the entire flock to keep it safe. What's interesting with the German Shepherd is if they need to then move into action, they can switch gears very quickly and become powerful trotters instantly to get to where they need to be. They continue to help man in many different capacities. Even our Best in Show winner, Roomer, who won in 2017, has now gone on and had litters of puppies. She has two puppies right now that have been placed with veterans with PTSD. The Icelandic Sheepdog is Iceland's only native dog, and they've appeared on their postage stamps. They come in two types of coat, the long-haired and the short-haired. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is very similar looking to the Bearded Collie, and they have a very different coat texture. There may be some Polish Lowland behind the Bearded Collie several centuries back, but they are different breeds and they have different temperaments. The Polish Lowland is a little more suspicious. They're a little more cautious, whereas the Bearded Collie is generally jumping up on people and very outgoing. The Pyrenean Shepherd is supposed to be shown in a very natural state. They're supposed to be rough and rugged, and they have a harsh coat that is important for the job and the location where they would work. They are a wonderful breed and a great size, and they can be in city or country. The Spanish Water Dog has a very curly coat, and as the name says, they worked in water and on land as a general farm dog. Many people think that this is one of the original breeds behind many of today's water breeds. The Hound Group is the largest group with 32 breeds, and these are broken out basically by the Scent Hounds and the Sight Hounds. So the first subgroup has the Afghan Hound, the Saluki, the Ozawok, and also the Saluki. And these are all breeds that were with desert nomads traveling. They were hunting things out in the desert, and they are super, super fast. These are Sight Hounds. They can see a hair a human cannot see. And they can go out and be independent hunters, work away from the people, and bring down that game. The first pair of Afghan Hounds were brought to the United States by Zeppo Marks. The Ozawok, this breed, is a smooth-coated, very tall Sight Hound. They're rather aloof, as a lot of hounds are, but they make wonderful companions. When you watch a Saluki go around the ring at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, you'll see an elegant, effortless gait. They have a feathering on their legs and on their ears. They're very independent. They're very beautiful. They're very elegant and dignified. The Saluki first appeared at Westminster in 2017. This is a very fast, smooth-coated Sight Hound that sometimes is hard to say the name, but it is a graceful and noble breed. The next subgroup is the American Foxhound, the English Foxhound, and the Harrier. There are slight differences in these three dogs. The American Foxhound is taller on leg, has a little narrower head. The English Foxhound is a little sturdier, a little thicker, has a wider skull. And then, of course, the Harrier also has more substance, but it's smaller overall. And so the hunters use these dogs based on where they're hunting and what their needs are. So a taller leg dog may be useful if you're going through brush, whereas the shorter dog might be when you're on an open field. Here we have the Basset Hound, the Blood Hound, and the Otter Hound. And the one thing these three all have in common are the very long hound ears. Those ears aren't just cute and wonderful to hold. There's a purpose. The purpose is to bring in scent. So when the dog's head is on the ground sniffing and trying to follow a scent, the ears actually help collect scent and help the dog follow. The Otter Hound, of course, is interesting because he's in the water a lot, and he has webbed feet for that. Form follows function. These dogs are shaped and have these features based on what their jobs were. Here we have the Beagles, the 15-inch and the 13-inch. Everyone knows that Beagles are so friendly and outgoing, and that's because they are a pack animal. They have to be able to get along with other dogs and people and work for humans together. That's part of the reason Beagles have always been a favorite in the United States. Here we have the American English Coon Hound, the Black and Tan Coon Hound, the Blue-ticked Coon Hound, the Red-boned Coon Hound, and the Treeing Walker Coon Hound. And then, of course, there's the Plot Hound, which is named after a person. So the Blue-ticked Coon Hound is known by the ticking in the coat. That means the little dots, the little spots, and that bluish tone to it. It's a beautiful coat. And then the Red-boned, it's a beautiful red color of varying shades. Now, if you saw the dogs next to each other, you'd notice more than just a coat difference. They also have different head shapes. They have different substance, different bone amount of bone. And that's because it depends on the hunting conditions they would be used in. Now, the Dachshunds have a lot of variety because there's two sizes, the miniature and the standard. And then there's three coat varieties, the long hair, the smooth coat, and the wire hair. So there's a little bit of something for everyone. And they have different temperaments. The wire hairs are more terrier-like. The smooth coats are the original hound, and so they are more of a hound-independent thinker. And then the long hairs are a little sweeter, I would say, a little more wanting to be in your lap companion. And that's probably because their spaniel introduced when the long coat was needed. You may ask, why do you need three different coats? The reason is, again, it's temperature, weather. If you have a colder temperature, you want a dog that has fur on it so that it can keep hunting. And these dogs, as I said before, are very independent thinkers. They were not unlike the herding breeds who worked with man. These worked with humans, but they worked away from them. They didn't take direct commands. They would go out and find the badgers, the hare, and different rabbits, and different small game. And then they would follow that vermin into the ground under in tunnels. They have to be very bold to go in a dark tunnel after a badger. And then they would bark until the hunter found them and could get the quarry underground. So they're supposed to be bold, they're supposed to be barky, and they're supposed to be independent thinkers. Here we have the Grand Basset Griffon Vendillon and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendillon. They're very similar-looking, tousled, rough-looking dogs with the long ears. Obviously, the Grand is bigger and the Petit is smaller, but there are other differences. The Grand has a lot more girth to it. They have a different temperament somewhat. Again, these are pack animals, so they're very outgoing and happy and loving dogs. They were bred to work with other dogs, but it depended on the job. If you need a big one, use the big one. If you need a small one, use the small one. Now, the Feral Hound and the Ibethan Hound both like to compete and say their dogs are the ones that are at the entrance of the tombs in Egypt. I'm not sure which one it is. We don't know. They are both ancient, ancient breeds. The Feral Hound is known to blush and turn a little pink in its cheeks and nose when it's excited or anxious. The Cherneco del Etna, however, is much smaller than the other two, but has a very similar outline and that classic look that you can see that it looked like it may have been in Egypt at some point. Here we have the Irish Wolfhound, the Scottish Deerhound, and the Borzoi, which used to be called the Russian Wolfhound. These large breeds have Greyhound behind them at some point. They're very fast. They can take down large game. They're known for taking down wolves, elk, deer, anything of larger size that might be near the castle or might be a predator of some kind. They were there to guard and to hunt with noblemen. They've been part of the castle, as I said. They weren't necessarily out in the barn. These were house dogs. Here we have the Greyhound and the Whippet. They look very similar to each other, yet they are very distinct breeds. The Whippet's head is very different shape than the Greyhound, but they are both wonderful pets. They're super fast, so if you're going to have one at home, you have to make sure you have a yard or always keep them on lead, because otherwise, if they got away from you, they could keep going. What's interesting is most Greyhound people say that their dogs are couch potatoes in the house. They really just like to lounge around, but once outside, if they see something, they're going to go after it. The Basenji is an African breed with a ringed tail, and it's known as the barkless dog, although it does make sounds, but it's not known as the typical barker. The Norwegian Elkhound has a very thick coat, and the name is actually a little misleading, because they didn't hunt elk. They hunted moose. The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is a great little family dog. They're so fun and feisty and ready for action. They're also known as the national dog of Portugal. The Rhodesian Ridgeback has become more popular in the United States in the last 10 years. They're a beautiful outline. They're known for that ridge of fur on their back that goes the wrong direction. They're known as being stoic and very brave, but you have to be if you're a lion hunter in Africa. They were known to keep lions at bay for the hunter. In the beginning, there was the sporting group and the non-sporting group, and so if you weren't a setter or spaniel, you were put into this group. The Boston Terrier, the Bulldog, and the French Bulldog. These are all Bulldog-related breeds, and they all have that really cute kind of smooshed face. A shorter muzzle is what it actually is. And for the Bulldog, they were bred in England as bull baiters. The dogs would latch onto the bull, and their strong jaws would clamp on, and they would release when the owner said to release. Now they're just the cute, lovable mascot of many sports teams. The French Bulldog, of course, is very popular. Part of that is because of its bat-shaped ears. They also have a very round face. They're a sturdy little dog. They love to go places. They love people. They kind of snort and sneeze, and there's something very cute about them that people love. Here we have the Chinese Shar-Pei and the Chow Chow, both from China. These breeds, very different coats. The Shar-Pei has almost a sandpaper feel to it, and the Chow Chow generally has a very thick coat. And so when you're brushing that dog out, you have to make sure you get all the way down to the skin. Here we have the Bichon Frise and the Coton de Tulio. The Bichon Frise won Best in Show at Westminster most recently in 2018. That was Flynn. The Coton is the royal dog of Madagascar. Here we have the Dalmatian and the Xolo Xcuintli. Now, the reason I put these two together is because they're both very popular in their original countries, and because they've both become superstars from Disney films. The Dalmatian, of course, is the original coach dog who was in 101 Dalmatians. And the Xolo was featured in a recent Pixar film, Coco. Here we have the British Spit and the Keyshond. These are both Spitz breeds, meaning they have the upright ears, they have the fox-like face. And the Keyshond, of course, has a much thicker coat. It's similar to a Chow Chow in that it's a thick double coat. Interestingly, they have a black mask. It looks like they're wearing spectacles. And they're called the Laughing Dutchman because when they open their mouth, it looks like they're smiling. This was a barge dog that was used as an all-round guard dog, ratter, whatever you needed it for. This was an all-purpose dog. If you want to bring a finished Spitz into your home, make sure you have a fenced yard or you keep that dog on leash. They're known to want to roam. Here we have the Miniature Poodle and the Standard Poodle in the non-sporting group. And, of course, the Standard Poodle is known for being one of the most trainable and human-like dogs in the dog world. Sometimes people wonder why their coat is clipped as it is. And it's important to remember that the Standard Poodle was originally a water-retrieving dog. And so the pom-poms on its joints, on its hips, and around its vital organs were left on there to help keep the dog warm in chilly water. Whereas the rest of the coat was removed so the dog would flow through the water easily. The Miniature Poodle is the medium-sized poodle. There's the Standard, Miniature, and then the Toy Poodle in the toy group. Here we have the Tibetan Spaniel and the Tibetan Terrier. Obviously, two breeds from Tibet. Very different jobs. But both of them are known for being hardy and being very serious breeds. The Tibetan Spaniel makes a wonderful city dog. They're easy to groom. They're easy to transport. So the Tibetan Terrier in the show ring has a long, thick coat. But if you want one as a pet, you don't have to keep that long coat. You can clip it back and still enjoy the great features of that breed. The American Eskimo is known as a circus dog. It's very trainable. It's cute. It can learn things quickly, and they're very popular in lots of dog sports. The Lhasa Apso is a wonderful lap dog today, as it was centuries ago. This breed was a guard dog in palaces, but also a faithful companion. The Lhasa Apso was the first Tibetan breed to be recognized by the American Cow Club. The Lao Ching can come in all kinds of colors. They have that feature of the tail over the back, but it's a teacup handle. They're a fun, affectionate little breed. The Norwegian Lundehund has some very unique features. They have six toes. They have a very flexible neck. And all of this is so that they can hunt puffin. That's what they were originally bred to do. The Skipper Key is a cobby little compact dog, all in black, always alert and ready to go. The Shiba Inu is a very popular breed in Japan, and they're gaining popularity in the United States. They're quiet in demeanor. They're very clean, often called cat-like.