Dogs have been bred since the beginning of mankind, which has resulted in many officially recognized and experimental dog breeds. Each of those breeds have specific traits for activities like hunting, guarding, tracking, and much more. With that being said breeds are governed by organizations and must go through a rigorous process before being recognized.
Governing Bodies
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale was created on May 22nd, 1911 with the aim to promote and protect cynology and purebred dogs by any means it considers necessary. It is an international federation of kennel clubs from 99 counties. Although they are internationally recognized, many countries have their own stand alone governing bodies. The largest of those, are are the American Kennel Club (AKC), British Kennel Club (KC), and Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC). All of these organizations are responsible for determining which dogs meet the strict qualifications of a breed, as well as for establishing and enforcing breed standards in each of their respective regions.
Dog Breed Groups
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognizes 10 major groups that are based on a dog’s characteristics and purpose. Each group contains many recognized and provisional dog breeds.
- Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
- Pinscher and Schnauzer – Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs
- Terriers
- Dachshunds
- Spitz and Primitive Types
- Scenthounds and Related Breeds
- Pointers and Setters
- Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs
- Companion and Toy Dogs
- Sighthounds
How Many Dog Breeds Are There?
The FCI officially recognizes 368 dog breeds, while the AKC officially recognizes 193 dog breeds. There are many other developmental breeds that are not yet recognized. In order for those breeds to be recognized the host country must work theri respective governing body to establish the appropriate standard.
Comprehensive List of Dog Breeds
The below list a comprehensive list of all recognized dog breeds (X – YYY) Where X is the FCI Dog Group and YYY is the FCI Assigned Breed Number
Affenpinscher (2 – 186)
Afghan Hound (10 – 228)
Airedale Terrier (3 – 7)
Akita ( 5 – 255)
Alaskan Malamute (5 – 243)
Alentejo Mastiff/Rafeiro do Alentejo (2 – 96)
Alpine Dachsbracke/Alpenländische Dachsbracke (6 – 254)
American Cocker Spaniel (8 – 167)
American Foxhound (6 – 303)
American Akita (5 – 344)
American Staffordshire Terrier (2 – 286)
American Water Spaniel (8 – 301)
Anatolian Shepherd Dog/Coban Köpegi (2 – 331)
Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie (6 – 325)
Appenzeller Sennenhund (2 – 46)
Arabian Greyhound/Sloughie (10 – 188)
Ariege Pointing Dog/Braque de l’Ariège (7 – 177)
Ariegeois (6 – 20)
Artois Hound/Chien D’Artois (6 – 28)
Atlas Shepherd Dog (2 – 247)
Australian Cattle Dog (1 – 287)
Australian Kelpie (1 – 293)
Australian Silky Terrier (3 – 236)
Australian Terrier (3 – 8)
Austrian Black and Tan Hound (6 – 63)
Austrian Pinscher/Österreichischer Pinscher (2 – 64)
Auvergne Pointing Dog/Braque d’Auvergne (7 – 180)
Azawakh (10 – 307)
Barak/Bosanski Ostrodlaki Gonic Barak (6 – 155)
Basenji (5 – 43)
Basset Artesien Normand/Artesian-Norman Basset (6 – 34)
Basset bleu de Gascogne/Blue Gascony Basset (6 – 35)
Basset fauve de Bretagne/ Fawn Brittany Basset (6 – 36)
Basset Hound (6 – 163)
Bavarian Mountain Scenthound/Bayrischer Gebirgsschweisshund (6 – 217)
Beagle (6 – 161)
Beagle Harrier (6 – 290)
Bearded Collie (1 – 271)
Beauceron/Berger de Beauce (1 – 44)
Bedlington Terrier (3 – 9)
Belgian Griffon/Griffon Belge (9 – 81)
Belgian Shepherd/Chien de Berger Belge/Groenendael/Laekenois/Malinois/Tervueren (1 – 15)
Bergamasco Sherpherd Dog/Cane da pastore Bergamasco (1 – 194)
Berger des Picard/Berger de Picardie (1 – 176)
Berger des Pyrénées à poil long/Pyrenean Sheepdog Long-Haired (1 – 141)
Berger des Pyrénées à face rase/Pyrenean Sheepdog Smooth-Faced (1 – 138)
Bernese Mountain Dog/Berner Sennenhund (2 – 45)
Bichon Frise (9 – 215)
Bichon Havanais (9 – 250)
Billy (6 – 25)
Black and Tan Coonhound (6 – 300)
Bloodhound/Chien de Saint-Hubert (6 – 84)
Blue Picardy Spaniel/Epagneul bleu de Picardie (7 – 106)
Bolognese (9 – 196)
Border Collie (1 – 297)
Border Terrier (3 – 10)
Borzoi/Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya (10 – 193)
Boston Terrier (9 – 140)
Bourbonnais Pointing Dog/Braque Du Bourbonnais (7 – 179)
Bouvier de Ardennes/Ardennes Cattle Dog (1 – 171)
Bouvier des Flanders/Flanders Cattle Dog (1 – 191)
Bracco Italiano/Italian Pointing Houng (7 – 202)
Briard/Berger de Brie (1 – 113)
Briquet Griffon Vendeen/Medium Griffon Vendeen (6 – 19)
Brittany/Epagneul Breton (7 – 95)
Broholmer (2 – 315)
Brussels Griffon/Griffon Bruxellois (9 – 80)
Bull Terrier (3 – 11)
Bulldog (2 – 149)
Bullmastiff (2 – 157)
Cairn Terrier (3 – 4)
Canaan Dog (5 – 273)
Cao da Serra de Aires/Portuguese Sheepdog (1 – 93)
Canarian Warren HoundPodenco Canario (5 – 329)
Castro Laboreiro Dog/Cao de Castro Laboreiro (2 – 170)
Catalan Sheepdog/Gos d’Atura Catalá – Perro de pastor catalán (1 – 87)
Caucasian Shepherd Dog/Kavkazskaïa Ovtcharka (2 – 328)
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (9 – 136)
Central Asian Shepherd Dog/Sredneasiatskaïa Ovtcharka (2 – 335)
Cesky Fousek/Bohemian wire-haired Pointing Griffon (7 – 245)
Cesky Terrier (3 – 246)
Chesapeake Bay Retriever (8 – 263)
Chihuahua (9 – 218)
Chinese Crested (9 – 288)
Chow Chow (5 – 205)
Cirneco Dell Etna (5 – 199)
Clumber Spaniel (8 – 109)
Collie Rough (1 – 156)
Collie Smooth (1 – 296)
Continental Toy Spaniel/Epagneul nain Continental/Papillon/Phalene (9 – 77)
Coton De Tulear (9 – 283)
Croatian Sheepdog/Hrvatski Ovcar (1 – 277)
Curly Coated Retriever (8 – 110)
Czechoslovakian Wolfdog/Ceskoslovenský Vlcak (1 – 332)
Dachshund (4 – 148)
Dalmatian/Dalmatinac (6 – 153)
Dandie Dinmont Terrier (3 – 168)
Deerhound (10 – 164)
Doberman Pinscher (2 – 143)
Dogo Argentino (2 – 292)
Dogue de Bordeaux (2 – 116)
Drentse Partrijshond/Drentse Partridge Dog (7 – 224)
Dutch Shepherd Dog/Hollandse Herdershond (1 – 223)
East Siberian Laika (5 – 305)
English Cocker Spaniel (8 – 5)
English Foxhound (6 – 159)
English Pointer (7 – 1)
English Setter (7 – 2)
English Springer Spaniel (8 – 125)
English Toy Terrier (3 – 13)
Entlebucher Sennenhund/Entlebuch Cattle Dog (2 – 47)
Eurasier (5 – 291)
Field Spaniel (8 – 123)
Fila Brasileiro (2 – 225)
Finnish Hound (6 – 51)
Finnish Lapphund (5 – 189)
Finnish Spitz (5 – 49)
Flat-Coated Retriever (8 – 121)
Fox Terrier Smooth (3 – 12)
Fox Terrier Wire (3 – 169)
French Bulldog/Bouledogue Francais (9 – 101)
Braque français type Gascogne/French Pointing Dog Gascogne (7 – 133)
Braque français, type Pyrénées/French Pointing Dog Pyrenean (7 – 134)
French Spaniel/Epagneul français (7 – 175)
French Tricolour Hound (6 – 219)
French Water Dog/Barbet (8 – 105)
French White and Black Hound (6 – 220)
French White and Orange Hound (6 – 316)
German Boxer/Deutsche Boxer (2 – 144)
German Hound/Deutsche Bracke (6 – 299)
German Hunting Terrier (3 – 103)
German Long-Haired Pointing Dog/Deutsch Langhaar (7 – 117)
German Pinscher/Deutscher Pinscher (2 – 184)
German Rough-Haired Pointing Dog/Deutsch Stichelhaar (7 – 232)
German Shepherd/Deutscher Schäferhund (1 – 166)
German Short-Haired Pointing Dog/Deutsch Kurzhaar (7 – 119)
German Spaniel/Deutscher Wachtelhund (8 – 104)
German Spitz/Keeshond-Wolfsspitz/Giant Spitz/Medium Spitz/Miniature Spitz/Pomeranian (5 – 97)
German Wire-Haired Pointing Dog/Deutsch Drahthaar (7 – 98)
Giant Schnauzer/ Riesenschnauzer (2 – 181)
Golden Retriever (8 – 111)
Gordon Setter (7 – 3)
Grand Anglo-Francais Tricolore (6 – 322)
Grand anglo-français blanc et noir (6 – 323)
Grand anglo-français blanc et orange (6 – 324)
Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen (6 – 33)
Grand Griffon Vendeen (6 – 282)
Great Gascony Hound/Grand Bleu de Gascogne (6 – 22)
Great Gascon Saintongeois/Grand Gascon Saintongeois (6 – 21)
Greyhound (10 – 158)
Great Dane (2 – 235)
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (2 – 58)
Greenland Dog (5 – 274)
Griffon Bleu de Gascogne/Blue Gascony Griffon (6 – 32)
Griffon d’arrêt à poil dur Korthals/French Wire-Haired Korthals Pointing Griffon (7 – 107)
Griffon Fauve de Bretagne (6 – 66)
Griffon Nivernais (6 – 17)
Halden Hound (6 – 267)
Hamilton Hound (6 – 132)
Hanoverian Scenthound/Hannover’scher Schweisshund (6 – 213)
Harrier (6 – 295)
Hellenic Hound/Hellinikos Ichnilatis (6 – 214)
Hokkaido (5 – 261)
Hovawart (2 – 190)
Hollandse Smoushond (2 – 308)
Hungarian Greyhound/Magyar Agar (10 – 240)
Hungarian Short-Haired Pointing Dog (7 – 57)
Hungarian Wire-Haired Pointing Dog (7 – 239)
Hygenhund (6 – 266)
Ibizan Warren Hound/Podenco Ibicenco (5 – 89)
Icelandic Sheepdog (5 – 289)
Irish Glen of Imaal Terrier (3 – 302)
Irish Red and White Setter (7 – 330)
Irish Red Setter (7 – 120)
Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (3 – 40)
Irish Terrier (3 – 139)
Irish Water Spaniel (8 – 124)
Irish Wolfhound (10 – 160)
Istrian short-haired Hound/Istarski Kratkodlaki Gonic (6 – 151)
Istrian coarse-haired Hound/Istarski Ostrodlaki Gonic (6 – 152)
Italian Greyhound/Piccolo Levriero Italiano (10 – 200)
Jack Russell Terrier (3 – 345)
Japanese Chin (9 – 206)
Japanese Terrier (3 – 259)
Japanese Spitz (5 – 262)
Kai (5 – 317)
Karelian Bear Dog (5 – 48)
Karst Shepherd Dog/ Kraski Ovcar (2 – 278)
Kerry Blue Terrier (3 – 3)
King Charles Spaniel (9 – 128)
Kishu (5 – 318)
Komondor (1 – 53)
Kooikerhondje/Small Dutch Waterfowl Dog (8 – 314)
Korea Jindo Dog (5 – 334)
Kromfohrlander (9 – 192)
Kuvasz (1 – 54)
Labrador Retriever (8 – 122)
Lagotto Romagnolo/Romagna Water Dog (8 – 298)
Lakeland Terrier (3 – 70)
Landseer (2 – 226)
Lapinporokoira/Finish Reindeer Herder (5 – 284)
Large Munsterlander/Grosser Münsterländer (7 – 118)
Leonberger (2 – 145)
Lhasa Apso (9 – 227)
Lowchen
Majorca Mastiff/Perro Dogo Mallorquín (2 – 249)
Majorca Shepherd Dog/Ca de Bestiar – Perro de pastor mallorquín (1 – 321)
Maltese (9 – 65)
Manchester Terrier (3 – 71)
Maremma and Abruzzese Sheepdog/Cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese (1 – 201)
Mastiff (2 – 264)
Miniature Pinscher/Zwergpinscher (2 – 185)
Miniature Schnauzer/Zwergschnauzer (2 – 183)
Montenegrin Mountain Hound/Crnogorski Planinski Gonic (6 – 279)
Mudi (1 – 238)
Neapolitan Mastiff/Mastino Napoletano (2 – 197)
Nederlandse Schapendoes (1 – 313)
Newfoundland (2 – 50)
Norbottenspets/Norbottenspitz (5 – 276)
Norfolk Terrier (3 – 272)
Norwegian Buhund (5 – 237)
Nowegian Elkhound Black (5 – 268)
Nowegian Elkhound Gray (5 – 242)
Norwegian Hound/Dunker (6 – 203)
Norwegian Lundehund (5 – 265)
Norwich Terrier (3 – 72)
Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever (8 – 312)
Old Danish Pointing Dog/Gammel Dansk Hønsehund (7 – 281)
Old English Sheepdog – bobtail (1 – 16)
Otterhound (6 – 294)
Parson Russell Terrier (3 – 339)
Pekingese (9 – 207)
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (6 – 67)
Petit Bleu de Gascogne/Small Blue Gascony Hound (6 – 31)
Petit Brabancon/Small Brabant Griffon (9 – 82)
Petit Chien Lion/Little Lion Dog (2 – 233)
Petit Gascon Saintongeois (6 – 21)
Perdiguero de Burgos/Burgos Pointing Dog (7 – 90)
Peruvian Hairless Dog/Perro sin pelo del Perú (5 – 310)
Pharaoh Hound (5 – 248)
Picardy Spaniel/Epagneul picard (7 – 108)
Poitevin (6 – 24)
Polish Greyhound/Chart Polski (10 – 333)
Polish Hound (6 – 52)
Polski Owczarek Nizinny/Polish Lowland Sheepdog (1 – 251)
Polski Owczarek Podhalanski/Tatra Shepherd Dog ( 1 – 252)
Poodle/Caniche/Standard Poodle/Medium Poodle/Miniature Poodle/Toy Poodle (9 – 172)
Porcelaine (6 – 30)
Portuguese Pointing Dog/Perdigueiro Português (7 – 187)
Portuguese Water Dog/Cão de agua Português (8 – 37)
Portuguese Warren Hound/Podengo Português (5 – 94)
Posavaz Hound/Posavski Gonic (6 – 154)
Pudelpointer (6 – 216)
Puli (1 – 55)
Pumi (1 – 56)
Pug (9 – 253)
Pyrenean Mastiff (2 – 92)
Pyrenean Mountain Dog/Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées/Great Pyrenees (2 – 137)
Rhodesian Ridgeback (6 – 146)
Rottweiler (2 – 147)
Russian-European Laika (5 – 304)
Saarlooswolfhond (1 – 311)
Saint Bernard (2 – 61)
Saluki (10 – 269)
Samoyed (2 – 212)
Schiller Hound (6 – 131)
Schipperke (1 – 83)
Schnauzer (2 – 182)
Scottish Terrier (3 – 73)
Sealyham Terrier (3 – 74)
Segugio Italiano Short-Haired (6 – 337)
Segugio Italiano Coarse-Haired (6 – 198)
Serra da estrela Mountain Dog/Cao de Serra da Estrela (2 – 173)
Shar-Pei (2 – 309)
Shetland Sheepdog/Sheltie (1 – 80)
Shiba Inu (5 – 257)
Shih-Tzu (9 – 208)
Shikoku (5 – 319)
Siberian Husky (5 – 270)
Skye Terrier (3 – 75)
Slovakian Hound/Slovenský Kopov (6 – 244)
Slovensky Cuvac/Slovakian Chuvach (1 – 142)
Slovensky Hrubosrsty Stavac/Slovakian Wire-haired Pointing Dog (7 – 320)
Småland Hound/Smaland-Laufhund/Smalandsstovare(6 – 129)
Small Munsterlander/Kleiner Münsterländer (7 – 102)
South Russian Shepherd Dog/Ioujnorousskaïa Ovtcharka (1 – 326)
Spaniel de Pont-Audemer/Epagneul de Pont-Audemer (7 – 114)
Spanish Greyhound/Galgo español (10 – 285)
Spanish Hound/Sabueso Español (6 – 204)
Spanish Mastiff (2 – 91)
Spanish Water Dog/Perro de agua español (8 – 336)
Spinone Italiano/Italian Wire-haired Pointing Dog (7 – 165)
Serbian Hound/Srpski Gonic (6 – 150)
Serbian Tricolour Hound/Srpski Trobojni Gonic (6 – 229)
Small Swiss Hound/Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund (6 – 60)
St. Germain Pointing Dog/Braque St-Germain (7 – 115)
Stabyhoun/Frisian Pointing Dog (7 -222)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (3 – 76)
Styrian Coarse-Haired Hound (6 – 62)
Sussex Spaniel (8 – 127)
Swedish Dachsbracke (6 – 130)
Swedish Elkhound (5 – 42)
Swedish Lapphund (5 – 135)
Swedish Vallhund (5 – 14)
Swiss Hound (6 – 59)
Tchirony Terrier/Black Terrier (2 – 327)
Thai Ridgeback Dog (5 – 338)
Tibetan Mastiff (2 – 230)
Tibetan Spaniel (9 – 231)
Tibetan Terrier (9 – 209)
Tyrolean Hound/Tiroler Bracke (6 – 68)
Tosa (2 – 260)
Transylvanian Hound (6 – 241)
Volpino Italiano (5 – 195)
Weimaraner (7 – 99)
Welsh Corgi Cardigan ( 1 – 38)
Welsh Corgi Pembroke (1 – 39)
Welsh Springer Spaniel (8 – 126)
Welsh Terrier (3 – 78)
Westphalian Dachsbracke/Westfälische Dachsbracke (6 – 100)
West Highland White Terrier (3 – 85)
West Siberian Laika (5 – 306)
Wetterhoun/Frisian Water Dog (8 – 221)
Whippet (10 – 162)
Xoloitzcuintle/Mexican Hairless Dog (5 – 234)
Yorkshire Terrier (3 – 86)
Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog-Sharplanina/Sarplaninac (2-41)
Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think and if you learned anything new about dog breeds!