How Many Breeds Of Dog Are There

If you are new to the realm of dogs you will probably want to know one thing. How many breeds of dog are there? Yes, we can give you a simple answer in the form of one number and we are done. But the topic is more than just interesting and you need to know a lot of different things and facts. Below, we will discuss how new breeds are made, and groups of dogs and also give you the answer to the main question. It will be an amazing journey so let’s begin.

Here’s How A New Dog Breed Is Created

You may believe that new dog breeds are created by themselves and that this is an all-natural process. You are wrong. Humans created new dog breeds. 200 years ago, there were a few dog breeds only. Then, during the Victorian era, people started relating dogs with their status. Dogs became popular pets and this meant that different people wanted different dogs. How many breeds of dog are there? After the Victorian era, the number became very high.

During this era, people wanted dogs who looked completely different. Some like dogs with short legs. Others prefer dogs with long hair. All of this means that people had to crossbreed different dog breeds (existing ones) to get a new one. Of course, there are a few factors a new dog breed must comply with, something we will talk about later on.

Of course, all dogs come from wolves so they have similar DNA. But, thanks to the fact you can change a small portion of DNA and end up with a completely new breed, all of this became possible. As you can see, humans are responsible for most dog breeds that live today. Just to add, we have been doing this before the Victorian era but rarely.

How Many Breeds Of Dog Are There

There are between 195 and over 500 different dog breeds. Does this confuse you? Well, the number of dog breeds will depend on the group that is responsible for the registration process. These groups are unique to many countries hence we can see a lot of different numbers. The best example would be AKC which stands for American Kennel Club. They recognize 195 dog breeds and 79 new breeds will probably be recognized in the near future. Then we have Federation Cynologique International or FCI and they recognize 360 dog breeds. In the United Kingdom, the group responsible for all of this is the UK Kennel Club. They recognize 231 dog breeds in the country. 

So, the number of dog breeds will depend on the group that recognizes it. There are many experimental dog breeds as well so the number is far from something we can generalize. We must add that some groups responsible for registration are not fast when it comes to adopting a new dog breed. The best examples here would be AKC and Dogo Argentino. This dog has been with us since 1928. However, AKC recognized the dog as a separate dog breed in 2019. 

All of this was a complicated and detailed answer. If you want to know the answer in a second, here it is. There are over 500 dog breeds, some recognized some not and the number is increasing on a regular basis.

People still crossbreed different dog breeds and get specific new breeds. We can add here that the number is changing as we speak and we will probably have a lot more dog breeds in the future. 

How Does A Dog Breed Can Become Recognized?

If you crossbreed two different breeds and you believe you have created a new one, you are wrong. In reality, this is a complicated process and officially, a dog breed must be recognized in order to be considered a real dog breed. If we take a look at AKC we can see that this starts with FSS (Foundation Stock Service). This means that a breeder must record the new breeds. Then, a written request is mandatory. It allows the breeder to allow the new breed to be categorized as Miscellaneous Class. In order to become a part of the class, there are a few factors that the new breed must comply with. Here are all of them.

1. There must be 300-400 dogs in the whole country and they must have the pedigree that is 3 generations old. All dogs must be of the same breed and there is no way around this.
2. 100 household members that are active, minimum! Demonstrated interest and following are mandatory as well. This is possible thanks to the National Breed Club.
3. Breed observation is mandatory and AKC must approve the request and the breed. There are additional club’s standards that will be applicable here. 
4. The dogs of this new breed must be in different states. With AKC they must live in 20+ states in the United States. 

All of this takes time, a lot of it so it is not possible to create a dog breed within a year.

As you can see from above, this can take up to 100 years and it is definitely a time-consuming and slow process. Of course, different groups have different standards and they work in different ways. This also means that a new dog breed can be accepted in one group much faster than in another. 

Why are these requirements so complicated? Well, without them you would theoretically create a new dog breed within a year. There won’t be a lot of members of the group so it can vanish quickly as well. All of this makes things complicated and actually doesn’t make any sense. Thanks to the rules and a complicated process, once the new breed is recognized, you can see it living across the world, and yes, you can treat it as a separate breed.

Let’s explain why the process is so important and so beneficial. See, you have countless breeds that have members of different breeds or crossbreed dogs in general. Does this make them new breeds? Of course not. If that would be the case then you have million dog breeds and new ones are created every single day and others will go extinct. It is not possible and honestly, it doesn’t make any sense.

If you are wondering how crossbreeding is possible, keep in mind one obvious thing. All dogs are the same species and as such, they can breed. Despite the fact they look completely different, they are still one species. 

There Are 7 Groups Of Dogs

According to AKC, there are 7 different groups of dogs. We will obviously explain all of them below. Keep in mind that there are 2 more. These are Miscellaneous Class and FFS. These are not actual groups but rather step-up groups where new dog breeds are placed until they are recognized as members of one actual group.

There is no need to add that making a new group is not possible at the moment and there is no way to do this. All dog breeds, despite the fact there are 500 of them, are a part of one of the groups below. 

• Working

In this group, we have dogs that are bred for one particular reason. They should help people. Some dogs will protect the house. Others will help by pulling the sleds in the winter. There are countless examples.

All you need to know is that each breed here is ‘’made’’ for this reason. You can keep a dog of this group as a pet. It is definitely possible but it is not always a wise decision. These dogs need to use the energy they have, meaning you will have to give them plenty of activities and a lot of time outside. 

• Sporting

You may believe that these dogs are ideal for competitions or for races. After all, they are sporting pets. In reality, these dogs assist humans when they compete. For instance, these dogs are common in the feathered game many people compete in.  

• Herding

This group is more than just popular and you can see a lot of great examples. German Shepherds are members of this group. What this means is that the dog is bred to help people with the herding process. People use these dogs for herding cattle, sheep and so much more. Some people even use them for herding reindeer! 

• Toy

The toy name comes from the size of these dogs. They are generally very small and ideal for people who live in an apartment. This is the main purpose of the dogs from this group. They were bred for this purpose only. In other words, these dogs are ideal pets for most people and they don’t have any other, practical application. Most of these are too small to do anything else except being a cute pet. 

• Terrier

Terriers are an interesting group. These dogs have an amazing purpose as well. Thanks to their small size and short legs they can go underground and they can catch vermin and rodents. Terriers were more than just popular among farmers and people who had issues with vermin. 

• Hound

A dog from this group will be a great hunter. The dogs are ‘’made’’ to catch prey. They can catch fish, deer, birds, ducks and so much more. In the past, people used these dogs as their companions when hunting and they were more than just helpful. Today, most of these dogs are pets but a huge number still deserve the purpose. Hunters for instance love these dogs and they usually have one or more as pets/working dogs. 

• Non-Sporting 

This is another group that is very interesting. Here dogs are placed if they are not an accurate match to the previous groups. If you believe that only a few dog breeds are members here, you are wrong. Here are some of the examples and you can see that some of the most popular dog breeds are actually non-sporting dogs.

Some of the members here are Dalmatians, Finnish Spitz, Shar Peis, Chow Chows, Poodles, Boston Terriers, American Bulldogs, Lhasa Apsos, Shiba Inus, and many more.

Should You Adopt an Officially Recognized Dog Breed Only?

There is no need to worry about that and adopt a dog that is a member of a recognized group only. First of all, your pet may be officially recognized by some other group such as AKC. You probably don’t want to take him to competitions and make a new dog breed. As such, you can and you should adopt a dog that is not from the official group if you like him. There is no need to worry about these specifics.

On the other hand, if you want to take him to competition, breed the dog and have purebred puppies, you will need a pet that comes from a recognized breed. One advantage of recognized and well-established dog breeds is that you can learn more and easily about their needs, health issues, and basics. This is not easy with non-recognized dog breeds. 

Here you have two main differences. The first one is a dog breed that has 100, 200 members or more. This dog breed has great odds of becoming recognized in the future. You can also have a dog that is crossbred hence it is one of a kind or there are just a few dogs like him. Either way, you can adopt and have him as a pet. 

The Final Word

Now you know how many breeds of dog are there. All you should keep in mind is that there are between 195 and 500+ dog breeds. New ones are added to the list as we speak so the number will become much higher in the future. You also need to know that the numbers refer to officially recognized dog breeds. If you ignore these, you can see countless more dog breeds living among us.