Dog Breed Profiles | Foodie Pooch

If you’re interested in a specific dog breed, their history, temperament, trainability, feeding & dietary requirements, and vital stats, then this list of dog breed profiles is for you. I’ve put together the most thorough information I can, not just on popular breeds, but lesser known breeds as well.

I have included a glossary of technical terms in dogs & dog breeding further down for reference.

Table of contents

Enough introduction (I’ll save that for later), so onwards with my list of dog breed profiles:

List of dog breed profiles / information

List of dog breeds by Type / Group

All dogs are classified by type, known as a group. Below are a list of all dog breeds by group:

Group 1 – Toy Breeds

Group 2 – Terrier Breeds

Group 3 – Gundogs

Group 4 – Hounds

Afghan Hound Breed Profile

Group 5 – Working Dogs

Group 6 – Utility

Group 7 – Non Sporting

Why I have collated these dog breed profiles

There is a large and growing public interested in the canine world and it is felt that this list of dog breed profiles would be welcomed as a thorough account of the dog family.

Websites already exist which deal with the more popular breeds, but many interesting breeds and varieties, which are described in this collection, have been neglected owing to their not having, so far, reached the exhibition benches, and their origin, history, habits and descriptions are practically unknown to any but the specialist.

I have included about 3oo breeds and varieties in this collection of dog breed profiles. Those selected being worthy of attention for their usefulness, appearance and habits.

With the assistance of photographic illustrations I hope this collection of dog breeds will be of interest to every dog owner, and also to many others who have never had the good fortune to possess a dog companion.

It is my hope that many of the descriptions will help to make some of the very deserving but lesser-known breeds and varieties more popular.

The terms “breed ” and “variety”, although loosely applied outside the study of dogs have their special significances, thus we speak in cynological circles of the Fox Terrier breed and its Smooth-haired and Wire-haired varieties.

In cases where a breed is known under various names (Synonymy) I have given the alternatives under the section “Also known as”.

There is no satisfactory classification of breeds into groups at present, and I have therefore arranged the breeds in alphabetical order, dividing into sections, with a view towards uniformity.

The measurements in the “Vital stats” section are mainly based upon standard descriptions, but in some cases adjustments are made to conform to more general sizes.

Wild dogs (genuinely and so-called) are treated relative to their importance, and represent

perhaps not the least interesting of the dog tribe.

In order to condense my descriptions, I have employed some technical terms in common use. A glossary explaining such terms in dogs & dog breeding can be found below.

Glossary of technical terms in dogs & dog breeding

Beard. The very profuse and bushy whiskers of the Griffon Bruxellois, quite distinct from Terrier whiskers.

Belton. The lemon- or blue-flecked colour of certain English Setters, notably the Laverack strain.

Blaze. An attractive narrow and bulbous-shaped white marking running up the face to between the eyes.

Bone. A well-boned dog is one possessing limbs giving an appearance and feel of strength and spring without coarseness.

Brindle. A mixture of light and dark hairs, usually darker streaks on a grey, tawny or brown background.

Brush. Term applied to a tail bushy like that of the fox either curled like the Spitz group or low like the Collie.

Cat-feet. Short, compact and round feet common to Terriers and Greyhounds, and opposed to splay-feet.

Chops. Pendulous upper lips or flews common to the Bulldog, some Hounds and most deep-mouthed dogs.

Cobby. Well ribbed and sprung, rather short in back, adequately muscled and compact.

Couplings. The torso or trunk between the limb-joints; Dachshunden are ” long in couplings.”

Cropped. In some breeds the ears are cropped or cut to erect shapes. It is illegal in Britain and some American States.

Croup. The region adjacent to the sacrum and immediately anterior to the set-on or root of the tail.

Culotte. The feathery hair on the backs of the fore-legs, as seen on the Pomeranian.

Cushion. That appearance of swelling or padding given by the full upper lips of the Mastiff and Bulldog.

Dew-claws. The fifth digit and claw occasionally found on the legs of mountain breeds, and usually removed when young.

Dish-faced. A term used to describe a concavity in the nasal bone making the nose-tip too high and snub.

Docked. Most Terriers have their tails docked or cut short to especially designed lengths when quite young.

Down-faced. When the nose-tip is well below the level of the stop, due to a downward inclination of the nasal bone.

Drop-eared. When the ears are pendant and hanging close and flat to the side of the cheeks.

Featherings. Those long and fine fringes of hair seen on the backs of all legs in Setters, Spaniels and some Sheep dogs.

Flag. The fringe or feather found under the tails of Setters and some Retrievers, long at the base and shorter at the tip.

Flecked. When the coat is lightly ticked with other colours, as in the English Setter, and neither roaned nor spotted.

Fly-eared. Usually a blemish, in that ears which should be erect fall or tilt over at the tips.

Forelock. The very abundant tussle of hair grown on the forehead and falling over the eyes, as in the Kerry Blue.

Frill. That long feathering of soft hair found on Setters and Collies around the neck and longer at the throat and base.

Fringes. A loosely applied term usually meaning the feathering of long-coated breeds. See Featherings.

Gay. A tail is said to be gay when it is curled up over the back as in all the Spitz group, or erect as in some Hounds.

Hare-feet. Such feet as have the digits well separated, usually being long, like a hare’s.

Haw. The inner part of the lower eyelid which shows red and hangs open in such breeds as the St. Bernard and Bloodhound.

Hocks. Those joints in the hind limbs below the true knees, or stifle-joints.

Hound-marked. Fox Terriers are described as Hound-marked when their body patches conform to the pattern of Hound markings.

Leather. The skin of the ear which is often trimmed. The term has particular reference to ears which are pendant and large.

Mask. The muzzle or fore-face, generally so-called with reference to colour; for example, a light Cairn may have a dark mask.

Merle. A blue-grey mixture streaked or ticked with black, and usually seen in some Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs.

Over-shot. When the upper teeth project beyond the lower. A blemish in most breeds, though the lesser of jaw malformations.

Particolour. A term used for Pekingese of two colours in equal proportions, usually red-and-white and black-and-white.

Peak. The pronounced and pointed top of the occiput which is, in the Bloodhound and allied breeds, a favourable point.

Pencillings. The dark and elegant lines on the surface of the toes in some breeds, notably the Black-and-Tan Miniature Terrier.

Pied. When two colours occur in irregular patches, one more than the other, a dog is said to be pied.

Plumes. Whereas the brush is not always soft, plumes refer to the soft hair on the tail of the Pekingese and Pomeranian.

Prick-eared. When the ears are erect, as in Chow Chows, Schipperkes, Alsatians and Welsh Corgis.

Quarterings. The term, not often used, to denote good or bad limb junctions, particularly the hind-quarters.

Roached. A dog’s back is roached when it arches convexly, as in the Dandie Dinmont, Italian Greyhound and Whippet.

Rose-eared. When the ear, neither pricked nor dropped, folds or twists over, showing the inside, as in the Bulldog.

Ruff. The stand-off frill or apron of long (usually coarse) hair around the neck, as in the Chow Chow.

Saddle. The black rectangular marking on the back extending to the upper flanks, as in the Airedale and Welsh Terriers.

Self-marked. A dog is so-called when it is a whole colour, with white or pale markings on the chest, feet and tail tip.

Splay-feet. Feet of which the toes are spread out, as in some sporting breeds used in water-fowling.

Stern. A term frequently employed for the tail, with particular reference to Foxhounds, Harriers and Beagles.

Stife. That joint in the hind leg of a dog most approximating to the knee in man, particularly relating to the inner side.

Stop. The depression between and in front of the eyes roughly corresponding to the bridge of the nose; deep in Pugs.

Tongue. To “give tongue” is for a Hound to voice when on the scent. To “sing” being a moderate tongue, and “babble” an excess.

Topknot. The longer, finer hair on the top of the head rather like a powder-puff, as in Dandie

Dinmonts.

Tricolour. A term used when dogs have three colours more or less proportionate, usually black, tan and white, as in Hounds.

Trousers. The hair on the hindquarters. The term is often used in reference to Afghan Hounds and Poodles.

Tucked-up. When the loins are lifted up yet the chest is deep, giving a racy appearance, as in Borzo, Greyhounds and Whippets.

Undercoat. That soft furry wool beneath the outer hair of some breeds, often of different colour to the latter.

Under-shot. When the lower jaw and teeth project beyond the upper, as in the Bulldog and allied races.

Wall eyes. Eyes particoloured white-and-blue, seen in merle-coloured Collies and Sheep-dogs, often keenly valued.

Whiskers. The beard of Fox Terriers and allied Terriers, generally elongated and tidy, rather than bushy and too profuse.Wrinkle. The loose folds of skin puckered up on the brow and sides of the face in Bloodhounds, St. Bernards and Basenjis.