The Great Dane is a historic breed of large sighthound-mastiff dog from Germany. The Great Dane descends from German hunting dogs from the Middle Ages, and is one of the largest breeds in the world.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship. The AKC is a non-member partner with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, commonly called the Staffy or Stafford, is a shorthaired, purebred dog breed of medium size that originated in the Black Country of Staffordshire in the English Midlands. Their earliest beginnings date back centuries when the Mastiff and Bulldog were closely linked, and were used for bull and bear baiting which required large dogs in the 100–120 lb range. After Parliament passed the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835, dog fighting became a clandestine sport. Breeders migrated away from the heavier bulldogs, and introduced terrier blood into their crosses for gameness and agility. The ancestral crosses of bulldogs and terriers were known by different aliases, such as the Patched Fighting Terrier, Staffordshire Pit-dog, Brindle Bull, and Bull-and-Terrier, which can be confusing relative to the modern Staffordshire Bull Terrier's brief history. Those same crosses were also called half-and-halfs and half-breds but were more commonly known as the bull and terrier, which was not a breed but the beginning of several breeds.
The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium.
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also operates the national register of pedigree dogs in the United Kingdom and acts as a lobby group on issues involving dogs in the UK. Its headquarters are on Clarges Street in Mayfair, London, with business offices in Aylesbury.
A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs.
The Poodle, called the Pudel in German and the Caniche in French, is a breed of water dog. The breed is divided into four varieties based on size, the Standard Poodle, Medium Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle, although the Medium Poodle variety is not universally recognised.
The Bearded Collie, or Beardie, is a herding breed of dog once used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now mostly a popular family companion.
Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom. Organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, it is the largest show of its kind in the world.
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog that emerged in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd's Dog and bob-tailed sheep-dog. The nickname Bob-tail originates from how dogs of the breed traditionally had their tails docked. Old English Sheepdogs can grow very long coats with fur covering the face and eyes and do not shed unless brushed.
The Lancashire Heeler is a small breed of dog developed for use as a drover and herder of cattle. The Lancashire Heeler is listed by the Kennel Club (UK) as a vulnerable breed.
The Pumi is a medium-small breed of sheep dog from Hungary. They are versatile stock dogs equally adept at gathering, driving and keeping stock under control. They have a long head with semi-erect ears, a whimsical expression, and a tail that forms a circle over the back. The coat is a combination of wavy and curly hair forming curls all over the body.
The Dutch Shepherd is a herding dog of Dutch origin. They were used by shepherds and farmers who needed a versatile dog, with few demands, and a dog that was able to adapt to a harsh and meager existence.
The Stumpy Tailed Heeler is a naturally bobtailed or tailless, medium-sized cattle dog similar and/or related to the Australian Cattle Dog. The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog was developed in Australia to herd cattle, and descends from crosses between European herding dogs and the Australian dingo. The name is spelled both with hyphenation, and without, and while the shorter name Heeler is sometimes applied, the name Heeler most often refers to the Australian Cattle Dog.
Danish–Swedish farmdog is a breed of dog that has its origin in Denmark and southern Sweden, but has become popular all over Scandinavia. It is a native breed which has historically lived on farms in the eastern part of Denmark and southernmost part of Sweden, serving as a guard dog, rat catcher and hunting dog. The breed's soft and gentle temperament also makes them excellent companion dogs. There are some indications that the breed originates from the pinscher breeds and the British white hunting terriers.
Heelwork to music is a dog sport similar to musical canine freestyle.
The Société centrale canine, officially the Société Centrale Canine pour l'Amélioration des Races de Chiens en France and abbreviated SCC, is a French kennel club founded in 1881. It is made up of regional clubs and breed clubs, and coordinates and regulates activities and connections between governmental groups and dog clubs, as well as activities through the Fédération cynologique internationale, where it was one of the original five founding member organizations in 1911.
The Kennel Club of Pakistan (KCP) is a non-profit kennel club in Pakistan. The organization's main functions are to register pure-bred dogs and to act as governing body for the sport of pure-bred dogs. Its activities include maintenance of pedigree documentation, dog shows, working trials, field trials, obedience classes and tests. The club has reciprocal arrangements with the American Kennel Club and the Kennel Club of England.
Raad van Beheer op Kynologisch Gebied in Nederland is the official kennel club of the Netherlands. Founded in 1902, it currently represents around 200 breed clubs with 150,000 members, and is a member of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI).
Confederação Brasileira de Cinofilia or CBKC is a Brazilian kennel club confederation based in Rio de Janeiro. The confederation is affiliated with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), being the only representative of this system in Brazil.
