Determining what breed group a dog belongs seems so easy for some. However, they do not know that every club has its own criteria in categorizing a kennel. For example, a police dog in other place is categorized as a working group dog while in other place, it is grouped in utility type.

There are many factors in knowing what breed group a dog belongs. And we are delivering to you how these different organizations categorized a certain dog breed groups.

Fédération Cynologique Internationale

This federation is a global kennel federation with more than 80 member countries around the world. It is organized to have a worldwide basis for dog breeding groups. This federation basically was created to group dogs which are for international competition or dog shows.

With the creation of the FCI, you can now determine if your dog or the breed of your dog can compete in a certain competition. For example, if you have a Chihuahua and you want to enter him into a competition, you will know that he will not be entered into a rescue or service dog competition because according to FCI Chihuahuas are only a companion or toy dog. So, there are other competitions that are suited for your Chihuahuas.

FCI categorizes each dog breed group according to the dog’s type and origin. In here, you can see that there are many kinds of dog breed groups, 10 in all. Because it recognized more than 300 breeds of dogs. And each breed of dog is categorized into groups. And one of the group is the Companion and Toy dog, where your Chihuahua belongs.

Canadian Kennel Club

This organization for dog lovers and owners in Canada is created to maintain the pedigree of pure breed dogs in Canada. It does not only works for ensuring the pedigree of breeds of dogs, it also organization competition and dog shows, particularly conformation show and obedience competition.

However, CKC only recognizes 175 dog breeds, much less than that of FCI.
CKC categorized its recognized breeds of dogs according to the dog breed’s characteristics and appearance.

CKC only has 7 groups for its 175 dog breeds. But it has an additional group of dog breeds, which it calls as Miscellaneous Class. It is a group of dog breeds that are not yet recognized by CKC. You can check its website, ckc.ca, to know if your dog belongs to Miscellaneous Class.

American Kennel Club

This dog club based in America is unlike most of the dog clubs in the world which are part of the FCI. It is also created in America to maintain American thorough breed dogs pedigree.

Historically, AKC does not allow other countries’ dogs without American dog blood in its shows. But as the days gone by, it loosened its policy and now allows other nations’ competing dogs as long as they are registered with a certified kennel club in their country of origin.

AKC recognizes 202 dog breeds and divided them into 7 groups, one miscellaneous class and what they call as Foundation Stock Service (FSS) program.

The FSS program is a registry of pure breed dogs which are not yet recognized by AKC. But if they meet several criteria to advancing to higher level, these breeds of dogs will progress to the miscellaneous class.

The miscellaneous class, however, if they have already secured an ample supply of gene pool, can then be advanced to one of the 7 groups.

Interestingly, AKC categorized dog breeds group according to the dog’s color and markings. You can check at apps.akc.org what group your breed of dog belongs because according to its website, every breed of a dog has color codes and markings specific to each breed of dogs.

I’m sure my pug does not belong to toy group. He loves toys but he does not like to be played with less he will bite me.

United Kennel Club

This dog club is organized primarily to be a registering body for dog performance. What makes this club extraordinary is that it does not only functioning as a body that registers known pedigree of pure breed dogs. This club allows any pedigree of dogs either thorough breed or mixed breed to join in its performance events.

There are 8 groups of dog breeds in the United Kennel Club. However, since the club is not very particular in conformity shows but rather it focuses more on the performance and the look of the dog.

This club has a unique among all the other dog organizations mentioned above in terms of categorizing dog breed groups. It categorizes the dog breeds according to their performance and looks.

But I’m somewhat confused where my pug would belong. He is a pug but performs like a pit bull terrier. So, tough, sensitive and aggressive.

The Kennel Club (KC), UK

This club is oldest dog club in the world. Its functions as a governing body which oversees canine activities, including dog shows and working and agility trials.

However, KC is not a member of FCI, same as AKC. Its recently recognized dog breed Turkish Kangal makes the once 210 recognized dog breeds into 211. They are grouped into 7.

What makes KC unique in categorizing its dog breeds into a certain group is it is basing on the similarity of each breed. Say for example, if your Chihuahua looks like a pit bull and acts like it, then it must be grouped to where pit bulls belong. That’s how simple. Retrievers, Spaniels, pointers and setters are grouped as Gundog because they perform almost the same and look almost the same as well.

Australian National Kennel Council and New Zealand Kennel Club

ANKC’S primary function is to promote breeding, showing and other dog-related activities like obedience.

It is a peak dog body thus it does not deal with individuals directly. Dog owners must first approach a representative dog councils in the state where they belong.

Moreover, NZKC is a primary dog club in New Zealand. But both of them share 7 similar dog breed groups.

They categorize their groups based on the breed standards, ideal characteristics of dog breeds and the dog breeds’ temperament.

I, therefore, conclude that my Chihuahua must really be a pit bull terrier if I was a member of these clubs!