As early as the time of the Ancient Roman Empire, humans were classifying dogs into groups, based on what their jobs were. While dogs of modern times are primarily companions, early on they were domesticated to be of service to humans. Dogs were bred to perform a function in order to be a part of a household.
The Romans were the first to classify dogs into five groups. The Villatici group were the dogs bred to protect the household. The Venatici group were sporting or hunting dogs. The Pugnaces or Bellicosi dogs were war dogs, Pedibus Celebes were sighthounds, and Nara Sagaces were scent hounds. Most of the world followed the Roman classification system for some time until roughly the 1800s.
The American Kennel Club was founded in 1885, and started its grouping system with only the Sporting and Non-Sporting groups. The Sporting Group consisted of every dog that was used for hunting purposes, with remaining breeds going into the Non-Sporting Group. It wasn’t until 1930 when there were simply too many dogs in both groups at breeding stock shows that the seven groups known today were formed. The Hound, Terrier, Working, Toy, and Non-Sporting groups all split from the original Sporting and Non-Sporting groups.
If you are looking for a purebred dog, it is best to start with the parent AKC breed club to find a reputable breeder after you have figured out what exactly it is you are looking for from a dog. Starting with the Sporting Group, I am going to focus on what each group’s dogs were bred to do. The Sporting Group, as we know it today, contains 33 different breeds of dogs that cover pointers, retrievers, setters, and spaniels.
The difference between each of the Sporting breeds lies in what each dog was meant to do while hunting. Pointers such as the German Shorthair Pointer or Weimaraner run very fast, working away from the hunter while sniffing out prey. When these dogs find their prey, their bodies go very rigid. They freeze with their nose pointing directly at the prey for the hunter to kill. Setters, such as the English Setter or the Irish Setter, work very closely to the hunter and move in a crouched manner, almost crawling towards their prey. Because of their crawling-like movement, they almost all have long silky hair to protect their skin from brush. Spaniels, such as Cockers or Clumber Spaniels, have a sturdy and compact build and move slower, flushing out birds from the brush for the hunter to shoot. And finally, Retrievers, such as the ever-popular Golden and Labrador, retrieve the birds either on land or in water after they have been shot.
Sporting dogs, regardless of whether they are a spaniel or retriever, will need significant exercise. Just looking at a Weimaraner, you can see the sleek, muscular frame they have, which enables them to run all day. Therefore, if you are not an active person or perhaps do not have a large, fenced-in yard for them to run in, you might want to avoid getting one. Goldens and Labs need to have something in their mouths to retrieve; they can be very busy and bitey puppies. If you don’t have the time to commit to training them, they also might not be the best choice for you. The Sporting Group is a diverse group in both looks and personalities. These dogs are perfectly suited for those who live an active lifestyle.
The Sporting Group Breeds: American Water Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel, Bracco Italiano, Brittany, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Barbet, Clumber Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel, Curly Coated Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel, English Setter, English Springer Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Flat Coated Retriever, German Shorthaired Pointer, German Wirehaired Pointer, Golden Retriever, Gordon Setter, Irish Red & White Setter, Irish Setter, Irish Water Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Lagotto Romangnolo, Nederlandse Kooikerhonje, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Pointer, Spinone Italiano, Sussex Spaniel, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, and the Wirehaired Vizsla.
If you have any questions, please email fouronthefloorschool@gmail.com.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
