7 Different Dog Classes and Their Various Skills

With more than 46 million households that have dogs running around, dogs truly are human’s best friend. However, having a dog is a lot like having a baby and that’s why puppy training is so important.

At the bare minimum, dog owners are expected to feed and take their dogs for walks every single day, but there’s more to puppy training than just that. With more than 150 dog breeds, each of the seven (eight including miscellaneous) classes of dog should be cared for differently. Here is a little bit about each of the dog classes:

• Working — Most of these dogs are both very intelligent and strong. They are often used as working, farm, and draft animals and can guard houses and livestock well. These fearless pups have grown up to serve as military and police dogs as well.
• Toy — A dog breed that has been around for centuries, these dogs are the best friends. They are bred to be amazing companions for humans. They are typically smaller in size, but big in their hearts. From the moment puppy training starts, they are destined to become great companions for their owners.
• Herding — Dogs have a natural instinct to herd. That’s why these dogs are great for farm and ranch properties with plenty of livestock.
• Terrier — Primarily evolved in the British Isles, these dogs are great for hunting varmints like otters and rats. They are also excellent search dogs.
• Sporting — These dogs are hunting companions. They assist in hunting for upland game birds, ducks, and geese. These dogs can perform a variety of tasks, but their main tasks are to point and mark game, flush game, and recover wounded and deceased game.
• Hound — Because of their size, coat and shape, hounds are another type of hunting dog. The majority of hound dogs were developed to hunt by themselves. Humans typically followed on foot as the hounds chased down their prey. These dogs have an amazing sense of smell and use this it to their advantage while hunting.
• Non-Sporting — Just about every single breed that is not considered a sporting breed. These dogs vary in function, history, size, shape, and much more. The American Kennel Club eventually broke up its two definite breeds of Sporting or Non-Sporting and gave hounds, terriers, toys and working dogs their own breeds.

Dog obedience training can be difficult but is necessary to have a well-trained pup. Working with professional dog trainers can ensure that your dog is getting the training and care he or she deserves.