Sporting Group

Sporting Group is the name of a breed group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds. Not all kennel clubs include the same breeds in the "Sporting Group", and some kennel clubs do not use the "Sporting Group" classification. "Sporting Group" dogs are in general those used for hunting birds and small game, but not all dogs of this type are included in the "Sporting Group" of any particular kennel club.

Sporting dogs

One of the oldest meanings for the word "sport" in English is hunting as an entertainment for members of the nobility and elite classes. [cite book |others= The Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff|title= Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged|origdate= 1967|publisher= G&C Merriam Company|location= Springfield, MA U.S.A.|language= English|pages= 2206, sport|quote= ] To assist in the hunting of birds and small game, various "sporting" types of dogs were developed, which became the ancestors of today's pointer, retriever, setter, and spaniel purebred dog breeds. Because they were developed as bird dogs with energetic hunting abilities in water and field settings, most sporting dogs require regular exercise. Their naturally active and alert demeanor also makes them likeable and well-rounded companions.

Sporting Group breeds

Abbreviations used in this section are:
* AKC: American Kennel Club
* ANKC: Australian National Kennel Council
* CKC: Canadian Kennel Club
* KC: The Kennel Club (UK)
* NZKC: New Zealand Kennel Club
* UKC: United Kennel Club
* AKC FSS: American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service®

Differences between kennel clubs are noted in parentheses.

See also

*Breed Groups (dog)
*Gun dog
*Hunting dog

References