Dogs of the United Kingdom

Dogs of the United Kingdom

When looking at the dogs of the United Kingdom this page refrences those from England, Scotland, and Wales. For information on the dogs of Ireland, please reference our Ireland page instead of the United Kingdom.

There are approximately 35 dog breeds that are from England, about half of this number are or where primarily used for hunting. These hunting breeds range from terriers to hounds, and are still largely used for sport in their homeland. Other dog types from England include breeds that where once used to control vermin, herding dogs, and breeds once used for dog fights or the baiting of other animals.

From Scotland we have around a dozen dog breeds; about half of these dogs are used for livestock herding, including the various Collie breeds and the small Shetland Sheepdog. The other half is comprised of the Deerhound, the Setter breeds, and various terriers, such as the Skye, Scottish, and Dandie Dinmont Terriers. Each of the dogs from Scotland originally had a purpose suited to their abilities, although today many of them are simply companion breeds.

Wales is the home of only half the number of breeds compared to Scotland. They include the Sealyham Terrier, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Welsh Terrier, and the two Welsh Corgis, the Pembroke and Cardigan. The little Corgis were used for herding sheep and cattle, despite their size. “Corgi” literally means dwarf dog in Welsh.

There are also two breeds that hail from both England and Scotland, being developed on the border lands between the two countries. These breeds are the Border Collie and Border Terrier. The Border Collie, like many United Kingdom breeds, was used for herding livestock, while the Border Terrier controlled the vermin in this region.

Dogs of Malta

Dogs of Malta

There are only two breeds of dog from the small European island of Malta, the Maltese and the Pharaoh Hound. These two breeds were kept for separate purposes, the first being a favored companion, and the second as a hunting sighthound. Although it is generally accepted that these breeds origins are Malta, this has been debated by various sources for both dogs.

Dogs of Ireland

Dogs of Ireland

There are a handful dogs that originate from Ireland. Most of these breeds were either used for hunting or various farm tasks, although it was also popular for some of them to be used in badger-baiting. This is one of many dog “sports” that is now illegal in Ireland and most countries worldwide.

Ireland is the home of several terrier dog breeds, including the Glen of Imaal, Soft Coated Wheaten, Irish, and Kerry Blue Terrier. The Glen of Imaal and Irish Terrier were often used for hunting smaller animals, the former being proficient with fox and badger, while the later was often used to hunt otter and water rats. The larger Kerry Blue and Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers were commonly used on farms and had duties such as herding, vermin control, and guarding.

Ireland is also the home of various hunting breeds, such as the Irish Red and Red and White Setters, breeds that are often used to hunt quail, pheasant, and grouse. This is also the home of one of the rarest of the spaniel breeds, the Irish Water Spaniel. Once more common, even in the United States, this breed lost popularity to the Labrador Retriever. The last of the hunting breeds from Ireland is the Irish Wolfhound, named for its prey rather than its appearance. Believed to be an extremely old breed, it is thought these dogs were originally kept by the ancient Celts as war dogs. They were excellent at hunting wolves, and although the wolf is now extinct in Ireland, the Irish Wolfhound still thrives there.

Dogs of Germany

Dogs of Germany

There are over thirty breeds of dog from Germany. Some of the breeds are more familiar to the world, such as the Great Dane and Rottweiler. Yet also among them are little known breeds, such as the Hovawart, Leonberger, and Pudelpointer. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes over a dozen dog breeds from Germany.

There is also a variety of dog types from Germany, although most of them are either companion or hunting dogs, however there are herding and terriers as well. The companion breeds range from the Miniature Pinscher and Schnauzer to the Pomeranian and Keeshond. The latter breeds were once considered to simply be a variation of the German Spitz, and in some countries they are still viewed this way today.

German hunting dog breeds include the German Spaniel, four separate breeds of German Pointing Dogs, the Pudelpointer, and even the Great Dane was once used for hunting. The hunting abilities of the Great Dane are often overlooked, most think of the breed as a guard dog, or simply a companion; however they were once commonly used to hunt wild boar, deer, and wolves. The Boxer also shares this misconception; they are another German hunting dog, used for boar, bear, and deer.

Germany is also the home, as the name suggests, of the German Shepherd Dog. World renown for their intelligence and wide range of abilities, these dogs are suited to many tasks including police work, search and rescue, and military duties. Originally the breed was used for herding livestock, but today is more commonly used for the tasks above, or simply as a household companion. Another multi talented breed, but one not nearly as well known, is the Leonberger. This German dog’s abilities include livestock guarding, obedience, and in its homeland is often used for search and rescue.

Dogs of Austria

Dogs of Austria

Most of the dogs from Austria are hunting hounds, including the Alpine Dachsbracke, as well as the Austrian Black and Tan, Styrian coarse-haired, and Tyrolean Hound. Also among the dogs of Austria is the Austrian Pinscher, which was commonly used on farms.

The history of the Austrian dogs is old and rich. It is believed that the Austrian Black and Tan, as well as the Tyrolean Hound are both decedents of the Celtic hounds. These dogs were greatly respected by warrior and royalty alike. They had an immense amount of loyalty and courage, and often used on the hunt. Many Celtic myths and legends mention these hounds even today. The Celtic hounds were even used in battle as war dogs. Eventually the bloodline found its way into these two Austrian dog breeds.

The Austrian dog breeds are not as well known outside of their homeland as some of the other European breeds. Although they are all recognized by the Federation Cynologique International (FCI), an internationally recognized Kennel Club, only the Alpine Dachsbracke and the Austrian Pinscher are recognized in the United States under the United Kennel Club (UKC). The other Austrian dogs have not yet been recognized.

Like many European countries, hunting is quite popular, and so are the dogs used for the sport. The Alpine Dachsbracke was once a favorite of the German royalty and is used to track a range of prey. The Styrian coarse-haired, Austrian Black and Tan, and Tyrolean Hound are all included in a group known as the Grand Brackes. These dogs were developed to hunt in the high altitudes of the mountainous areas in Austria.

Dogs of France

When compiling the lists and information for the dogs of France their list in many ways is daunting to look at. Unlike Germany and the United Kingdom, who also have long lists of dogs hailing from their homelands, many of the French breeds are not known outside of France, or at best, outside of Europe. Information on some of the breeds is limited, or next to non-existent. There are over fifty breeds of dog from France and most of them were developed and still used for hunting.

Many of the French hunting dogs are scenthounds, most of them used in packs to hunt prey such as fox. Longer legged scenthounds are commonly used when the hunter is on horseback, while the shorter legged dogs are easier to follow if one is on foot. The popular Basset Hound is a scenthound that originated in Great Britain, but unknown to most outside of France there are actually six different Basset breeds. The other five are Frenc, the Basset artesian normand, Basset bleu de Gascogne, Basset fauve de Bretagne, Grand Basset griffon vendeen, and Petit Basset griffon vendeen. Other types of French hunting dogs include many spaniels and pointers. These breeds differ in area of origin throughout France, as well as size and color.

Aside from the hunting breeds there are other French dogs, such as the toy breeds, which include the Bichon Frise, Papillion, and Lowchen. There are several herding breeds from France as well, including the Pyrenean Sheepdog and Beauceron.

France’s national dog, the Poodle, while developed there, most likely originated in Germany.

Dogs of Belgium

Dogs of Belgium

Although only about a dozen dogs call Belgium home there is a wide variety of breeds that hail from this European country. From the Schipperke that is commonly known as a “barge dog” to companion breeds to the Belgian Shepherd Dogs, each breed had its own purpose and abilities in its early years in Belgium.

One of the more common working dogs from Belgium is the Bloodhound, or Chien de berger belge. The Bloodhound is thought to be at least a thousand years old and has the strongest sense of smell of any breed in the world. This breed is ancestor to many other modern (and not so modern) breeds worldwide, including the American Coonhounds, Swiss Jura Hound, Bavarian Mountain Hound, and many other scent hounds we know today. It is a common misconception that the Bloodhound is a dog from England instead of Belgium.

Belgium is also the home of the Belgian Shepherd Dogs, the Groenendael, Laekenois, Malinois, and Tervueren. Although these dogs look very different, they differ mainly in color and coat type, body structure remains the same for each of them. In some countries these dogs are seen as individual breeds, and others as one breed with simply four varieties. The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) is a Kennel Club that is used internationally and located in Belgium; they see them simply as a single breed. Meanwhile the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes the Groenendael is recognized as the Belgian Sheepdog, the Tervueren as the Tervuren, and the Malinois. Currently the Laekenois can currently only be listed in their foundation stock service, but eventually all four Belgian Shepherd Dogs should be recognized individually in the United States.

Dogs of Italy

There are about a dozen breeds of dog from Italy. Many of these breeds are hunting dogs, but there are a few other types as well. These other Italian dogs work with livestock or are guard dogs or companions.

Both the Bergamasco and Maremma Sheepdog are Italian dogs originally used with livestock, although they each have their own abilities and purpose. The Bergamasco is a herding dog from the Italian Alps, most often used for herding sheep. The Maremma Sheepdog is a livestock guardian. They would live with flocks of sheep and guard them from wolves and other predators. This dog is now found not only in Italy, but most of Europe as well.

The companion dogs of Italy include the Bolognese and Volpino Italiano (Italian Spitz), the later sometimes was also used as a guard dog. The Bolognese is a member of the Bichon family of dogs; they are small, white dog that was once quite popular with the Italian Royalty. Volpino Italiano were originally kept as guard dogs on farms, used to alert the larger dogs of an intruder. Now they are commonly kept as companions, although they are virtually unknown dogs outside of Italy and several other European countries.

Other Italian guard dogs are the Cane Corso and Neapolitan Mastiff. These breeds are more recognized worldwide than some of the other Italian breeds. They are both recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), although currently the Cane Corso is only listed in the Foundation Stock Service. These dogs were often kept on Italian farms.

The remaining Italian dogs were used for various types of hunting. They include pointers, retrievers, and sighthounds. One of the more unique breeds is the Lagotto Romagnolo, or Romagna Water Dog, which is most often used as a retriever in water. However, the breed can also be used to hunt for the non-prey, truffles. One of the more common Italian hunting dogs is the Italian Greyhound.

Dogs of Russia

Dogs of Russia

There are several breeds of dog that originate from Russia, the most well known being the Samoyed and Siberian Husky. Lesser known dogs of Russia include the South Russian and Caucasian Ovcharkas.

Most of the Russian dog breeds have existed for centuries, in recent DNA testing it was found that the Samoyed and Siberian Husky were two of the most ancient dog breeds. Only 152 breeds that are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) were tested, so although these are old breeds, there are without a doubt more, and many of the dogs found in the test were from Asia, so it is possible Russia may be the home of more “ancient" breeds. It is believed by some that the Central Asian Ovcharka is one of the oldest breeds in existence, and perhaps having a close tie to the Tibetan Mastiff. Some of the breeds are more recent from Russia, such as the Black Russian Terrier and Russian Spaniel.

All of Russia’s breeds were once used (and most still are) for a working purpose. The Samoyed and Siberian Husky are both from the Siberia region and were used as sled dogs, both breeds having historical significance for exploration and use in Alaska as well as their homeland. The Caucasian, South Russian, and Central Asian Ovcharkas were used for guarding livestock and their families. The Borzoi is a sighthound, originally used for hunting wolves, was once kept exclusively by the Tsar. A fairly recent breed, the Russian Spaniel was developed by crossing English Cocker and Springer Spaniels at the end of the 19th century. Developed by the former USSR, the Black Russian Terrier was bred as a military/police dog by the state, only recently have they been found outside Russia.