Sporting Group is the name of a breed group of dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

s, used by kennel club

Kennel club

A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog...

s to classify a defined collection of dog breed

Dog breed

Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

s. 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

Dog type

Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....

 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. 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

Retriever

A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun-dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage...

, setter

Setter

The setter is a type of gundog used most often for hunting game such as quail, pheasant, and grouse. A setter silently searches for game by scent. When prey is encountered the dog freezes rather than chasing after the game. Setters get their name from their distinctive stance; a sort of crouch...

, and spaniel

Spaniel

A spaniel is a type of gun dog. It is assumed spaniels originated from Spain as the word spaniel may be derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase "Chiens de l’Espagnol" . Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of dense brush. By the late 17th century spaniels had become...

 purebred dog breeds. Because they were developed as bird dog

Bird dog

A bird dog is a type of gun dog or hunting dog used to hunt or retrieve birds or other small game animals. by tracking their scent in the air. This dog breed has special hunting abilities and they are also trained to retrieve the birds after hunting them down. Bird dogs tend to enjoy the process of...

s 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.

	American Water Spaniel American Water Spaniel The American Water Spaniel, , is a breed of spaniel which is one of a small number of breeds originating in the United States. Developed in the state of Wisconsin during the 19th century from a number of other breeds, including the Irish and English Water Spaniels. The breed was saved by Dr. Fred J...  (not recognised by the KC (UK), ANKC, or NZKC)		American Cocker Spaniel American Cocker Spaniel The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of sporting dog. It is a spaniel type dog that is closely related to the English Cocker Spaniel; the two breeds diverged during the 20th century due to differing breed standards in America and the UK...		Barbet Barbet (dog) The Barbet is a breed of dog; it is a medium-sized French water dog. It is listed in Group 8 by the , the French Kennel Club.- Description :...  (Recognised only by the CKC and UKC)
	Boykin Spaniel Boykin Spaniel Discovered and further developed by South Carolina hunters for hunters in the 1900s, the Boykin Spaniel is a medium-sized breed of dog, a Spaniel bred for hunting wild turkeys and ducks in the Wateree River Swamp of South Carolina, in the United States...  (Recognized by the AKC and UKC)		Bracco Italiano Bracco Italiano The Bracco Italiano is a breed of dog developed in Italy as a versatile gun dog. It is not common in its native country and is virtually unknown elsewhere.-Description:...  (only recognised by the KC (UK) and the UKC, currently in the AKC FSS Foundation Stock Service Program The Foundation Stock Service Program is a breed registry of the American Kennel Club in which breeders can record the birth and parentage of a rare breed they are working to establish in the United States. These dogs provide the foundation stock from which an AKC fully recognized breed might result... )		Braque du Bourbonnais Braque du Bourbonnais The Braque du Bourbonnais is a breed of gundog, of rustic appearance, sometimes born with a short tail, with a coat ticked with liver or fawn.- Origins :...  (recognised only by the UKC)
	Brittany Brittany (dog) The Brittany is a breed of gun dog bred primarily for bird hunting. Although the Brittany is often referred to as a Spaniel, the breed's working characteristics are more akin to those of a pointer or setter.-History:...		Cesky Fousek Cesky Fousek The Cesky Fousek is a Czech breed of versatile gun dog. They are wirehaired, and have the beard and moustache common to the wirehaired breeds. There is a dramatic difference in size between the bitches and dogs of this breed....  (recognised only by the NZKC and UKC)		Canadian Pointer (recognised only by the ARBA)
	Chesapeake Bay Retriever Chesapeake Bay Retriever The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a breed of dog belonging to the Retriever, Gundog, and Sporting breed groups. Members of the breed may also be referred to as a Chessie, CBR, or Chesapeake. The breed was developed in the United States Chesapeake Bay area during the 19th century...		Clumber Spaniel Clumber Spaniel The Clumber Spaniel is a breed of dog of the spaniel type, developed in the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the spaniels, and comes in predominantly one colour. The name of the breed is taken from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. It is a gundog that specialises in hunting in heavy cover. They...		Curly Coated Retriever Curly Coated Retriever The Curly Coated Retriever is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. It is the tallest of the retrievers and is easily distinguishable by the mass of tight curls covering its body...  (not recognised by the ANKC or NZKC)
	Drentsche Patrijshond (recognised only by the UKC)		English Cocker Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. The English Cocker Spaniel is an active, good-natured, sporting dog, standing well up at the withers and compactly built. There are "field" or "working" cockers and "show" cockers...		English Setter English Setter The English Setter is a breed of dog. It is part of the Setter family, which includes red Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, and black-and-tan Gordon Setters. It is a gun dog, bred for a mix of endurance and athleticism.- Appearance :...
	English Springer Spaniel English Springer Spaniel The English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dog traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. It is an affectionate, excitable breed with an average lifespan of twelve to fourteen years. Descended from the Norfolk or Shropshire Spaniels of the mid-19th century, the breed has diverged into...		Field Spaniel Field Spaniel The Field Spaniel is a medium-sized breed dog of the spaniel type. They were originally developed to be all black show dogs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and were unpopular for work as a hunting dog. However during the mid 20th century they were redeveloped as a longer legged dog that...		Flat-Coated Retriever Flat-Coated Retriever The Flat-Coated Retriever is a gundog breed originating from the United Kingdom. It was developed as a retriever both on land and in the water.-Appearance:...
	French Spaniel French Spaniel The French Spaniel is a breed of dog of the Spaniel type. It was developed in France as a hunting dog, descended from dogs of the 14th century. Popular with royalty during the Middle Ages, it nearly became extinct by the turn of the 20th century but was saved by the efforts of Father Fournier, a...  (recognised only by the CKC and UKC)		German Longhaired Pointer German Longhaired Pointer The German longhaired pointer is a breed of dog. It was developed in Germany, and is used as a gundog.-Appearance:The GLP should be muscular, elegant, and athletic. It should not be bulky or cumbersome, and it should be able to move with great speed and freedom. It has moderate bone, but has...  (not recognized by the AKC, ANKC, or NZKC)		German Shorthaired Pointer German Shorthaired Pointer The German shorthaired pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 19th century in Germany for hunting.The breed is streamlined yet powerful with strong legs that make it able to move rapidly and turn quickly. It has moderately long floppy ears set high on the head. Its muzzle is long, broad, and...
	German Wirehaired Pointer German Wirehaired Pointer The German wirehaired pointer is a griffon type breed of dog developed in the 19th century in Germany for hunting. It became a leading gun dog in Germany in the later part of the 20th century...		Golden Retriever Golden Retriever The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...		Gordon Setter Gordon Setter A Gordon Setter is a large breed of dog, a member of the setter family that also includes both the better-known Irish Setter and the English Setter. Setter breeds are classified as members of either the Sporting or Gundog Group depending on the national kennel club or council. The original purpose...
	Irish Red and White Setter Irish Red and White Setter The Irish Red and White Setter is a breed of dog, more specifically a setter. It is virtually identical in use and temperament to its cousin, the Irish Setter, but is more often found as a working gundog.-Appearance:...  (AKC FSS)		Irish Setter Irish Setter The Irish Setter , is a setter, a breed of gundog and family dog. The term Irish Setter is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog recognized by the American Kennel Club as well as the field-bred Red Setter recognised by the Field Dog Stud Book....		Irish Water Spaniel Irish Water Spaniel The Irish Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that is the largest and one of the oldest of spaniels.The Irish Water Spaniel is considered one of the rarer breeds with the AKC in terms of registrations but is still widely respected and sought-after for its unusual qualities.-Appearance:The Irish Water...
	Kooikerhondje (Recognised only by the KC (UK) and UKC. AKC FSS)		Labrador Retriever Labrador Retriever The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...		Lagotto Romagnolo Lagotto Romagnolo The Lagotto Romagnolo is a breed of dog that comes from the Romagna sub-region of Italy. The name means "lake dog from Romagna," coming from the Italian word lago, lake. Its traditional function is a gundog, specifically a water retriever...  (not recognised by the CKC. AKC FSS)
	Large Münsterländer Large Munsterlander The Large Munsterlander is a breed of gun dog originally from the Münster region in Germany.The Kennel Club in England recognised the breed in 1919 and established the breed standard in 1921.-Appearance:...  (not recognised by the AKC)		Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever The Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever, or Toller for short, is a medium sized breed of gundog bred primarily for hunting. The dog originated in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the smallest of the retrievers.-Use in hunting:...		Pointer Pointer (dog breed) The Pointer, often called the English Pointer, is a breed of dog developed as a gun dog. It is one of several pointing breeds.-Appearance:...
	Portuguese Pointer Portuguese Pointer A Portuguese Pointer, is a breed of dog developed as a gun dog. It is one of several pointing breeds and is mainly used in Red-legged Partridge hunting....  (only recognised by the UKC. AKC FSS)		Small Münsterländer Small Munsterlander The Small Munsterlander is a versatile hunting-pointing-retrieving dog breed that reached its current form in the area around Münster, Germany. The Large Munsterlander is from the same area, but was developed from different breeding stock and is not related as the names would suggest...  (recognised only by the UKC and CKC. AKC FSS)		Spanish Water Dog Spanish Water Dog The Spanish Water Dog or Perro de Agua Español is a breed of dog developed by the shepherds in Spain as a multi-purpose herder who was also used sometimes as a gundog, as well as an assistant to fishermen.-Appearance:...  (not recognised by NZKC. AKC FSS)
	Spinone Italiano Spinone Italiano The Spinone Italiano is an Italian dog breed. However, it should be recognized that the Spinone is a unique, indivisable breed and the correct reference is Spinone . It was originally bred as a versatile gun dog. To this day, the breed still masters that purpose...		Sussex Spaniel Sussex Spaniel The Sussex Spaniel is a breed of dog developed in Sussex in southern England. It is a low, compact spaniel and is similar in appearance to the Clumber Spaniel. They can be slow paced, but can have a clownish and energetic temperament...		Vizsla Hungarian Vizsla The Vizsla is a dog breed originating in Hungary. The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla are sporting dogs and loyal companions, in addition to being the smallest of the all-round pointer-retriever breeds...
	Weimaraner Weimaraner The Weimaraner is a dog that was originally bred for hunting in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear, and deer. As the popularity of large game hunting began to decline, Weimaraners were used for hunting smaller animals like...		Welsh Springer Spaniel Welsh Springer Spaniel The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a breed of dog and a member of the spaniel family. Thought to be comparable to the old Land Spaniel, they are similar to the English Springer Spaniel and historically have been referred to as both the Welsh Spaniel and the Welsh Cocker Spaniel...		Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Wirehaired Pointing Griffon The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is a breed of dog used in hunting as a gundog. It is sometimes considered to be Dutch in ancestry, due to the breed founder, Eduard Korthals, nationality... (not recognised by the ANKC, NZKC, or KC (UK)