Glossary

Sporting Group

The AKC group of breeds developed to help hunters find and retrieve game birds, including retrievers, spaniels, pointers and setters.

Also called: sporting dogs, AKC sporting group, gun dogs, gundogs, bird dogs

The Sporting Group is one of the seven groups of the American Kennel Club. It holds breeds created to work with hunters on game birds: retrievers that bring back downed birds, spaniels that flush them, and pointers and setters that find them and hold still. Well-known members include the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever, the Irish Setter and the German Shorthaired Pointer.

Groups sort breeds by original job, not by size or temperament. Sporting breeds are generally active and eager to work with people, but each breed differs, and a show line may be calmer than a field line.

At a show, the best dog of each breed competes in its group, and the seven group winners meet for Best in Show. Other registries use different groupings, so a breed can sit in another group elsewhere.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Hound Group The AKC group of breeds developed to hunt by scent or by sight, from the Beagle and Bloodhound to the Greyhound and Whippet. Working Group The AKC group of larger breeds developed for jobs such as guarding, pulling sleds or carts and rescue work, including the Boxer, Rottweiler and Siberian Husky. Terrier Group The AKC group of breeds developed to hunt and kill vermin such as rats, foxes and badgers, usually small to medium, bold and energetic. Toy Group The AKC group of very small companion breeds, such as the Chihuahua, Pomeranian and Pug, kept mainly for company.