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Breed Guides & Rankings terms
Dog-breed guides and lists: most popular breeds, best breeds for families, apartments and seniors, the smartest and easiest breeds.
Backyard breeder A person who breeds dogs casually, usually without health testing, breed knowledge or a plan for the puppies; not a puppy mill, but often a poor source. Brachycephalic Having a short, broad skull and flattened muzzle, as in the Pug, Bulldog and French Bulldog, which can narrow the airway and affect breathing and cooling. Breed standard The written description of an ideal dog of a breed, covering size, proportions, coat, colour, movement and temperament, used to judge dogs and guide breeding. Brindle A coat pattern of dark, tiger-like stripes over a lighter base of tan, fawn or red, seen in Boxers, Greyhounds, Bulldogs and many others. Curly coat A coat of tight curls or waves, as on the Poodle, Bichon Frise and Curly-Coated Retriever, which sheds little but mats without regular grooming. Designer breed A dog deliberately bred from two chosen breeds, often with a catchy name such as Labradoodle or Cockapoo, that is not a recognised breed itself. Dewclaw A small extra digit on the inner side of a dog's leg above the paw, found on the front legs of most dogs and on the hind legs of some breeds. Dog breeder A person who plans and raises litters of puppies; a responsible breeder health tests the parents, follows a breed standard and stays involved with each puppy. Dolichocephalic Having a long, narrow skull and a long muzzle, as in the Greyhound, Collie, Borzoi and Saluki. Double coat A coat with two layers, a soft dense undercoat beneath longer, coarser guard hairs, that insulates a dog against cold and heat and sheds heavily in season. Foundation Stock Service An AKC record-keeping program for rare breeds not yet fully recognised, letting breeders register dogs on the way to full recognition. Fédération Cynologique Internationale The international federation of national kennel clubs, based in Belgium, that recognises breeds worldwide and assigns each one to a country of origin. Genetic diversity The variety of genes within a breed or population; closed stud books and heavy use of a few popular sires reduce it and make inherited conditions more common. Health testing The screening of breeding dogs for inherited conditions, such as hip, elbow, heart, eye and DNA tests, whose results are shared with buyers. Herding Group The AKC group of breeds developed to gather, drive and guard livestock, including the Border Collie, German Shepherd Dog and Corgis. Hock The joint on a dog's hind leg between the lower thigh and the foot, roughly the equivalent of a human ankle, used in judging structure and movement. 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. Hypoallergenic dog claim The marketing claim that a breed will not trigger allergies; no dog is truly hypoallergenic, since allergens also come from saliva, skin and urine. Inbreeding coefficient A percentage showing how likely a dog is to carry two identical copies of a gene from a shared ancestor, a measure of how closely related its parents were. Kennel registry An organisation that keeps records of dogs and their parentage, issues registration papers and pedigrees, and often runs shows and sports. Landrace dog A local population of dogs shaped by climate, work and natural selection in one region, rather than by a written breed standard and closed stud book. Merle A coat pattern with patches of diluted colour on a darker background, seen in breeds such as the Australian Shepherd, Collie and Great Dane. Mixed breed A dog whose parents are of different breeds or whose ancestry is unknown, often called a mutt. Non-Sporting Group The AKC group for breeds that fit no other group, a mix of different sizes, coats and histories such as the Poodle, Bulldog and Dalmatian. Orthopedic Foundation for Animals A US non-profit that keeps open databases of health screening results for dogs, including hip and elbow ratings, to help breeders choose healthy parents. Pedigree A written family tree of a dog showing its ancestors over several generations, usually with registered names, titles and sometimes health results. PennHIP A hip screening method that measures joint looseness with a stressed x-ray, reported as a distraction index, and can be done in puppies from 16 weeks. Purebred A dog whose parents and ancestors belong to one recognised breed and are recorded in a registry, so its ancestry can be traced on paper. Sable A coat colour in which each hair is banded or tipped with black over a lighter base, giving a shaded look as in many Collies and German Shepherds. Silky coat A fine, glossy, flowing coat that tangles easily and needs regular brushing, found on breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese and Afghan Hound. Smooth coat A short, close-lying coat that needs little grooming, found on breeds such as the Boxer, Beagle, Greyhound and Doberman Pinscher. Sporting Group The AKC group of breeds developed to help hunters find and retrieve game birds, including retrievers, spaniels, pointers and setters. Tail docking and ear cropping The surgical shortening of a dog's tail and reshaping of its ears for looks; banned or restricted in many countries and opposed by vets when cosmetic. 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. Undercoat The soft, short, dense layer of fur beneath the longer outer guard hairs of a double-coated dog, which provides insulation and is shed in large amounts. United Kennel Club A US registry founded in 1898 that registers many working and hunting breeds and also runs sports, with its own breed groups and standards. Wire coat A harsh, bristly outer coat with a dense undercoat, found on many terriers and some gundogs, traditionally kept tidy by hand stripping. Withers The ridge between a dog's shoulder blades at the base of the neck, the standard point from which a dog's height is measured. 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. Working line vs show line The split within one breed between dogs bred mainly for work or sport and dogs bred mainly for the show ring, which often differ in drive, build and energy.