Collie Dog Owners

There are over 800 dog breeds recognized at various kennel registries thoughout the world.  Some dogs, although they perpetuate certain traits in their decendants, belong to no recognized breed.  These breeds are futher classified into groups.  A group combines various dog breeds based on specific traits of their line - differentiating between dogs who hunt, dogs who guard, dogs who herd, companion dogs (”lap dogs”), etc.  For a dog to belong to a kennel, proof must be shown that his parents were registered as a recognized breed.  Although registries are a great tool for purebred indication, it is not a guarantee that the dog will exibit the specific breed traits or that the line is healthy and disorder free.

In the United States, the Kennel Registry that most people are familiar with is the AKC - American Kennel Club.  Out of the 800 breeds worldwide, the AKC officially recognizes and registers 157 of them, with 4 more breeds placed in a Miscellaneous Class.

The AKC divides dog breeds into seven groups, one class, and the Foundation Stock Service, consisting of the following (as of April 2007):

Sporting Group: 28 breeds[12] developed as bird dogs. Includes Pointers, Retrievers, Setters, and Spaniels.

Hound Group: 26 breeds[13] developed to hunt using sight (sighthounds) or scent (scent hounds). Includes Greyhounds and Beagles.

Working Group: 25 large breeds[14] developed for a variety of jobs, including guarding property, guarding livestock, or pulling carts. Includes Siberian Huskys and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Terrier Group: 28 feisty breeds[15] some of which were developed to hunt vermin and to dig them from their burrows or lairs. Size ranges from the tiny Cairn Terrier to the large Airedale Terrier.

Toy Group: 23 small companion breeds[16] Includes Toy Poodles and Pekineses.

Non-Sporting Group: 18 breeds[17] that do not fit into any of the preceding categories, usually larger than Toy dogs. Includes Bichon Frises and Miniature Poodles. These are also affectionally refered to as “Lap Dogs” since many of the breeds serve the main purpose of companionship.

Herding Group: 19 breeds[18] developed to herd livestock. Includes Rough & Smooth Collies and Belgian Shepherds.
 
Miscellaneous Class: 4 breeds[19] that have advanced from FSS but that are not yet fully recognized. After a period of time that ensures that good breeding practices are in effect and that the gene pool for the breed is ample, the breed is moved to one of the seven preceding groups.

Foundation Stock Service (FSS) Program: 58 breeds.[20] This is a breed registry in which breeders of rare breeds can record the birth and parentage of a breed that they are trying to establish in the United States; these dogs provide the foundation stock from which eventually a fully recognized breed might result. These breeds cannot participate in AKC events until at least 150 individual dogs are registered; thereafter, competition in various events is then provisional.
Each of the 7 groups represent dogs who perform specific duties and have specific traits bred into their gene line.  In the rest of this series, we will be examining each of these groups, their purpose, and which dogs belong to them.  The final group that we will study is the herding group, which is where the rough & smooth collies are placed.