Dog Breeds A–Z

The Chihuahua is confident, bold and closely bonded to its owner. Despite its miniature size, it carries itself with an outsized sense of self and tends to behave as though it were a much larger dog. Without proper training, it can quickly develop into a yappy, overprotective little guard.

The Prague Ratter is alert, affectionate, and often wary of strangers. It forms a close bond with its owner but can become timid or anxious without adequate socialization.

The Yorkshire Terrier is confident, alert, and devoted to its owner, often with a strong temperament despite its small size. It tends to be wary of strangers and prone to barking, which requires consistent socialization.

Alert, playful, and strongly bonded to his owner. Both varieties, Hairless and Powderpuff, share a similarly trusting, sensitive temperament.

The Pekingese is confident, independent and somewhat stubborn, yet very affectionate toward its owner. It often meets strangers with reserve bordering on suspicion.

Despite his small size, the Affenpinscher is confident, alert, and often quite strong-willed. He bonds closely with his family but stays reserved toward strangers. His wiry temperament is more reminiscent of a terrier than a typical lapdog.

The Miniature Pinscher is lively, bold, and watchful, often seemingly unaware of its small size. It is fiercely loyal to its family but wary of strangers and prone to excessive yapping.

The Schipperke is watchful, wary of strangers, and strongly bonded to its family. It shows a marked protective instinct and tends toward independent behavior.

The Norfolk Terrier is considered sociable, affectionate, and less dominant than other terriers, yet remains bold and has a pronounced prey drive. It generally gets along well with other dogs.

The Shih Tzu is friendly, affectionate and not especially active, but has a confident, sometimes stubborn streak. It tends to be friendly rather than wary toward strangers.

The Cairn Terrier is bold, lively, and self-assured, with a pronounced hunting and digging drive rooted in its history as a fox and badger hunter. It is affectionate toward its family but independent-minded.

The Miniature Poodle is highly intelligent, attentive and devoted to its family. It's eager to learn and can be kept busy in many ways, but tends toward insecurity or excessive barking when understimulated.

The Jack Russell Terrier is bold, alert, and remarkably self-assured, carrying a strong hunting and earth-dog heritage. It bonds closely with its family but can be reserved to vocal toward strangers.

The Lhasa Apso is confident, wary of strangers, and less clingy than other small breeds. It shows a pronounced watchdog instinct and reliably announces sounds.

The Parson Russell Terrier is bold, alert, and tirelessly eager to work, with a strong hunting drive toward small animals. He is intelligent and eager to learn, but also independent and assertive.

The Pug is sociable, even-tempered, and full of character — a dedicated family and companion dog that thrives on closeness to his people. He has little urge to run, but is affectionate, good-natured, and generally fond of children.

The Lakeland Terrier is bold, independent, and spirited, typical of the terrier group. It shows a pronounced hunting and digging instinct and can be intolerant of other small animals.

The Dachshund (Teckel) is bold, independent, and remarkably clever. Bred originally to hunt in burrows, he likes to make his own decisions, which earns him an endearing reputation for stubbornness. He is affectionate, alert, and considerably more self-assured than his size suggests.

The Wire Fox Terrier is spirited, confident, and always in motion, with a pronounced protective streak toward his family. He reacts quickly and impulsively, especially around game or small animals. He can be domineering toward other dogs, particularly of the same sex.

The Westie is confident, spirited, and watchful, sometimes displaying dominant behavior toward other dogs. Its prey drive toward small rodents is pronounced, as is typical for terriers.

Beneath the soft, lamb-like coat lies a typical, spirited terrier temperament with a pronounced prey drive. The Bedlington Terrier is affectionate with his family but can be quarrelsome with unfamiliar dogs. He is agile, bold, and rarely fearful.

The Welsh Terrier is lively, confident, and affectionate, yet somewhat calmer and less quarrelsome than some related terrier breeds. It is alert but generally not excessively vocal.

The Kooikerhondje is alert, affectionate, and watchful, but can be reserved and sensitive toward strangers. He bonds closely with his family and reacts sensitively to harshness or inconsistency in training.

The Cirneco dell'Etna is alert, independent and reserved with strangers, but affectionate and calm within the family. Its hunting instinct is strong and shows up even as a puppy.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an alert, intelligent herding dog with a strong work drive and a tendency to bark and nip at heels while herding family members. He is loyal to his family and eager to learn, but needs clear tasks. Toward strangers he is often watchful to cautious.

French Bulldogs are cuddly, people-oriented, and full of character. They have little need for exercise and make ideal couch and city companions who thrive close to their owners. Occasional stubbornness is easily managed with patience and positive motivation.

The Beagle is friendly, sociable, and rarely aggressive, though it often follows its nose regardless of its owner's calls. It is generally open toward both people and other dogs.

The Puli is watchful, high-spirited and eager to learn, with a pronounced drive for exercise and activity. It's often wary of strangers and vocally announces anything out of the ordinary.

The Lagotto Romagnolo is attentive, affectionate, and enjoys working closely with its person. It shows outstanding scenting ability and is usually friendly toward family members.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is extremely people-oriented, playful, and affectionate, traditionally showing little aggression toward humans. Toward other dogs, it can be more confrontational depending on socialization and disposition.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is intelligent, watchful and quick to bark, and rather reserved with strangers. As a herding breed it's sensitive to its surroundings and tends to try to control the movement of people or vehicles.

The Brittany is friendly, lively, and eager to work, while being strongly people-oriented. It shows little aggression but a strong innate hunting drive.

The Kerry Blue Terrier is confident, bold, and independent as typical for terriers, while also affectionate toward its family. It can be dominant toward dogs of the same sex, making early socialization important.

The Standard Schnauzer is intelligent, brave, and deeply devoted to its family, but initially reserved toward strangers. It has a strong protective instinct and needs clear rules.

The German Pinscher is confident, watchful, and deeply devoted to its family. It shows reserve toward strangers and reacts quickly to environmental stimuli.

The Wheaten Terrier is friendly, playful, and less quarrelsome than many other terrier breeds, yet energetic and boisterous. He is strongly attached to his family and rarely shows pronounced wariness toward strangers. His prey drive is present but more moderate than in other terriers.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is friendly, affectionate, and eager to work, with a keen interest in scent and flushing work. He is considered less exuberant than the English Springer Spaniel but remains an active, task-oriented gundog. He is loyal and devoted to his family.

The Toller is alert, playful and eager to work, often reserved with strangers at first. It bonds closely with its family and shows a pronounced prey drive during its signature tolling play.

The Catalan Sheepdog is watchful, intelligent, and strongly bonded to its family, while reserved to wary toward strangers. As a herding dog it has a pronounced protective and working instinct.

The English Springer Spaniel is friendly, sociable, and rarely aggressive, with a strong work drive inherited from its gundog heritage. It bonds closely with its family and generally gets along well with other dogs.

The English Bulldog is considered even-tempered, friendly, and good with children, with a stubborn but rarely aggressive nature. It is headstrong but learns simple commands reliably with patience and positive reinforcement.

The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is spirited, loyal, and closely bonded to its family, but initially reserved toward strangers. It has a strong instinct to guard its territory.

The Airedale Terrier is confident, intelligent, and independent, forming a close but not submissive bond with its family. It is watchful and can appear reserved toward strangers.

The Bearded Collie is cheerful, playful, and more independent than other herding breeds, with a noticeable tendency to bark. He is friendly toward people and generally sociable with other dogs. His herding instinct shows less in active driving than in constant alertness.

The Saluki is gentle, independent, and rather reserved toward strangers, while remaining closely bonded to his family. He shows little willingness to submit in the classic sense and often seems cat-like in his independence. His extremely strong sighthound prey drive makes off-leash exercise without secure fencing risky.

The Pharaoh Hound is alert, sensitive, and closely bonded to its owner, with a strongly developed sight- and prey-hunting instinct. It is usually reserved rather than aggressive toward strangers.

The Vizsla is affectionate to an extreme degree, gentle in temperament and usually friendly rather than wary toward strangers. It constantly seeks physical contact with its people and tolerates being alone poorly.

The Samoyed is friendly, affectionate, and rarely aggressive, with a pronounced need for closeness to its family. The breed generally tolerates being left alone for long periods poorly.

The Galgo Español is gentle, reserved, and rarely aggressive; many dogs come from Spanish rescue organizations and need sensitive acclimation. Trust in its owner tends to build slowly but securely.

The Eurasier is even-tempered, watchful without excessive protectiveness, and initially distant with strangers. It forms a very close, loyal bond with its family.

Friendly, gentle, and sociable, with little territorial instinct. A pronounced hunting drive paired with an exceptionally fine nose.

The Irish Setter is friendly, playful, and rarely aggressive, but also known to mature slowly and remain impulsive well into adulthood. He seeks close contact with people and is usually unproblematic with other dogs. His hunting instinct remains clearly noticeable even as a family dog.

The Greyhound is calm, gentle, and surprisingly undemanding in the home. Its prey drive toward small, fast-fleeing animals, however, is strongly developed.

Independent, loyal, and somewhat more reserved toward strangers than other setters. Shows a pronounced independent will when working.

The Boxer is playful, loyal, and highly people-oriented, often retaining a puppyish playfulness well into old age. He is patient with family members, including children, though he can be boisterous and prone to jumping and bumping. He is watchful toward strangers but rarely aggressive without cause.

The Flat-Coated Retriever is especially friendly, sociable, and hardly ever aggressive, both toward people and other dogs. It often stays playful and youthful well into old age.

The Berger Picard is alert, an independent thinker and initially reserved with strangers. It forms a strong bond with its family while remaining less submissive than many other herding breeds.

The Clumber Spaniel is good-natured, calm, and more reserved than other spaniel breeds. It is affectionate without being overly demanding of attention.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is considered more independent, strong-willed, and territorial than other retriever breeds, with a pronounced protective instinct toward family and property. He is very loyal to his handler but more reserved toward strangers than, say, a Labrador. His strong character calls for consistent leadership.

The Bracco Italiano is gentle, sensitive, and closely bonded to its family, more reserved than aggressive toward strangers. As a pointing dog it has a keen sense of smell and a strong hunting instinct.

The Italian Spinone is good-natured, patient, and less frantic than many other pointing breeds, yet enduring at work. He is gentle with children and generally sociable with other dogs. He responds sensitively to harsh training methods and tends to withdraw.

Bernedoodles are considered calm, friendly, and family-oriented, combining the even temperament of the Bernese Mountain Dog with the Poodle's cleverness. Most are open toward children, strangers, and other dogs, showing little aggression. As a relatively young cross, developed in North America in the early 2000s, the range of temperament and appearance varies widely depending on the parent dogs and generation.

The German Shepherd is confident, steady-nerved, and highly trainable. It bonds strongly with its family, is watchful and protective, yet socializes well. This combination makes it the world's most widely used working dog.

The Briard is bold, alert and protective of its family with a pronounced watchdog instinct, reserved toward strangers. It's considered highly intelligent but also strong-willed and needs a confident owner.

Sensitive, attentive, and strongly bonded to its family. Can become insecure or fearful if under-socialized or under-stimulated.

The Borzoi is calm, sensitive, and reservedly affectionate toward its family, while more reserved toward strangers. As a sighthound it reacts strongly to fast movement and may chase small animals.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is considered good-natured, calm, and very good with children, showing little aggression toward people. It bonds closely with its family and has a low prey drive.