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.

Affectionate, cuddly, and closely bonded to its owner, while reserved toward strangers. Sensitive to harsh handling and learns best through gentle, consistent motivation.

Despite its small size, the Silky Terrier shows typical terrier self-confidence, staying watchful, affectionate with its family, and wary of strangers. It is sharp-witted and loves being the centre of attention.

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 King Charles Spaniel is calm, tender and enjoys closeness to its people, generally showing an even-tempered, low-key disposition.

The Australian Terrier is brave, sharp-witted and very affectionate with its family, while being reserved to wary toward strangers. True to terrier form, it is watchful and vocal about anything unusual. Despite its compact size, it has a strong sense of self and won't be intimidated by larger dogs.

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.

Border Terriers are regarded as friendly, affectionate, and not very aggressive toward people, yet show the typical terrier courage and stubbornness. Their prey drive can break through around small animals and unfamiliar dogs.

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 Manchester Terrier is attentive, clever and deeply loyal to its family, while showing reserve toward strangers. Its typical terrier stubbornness calls for clear, patient training.

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.

The Rat Terrier is bright, playful, and closely bonded to its family, though it can be wary of strangers. It learns very quickly and loves mental and physical challenges.

Cesky Terriers are affectionate with their family, even-tempered and less hot-headed than many other terriers, yet remain watchful and wary of strangers. Despite its calmer nature, the prey drive is still present, since the breed was originally bred for den hunting on fox and badger. Toward children and its own family, it is usually very loyal.

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 Sealyham Terrier is confident, brave and independent-minded, while being very affectionate and playful with its family. It often meets strangers with reserve and alert barking.

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.

Confident, dignified and less hyperactive than other terriers, yet strong-willed and alert. Bonds closely with the family while remaining reserved toward strangers.

Scottish Terriers are regarded as stubborn, bold, and highly proud, combined with pronounced territorial behavior and watchful distance toward strangers. They are loyal to their family but show little submissiveness and are not easily impressed.

Shelties are highly sensitive, alert, and closely bonded to their owners, often reserved toward strangers. The breed tolerates harsh training methods poorly.

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 Skye Terrier is confident, loyal to its people, and often distant to wary toward strangers. Despite its short legs, it has a typical terrier character with independence and courage.

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 Icelandic Sheepdog is friendly, playful, and sociable, yet independent and equipped with a typical spitz stubborn streak. It is watchful and readily announces visitors or anything unusual, often loudly.

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.

Irish Terriers are regarded as bold, spirited, and loyal to their people, but can quickly become fiery toward unfamiliar dogs. They have a strong prey drive and are easily tempted to chase small animals. Despite their fire, they are very affectionate and seek their family's closeness.

American Eskimo Dogs are bright, playful and strongly attached to their family, but tend toward wariness of strangers and frequent barking. They are considered highly trainable when given consistency and mental stimulation.

The Norrbottenspitz is alert, friendly, and self-reliant, with a pronounced hunting and prey drive toward small animals. It shows great interest in its surroundings and is usually easygoing with strangers.

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.

As Finland's national dog, the Finnish Spitz was bred to hunt birds and small game as a so-called bark pointer, barking at game rather than retrieving it. It is lively, independent and closely bonded to its family, though reserved with strangers.

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 Miniature American Shepherd is highly intelligent, alert, and strongly focused on its people, with a pronounced herding instinct that can extend to children or other pets. It is often reserved toward strangers.

The Peruvian Hairless Dog is attentive, affectionate toward its family and tends to be reserved to watchful with strangers. It is considered intelligent and willing to learn, but also shows a certain independence. With familiar people it is cuddly and seeks physical closeness.

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 Austrian Pinscher is lively, watchful toward strangers and affectionate with its family; its origins as a farm dog make it independent and self-assured.

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.

Drevers are calm and balanced at home, but develop enormous drive and stamina on a trail. They are friendly, easy to handle, and show little aggression.

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

Compared with other terriers, the Glen of Imaal is regarded as calmer and less prone to yapping, yet remains tough, brave and independent-minded. Originally bred for fox and badger hunting as well as farm work, its prey drive toward small animals remains strong.

The Norwegian Buhund was kept as an all-purpose farm, herding, and guard dog on Norwegian farms and is correspondingly independent, alert, and self-assured. It is very devoted to its family but likes to think for itself when given a task rather than obeying blindly.

The Kai Ken is independent, intelligent, and strongly attached to one handler, remaining reserved with strangers. Its hunting and trailing drive is pronounced.

Boykin Spaniels are friendly, playful and closely bonded to their family, while being energetic and eager to work. As a flushing and water dog they love retrieving and swimming above all. Toward strangers they are usually easygoing and open.

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 PBGV is playful, sociable, and usually gets along well with other dogs, yet independent and occasionally stubborn. Its cheerful, often clownish nature makes it an entertaining family dog.

The American Water Spaniel is attentive, affectionate and eager to work, initially rather reserved toward strangers. As a versatile hunting companion it shows both flushing and retrieving drive. Within the family it is regarded as loyal and relatively calm for a gundog.

The Dachsbracke is tireless, courageous and single-minded at work, but calm and affectionate at home. It is reserved but not aggressive toward strangers.

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 Basset Fauve de Bretagne is cheerful, lively, and sociable, yet independent and endowed with the typical scenthound stubborn streak. It generally gets along well with other dogs and loves company.

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 Croatian Sheepdog is intelligent, watchful, and deeply loyal to its family, though wary of strangers and quick to bark. It likes to work independently and shows a strong protective instinct toward its flock or family.

Despite its short legs, the Basset Artésien Normand is a passionate trailing hound with a keen nose, originally bred for small-game hunting on foot. At home it is affectionate, good-natured, and sociable, but once it picks up a scent it becomes single-minded and hard to distract.

The PON is watchful, intelligent and an independent thinker, often meeting strangers with natural suspicion. It is closely bonded to its family and a reliable watchdog.

Cheerful, sociable within a pack, and friendly toward people, yet stubborn once its nose has picked up a trail. Fond of barking and guided far more by scent than by eye contact.

The Beagle-Harrier is friendly, sociable, and enjoys working in a pack, yet pursues any interesting trail with great persistence. It is affectionate toward people and shows little aggression.

The Spanish Water Dog was used as an all-round herding, guard, and water-retrieving dog and is correspondingly intelligent, watchful, and very closely bonded to its family. It is often reserved toward strangers but considered eager to learn and to work.

The Lapphund is alert, friendly, and strongly people-oriented, usually reserved but not fearful toward strangers. The breed is considered bright and eager to work.

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 Field Spaniel is gentle, affectionate and even-tempered, yet alert and eager to work in the field. It is very attached to people and usually gets along well with other dogs.

The Portuguese Water Dog is intelligent, loyal, and notably lively, always wanting to be part of the action. It forms a close bond with its family.

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 Stabyhoun is unusually affectionate, patient, and good with children, making it notably even-tempered compared with many other hunting breeds. It is generally friendly toward strangers, though mildly watchful.

The Continental Bulldog is friendly, playful and even-tempered, noticeably more active and agile than the English Bulldog it descends from. It is people-oriented and generally easygoing in family life.

The Norwegian Elkhound is courageous, independent and watchful, with pronounced self-confidence and a clear fondness for vocalizing. It is loyal and affectionate toward its family, though reserved with strangers.

The Braque Français is gentle, affectionate, and strongly people-oriented, considered especially sensitive among pointing breeds. It tolerates harsh training methods poorly and responds best to praise and consistency. Indoors it is usually calm, while outdoors at work it is highly focused.

The Xoloitzcuintle is calm, alert and closely bonded to its family, reserved and watchful toward strangers. It is considered adaptable and relatively quiet.

The Picardy Spaniel is gentle, affectionate, and calmer in temperament than many other hunting dogs, yet remains tireless and focused at work. It shows a pronounced fondness for flushing and retrieving from water. Toward its family, it is very loyal and adaptable.

Harriers are friendly, sociable, and usually get along well with other dogs, since they were traditionally kept in packs. They show a pronounced hunting and trailing instinct and follow scents tirelessly over long distances. They are typically easygoing and not very wary of strangers.

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.

At home the Segugio Italiano is calm and affectionate, but out on a walk it follows its nose with great independence. It is friendly and shows no tendency toward aggression.

Basset Hounds are good-natured, friendly, and rarely aggressive, yet also headstrong and easily distracted by their keen nose. They bark with a deep, distinctive voice and seek close family attachment.

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 Hamiltonstövare is calm, balanced, and affectionate indoors, but quickly develops its pronounced passion for trailing outdoors. As a classic pack hound it enjoys working alongside other dogs and is friendly toward people. Once on a scent, it can become very independent and hard to distract.

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 Braque d'Auvergne is gentle, affectionate, and strongly people-oriented, yet focused and tireless during hunting work. It is usually friendly and easygoing with strangers.

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 Water Spaniel is intelligent, playful and loves water above all else, often appearing reserved with strangers. Within the family it is regarded as loyal and sometimes clownish.

The Magyar Agár is gentle, loyal, and closely bonded to its owners, though reserved and watchful toward strangers. Indoors it is usually calm and undemanding, despite a pronounced sight-hunting instinct outdoors.

The Redbone Coonhound is friendly, affectionate and people-oriented, but in the field a tough, tireless hunter with a loud treeing bark. At home it is usually calm and adaptable.

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.

The Chart Polski is calm, dignified, and rather reserved in the house, but transforms outdoors into a focused hunter with a strongly pronounced sight-hunting drive. It is reserved toward strangers and very affectionate and loyal toward its family.

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

The Bluetick Coonhound is friendly, affectionate and generally easygoing with family and children, but can be stubborn once it has picked up a trail. Its loud, melodious bay while tracking is characteristic of the breed.

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 Irish Red and White Setter is friendly, playful and highly people-oriented, more energetic and less evenly tempered than the Irish Setter. It often stays playfully youthful well into old age.

The Bouvier des Ardennes was bred as a tough farm and cattle-driving dog for work in the Ardennes and is correspondingly hardy, watchful and fearless. It is deeply devoted to its family, though naturally wary of strangers.

The American Foxhound is gentle, sociable and shaped by pack life, so it generally gets along very well with other dogs. It is reserved but not aggressive toward strangers.

The Perdiguero de Burgos is calm, loyal, and strongly family-oriented, showing reserve rather than aggression toward strangers. In the field it is focused and tireless, at home usually calm. It forms a close bond with its owner.

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 Jämthund is confident, even-tempered and considered somewhat calmer and more people-oriented than other Nordic hunting breeds. At home it is generally relaxed, but in the field it works very independently and with great stamina.

The Drentsche Patrijshond is attentive, loyal, and closely bonded to its family, initially reserved toward strangers. It combines a hunting work ethic with pronounced watchfulness at home.

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 Olde English Bulldogge is confident, friendly and family-oriented, powerfully built with a healthy dose of self-assurance. It is considered more balanced and less stubborn than some related bulldog types.

Curly Coated Retrievers are confident, intelligent and somewhat more independent than other retrievers, requiring more consistency in training. They are reserved toward strangers but affectionate within the close family circle.

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 Bergamasco is calm, patient and deeply bonded to its family, yet reserved and watchful toward strangers. As an independently working herding dog, it prefers to think for itself rather than blindly follow every command.

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.