Dog breeds in North America

Pedigree dogs are registered by a different body in each country, and the lists of breeds, the names and even the permitted appearance of some breeds differ between Britain and North America. Much writing about dogs in English follows American usage, which can mislead British and European readers.

The American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club (AKC) was founded in 1884, eleven years after the Kennel Club in Britain, and is the largest registry of purebred dogs in the United States. It is a non-profit organisation that maintains the stud book, approves breed standards written by the national club for each breed, and licenses dog shows, field trials and other events. Its best-known affiliated show is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York, first held in 1877.

A second American registry, the United Kennel Club, recognises additional breeds, and Canada has the Canadian Kennel Club. Neither the British nor the American club belongs to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, the federation to which most European national kennel clubs are affiliated.

Groups

Both clubs divide breeds into seven groups, but the names and some of the contents differ.

• The British Gundog group is the American Sporting group.
• The British Pastoral group is the American Herding group.
• The British Utility group corresponds to the American Non-Sporting group.
• Hound, Terrier, Toy and Working have the same names.

Some breeds sit in different groups: the Shih Tzu, for example, is a Utility breed in Britain and a Toy breed in the United States.

Different names for the same breed

• The Dobermann is the Doberman Pinscher in North America.
• The British Cocker Spaniel is the English Cocker Spaniel there, and "Cocker Spaniel" means the American breed.
• The Rough Collie and Smooth Collie are two breeds in Britain and one, the Collie, in the United States.
• The Poodle is three breeds by size in Britain and one breed in three varieties in the United States.
• The Chihuahua is likewise two breeds by coat in Britain and one in the United States.
• The German Shepherd Dog was registered in Britain as the Alsatian until 1977.

Breeds recognised on one side only

The AKC recognises the American Staffordshire Terrier and a number of other breeds that the Kennel Club does not, and the Kennel Club recognises some that the AKC does not. A breed's recognition abroad has no bearing on the law: whether a dog is of a type banned in the United Kingdom is decided on its appearance.

Cropped ears and docked tails

Many American breed standards still describe cropped ears and docked tails, and photographs of American dogs of breeds such as the Dobermann, Boxer and Great Dane often show them. Ear cropping is illegal throughout the United Kingdom, and tail docking is banned except for certain working dogs. Dogs with cropped ears seen in Britain have either been imported or cropped illegally, and veterinary and welfare bodies have campaigned to close the import route.

Which breeds are most popular

The Labrador Retriever headed the AKC's registration list for thirty-one years until it was overtaken in 2022 by the French Bulldog. In Britain the Labrador has likewise led the Kennel Club's figures for most of the past half-century, with the French Bulldog and Cocker Spaniel close behind in the 2020s. Guidance on choosing between breeds is given under choosing a dog.