Gallery of non-sporting dogs

I’ve always thought that “non-sporting” was such a funny name for this AKC group. It almost implies that they can’t do anything. I think “potpourri” would perhaps be a more appropriate name for these dogs, which don’t seem to fit into any other pre-established group. Either way, this category offers up a wide range of different dogs. Here are some of my personal favorites.

Unrelated to these cute pups, yesterday I added a new page on my blog: Resources. This is a collection of my favorite links, organized by category, and a list of the best dog books I’ve read so far. I made the page as a reference to myself in coming months, but I also hope it may be helpful to you or any other new dog people.

(Click on an image to be taken to its source.)

Keeshond

Keeshond puppy

Norwegian lundehund

Norwegian lundehund puppy

Shiba inu

Sleepy shiba

Standard poodles

Standard poodle

Tibetan spaniel

Tibetan spaniel

Gallery of toys and terriers

I’ll admit that the toy group and the terrier group are my least favorite groups in the AKC system. Not that I have any personal vendetta against these dogs–I just can’t imagine myself ever living with one of them. That said, I have met some very pleasant terriers and some very enjoyable toy breeds. And my time at the SPCA has convinced me that pit bulls are totally wonderful. (Of all these dogs, I’d be most likely to take a pit home.) And you can’t deny that they are adorable. Look at those faces! That said, here are some toys and terriers I could possibly coexist with.

(Click on an image to be taken to its source.)

Airedale terrier

Airedale puppy

Border terrier

Border terrier puppy

Cairn terriers

Cairn terrier puppy

Cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy

Cavalier King Charles spaniel

Papillon

Papillon puppy

Pit bull

Pit puppies

Pomeranian

Pomeranian puppy

Gallery of hounds

Can you tell that I’m very partial to sighthounds? I adore them and yet they are extremely mysterious to me. I feel like I don’t understand them at all, but I want to. Some years down the road, I’m quite serious about adopting a former racing greyhound. Reading Tales and Tails also makes me believe that it would be possible for two such divergent dogs as a German shepherd and a greyhound could happily and peacefully coexist.

(Click on a photo to be taken to its source.)

Borzoi

Borzoi

Gypsy Rose Lee and her Afghan hound

Afghan hound

Greyhounds

Greyhound

Saluki

Saluki in the snow

Irish wolfhound

Irish wolfhound

Gallery of working dogs

A collection of photos of my favorite working dogs, the beasts and guardians of the dog world. The working breeds are often quite intimidating on first glance, and then once you get to know them, they’re just overgrown cuddle monsters. My father grew up with dobermans and has always adored them. In the back of my mind, sometimes I think I wouldn’t mind having one myself…

(Click on the image to be taken to its source.)

Anatolian shepherd

Anatolian shepherd puppy

Bernese mountain dog

Bernese mountain dog puppy

Doberman pinscher

Doberman pinscher

Great Pyrenees

Great Pyrenees puppies

Leonberger

Leonberger

Newfoundland

Newfoundland

Gallery of sporting dogs

If I didn’t get a dog from the herding group, I think I’d be next most likely to pick a dog from the sporting group. They’re also high energy, but they tend to be friendlier overall and perhaps have more potential to be easygoing. Sporting dogs don’t stress too much–unless there is a threat of the game of fetch ending.

(Click on a photo to be taken to its source.)

English setter

English setter

English cocker spaniel

English cocker spaniel

Golden retriever

Golden retriever puppy

Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever

Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever

Gallery of herding dogs

Just a series of photos of some of my favorite dogs from the herding group. Not to pick favorites or anything, but I think I’d have to say that all of my best-loved breeds come from this group of high-maintenance, noisy, difficult dogs. I know. I just can’t get over them. Why this post? Well, I like to look at dog pictures. No apologies. A girl can dream, right?

(Click on each photo for its source.)

Australian shepherd

Australian shepherd

Belgian tervuren

Belgian tervuren

Border collie

Border collie

Rough collie

Smooth collie

German shepherd

German shepherd puppies

Pyrenean shepherd

Pyrenean shepherd