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Dog Breeds: Understanding The Sporting Group

Are you an active person? Do you enjoy the outdoors? How about a nice run on the beach? Then, the perfect outdoor companion you will find is this breed called the sporting group. Dogs in this group were originally bred to aid man in hunting and gathering wild birds, on land and in water. There are four types of dogs in the sporting group: Retrievers, spaniels, setters, and pointers.

Retrievers

Retrievers’ bodies are usually strong, robust, and very well built. They usually display a lot of affection to their owners and get along extremely well with children. They are highly intelligent and loyal. They are also accepting of strangers and other dogs; and because they are so naturally easy going and playful they make the perfect family pet. However, leaving these dogs for long periods of time all alone could be problematic. This can cause them to display destructive behavior.  These behaviors include excessive barking, chewing, and digging. They are very active and need plenty of exercise and a job to do to keep them busy.

Examples of retrievers are: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers, and Flat-Coated Retrievers.

Spaniels

Spaniels were bred to hunt and flush birds. They are loyal, good with children, and affectionate to their owners. Living with and active family would be perfect for them since they need plenty of daily exercise. Spaniels do not like being left alone for long periods of time. Isolation and lack of training will cause them to whine and become timid.

Examples of spaniels are: Clumber Spaniel, American Cocker Spaniel, American Water Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Sussex Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, and Welsh Springer Spaniel.

Setters

Setters are hunting dogs. These dogs make perfect jogging companions since they are energetic and extremely active. They need plenty of exercise and a job to do such as hunting and agility work. Lack of exercise makes them nervous and high-strung. They are bright and loyal dogs who thrive human companionship.

Examples of setters are: Gordon Setter, Irish Setter, English Setter, and Brittany.

Pointers

Pointers are large, energetic dogs who love to stay busy. With their long legs, they were originally used to spend many hours running the fields in search for fowls. They get along with children and create a strong bond with their families. If not given enough exercise, these dogs may display destructive behaviors such as chewing, digging, and excessive barking.

Examples of pointers are: Pointer, Vizsla, Weimaraner, German Shorthaired Pointer, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, and German Wirehaired Pointer.