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Hound Handbook
Breed finder

Find a breed that fits your life

219 breeds and popular crossbreeds. Popularity uses the latest official registration rankings: AKC 2025 (US) and Royal Kennel Club 2025 (UK).

Breeds

White and grey pied French Bulldog sitting upright in a sunlit doorway in Paris
Utility / Non-Sporting · #1 US

French Bulldog

Charming and compact, but a flat face brings real health trade-offs.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Backlit profile portrait of a yellow Labrador Retriever against a soft dark background
Gundog / Sporting · #2 US

Labrador Retriever

The world's favourite family dog for good reason: steady, eager and food-obsessed.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Pale cream Golden Retriever looking upward, backlit by golden evening light in a field
Gundog / Sporting · #3 US

Golden Retriever

Gentle, sociable and endlessly patient, with a coat that gets everywhere.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Black and tan German Shepherd Dog in profile on a sunny lawn with olive trees behind
Pastoral / Herding · #4 US

German Shepherd Dog

Loyal, smart and serious about work. Brilliant with training, a handful without it.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Head of a red smooth-haired Dachshund with long soft ears in warm sunlight
Hound · #5 US

Dachshund

Big personality in a long, low body. Bold, funny and fond of digging.

EnergySheddingFlat life
White Toy Poodle in a blue harness standing on a park path beside grass
Toy · #6 US

Toy Poodle

The smallest Poodle size: under 25 cm (10 in) in the US. Bright, quick to learn and low-shedding, with a lot of opinions.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A black Miniature Poodle in a natural pet trim stands on long green grass
Utility / Non-Sporting · #6 US

Miniature Poodle

All the Poodle brains in a small, sturdy package. Lively, quick to learn and low-shedding, but the coat needs regular clipping.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Black Standard Poodle with a pompom tail standing on a green lawn
Utility / Non-Sporting · #6 US

Standard Poodle

Athletic, very bright and low-shedding. The haircut hides a proper sporting dog.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Tricolour Beagle in a red harness lying on grass and panting happily
Hound · #7 US

Beagle

Merry, sociable scent hound. The nose leads, and the ears stop working when it does.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Adult black-and-tan Rottweiler lying on a concrete floor, looking straight at the camera
Working · #8 US

Rottweiler

Calm, confident and devoted. Powerful, so training is non-negotiable.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Liver-roan German Shorthaired Pointer striding across snow with a forest behind
Gundog / Sporting · #9 US

German Shorthaired Pointer

A tireless athlete. Brilliant running partner, chaos if under-exercised.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Close-up of a fawn and white English Bulldog face with an undershot jaw and soulful eyes
Utility / Non-Sporting · #10 US

Bulldog (English)

Laid-back and affectionate, with some of the heaviest breed-related health burdens of any dog.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Senior black brindle Cane Corso with natural ears and a greying muzzle standing on a sunlit lawn in front of a hedge
Working · #11 US

Cane Corso

Italian guardian mastiff: calm and devoted with its family, watchful with strangers. Needs an experienced, consistent owner and lots of early socialising.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel lying with its chin on the grass in front of a hedge
Toy · #12 US

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Sweet, gentle and adaptable, with serious inherited heart and neurological risks.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Yorkshire Terrier with a tan face and upright ears looking up at the camera on a cobbled street
Toy · #13 US

Yorkshire Terrier

Tiny terrier with a big-dog attitude and a silky, low-shedding coat.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Blue merle Australian Shepherd with pale blue eyes looking at the camera in a snowy garden
Pastoral / Herding · #14 US

Australian Shepherd

Despite the name, an American herding breed: brilliant, intense and always on.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Red Doberman Pinscher lying on a grey studio backdrop, ears upright, looking at the camera
Working · #15 US

Doberman Pinscher

Sleek, quick-learning guardian that bonds hard with its people. Needs work for its brain and a calm, consistent handler.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Red and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi bounding through deep snow
Pastoral / Herding · #16 US

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

A herding dog in a compact frame. Smart, bossy and very food-motivated.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Salt and pepper Miniature Schnauzer in a short summer cut standing on clover-studded grass
Terrier / Utility · #17 US

Miniature Schnauzer

Alert, bearded and low-shedding. A sturdy small dog with terrier spark.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Brindle Boxer lying in a meadow dotted with yellow flowers, looking up
Working · #18 US

Boxer

Bouncy, clownish and loving. Stays a teenager for years.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Orange-and-cream Pomeranian standing on grass beside a brick path, mouth open in a grin
Toy · #19 US

Pomeranian

The smallest spitz, in a very large coat. Bold, bright and alert, with the bark of a dog five times its size.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Tricolour Bernese Mountain Dog standing on a sunny lawn with its tongue out
Working · #20 US

Bernese Mountain Dog

A gentle giant with a short lifespan. Wonderful temperament, heartbreaking cancer rates.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Cream and white Shih Tzu with a long fringe gazing upward against a soft green background
Utility / Toy · #21 US

Shih Tzu

A calm, people-focused lap dog with a coat that needs regular care.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Harlequin Great Dane lying on a sunny lawn, wearing a red collar
Working · #22 US

Great Dane

A gentle giant who would like to be a lap dog. Calm indoors, but everything costs more: food, beds, vet bills and car space.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A black-and-white Boston Terrier lies on a grey carpet, looking at the camera with upright ears
Utility / Non-Sporting · #23 US

Boston Terrier

Compact, tuxedo-marked companion with a big personality. Easy to live with, but the short face brings real breathing and overheating risks.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Black and tan Chihuahua with large ears and tongue out, smiling on a lawn
Toy · #24 US

Chihuahua

The smallest breed, with a loyal, one-person streak.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Young grey-and-white Havanese sitting on a sandy path beside long grass
Toy · #25 US

Havanese

Cuba's national dog: a sturdy little bichon that learns quickly, likes everyone, and would rather be wherever you are.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Black and white Border Collie panting with its tongue out, close-up portrait outdoors
Pastoral / Herding · #26 US

Border Collie

Probably the most trainable dog on earth, and the most likely to invent its own jobs.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Wet liver-and-white English Springer Spaniel sitting in a garden among flowers after a swim
Gundog / Sporting · #27 US

English Springer Spaniel

Cheerful, busy gundog that loves water, mud and people in roughly that order. Working lines run hotter than show lines.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Blue merle Miniature American Shepherd standing on grass against a soft dark background
Pastoral / Herding · #28 US

Miniature American Shepherd

An Aussie-style herder in a smaller frame, with the same work ethic. Bright, keen and happiest with a job to do.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A sable-and-white Shetland Sheepdog stands on a stone patio beside a lawn, looking back over its shoulder
Pastoral / Herding · #29 US

Shetland Sheepdog

Small, clever herding dog in a big coat. Quick to learn, keen to please and very fond of the sound of its own voice.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Close-up of a red and white Siberian Husky with amber eyes looking straight at the camera
Working · #30 US

Siberian Husky

Built to run all day in the cold. Friendly to everyone, obedient to no one.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Orange-and-white Brittany standing side-on in a dry grassy field, wearing a green collar
Gundog / Sporting · #31 US

Brittany

A compact French bird dog that hunts, points and retrieves. Sweet, keen to please, and built to run for hours.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A fawn Belgian Malinois with a black mask lies on a lawn in front of a leafy shrub, ears up and tongue out
Pastoral / Herding · #32 US

Belgian Malinois

A short-coated Belgian herding dog with a huge work drive. Brilliant with an experienced handler, a handful without one.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Buff American Cocker Spaniel with a long curly coat lying on grass in a park
Gundog / Sporting · #33 US

American Cocker Spaniel

Gentle, people-pleasing spaniel with a big coat. Smaller and rounder-headed than the English Cocker, and less driven.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Red and white Basset Hound sitting on cobblestones, long ears hanging
Hound · #34 US

Basset Hound

A low-slung scent hound with a world-class nose and a voice to match. Easygoing at home, single-minded on a trail.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Golden-red English Cocker Spaniel with long wavy ears sitting outdoors in soft backlight
Gundog / Sporting · #35 US

Cocker Spaniel (English)

Merry, busy and affectionate. Working lines are especially energetic.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A russet-gold Vizsla standing on a leaf-covered woodland path in autumn
Sporting · #36 US

Vizsla

A russet-gold Hungarian pointer that runs for hours, then wants to sit on you. Known as the Velcro dog for good reason.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Long-coated white Maltese lying among brown autumn leaves, looking up at the camera
Toy · #37 US

Maltese

An ancient Mediterranean lapdog in a floor-length white coat. Sweet, lively and smart, and quick to raise the alarm.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A fawn pug with a black mask stands on fallen leaves in an autumn forest
Toy · #38 US

Pug

A comical, people-focused toy dog. The flat face that makes it famous also brings real breathing, eye and heat problems.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Sable and white Rough Collie standing in profile on a grassy park field
Pastoral / Herding · #39 US

Collie

Kind, sensitive herding dog in Rough (long) or Smooth (short) coat. Quick to learn and very fond of children.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Fawn Mastiff with a black mask lying in tall grass in a field
Working · #40 US

Mastiff

Among the heaviest dogs alive, with a famously gentle, steady nature. Part quiet guardian, part very large draught excluder.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A red-wheaten Rhodesian Ridgeback stands in profile against a grey wall
Hound · #41 US

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Athletic African hound with a ridge of backward-growing hair along the spine. Dignified, loyal and quietly protective, with a will of its own.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A black-and-white Papillon with large fringed ears sitting among yellow autumn leaves
Toy · #42 US

Papillon

A bright toy spaniel with butterfly-wing ears. Small enough for a flat, sharp enough to win at agility and obedience.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Black-and-white curly-coated Portuguese Water Dog lying on a city pavement with buildings behind
Working · #43 US

Portuguese Water Dog

A curly-coated fisherman's dog from the Algarve. Bright, friendly and athletic, and it still wants a job, preferably a wet one.

EnergySheddingFlat life
A red Shiba Inu with a curled tail stands on a gravel path beside a stone wall, looking to one side
Utility / Non-Sporting · #44 US

Shiba Inu

A small, fox-like Japanese hunting dog. Clean, quiet and cat-like, with a strong independent streak and poor recall.

EnergySheddingFlat life
West Highland White Terrier lying on a garden lawn dotted with daisies and buttercups
Terrier · #45 US

West Highland White Terrier

Bright, confident white terrier with a big-dog attitude. Fun and sociable, but the skin needs watching.

EnergySheddingFlat life
Close portrait of a black and white Landseer Newfoundland in front of a wooden fence
Working · #46 US

Newfoundland

A big, sweet-natured water dog bred to haul nets and pull swimmers ashore. Expect drool, hair and a lot of affection.

EnergySheddingFlat life