What are Dog Breeds?

Nobody can say definitely how many breeds of dogs exist because of the definition of what constitutes a breed.  

Definition: Dog Breed -  A recognizable breed is a type of dog with distinctive physical characteristics who's puppies will have the same traits.

All the major characteristics of the breed are summarized in their show standards, which judges use at dog shows to determine the winner of specific classes.  On the basis, only types of dogs that have recognizable judging standards can be counted as breeds and there are around 250 breeds that are recognizable worldwide for show purposes. 

A broader definition of a breed is a recognizable type of dog that produces puppies that clearly resemble it, and there are as many as another 150 distinctive types if dog covered by this broader definition.  These other breeds usually have a very localized distribution and are still kept for working purposes but are not likely to be seen in the show ring. 

Want to know what kind of dog you have? Try our DNA Breed Identification Kit