Dog breeds from A to Z: the Dog Breed Encyclopedia

Which dog lies behind each name, what does its breed standard say, and who does it really suit? The Dog Breed Encyclopedia gives every breed a profile based on its official FCI standard, with temperament, exercise needs, grooming and an honest health assessment with sources. It covers every FCI-recognised breed, including provisionally recognised ones, each with its own entry.

Small dog breeds Medium-sized dog breeds Large dog breeds breed quiz

All breeds in the encyclopedia (364)

Find a breed

The ten FCI groups

The FCI places every breed in one of ten groups, usually according to the dog’s original work. This reveals much about a breed’s needs: a herding dog wants to think alongside you, a scent hound follows its nose, and a companion dog chiefly wants to be with you.

Still unsure which breed suits you?

Our free breed quiz asks ten questions about your everyday life and suggests three breeds. Our book takes a more thorough look: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). If your puppy is already on the way, the free Puppy Starter Pack supports you through the first weeks. To see your dog on the wall, explore our dog portraits from your own photo.

The profiles are based on FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) breed standards; health and lifespan information comes from the studies cited in each entry. Size categories follow our own classification: average male height at the withers up to 40 cm small, over 40 to 55 cm medium-sized, over 55 cm large; where the standard gives no height, classification is by weight.

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