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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Elf (talk | contribs) at 02:52, 10 September 2004 (removed comment about AKC; is more appropriately mentioned in kennel club). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Dogs have been selectively bred for thousands of years. Initially the selections would have centred on domestication and useful qualities such as hunting ability. Later, dogs were also selected to give attractive and distinctive forms resulting in a vast variety of types. The point at which a new variety becomes a breed can be difficult to decide. National kennel clubs often differ in their recognition of breeds and rare breeds might not be recognised outside their home country. Usually, only dogs recognized by a kennel club are eligible to compete in the club's dog shows and dog sports.

Many traditional dog breeds recognised by the main registries are said to be "purebred". Only individuals whose parentage consists only of other purebred examples of the breed are regarded as part of that breed. This concept has caused controversy both because of the difficulty of regulation and because of the possible genetic consequences of a limited population.

See Selective breeding for a detailed discussion on open versus closed studbooks and some of the issues concerning purebreds.

See also

• List of dog breeds
• Album of dog photo thumbnails

• v
• t
• e

• Dogs