These Are the 7 Categories of the National Dog Show

If you’re anything like millions of Americans each year, the chances that you’ve tuned in to the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day are high! The National Dog Show, hosted by the American Kennel Club, is a celebration of dogs of all sizes, shapes, colors, and breeds. It’s an educational program to highlight the diversity of dogs in America. They come from all over to trot around and compete!

Competitive dog shows break dog breeds into seven groups: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, and herding. Each dog group has specific attributes that allow the dozens of breeds of American Kennel Club dogs to be divided up. Some groups have more attributes linking the group together than others, such as the Working Group compared to the Non-Sporting Group. Within each dog group, each breed is judged against the breed standards, and a winner emerges for each group. Finally, the groups are judged against one another, and the Best in Show Award is given!

Let’s take a look at each of the groups that make up the National Dog Show. We’ll learn about the core attributes of the group, as well as some of the breeds that are in the group and how many Best in Shows the group has won across three competitions. Let’s take a look at some beautiful and impressive pups!

1. Sporting

The Sporting Group is the first group of dogs in the National Dog Show. There are lots of recognizable breeds in the Sporting Group. Additionally, there are four sub-types of Sporting dogs: spaniels, pointers, retrievers, and setters. While these are great companions, they have high levels of energy and need substantial exercise! If you’re considering adopting a Sporting dog, be sure you have the routine they need.

In 2023, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever won the Sporting group category of the National Dog Show. When considering overall success of a group, generally three shows are taken into consideration: the National Dog Show, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and the AKC National Championship. Between these three competitions, Sporting dogs have won best-in-show 24 times, making Sporting the second-largest group of winners! Congratulations, athletic pups!

2. Hound

Another fantastic group in the National Dog Show is the Hound Group. Hounds are generally related to one another through an ability to hunt, though the strengths of each individual breed vary considerably. Some have brilliant sniffers, while others boast incredible speeds. They also have extreme diversity in sizes, with little dogs and big dogs alike in the same group.

In 2023, the big Hound Group winner was the Azawakh, a beautiful dog resembling a greyhound. Hounds do alright in competitions, with this group having 13 best-in-show wins between the three shows.

3. Working

Dogs in the Working Group are defined by their ability to execute tasks. They’re smart pups with occupations consisting of all sorts of complicated and athletic tasks. These are big dogs with lots of brains and brawn, capable of excellent training! Until 1983, herding dogs and working dogs both made up the Working group, due to their similarity in performing jobs.

In 2023, the Working Group was won by a Great Dane. This Great Dane was one of the tallest in the National Dog Show’s recent history! Working Group dogs perform well in competition, and they are the third-most winning group among the seven groups, with 20 best-in-shows across the three competitions.

4. Terrier

The American Kennel Club describes the Terrier Group as “feisty and energetic.” This group is primarily made up of dogs on the smaller size, though some are larger than others. These dogs are bright and playful, but are also capable of being well-trained to execute duties around the house and farm.

A terrier took home the best-in-show award at the 2023 National Dog Show! That terrier was a Sealyham terrier named Stache. Terriers have the best track-record between the three shows, bringing home 58 best-in-shows across the board. How impressive is that?

5. Toy

The tiniest group in the National Dog Show competition is the Toy Group! These itty bitty pups are small but mighty, with strong instincts in little bodies. While this group is made up of exclusively little dogs, the personalities and attributes across breeds in the Toy Group can vary significantly.

A Shih Tzu won the Toy Group in the 2023 National Dog Show. In terms of track-record in the National Dog Show, Westminster Dog Show, and the AKC National Championship, Toy Group dogs perform slightly worse than average. They have 15 total best-in-shows. Interestingly enough, Pekingese dogs hold 40% of the group’s total best-in-shows!

6. Non-Sporting

The sixth group that makes up the National Dog Show is the non-sporting group. This diverse group of dogs is a complicated group to define, because their size, strength, intelligence, and background vary substantially from breed to breed. In many ways, the non-sporting group is a potpourri of dogs that don’t fit well in any other category.

In 2023, the big winner of the Non-Sporting Group was a dalmation. This dalmation went on to win the Reserve Best in Show this year, as well. Non-Sporting Group dogs sit at the middle of the pack, having 17 total best-in-show wins across the three competitions.

7. Herding

The final group of dogs in the National Dog Show is the Herding Group. Herders were considered to be a part of the Working Group until 1983 when they gained recognition as a group of their own. These dogs are born with innate herding abilities, with a rich history of working with livestock. While they are no longer considered Working Group dogs, they do have occupations all over the world on farms, police forces, and more. This group has many recognizable dog breeds.

In 2023, a German shepherd won the Herding Group. Herding Group dogs have the lowest number of wins across the three recognized shows, though this may be because their recognition as a group did not begin until forty years ago. They have seven total best-in-shows, and German shepherds have won three out of seven of those awards!

Summary of the 7 Groups That Make Up the National Dog Show

Here’s a quick summary of the groups that make up the National Dog Show.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sue Thatcher/Shutterstock.com