Sporting Dogs

Sporting dogs have historically been used by hunters to locate, flush or retrieve game from land or water.

Many sporting dogs are still used as hunting companions today, although their gentle natures and high level of trainability have also earned them the reputation of being among the best family dogs.

These same traits often lead to some of these animals being recruited into service positions, either as helper dogs for the disabled or as bomb and drug sniffers for law enforcement agencies.

American Cocker Spaniel

American Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of sporting dog. It is a spaniel type dog that is closely related to the English Cocker Spaniel; the two breeds diverged during the 20th century due to differing breed standards in America and the UK.


English Cocker Spaniel

English Cocker Spaniels

The English Cocker Spaniel is an active, good-natured, sporting dog. There are field or working cockers and show cockers.


Barbet

Barbet Image

The barbet is a medium-sized French water dog. The breed name barbet comes from the French word barbe, which means beard.


The Braques Francais are hunting dogs, from a very old type of gun dog used for pointing the location of game birds for a hunter. There are two breeds of Braque Francais, both from the south of France. They are popular hunting dogs in France, but are seldom seen elsewhere.

Braque Francais Gascogne

Braque Francais Gascogne French Pointer

The Braque francais, type Gascogne. French Pointing Dog, Sporting dogs – Gascogne type, larger size.


Braque Francais Pyrenees

Braque Francais Pyrenees

The Braque francais, type Pyrenees. French Pointing Dog, Sporting dogs – Pyrenean type, smaller size.


Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Image

The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is a breed of dog used in hunting as a gundog. It is sometimes considered to be Dutch in ancestry, due to the nationality of the breed founder, Eduard Karel Korthals.


English Pointer

English Pointer gait

The Pointer, often called the English Pointer, is a medium to large-sized breed of dog developed as an excellent gun dog. It is one of several pointing dog breeds.


German Shorthaired Pointer

German Shorthaired Pointer

The German Shorthaired Pointer is a medium to large sized breed of dog developed in the 19th century in Germany for hunting. The breed is streamlined yet powerful with strong legs that make it able to move rapidly and turn quickly.


German Wirehaired Pointer

German Wirehaired Pointer Image

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a medium to large-sized griffon type breed of dog developed in the 19th century in Germany for hunting. It is more aggressive than the German Shorthaired pointer.


German Longhaired Pointer

German Long Haired Pointer

The German longhaired pointer was developed in Germany, and is used as a multipurpose gundog.


Pudelpointer

Pudelpointer dog breed

Pudelpointer is a versatile hunting dog breed from Germany. It is a pointing breed that came from a cross between the German hunting poodle and the English Pointer.


Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a large sized breed of dog belonging to the Retriever, Gundog, and Sporting breed groups. The Chessie is known for its prowess in rough, icy waters.


Curly Coated Retriever

Curly Coated Retriever liver color

The Curly Coated Retriever is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. It is the tallest of the retrievers and is easily distinguishable by the mass of tight curls covering its body.


Flat Coated Retriever

Flat Coated Retrievers

The Flat-Coated Retriever is a gundog breed originating from the United Kingdom. It was developed as a retriever both on land and in the water.


Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a large-sized breed of dog bred as gun dogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties.


Labrador Retriever

Labrador Retrievers

The Labrador Retriever, also known as simply Labrador or Lab, is one of several kinds of retrievers, a type of gun dog. Labrador Retriever is the most well known dog breed in the world.


Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever dog

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, or Toller for short, is a medium-sized breed of gundog bred primarily for hunting. It is the smallest of the retrievers, and is often mistaken for a small Golden Retriever.


English Setter

English Setters

The English Setter is a medium size breed of dog. It is part of the Setter family, which includes the red Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, and black-and-tan Gordon Setters. The English setter is one of the oldest gundog breeds.


Gordon Setter

Gordon Setter Dog Breed

Gordon Setter is an air scenting breed, he was developed over a long period of time for the sole purpose of setting game birds on the heavy heather covered Scottish moors.


Red Setter

Red Setter

The Red Setter, is a setter, a breed of gundog and family dog. The term Irish Setter is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog.


Irish Red and White Setter

Irish Red and White Setter

The Irish Red and White Setter is a breed of dog, more specifically a setter. As with all the setters and the Pointer, it is classified as a gundog in the UK and is included in the sporting group in America and Canada.


American Water Spaniel

American Water Spaniel image

The American Water Spaniel, is a breed of spaniel which is one of a small number of breeds originating in the United States. The American Water Spaniel is primarily a working gun dog that is seldom seen in the show ring.


Blue Picardy Spaniel

Blue Picardy Spaniel

The Blue Picardy Spaniel is a breed of Spaniel originating in France. The Blue Picardy Spaniel is a docile dog with a calm demeanour.


Brittany Spaniel

Brittany Spaniel

The Brittany is a breed of gun dog bred primarily for bird hunting. Although it is often referred to as a Spaniel, the breed’s working characteristics are more akin to those of a pointer or setter.


Clumber Spaniel

Clumber Spaniel

The Clumber Spaniel is a breed of dog of the spaniel type, developed in the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the spaniels, and comes in predominantly white with either lemon or orange markings. The Clumber Spaniel is a steady, affectionate, and loyal dog.


English Springer Spaniel

English Springer Spaniel

The English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dog in the Spaniel family traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. It is an affectionate, excitable breed of dog.


Field Spaniel

Field Spaniel Image

The Field Spaniel is a medium-sized sporting breed dog of the spaniel type. The Field Spaniel is fun-loving, independent and intelligent with an easygoing attitude. It has a great affinity for human companionship.


French Spaniel

French Spaniel Image

The French Spaniel is a breed of dog of the Spaniel-like setter. It was developed in France and Canada as a hunting dog, descended from dogs of the 14th century. A strongly built dog with great endurance.


Irish Water Spaniel

Irish Water Spaniel dog image

The Irish Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that is the largest and one of the oldest of spaniels. The Irish Water Spaniel is a rare breed. Alert and inquisitive, the Irish Water Spaniel is often called the clown of the spaniel family and can be somewhat frustrating when his mind is on some task of his own.


Sussex Spaniel

Sussex Spaniel Image

The Sussex Spaniel is a breed of dog developed in Sussex in southern England. It is a low, compact spaniel and is similar in appearance to the Clumber Spaniel. They can be slow paced, but can have a clownish and energetic temperament.


Welsh Springer Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel Image

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a steady and sensible dog breed. A hardy, vigorous worker in the field, the Welsh Springer Spaniel loves the outdoors and needs as much running, hiking, or biking exercise as you can provide.


Spinone Italiano

Spinone Italiano breed image

The Spinone Italiano is an Italian dog breed. It was originally bred as a versatile gun dog. To this day, the breed still masters that purpose. The Spinone is a loyal, friendly and alert dog with a close lying, wiry coat.


Smooth Vizsla

Smooth Vizsla dogs

The Vizsla is a dog breed originating in Hungary. The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla are sporting dogs and loyal companions.

Wirehaired Vizsla

Wirehaired Vizsla

The wirehaired Vizsla is a relatively new and rare breed developed by crossing the smooth Vizsla with the Wirehaired German Pointer.


Weimaraner

Long coat Weimaraner

The Weimaraner is a large dog that was originally bred for hunting in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear, and deer.


Small Munsterlander

Small Munsterlander Kleiner Munsterlander

The Small Munsterlander is a versatile hunting-pointing-retrieving sporting dog breed that reached its current form in the area around Münster, Germany.


Lagotto Romagnolo

Lagotto Romagnolo dogs

The Lagotto Romagnolo is a breed of dog that comes from the Romagna sub-region of Italy. The name means lake dog from Romagna, originating from the Italian word lago, meaning lake.


Spanish Water Dog

Spanish Waterdog

The Spanish Water Dog breed dates back several hundred years and has its origins most likely in Turkey from where it was imported into Spain as a general purpose sheepdog and guard.


List of all Sporting dog breeds

American Cocker SpanielBarbet ; Braque Francais (Gascogne) ; Braque Francais (Pyrenees) ; Wirehaired Pointing Griffon ; Pointer ; German Long-Haired Pointer ; German Short-Haired Pointer ; German Wire-Haired Pointer ; Pudelpointer ; Chesapeake Bay Retriever ; Curly-Coated Retriever ; Flat Coated Retriever ; Golden Retriever ; Labrador Retriever ; Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever ; English Setter ; Gordon Setter ; Red Setter (and Irish Red and White Setter) ;  Spaniel (American Water) ; Spaniel (Blue Picardy) ; Spaniel (Brittany) ; Spaniel (Clumber) ; English Cocker Spaniel ; Spaniel (English Springer) ; Spaniel (Field) ; Spaniel (French) ; Spaniel (Irish Water) ; Spaniel (Sussex) ; Spaniel (Welsh Springer) ; Spinone Italiano ; Vizsla (Smooth) ; Vizsla (Wire-Haired) ; Weimaraner ; Kleiner Small MunsterlanderLagotto Romagnolo ; Spanish Water Dog.

Sporting Dogs / Hunting Dogs / Gun Dogs

Link for further reading: gun_dogs_online