Names for Norway's versatile farm spitz: sturdy, wheaten or black, smart, affectionate, self-confident, devoted, energetic, sensitive, and independent

Open the guide →VÃ¦rÃ¸y, Norway

Norwegian Lundehund

Names for Norway's uniquely flexible island dog: small, agile, alert, energetic, loyal, protective, and built for steep cliffs

Open the guide →England

Old English Sheepdog

Names for the shaggy English drover: strong, square, agile, intelligent, adaptable, even-tempered, and famous for a bear-like roll

Open the guide →England

Pointer

Names for the classic bird dog: compact power, agile grace, stamina, courage, alert sense, dignity, loyalty, and unmistakable point

Open the guide →Germany and France

Toy Poodle

Names for the smallest Poodle variety: active, intelligent, elegant, square, springy, proud, and fully Poodle at ten inches or under

Open the guide →United States

Rat Terrier

Names for the American farm original: compact, tough, fit, quick, playful, happy-go-lucky, portable, and built for practical vermin work

Open the guide →Southern Africa

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Names for the Southern African all-purpose hound: athletic, dignified, even-tempered, devoted, reserved, wheaten, and marked by a backward-growing ridge

Open the guide →Germany

Rottweiler

Names for the robust German worker: powerful, compact, calm, confident, courageous, devoted, biddable, and unmistakably black with rust markings

Open the guide →England, with later Australian development

Russell Terrier

Names for the lively low rectangular fox terrier: upbeat, inquisitive, friendly, fearless, energetic, alert, flexible, and built to work underground

Open the guide →Swiss Alps

Saint Bernard

Names for the Alpine giant: powerful, muscular, intelligent, watchful, patient, genial, short- or longhaired, and never defined by a brandy barrel

Open the guide →Arctic Siberia

Samoyed

Names for the smiling Arctic worker: substantial, graceful, powerful, tireless, social, white, cream, or biscuit, and built for useful cold-weather work

Open the guide →Germany and France

Poodle

Names for every Poodle variety: active, intelligent, elegant, square, springy, proud, curly or corded, and far more athletic than the haircut suggests

Open the guide →Japan

Shiba Inu

Names for Japan's small, well-muscled hunter: spirited, alert, agile, good-natured, adaptable, independent, and dignified

Open the guide →Tibet and China

Shih Tzu

Names for the sturdy little lion companion: affectionate, outgoing, playful, alert, warm, substantial, and known for a flowing coat

Open the guide →Sydney, Australia

Silky Terrier

Names for Sydney's glossy blue-and-tan terrier: compact, refined, keen, energetic, inquisitive, friendly, and larger than the Yorkie

Open the guide →North Africa

Sloughi

Names for the North African sighthound: lean, swift, noble, reserved, gentle with loved ones, smooth-coated, and built for endurance

Open the guide →Germany

Standard Schnauzer

Names for the original medium Schnauzer: square, robust, wiry, high-spirited, reliable, bold, intelligent, and sometimes willful

Open the guide →Sussex, England

Sussex Spaniel

Names for the golden-liver English spaniel: low, massive, deliberate, cheerful, placid, affectionate, loyal, and vocal in cover

Open the guide →Tibetan Plateau

Tibetan Mastiff

Names for the imposing Tibetan guardian: powerful, densely coated, watchful, aloof, independent, devoted, territorial, and calm at home

Open the guide →United States

Toy Fox Terrier

Names for the American toy athlete: balanced, muscular, agile, animated, intelligent, loyal, courageous, and truly terrier beneath the small frame

Open the guide →England

Toy Manchester Terrier

Names for the Toy variety of the sleek Manchester Terrier: alert, keen, athletic, intelligent, devoted, and polished in black and tan

Open the guide →United States

Treeing Walker Coonhound

Names for the fast American night hound: balanced, powerful, agile, driven, clear-voiced, tri-colored, and built to trail and tree

Open the guide →Germany

Weimaraner

Names for Germany's gray sporting dog: sleek, swift, powerful, balanced, fearless, friendly, alert, obedient, and built for endurance

Open the guide →England

Whippet

Names for the English sprinter: sleek, balanced, powerful, swift, gentle, amiable, dignified, and calm between bursts of speed

Open the guide →Continental Europe, refined in the Netherlands

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Names for the rough-coated supreme gundog: medium, strong, agile, eager, trainable, devoted, weather-ready, and built to point and retrieve

Open the guide →Hungary

Wirehaired Vizsla

Names for Hungary's distinct wire-coated sporting breed: golden-rust, robust, gentle, loyal, trainable, exuberant, and built for field and water

Open the guide →Yorkshire, England

Yorkshire Terrier

Names for the blue-and-tan Yorkie: tiny, compact, confident, feisty, brave, self-important, glossy-coated, and rooted in working-class Yorkshire

Open the guide →

The complete AKC directory

Every recognized breed in one searchable place.

205 AKC breeds198 name guides

Use the directory to find any of the 205 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. Entries with a name guide link to our full breed-specific coverage, and every card links to the official AKC profile. The roster was checked against the AKC’s 2025 registration list and January 2026 additions.

Find a breed

Showing 205 breeds

Name guide available

Affenpinscher

2025 AKC registration rank #153