Welcome to DogBreedAnswers.com

If you are looking for dog breed answers you have come to the right place. The dogs we cover here at Dog Breed Answers are divided into 2 main categories, purebred dogs and dog breed mixes. We will continue to add more purebred dogs and dog mixes as time goes.

Some basic dog terminology

  • The term “dog” applies to both the species itself and any adult male member of it.
  • While “Bitch” is a term for an adult female dog, due to its vulgar nature, in some countries the term “dog” is used instead.
  • The children of dogs is called puppies and the group of puppies from the same pregancy is called a litter.
  • An adult dog capable of reproduction is called a stud when it is a male and a brood bitch (or brood mother) when it is a female.
  • The father of a litter is a sire and the mother is a dam.

Size and weight variations

  • The smallest dog we know of was a Yorkshire Terrier standing at 2.5 inches at the shoulder and weighing only 113 grams.
  • The tallest dog was a Great Dane standing at 42 inches at the shoulder .

Lifespan variations

  • The dog breed with the shortest lifespan is the Dogue de Bordeaux with a median lifespan of 5.2 years.
  • Dog breeds with the longest lifespans include Toy Poodles, Japanese Spitz, Border Terriers and Tibetan Spaniels having a median lifespan of 14-15 years.

Dog Groups

  • Herding group.
  • Hound group.
  • Non-sporting group.
  • Sporting group.
  • Terrier group.
  • Toy group.
  • Working group.

Various roles

  • Pets
  • Hunting dogs
  • Guard dogs
  • Herding dogs
  • Military dogs
  • Service dogs
  • Police dogs
  • Sled dogs
  • Show dogs

Top 10 Smartest Dogs (According to Stanley Coren The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions)

  1. Border collie
  2. Poodle
  3. German shepherd
  4. Golden retriever
  5. Doberman pinscher
  6. Shetland sheepdog
  7. Labrador retriever
  8. Papillon
  9. Rottweiler
  10. Australian cattle dog

 

Other interesting dog facts

  • The average dog can run about 19 mph with the Greyhounds being the fastests dogs with speeds up to 45 mph. (Budiansky, Stephen. The Truth About Dogs: An Inquiry into the Ancestory, Social Conventions, Mental Habits, and Moral Fiber of Canis familiaris.New York, NY: Penguin Putnum, Inc, 2000.)
  • It is believed that dogs can see in color in a similiar way as a color-blind human. (Choron, Harry and Sandra Choron. Planet Dog: A Doglopedia. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005.)
  • Puppies are born blind deaf and toothless (Budiansky, Stephen. The Truth About Dogs: An Inquiry into the Ancestory, Social Conventions, Mental Habits, and Moral Fiber of Canis familiaris.New York, NY: Penguin Putnum, Inc, 2000.)
  • A dog can hear things 4 times farther away than a human can (Budiansky, Stephen. The Truth About Dogs: An Inquiry into the Ancestory, Social Conventions, Mental Habits, and Moral Fiber of Canis familiaris.New York, NY: Penguin Putnum, Inc, 2000.)
  • Dogs can smell things 1000-10000 times better than humans can (Bailey, Gwen. What Is My Dog Thinking? San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 2002.)
  • Dogs are believed to be as smart as a 2 or 3 year old child. They can understand around 150-200 words, including with the same meaning as words. (Bailey, Gwen. What Is My Dog Thinking? San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 2002.)
  • The Border Collie and the Poodle is seen as the most intelligent dogs. (Choron, Harry and Sandra Choron. Planet Dog: A Doglopedia. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005.)
  • By estimation there are more than 400 million dogs worldwide (Choron, Harry and Sandra Choron. Planet Dog: A Doglopedia. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005.)
  • Laika was not only the first dog but also the first living mammal to orbit the Earth. (Choron, Harry and Sandra Choron. Planet Dog: A Doglopedia. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005.)
  • The cost of training a fully certified federal search and rescue dog can cost up to $10000. (Choron, Harry and Sandra Choron. Planet Dog: A Doglopedia. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005.)