Although there is no absolute consensus on how many dog breeds there are in the world, all renowned institutions point to very high figures. Know, today, how many there are.

There are numerous breeds of dogs. Some of them exist for centuries. Others, however, are the result of human intervention and were created in the laboratory. Anyway, both cases.

According to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), a highly renowned international organization, today there are 339 breeds of dogs worldwide. Note that this is a very high number. To get an idea, today there are about 40 breeds of cats recognized in the world. The discrepancy, therefore, is clear.

Each of these 339 dog breeds in the world is divided into one of these groups:

Below, then, see the characteristics of each of these groups and some of their representatives.

They open the list of groups that add up to the 339 dog breeds that exist the herding dogs. These are those that, at first, were used to assist in the grazing of cattle, especially cattle and sheep.

Thus, the vast majority of recognized herding dogs are of European origin. Today, however, they are present all over the world, where they have become pets far from pastures. See which are the main breeds of this group:

Here there are several different races at first glance. For example, in this same group is the English bulldog, the pinscher and the doberman. And this can seem very confusing, after all, what is the similarity?

Well, know that the joint classification is not for nothing. All these dogs were bred for the purpose of guarding and defense. In addition, the bulldog was used to protect flocks, as well as the other herding dogs in the group.

Check out some of the other breeds:

Continuing our groups that make up how many breeds of dogs there are, we have the terriers. They correspond to small and medium-sized dogs that are originally hunters of burrow animals (rabbits, hares, etc.).

In addition, they have another point in common: they were all bred in the British Isles precisely for the purpose of small game hunting. Check out some of these breeds:

There are 339 dog breeds that exist in the world and are divided into 10 groups. However, here is a group that has only one representative! That's right, the third group, Dachshunds, is occupied solely by the dog of the same name.

He is the famous “sausage” that is very successful in Brazil, although it has German origin. It is characterized by having an elongated body and very short legs.

The fifth group that make up how many dog breeds there are in the world corresponds to the spitz and primitive types. That is, they have some characteristics similar to those of wolves. 

Thus, they have triangular ears that stand upright. Also, thin and long nose, wide and double coat. The tail, in turn, is usually pointed. An interesting factor is that these are among the oldest dogs in existence.

The genetic material has similarities to that of wolves. In addition, some of them did not even undergo human intervention, just being the result of natural selection. See some of them:

In this group are the breeds of dogs that have the sharpest sense of smell. The curiosity of these dogs is also usually sharpened, whose skills were and are used for investigations.

However, among the physical characteristics are floppy ears and large nostrils. So, check out some of the breeds in this group:

They are dogs widely used in hunting. By the way, there are records of them since 1630! Therefore, they have survived time with some natural alterations and others due to human intervention. They add to the other 339 breeds of dogs that exist and are distinguished by a special feature.

However, these dogs are those used in hunting that, instead of chasing her, just stop and point, with their body, where she is. So, these are some of these breeds:

Here are the dogs that were used to collect game (retrievers) and the ones that scared the game before slaughter (raiser). Still, those that have water resistance and are good swimmers. However, check out some of them:

This group brings together the breeds of dogs that exist in the world that are small and are, as a rule, for companionship. Therefore, it is very heterogeneous. Are they:

Finally, we have the group whose dog breeds are characterized by their lean, muscular bodies and speed. See some: