Companion Group
Companion Group is the name of a breed group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds, and does not necessarily include all dogs kept as companions or pets. In some kennel clubs the Companion Group is called the Companion and Toy Group. The international kennel club association, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale has companion dogs in Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs.[1]
The United Kennel Club (US) defines the dogs in its Companion Dog Group to be "miniaturized versions of their ancestors" except for the English Bulldog and the Dalmatian.[2] Most of the United Kennel Club's Companion Dog Group breeds may be found in other kennel club's Toy or Non-Sporting Groups, although some are in other groups as well.
The purpose of this chart is to compare the dog breeds placed by the United Kennel Club (US) in their Companion Dog Group with the way the same breeds are categorised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and a few other national (major) kennel clubs.
| Breed | Fédération Cynologique Internationale | The Kennel Club (UK) | Australian National Kennel Council | New Zealand Kennel Club | Canadian Kennel Club | American Kennel Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affenpinscher | Group 2/Section 1.1 Pinscher | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Bichon Frise | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 1.1 Bichons | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Bolognese | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 1.1 Bichons | Toy Group | not recognised | Toy Group | not recognised | not recognised |
| Boston Terrier | Group 3 Terriers/Section 3: Bull type Terriers | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Brussels Griffon | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 3: Small Belgian Dogs/3.1 Griffons (no. 80) | Toy Group (Griffon Bruxellois) | Group 1 (Toys) (Griffon Bruxellois) | Toy Group (Griffon Bruxellois) | Group 5 Toys (Griffon (Brussels)) | Toy Group |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 7: English Toy Spaniels (no.136) | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Chihuahua | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 6: Chihuahueño | Toy Group (two breeds) | Group 1 (Toys) (two breeds) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys (two breeds) | Toy Group |
| Chinese Crested | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 4: Hairless Dogs | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Coton De Tulear | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 1.1 Bichons | Toy Group | not recognised | not recognised | Group 5 Toys | not recognised |
| Dalmatian | Group 6 Scenthounds and Related Breeds/Section 3: Related breeds | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| English Bulldog | Group 2, Section 2: Molossoid breeds | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) (British Bulldog) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| English Toy Spaniel | King Charles Spaniel (no. 128) by a different name: Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 7: English Toy Spaniels | Toy Group (King Charles Spaniel) | Group 1 (Toys) (King Charles Spaniel) | Toy Group (King Charles Spaniel) | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| French Bulldog | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 11: Small Molossian type Dogs | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Havanese | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 1.1 Bichons | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Italian Greyhound | Group 10 Sighthounds/Section 3: Short-haired Sighthounds Piccolo Levriero Italiano (no. 200) | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Japanese Chin | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 8: Japan Chin and Pekingese | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys (Japanese Spaniel) | Toy Group |
| Kromfohrländer | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 10: Kromfohrländer | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised | Foundation Stock System/Non-Sporting Group |
| Lhasa Apso | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 5: Tibetan breeds | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Löwchen | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 1.1 Bichons (no. 233, Petit chien lion) | Toy Group (Lowchen) | Group 1 (Toys) (Lowchen) | Toy Group (Lowchen) | Group 5 Toys | Non-Sporting Group |
| Maltese | Group 9 Companion and Toy/Section 1.1 Bichons | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Miniature Pinscher | Group 2/Section 1.1 Pinscher (Zwergpinscher, no. 185) | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Papillon | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 9: Continental Toy Spaniel (one breed, two forms, Papillon and Phalène) | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Pekingese | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 8: Japan Chin and Pekingese | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Petite Brabancon | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 3: Small Belgian Dogs (no. 82) | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised |
| Pomeranian | Classified as a size of German Spitz - Group 5 Spitz and primitive types/Section 4 European Spitz | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Poodle (includes Poodle (Miniature) and Poodle (Toy)/Solid & Multicolored) | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 2: Poodle (all poodles are considered sizes of the same breed) | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting (Miniature)/Group 5 Toys (Toy) | Non-Sporting Group (Miniature)/Toy Group (Toy) |
| Pug | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 11: Small Molossian type Dogs | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
| Russkiy Toy | Provisional, 2006, Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 9: Continental Toy Spaniel and Russian Toy | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised | not recognised |
| Schipperke | Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs/Section 1: Sheepdogs | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Shih Tzu | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 5: Tibetan breeds | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Toy Group |
| Tibetan Spaniel | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 5: Tibetan breeds | Utility Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Tibetan Terrier | Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs/Section 5: Tibetan breeds | Utility Group | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Non-Sporting Group | Group 6 Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting Group |
| Yorkshire Terrier | Group 3 Terriers/Section 4: Toy Terriers | Toy Group | Group 1 (Toys) | Toy Group | Group 5 Toys | Toy Group |
Other kennel clubs and registries
Kennel Clubs in countries other than those listed may also use the term Companion Group, and their definition may be the same or may differ. "Companion Group" or a similar term may also be a term used by minor registries, kennel clubs, breed clubs, sporting clubs, and internet dog businesses. Each may or may not define the term separately.
Not recognized
A breed that is not recognized by a kennel club means that it has not been sufficiently vetted according to that particular kennel club's rules. It does not mean that the breed is not a breed. Major kennel clubs usually require a breed to have a specific amount of documentation, as well as a large enough breed club to warrant the training of judges for the breed, for the breed to be accepted. Small clubs and internet registry businesses may have fewer requirements, so may be seen to register more little known breeds.
See also
References
- ↑ Fédération Cynologique Internationale breed nomenclature
- ↑ United Kennel Club breed info Archived January 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Kennel Club Group information: