Northern Breed Group

Northern Breed Group is the name of a breed group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds. Dogs listed in the Northern Breed Group may not all be of the same type of dog.

Northern dogs

Spitz-type dogs are the primary dog type of the Arctic and northern parts of the world, and the Shiba Inu, Chow Chow, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky and Samoyed are being shown by genetic research to be descendents of the oldest dog types known.^[1] The Spitz or Northern-type dogs of today developed from antiquity along with humans, and in modern times have been selectively bred and documented as a wide variety of purebred modern breeds, including those listed here.

Major registries

The Northern Breed Group is the Group category used by the United Kennel Club (US).^[2]

Minor registries

Many of the regional breeds recognised by the United Kennel Club are very few in number in the United States. As a US-based club they have specialized in the registry of North American breeds, especially hunting and working/utility dogs. Since many of these breeds are few in number (so called rare breeds), they also may be listed with a variety of small breed clubs, dog sport clubs, minor kennel clubs and internet-based dog businesses. In this Group, the Alaskan Klee Kai (a new breed developed from a mixed breed dog in the 1970s in Alaska, USA) can be still be registered with the American Rare Breed Association as well as with the United Kennel Club.

Not recognised

A breed that is not recognised by a kennel club means that it has not been sufficiently vetted according to that particular kennel club's rules.

See also

• Breed Groups (dog)
• Dog type
• Sled dog
• Husky
• Spitz

References