A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. [1] Complete list of AKC recognized dog breeds. Includes personality, history, health, nutrition, grooming, pictures, videos and AKC breed standard. Browse through our list of dog breeds, and find the best dog for you. The size and the breed of the dog change how long the dog lives on average. Breeds such as the Dachshund usually live for fifteen years, Chihuahuas can reach the age of twenty. Dogs perform many roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, companionship, therapy, aiding disabled people, and assisting police and the military. dog, (Canis lupus familiaris), domestic mammal of the family Canidae (order Carnivora). It is a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and is related to foxes and jackals. The dog is one of the two most ubiquitous and most popular domestic animals in the world (the cat is the other). Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 15,000 years ago. New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China. Over time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. Have you ever wondered what the most popular dog breeds are? We've put together this list of the 25 top dog breeds. Find out which comes in at the top! Dog - Breeds, Temperament, History: There are about 400 breeds of purebred dogs worldwide. A purebred dog has a genealogy that can be traced for three generations within the same breed. Explore 340 breeds and discover the perfect dog for your lifestyle. There are over 340 types of dog breeds, with the American Kennel Club recognizing 200 purebred dogs, divided into seven groups based on their original purpose.