Whether you own or are interested in a purebred or mixed-breed dog, your friend will behave in ways that have been bred into him over the centuries by people who wanted a breed to perform a certain function. If you wonder why your retriever is always bringing you something in his mouth when you come home, it's because every cell in his body is programmed to bring in downed birds to earn his keep. When he brings you a favorite toy, he's doing the next best thing.

This section is intended to help you better understand your dog or to help you shop for the kind of dog you think would best suit your lifestyle — one that's a diehard loyalist, one that will run and play all day, one that wants to curl up on your lap for hours. Reading about the traits and the histories of some of the most popular breeds in each of the seven AKC groups will do this for you. But remember, every dog is an individual. That's why it's important to talk to other owners of the kind of dog you have or are interested in.

Purebreds and the AKC

The American Kennel Club recognizes more than 150 individual breeds of dogs that are classified into seven groups. The groups are defined by key features in personality and breeding. They are:

• Sporting

• Hound

• Working

• Terrier

• Toy

• Non-Sporting

• Herding