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Sporting Group is the name of a breed group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds. Not all kennel clubs include the same breeds in the Sporting Group, and some kennel clubs do not use the Sporting Group classification. Sporting Group dogs are in general those used for hunting birds and small game, but not all dogs of this type are included in the Sporting Group of any particular kennel club.
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Sporting dogs
One of the oldest meanings for the word sport in English is hunting as an entertainment for members of the nobility and elite classes. To assist in the hunting of birds and small game, various sporting types of dogs were developed, which became the ancestors of today's pointer, retriever, setter, and spaniel purebred dog breeds. Because they were developed as bird dogs with energetic hunting abilities in water and field settings, most sporting dogs require regular exercise. Their naturally active and alert demeanor also makes them likeable and well-rounded companions.
Sporting Group breeds
Abbreviations used in this section are:
Differences between kennel clubs are noted in parentheses.