AKC Working Breeds

Akita

Origin: Japan

Use: protection dogs

Ears: erect fully triangles

Body: burly, heavy-boned spitz-type dogs of imposing stature

Coat: dense thick double coats

Colors: Any coloring including white; brindle; or pinto. Exceptions: Merle marking pattern. Liver color.

Height: 24- 28 ins

Weight: 70- 130 lbs

Life expectancy: 10- 14 years

Alaskan Malamute

Origin: Alaska

Use: sled dogs

Ears: perfect fluffy triangles

Body: heavy-duty worker of spitz type heavy bone, deep chest, powerful shoulders

Coat: dense warm double coat

Colors: range from light gray through intermediate shadings to black, sable, and shadings of sable to red

Height: 23-25 in

Weight: 75-85 lbs

Life expectancy: 10-14 yrs

Anatolian Shepherd Dog

Origin: West Asia

Use: herding and protection dog

Ears: drop and dark colored

Body: : Large, rugged, powerful and impressive

Coat: Short (one inch minimum, not tight) to Rough (approximately 4 inches in length) with neck hair slightly longer

Colors: rainbow

Height: 27-29

Weight: 80- 150 lbs

Life expectancy: 11-13 yrs

Bernese Mountain Dog

Origin: Swiss Alps

Use: farm dogs

Ears: nedium sized and alert

Body: large strudy draft dogs

Coat: thick, moderately long and slightly wavy or straigh

Colors: tri colored with a base of black

Height: 23-27.5 in

Weight: 70-115 lbs

Life expectancy: 7-10 yrs

Boxer

Origin: German

Use: watchdog

Ears: Set at the highest points of the sides of the skull, the ears are customarily cropped, cut rather long and tapering, and raised when alert

Body: medium-sized, square-built dog

Coat: Short, shiny, lying smooth and tight to the body

Colors: fawn and brindle

Height: 21.5-25 in

Weight: 65-80 lbs

Life expectancy: 10-12 yrs

Bullmastiff

Origin: England

Use: gamekeepers

Ears: v V-shaped, close to the cheeks

Body: large and square

Coat: short and dense

Colors: red, fawn, or brindle

Height: 24-27 in

Weight: 100-130 lbs

Life expectancy: 7-9 yrs

Cane Corso

Origin: Italy

Use: watchdog and big game hunter

Ears: triangle

Body: HUGE AND SQUARE

Coat: short, stiff, shiny

Colors: Acceptable colors are black, lighter and darker shades of gray, lighter and darker shades of fawn, and red. Brindling is allowed on all of these colors. Solid fawn and red, including lighter and darker shades, have a black or gray mask

Height: 23.5- 27.5 in

Weight: Proportionate to heigh

Life expectancy: 9-12 years

Doberman Pinscher

Origin: Germany

Use: protection dog

Ears: often cropped and erect

Body: medium-sized square

Coat: Smooth-haired, short, hard, thick and close lying

Colors: Allowed Colors-Black, red, blue, and fawn (Isabella). Markings-Rust, sharply defined, appearing above each eye and on muzzle, throat and forechest, on all legs and feet, and below tail.

Height: 24-28 in

Weight: 60-100 lbs

Life expectancy: 10-12 yrs

Great Dane

Origin: Germany

Use: couch ornament

Ears: shall be high set, medium in size and of moderate thickness, folded forward close to the cheek

Body: giant horse

Coat: short, thick and clean

Colors: all of them

Height: 28-32 in

Weight: 110- 175 lbs

Life expectancy: 7- 10 yrs

Great Pyrenees

Origin: France

Use: livestock dog

Ears: medium-sized pendular

Body: giant rectangular dog

Coat: The weather-resistant double coat consists of a long, flat, thick, outer coat of coarse hair, straight or slightly undulating, and lying over a dense, fine, woolly undercoat

Colors: White or white with markings of gray, badger, reddish brown, or varying shades of tan

Height: 25-32 in

Weight: 85 and up

Life expectancy: 10-12 yrs

Mastiff

Origin: Asia

Use: guardian dog

Ears: small, v V-shaped, and rounded at the tip

Body: big and symmetrical

Coat: Outer coat straight, coarse, and of moderately short length. Undercoat dense, short, and close lying

Colors: Fawn, apricot, or brindle. Brindle should have fawn or apricot as a background color which should be completely covered with very dark stripes. Muzzle, ears, and nose must be dark in color, the blacker the better, with similar color tone around the eye orbits and extending upward between them

Height: 27.5 and up

Weight: 120-230 lbs

Life expectancy: 6- 10 yrs

Newfoundland

Origin: North America

Use: nanny dog

Ears: relatively small and triangular with rounded tips

Body: fluffy rectangle

Coat: The outer coat is coarse, moderately long, and full, either straight or with a wave. The undercoat is soft and dense, although it is often less dense during the summer months or in warmer climates

Colors: Recognized Newfoundland colors are black, brown, gray, and white and black; Landseer-White base coat with black marking

Height: 26 and up

Weight: 100- 150 lbs

Life expectancy: 9-10 yrs

Rottweiler

Origin: Germany

Use: guard dogs

Ears: medium size, pendant, triangular in shape

Body: medium large

Coat: Outer coat is straight, coarse, dense, of medium length and lying flat. Undercoat should be present on neck and thighs

Colors: Always black with rust to mahogany markings

Height: 22-27 in

Weight: 80-135 lbs

Life expectancy: 9-10 yrs

St Bernard

Origin: Switzerland

Use: rescue mountain dogs

Ears: medium size, rather high set, with very strongly developed burr (Muschel) at the base

Body: tall and muscular

Coat: short or longhaired

Colors: White with red or red with white, the red in its various shades; brindle patches with white markings.

Height: 26-30 ins

Weight: 120-180 lbs

Life expectancy: 8-10 yrs

Samoyed

Origin: Russia

Use: herding

Ears: tiny perfect triangles on the top of their heads

Body: spitz type

Coat: thick double coat long on top so fluffy

Colors: white

Height: 19-23.5 in

Weight: 35-65 lbs

Life expectancy: 12-14 yrs

Giant Schnauzer

Origin: Germany

Use: family dog

Ears: erect and cropped

Body: they look the same, one is just HUGE

Coat: Hard, wiry, very dense; composed of a soft undercoat and a harsh outer coat

Colors: Solid black or pepper and salt

Height: 23.5- 27.5

Weight: 55-95 lbs

Life expectancy: 10-13 years

Standard Schnauzer

Origin: Germany

Use: family and ground hunting dog

Ears:

Body: robust, heavy-set dog, sturdily built with good muscle and plenty of bone; square-built in proportion of body length to height

Coat: Hard, wiry, very dense; composed of a soft undercoat and a harsh outer coat

Colors: Pepper and salt or pure black

Height: 17.5-19.5 ins

Weight: 30-50lbs

Life expectancy: 13-16 years

Siberian Husky

Origin: Siberia

Use: Sledding dogs

Ears: thick, well furred, slightly arched at the back, and strongly erect,

Body: medium-sized working dog

Coat: double and medium in length

Colors: All ranges of the allowable colors which are black, gray, agouti, sable, red, and white

Height: 20-23.5 in

Weight: 35-60lbs

Life expectancy: 12-14 yrs