THE NON-SPORTING GROUP
The Non-Sporting Group
DOGGY DIVERSITY IN ALL ITS GLORY!
T he 1941 revised edition of The Complete Dog Book lists a mere eight breeds in the Non- Sporting Group, but what an extraordinary collection it is. Included on the eighty-three- year-old list are some of the world’s most iconic of all dog breeds: Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, French Bulldog, Keeshond, Poodle, and Schipperke. How ironic that such a distinguished grouping of purebreds should be designated with a negative prefix when the breeds included have had such a positive impact on the lives of so many for so long. The Non-Sporting Group was, of course, named in opposition to the Sporting Group, those dogs bred at the time by members of the Westminster Breeding Association and other kennel clubs founded in cities across America. The Sporting breeds, interestingly, originally included several of today’s hounds and terriers. Perhaps even more intriguing is the fact that the Non-Sporting Group count- ed among its early members a breed that would eventually become a strong contender in the Working Group. Before 1936, the Boxer competed as a Non-Sporting breed and was known as the German Boxer when it entered the Mis- cellaneous Class in 1906. Today, the Non-Sporting Group includes 21 breeds from four continents and the four corners of the known world. From Madagascar to Mexico and Finland to Friesland, the breeds of this Group can appear incongru- ous at first glance. A deeper dive, however, will reveal their surprising connectedness, if only by means of travel routes that managed to bring Lhasa to London and the Far East to the Wild West. Perhaps more than any other collec- tion of purebreds, the breeds of the Non-Sporting Group represent the similarities (as well as the diversity) that are found among both domestic dogs and members of the human race. Through the articles and interviews assembled in this edition, SHOWSIGHT has endeavored to connect our readers as beautifully as the Non-Sporting Group connects the world of the purebred dog. We hope you enjoy it!
BY DAN SAYERS
186 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2024
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