Breed All About It

Portraits of particular breeds of dogs.
Border Terrier
S6 E1

Two border terriers train for the earthdog trials, while two puppies learn quarrying.

French Bulldog
S6 E2

The French bulldog looks like a bruiser, but it's more of a class clown than a bully.

Brittany Spaniel
S6 E3

The Brittany spaniel is a small yet versatile bird dog.

Samoyed
S6 E4

Bred by Siberian nomads, the Samoyed developed as all-purpose working dogs with a hankering for wandering.

Scottish Terrier
S6 E5

Scottish terriers have been immortalized in high art and pop culture more than any other breed of dog.

Lhasa Apso
S6 E6

A breed once employed to guard Buddhist monasteries in Tibet is a great show dog known for its beautiful coat.

Bouvier des Flandres
S6 E8

Known for farm work and its service with French and Belgian troops, the Bouvier is a vigilant watchdog.

Whippet
S6 E9

Once known as the "poor man's racing dog," today's whippets run for fun in a sport known as lure coursing.

Smooth Fox Terrier
S6 E10

Smooth fox-terriers originally are bred to flush foxes from dens.

Chow Chow
S6 E11

Chows: litter; raising; local dog shows.

Australian Shepherd
S5 E1

Loyal and attentive, Australian shepherds are smart working dogs with strong herding and guarding instincts.

Yorkshire Terrier
S5 E2

Hunters by nature, Yorkshire terriers helped catch the rats that plagued England in the 1800s.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever
S5 E3

Due to their strong olfactory sense, Chesapeake Bay retrievers are excellent duck-hunters.

Bull Mastiff
S5 E4

The British bred the bull mastiff to protect estates against poachers.

Irish Wolfhound
S5 E5

The Irish Wolfhound Club president recites the history and legends of the breed.

English Springer Spaniel
S5 E6

The English springer spaniel, a bouncy and animated breed, was originally developed to flush game from hiding.

West Highland White Terrier
S5 E7

West highland white terriers were bred to rid communities of unpleasant rodents.

Pomeranian
S5 E8

Pomeranians, one of the world's most popular toy breeds, descended from European sled dogs and herding breeds.

Coonhound
S5 E9

Coonhounds are originally used to control the raccoon population.

Shetland Sheepdog
S5 E10

A sheepdog bred in the Shetland Islands has become a popular pet with a trademark bark.

Bernese Mountain Dog
S5 E11

Bernese mountain dogs use cart-pulling skills to compete in draft-dog competitions.

Great Pyrenees
S5 E12

A specialist trains Great Pyrenees to protect ranches from coyotes and other dangers.

Flat-Coated Retriever
S5 E14

Retrievers: training difficulties; police dogs; cancer percentages; intelligence quotient.

Akita
S5 E15

The dignified and courageous Akita breed was officially designated as a national treasure in its homeland of Japan in 1931.

Papillon
S4 E1

Papillons are thought of as comforting, little lap dogs, however, tests show it's one of the smartest breeds, ranking high in trainability.

St. Bernard
S4 E2

Profiling St. Bernards, a huge breed known for mountain rescues.

Shar-Pei
S4 E3

Profiling Shar-Peis, a Chinese breed known for their protection skills, which came close to extinction.

Bulldog
S4 E4

Looking into the mild-mannered and kind heart belied by the English bulldog's tough exterior.

Airedale
S4 E5

A terrier bred to chase otters along the United Kingdom's Aire River became valued by the military during World Wars I and II.

Japanese Chin
S4 E6

Royalty bred dogs from China with toy spaniels to create the Japanese chin.

Belgian Sheepdog
S4 E7

Robust sheepdogs bred for herding are also used for their detection skills.

Bloodhound
S4 E8

The amazing sense of scent possessed by the bloodhound.

Australian Cattle Dog
S4 E9

Bred to wrangle livestock in Australia in the 1800s, the cattle dog can be found working and competing across the United States today.

Siberian Husky
S4 E10

Husky owners attend a California mushing clinic; a couple share their passion for snow sledding with a dog team.

Saluki
S4 E11

Tall and slender like a greyhound with long, hanging ears, the Saluki's origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt.

Schnauzer
S4 E12

Breeds of schnauzers include miniatures, standards and giants.

Rhodesian Ridgeback
S4 E13

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a strong, short-haired breed of hunting dog originally developed in South Africa.

Golden Retriever
S3 E1

Golden retrievers are trained to help people with disabilities.

Borzoi
S3 E2

Studying the unique characteristics of the borzoi, one of the purest breeds of the ancient Russian wolfhound.

Dachshund
S3 E3

Studying various roles performed by the dachshund, which was originally bred to tunnel to chase beavers.

Basset Hound
S3 E4

Originally bred as a hunter, the basset hound is now described as the only dog that needs to be coaxed to go for a walk.

Weimaraner
S3 E6

History of the Weimaraner, a medium-sized hunting dog noted for its tracking ability; William Wegman photographs his Weimaraner models.

Poodle
S3 E7

Poodles have exceptional intelligence and a great sense of humor despite their aloof appearance.

Doberman Pinscher
S3 E8

Dobermans are well-known for their work as police dogs, but they have a softer side as therapy and service dogs, and even as dance partners.

Portuguese Water Dog
S3 E9

Portuguese water dogs were originally bred to assist fisherman.

Pug
S3 E10

Profiling pugs, one of the most documented breeds in history dating to Renaissance paintings.

Newfoundland
S3 E11

Profiling the Newfoundland, a dog breed with webbed feet and a large lung capacity.

Mastiff
S3 E12

Brought to England by ancient traders, the mastiff is an antique breed.

Irish Setter
S2 E1

Tracing the history and development of the Irish setter, known as a bird dog of the highest order.

English Fox Hound
S2 E2

The English fox hound, noted for its hunting instincts, is one of the few breeds displayed in its natural form rather than as a show dog.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
S2 E3

Known as the "ultimate lap dog," the Cavalier King Charles was named for a British monarch whose ghost reportedly haunts a historic home in London.

Collie
S2 E4

Profiling collies, a loyal and affectionate dog with a particular affinity for small children.

Rottweiler
S2 E5

Rottweilers have an unwarranted reputation.

Basenji
S2 E6

Dating to ancient Egypt, the basenji is a small dog prized for its intelligence, speed, hunting ability and silence.

Bull Terrier
S2 E7

Bred for battling in dog fights, the bull terrier has a positive attitude despite its tough dog history.

Cardigan Welsh Corgi
S2 E8

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, a renowned herding dog and household pet, is one of the oldest breeds known to man.

Chihuahua
S2 E9

The smallest breed; Gidget, the Taco Bell chihuahua.

Boston Terrier
S2 E10

One of the few breeds native to the United States, the Boston terrier is considered to be the ultimate house pet.

Jack Russell Terrier
S2 E12

The Jack Russell terrier is buoyant and intelligent, determined and relentless.

Boxer
S2 E13

Boxer history, a profile of a champion and the controversy over ear cropping.

Border Collies
S1 E1

Border collies show off their ability to herd livestock in Tennessee and Virginia.

Dalmatians
S1 E2

Dalmatians; speed/endurance test; obstacle course; animal trainers.

Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
S1 E3

Swiss mountain dogs, known for herding cattle, are endangered.

Old English Sheepdogs
S1 E4

Old English sheep dogs are determined workers and devoted pets.

Beagles
S1 E6

Beagles display their hunting abilities at the National Beagle Show in Aldie, Va.

Afghan Hounds
S1 E7

Afghan hounds have strong hunting skills.

Pointers
S1 E8

The aptly named pointers and their ability to point, flush and retrieve prey.

Cairn Terriers
S1 E9

The terrier has come to represent tenacity and feistiness.

Greyhounds
S1 E10

The greyhound, the oldest purebred canine, has a history that can be traced to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Labradors
S1 E11

Labrador retrievers are renowned for their ability to hunt and guide.

German Shepherds
S1 E12

German shepherds, originally bred to herd, have become versatile working as service canines and in law enforcement.

Great Danes
S1 E13

Meeting statuesque and sweet Great Danes, including one owned by former Olympian Greg Louganis.