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Sporting Group Dogs – Lots of Great Family Choices!
Sporting group dogs generally have medium to large - sized builds, and have active and energetic personalities. They are eager to please their families, and are loyal and social, because they were bred to be hunting companions and helpers. Spaniels, Retrievers, Setters and Pointers all belong to the Sporting Group of dogs. Some of the most popular breeds in the United States, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers belong to this group. Sweet Spaniels, including the Cocker and English Springer also can make wonderful family dogs, because of their ever-happy outlook on life, and their need to please. The English Setter and Brittany can also be a wonderful family dog choices, two additional members of the Sporting Group. Many of the breeds included in the Sporting Group have both field-bred and show-bred varieties available. As you might guess, field-bred dogs have characteristics that make them good hunting companions and good competitors in field trials, and they require more quite a bit more exercise than their show-bred counterparts. Show-bred dogs were bred more for their appearance and ability to meet the breed standards, set by the American Kennel Club. When considering the best family dog traits, show-bred dogs are easier to train and have less intense personalities than the field-bred lines. This makes them, generally, a better match for most families. Whether show-bred or field-bred, most of the dogs in the Sporting Group require a good amount of exercise to keep them challenged and out of mischief. If they get their required daily dose of exercise, they are happy and wonderful to have in the household. 
NOTE: What follows, in the links below, are general outlooks on the nature of dogs in the categories and breeds that make up the American Kennel Club's Sporting Group. In every breed, you will find individuals who don’t fit the general mold. It is important to use this as a guide to help narrow your decision making process, but you MUST consider each dog as an individual, once you have narrowed your focus to a few breeds that you think might be enjoyable additions to your family, and make sure that they do not show any aggressive tendencies when you have a family with children. Please also consider a mixed breed dog. Better known mixes like the cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle) as well as less known mixes can have wonderful personalities for families, and generally come with less genetic, inbred health faults. Let’s take a look at some of the individual types and breeds in this group and why they might be good choices for your family. We need to go a little further, and take a closer look at Spaniels, Retrievers, Setters, and Pointers.
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