If you're thinking about getting a pedigree dog, you need to do your research. Different breeds have very different characteristics and behaviour patterns, which can be traced back to the original roles each type was bred for. You can find out more about individual breeds from reputable breeders, breed associations, vets and The Kennel Club.

Terriers
Terriers were originally bred to go to ground (hence their name - 'terra' is Latin for 'earth'). Terriers are tough and well known for their tenacious, fiery and resilient natures. They can make very loving pets and if you like a dog with spirit, a terrier could be the perfect choice.

Terriers' coats are generally tough, to protect against briars, scratches from quarry, and the worst of the weather. Most terriers are fairly small (so they can squeeze into small holes). But there are also medium-sized varieties, as well as the Airedale Terrier, who is the largest of them all.

Because of an instinctive interest in 'prey' animals, great care should be taken when introducing a terrier into a cat household. Never trust a terrier around the family hamster or rabbit. Also terriers just love digging, so a sandpit with some hidden toys could help save your garden whilst deeply buried dog run fences can help to thwart a tunnelling escape.

Hounds
Hounds are hunting dogs, bred to locate their quarry either through scent (for instance the Bloodhound), or by sight (the Greyhound). How hounds hunt is the key to their character and typical behaviour, besides dictating the best way to train them. Hound breeds can often appear dignified and aloof - until you get to know them!

Hounds coat-types are pretty diverse, including the smooth Beagle, the wire-haired Basset Griffon Vendeen, and the glamorous Saluki or Afghan Hound. Hounds also come in all shapes and sizes, from the Miniature Dachshund to the Whippet and one of the largest of all breeds - the Irish Wolfhound.

Hounds need a good amount of prolonged exercise. Sight hounds, bred for short, sharp bursts of activity, are happy with a series of good sprints each day. With a strongly developed chase instinct they can be tricky with cats and should only be let them off the lead if they are safe around small breeds and will reliably come when called.

Scent hounds love putting their noses to the ground and sniffing out interesting smells which means you will need to frequently check their ears and faces for ticks and briars they may have picked up en-route. They can often live in a world of their own too, so when training you will have to work particularly hard on recall commands.

Gundogs
Gundogs were bred to be hunting companions who find, flush out and fetch game for their owners. The breed group includes:

• Spaniels (such as the Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel)
• Retrievers (such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever)
• Hunt, point and retrieve breeds (such as the German Shorthaired Pointer and Hungarian Vizsla)
• Setters (such as the Irish Setter and English Setter)

Different gundogs each had a specific role in the past. Setters would search for birds, 'setting' or freezing on the spot when a bird was found. Spaniels would flush out the birds to be shot. Retrievers retrieved the game. Hunt, point and retrieve breeds, such as the Large Munsterlander, were then developed to do all three jobs, the 'multi-taskers' of the gundog world.

Gundogs commonly have medium-length coats, to protect against dense undergrowth when working. This group contains some of the most popular breeds of dog in the UK, such as the Labrador, Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel, all of whom make loving, family pets, with a reputation of being great with children.

As pets, gundogs are active and quick to learn, but need lots of exercise and mental stimulation to keep them occupied. Ears tend to be long and can be prone to infection, so need to be checked regularly.

Pastoral
Many in the pastoral group were developed for herding sheep, such as the collie breeds, but other pastoral dogs worked cattle and larger animals (such as the Lancashire Heeler). The Samoyed were bred to herd reindeer, and the giant Pyrenean Mountain Dog to protect flocks against wolves and even wild bears! Pastoral breeds have had to work in all weathers and have grown a double, waterproof coat.

Some of the larger pastoral breeds are renowned for their sharp learning ablities and single mindedness, which means they aren't always the easiest to handle and train. So a great deal of kind, fun training is needed to keep their brains active or you may find them herding joggers, cyclists or even cars. Collies are high energy dogs with a huge despite to chase and explore sport, such as agility, flyball or heelwork to music to keep them busy and to improve their relationship with you. Their special coat needs regular grooming to stop it matting.

Working dogs
Working dogs were originally bred for a wide range of jobs to help their owners, some of them quite extraordinary.

• The Dobermann was bred to guard its tax-collecting owner Louis Dobermann.
• The Siberian Husky was developed as a sled dog for the Chuckchi Arctic tribes.
• The life-saving St Bernard rescued lost travellers across the Swiss Alps.
• The Great Dane was originally bred to hunt packs of wild boar.
• The Rottweiler would drive and guard cattle.
• The Newfoundland, a fisherman's dog, was developed to help fishermen haul nets in the water.

Working dogs are generally large (the smallest being the German Pinscher) and some, such as the Great Dane and the St Bernard, are real giants.

If you're interested in a more unusual breed, it's very important to research its origins first. For example, Siberian Huskies are bred to run and pull so they often need a lot of training to walk calmly on a lead. Guarding breeds need a lot of socialisation to ensure they treat people as friends and not threats. A good breeder should tip you off about particular behavioural traits and will advise you about how to prevent any potential problems.

Toy
Not every pure breed has a working ancestry. Breeds in the toy group were predominantly best friends and companions, bred to be small so they could be carried by elegant ladies and fit easily on a lap. They were often highly prized and became a symbol of royalty and wealth, and because of these connections, their popularity grew, as companions and fashionable accessories.

The Toy breeds were developed to look and feel beautiful, and behave well for their doting owners. Some are irresistibly 'stroke-able', whilst others look like adorable puppies well into the adulthood which enhanced the owner's feeling of protection.

Toy breeds don't need a lot of exercise, but thrive on human companionship, and so they can get very upset if you leave them on their own for long periods. Their coats often require a good deal of attention too, so if you can't cope with time-consuming grooming, opt for something more manageable, like a short-coated Pug, or a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Utility
This is a mixed bag of breeds that don't really fit into the other pedigree groups. Utility dogs range from the small, glamorous Shih Tzu to the large, athletic, short-coated Dalmatian; and from the highly-coiffeured Poodle to the bald Mexican Hairless. Some of the most popular include:

• The Akita - a large, powerful, hunting and guarding dog from Japan.
• The Boston Terrier - originally a pit fighting dog.
• The Bulldog - originally a tenacious bull-baiter.
• The Dalmatian - originally an elegant carriage dog.
• The Lhasa Apso - a watchdog from the Buddhist monasteries in Tibet.
• The Poodle - a retriever of sorts, used for disturbing and collecting game from the water.
• The Shar-Pei - a hunting and guarding dog.
• The Shih Tzu - originally from Tibet, a symbol of Chinese royalty during the Manchu dynasty and a professional companion dog.

To choose the right utility dog for your lifestyle, it's best to consult a breeder about behaviour characteristics and needs, but also ask your local vet about heritable conditions, a local trainer about ‘trainability’ and check out as much as you can about the breed on-line.

There are no obvious generalities amongst Utility dogs - exercise, grooming and training requirements are very diverse. The Dalmatian is a born runner who needs lots of vigorous exercise, where as the Shih Tzu is quite happy with a potter round the garden or local park with you. The Poodle is a smart, active breed that does well in the canine sports, but you wouldn't catch a Bulldog leaping around playing flyball for too long.