These books were precise and contained entries dating back to Adonis in 1878. From those simple books, the AKC has grown to a yearly registry of over 1.5 million dogs and 500,000 litters. Although made up mostly of setters, retrievers, pointers, and spaniels, the sporting dog group also includes the Vizla, Weimaraner and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Although used for hunting, the sporting dog group does not include hounds. Hounds go under their own group heading, Hound Breeds.
Hounds are dogs that usually hunt by scent or site.
In fact, the AKC now has field trials and lure coursing to enable these types of dogs to demonstrate their ability in performing the duties for which they were originally bred. The Working Breed Group was at one time the largest of all the groups. Due to the number of entries and time involved in judging them at shows, this group was split and the Herding Group was formed. Many of the working dogs were originally bred for guard duty, pulling sleds, and rescue work. The Herding Group came into its own in 1983 when it split from the Working Group.