Dog Breeds API

About the Dog Breeds API

Dog Breeds works by providing information about various dog breeds. It returns information such as breed name, temperament, lifespan, and more. The information is sourced from reputable sources to ensure accuracy.

What people use it for

Pet Adoption Matching

Shelter adoption directories look up matching kennel club groups and breed names to help prospective pet owners filter available rescue dogs.

Veterinary Patient Intake

When new patients register, veterinary clinic management software queries breed names to populate official kennel classifications in electronic health records.

Insurance Policy Underwriting

Pet insurance quote forms verify submitted canine breed names against standardized kennel classifications to group policyholders into underwriting risk categories.

Canine Activity Tracking

Dog walking apps check registered pet profiles against breed classifications to suggest group activities suited to specific canine working categories.

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON

Default REST response

XML

Markup format

YAML

Human-readable

CSV

Tabular export

Beta

GraphQL

Query language

New

MCP

For AI agents

Request parameters — GET /v1/dogbreeds

Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them. Anything not listed here is dropped rather than passed through.

Required

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curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/dogbreeds?breed=beagle" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — no token exchange, and no per-endpoint scope to configure.

Response — GET /v1/dogbreeds

Every APIVerve endpoint returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape.

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "breed": "beagle",
    "foundCount": 1,
    "foundBreeds": [
      {
        "name": "Beagle",
        "weight": {
          "lowerLbs": 20,
          "upperLbs": 35
        },
        "height": {
          "lowerInches": 13,
          "upperInches": 15
        },
        "bredFor": "rabbit, hare hunting",
        "group": "hound",
        "life_span": {
          "lowerYears": 13,
          "upperYears": 16
        },
        "traits": [
          "amiable",
          "even tempered",
          "excitable",
          "determined",
          "gentle",
          "intelligent"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Response headers

Every response carries your balance, so your own code always knows where it stands without polling anything. All four are exposed to browsers through CORS.

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change.

What a call costs — 2 credits per call

Credits are shared across every APIVerve API — one balance, one key, one bill. Failed requests never count against it, so a rejected input costs nothing.

Calls are what the credits buy at this API's rate — spend them here, on any of the other APIs, or across both. Nothing is reserved per endpoint.

Zero-code embed — one snippet, no backend

Drop an interactive Dog Breeds form onto any page. The widget calls the API for you, so no key ever appears in your markup and there is nothing to deploy.

Changelog — Dog Breeds API

Every change to this endpoint, newest first. Breaking changes ship as a new version and the previous one keeps serving — response fields are added, never removed or retyped in place, so an integration written against v1 keeps working.

Currently v1