Do I Have to Capitalize Dog Breed Name?

Since I’ve discovered Grammar Girl through Oprah, I became a fan and even wrote about it. By subscribing, I receive grammar tips every week in my inbox. On last Wednesday, I read the current tips and because it concerns Chie’s species, I thought of sharing it on her blog. The following is the terse and verbatim explanation of Grammar Girl in response to the question, if dog breed name should be capitalized.

In the examples below, "English" and "Yorkshire" are derived from proper nouns--the names of places--and thus should be capitalized. On the other hand, "mastiff" is derived from the Latin "mansuétus" for "tame or mild"; "terrier" is derived from the Old French "chien terrier" for "dog of the earth, dog of the land, or dog of the ground"; and "beagle" is hypothesized to be from the Old French "beegueule" for "loudmouth" or "noisy person." Therefore, those parts of the names are derived from common nouns and should not be capitalized.

•  English mastiff
•  Yorkshire terrier
•  beagle

As I was reading the canine and grammar tips in one, I realized that there were many times I asked the same question and settled on capitalizing the dog breed name—throughout whether common or proper noun. (Indolence prevailed—again. It only shows how lazy I am when it comes in writing the correct way.)

Need Further Clarification?

But I’m still confused because I often read on the Internet and other reading materials that they’ve committed the same mistake as mine. Thus, from my inbox I went on delving the net—it turns out there’s a somewhat a “dog fight” going on over this writing style issue:

•  Sim Style Book and Pain in the English agree with GG; the former used Webster’s Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary
•  The more I researched the more I get confuse, and along the quest for enlightenment I landed to the breed list by American Kennel Club. Based on reading some of the article, AKC capitalized each part of the breed name. 
•  If you’re looking how other style guides address this issue, the thread at Absolute Write is filled with ideas shared by individuals about how they handle the tricky naming.

Amidst the contradicting styles, I know I have to choose—and I’m siding to the tip of Grammar Girl. With that in mind before using a dog breed name, I have to determine its origin. It’s time consuming but I can learn more—about canine—while making it a habit to practice correct grammar. I made a choice, what about you? There are only two choices; it wouldn’t be that hard compare to picking the right breed to buy from the long list of AKC.

More About Capitalization by Grammar Girl 

•  Capitalizing Proper Nouns
•  Understanding Capitalization

You can take a break now from etymology and grammar rules. But for the benefit of your buddy don’t forget to visit Dog Trainer, a pal of GG. I don’t know if she will entertain the capitalization conundrum but I’m sure you wouldn’t be barking at the wrong tree if it’s about doggie concerns.