Group 3 (Working Dogs)

Archaeological evidence in the form of dog prints found in pit houses from the Jomon period (8000 to 300 B.C) suggest that dogs were raised as pets inside homes as early as 3,000 year...

The Alaskan Malamute or “Mal” is a large, wolf-like ancient breed of domestic dog believed to be the oldest breed on the North American continent and probably the breed lo...

Please see the Akita “Main Page” for the complete history of the breed.

The story of the Amer...

It is difficult to decipher the true origins of the Bernese Mountain Dog as this is an old breed that was developed in a time well before written records of dog breeding were kept. Adding...

In the early part of the 20th century, following the Russian Revolution, the future of many purebred native dogs in Russia was bleak.  Many Russian breeds had been slaughtered during the...

Although the Boxer is a relatively modern creation, not having been standardized into the modern breed until the last years of the 19th Century, the breed’s ancestors are several hundred,...

The Bullmastiff is a relatively young breed, although its primary ancestors are quite old.  The Bullmastiff is the result of crosses between the English Mastiff and the Old English Bulldo...

The history of the Canaan Dog can be traced back as early as 2200 B.C. at which point it disappears from history just to reappear again in the mid 1930's, this time called the Pariah...

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is a truly ancient breed, and along with the Alaskan Malamute and Carolina Dog is probably the oldest breed native to North America.  The Canadian Eskimo...

Although the Doberman Pinscher is a relatively new breed, there is still a significant amount of mystery surrounding its origin.  However, it is certain that this breed was created in the...

The Mastiff is perhaps the oldest British dog breed, and the one for which the greatest amount of historical evidence exists.  This breed has been present in England for many centuries, a...

As is the case with many old breeds, most of the history of the Entlebucher Mountain Dog has been lost to time.  This is especially true of this breed, as the Entlebucher Mountai...

The Eurasier is one of the most recently developed breeds to achieve widespread international recognition.  Because careful breeding records have been kept of the Eurasier since...

It is most likely that the Bear Schnauzer (the alleged ancestor of the Giant Schnauzer) was a cross between the Old German Shepherd Dog (Altdeutsche Schäferhunde) and the Standard Schnauz...

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a very old breed, whose exact origins are unknown.  What we do know is that the breed was definitely created in Switzerland many centuries ago, and that...

The Karelian Bear Dog is said to have originated with the Vikings alongside several other varieties of Spitz-type dogs for use as a hunting dog in Karelian region of Northern Europe; an a...

Written records of the Komondor have only been found from the last few centuries, with the earliest dating back to 1544.  However, there is an almost universal belief that the br...

Much of the history of the Kuvasz has been lost in time.  This breed is so ancient that it certainly predates the keeping of dog breeding records, and may even predate the invention of wr...

As controversial as they are varied; over the years several popular theories have arisen to explain the appearance of the large black dog on the island of Newfoundland. The first and...

A very ancient breed, the Portuguese Water Dog has definitely existed for many centuries, and is quite possibly thousands of years old.  The first written record of the breed dates from 1...

Many dog fanciers assume that all large European livestock guardians are Mastiffs, also known as Mollossers.  As a result, for many years the Great Pyrenees was assumed to have been broug...

The Rottweiler is one of oldest surviving herding breeds, with an ancestry that likely extends back to ancient Rome.  This breed was created in an era when few were literate and next to n...

Due to their remote location of origin and primitive features, the Samoyed is thought to be one of the oldest breeds of dog; a theory that has recently seemingly been confirmed by modern...

One of the oldest domesticated breeds of dog, the Siberian Husky traces its earliest ancestry to the harsh tundra of Siberia. Its dense coating and keen intelligence allowed the species t...

The St. Bernard is an old breed, and most of its early history has been lost to time.  However, most of its history from the 1700’s on is fairly well-documented, and much can be inferred...

Although few Americans realize this today, the Standard Schnauzer and the German Pinscher were once considered two varieties of the same breed.  When the original standards were written f...