Group 6 - Utility

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...

As early as 6000 years ago, a landrace of large sized, heavily boned domesticated dogs were living among humans.  The earliest duties of these canines were as hunting companions to man; h...

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 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 breed’s ancestry is very ancient, the Cane Corso as we know it today did not start to take shape until the 1970’s and 1980’s.  Originally used to described a type of dog rath...

Almost nothing is known for certainty about the origins and early history of this breed.  These dogs were kept almost exclusively by nomadic herdsmen who left few if any archaeol...

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...

Although only standardized into its modern form in the early part of the 20th Century, the Dogue de Bordeaux is one of the oldest of all French breeds.  This breed was developed in an era...

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 most Portuguese breeds, the ancestry of the Estrela Mountain Dog is shrouded in mystery.  This dog was developed centuries before written records were kept of...

The Fila Brasileiro was developed in an era before written records were kept of dog breeding and was primarily kept in remote areas of tropical forest.  As a result, most of the...

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...

For more information please visit the "Poodle" main page.

For more in depth history please visit the "Poodle" main page.

Although it is not directly known what the Standard...

The Miniature Schnauzer was initially created by taking the smallest examples of the Standard Schnauzer and then crossing these dogs with similar breeds of a smaller size. Exact...

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a member of a group of dogs commonly known as Molossers or Mastiff-type dogs.  This group contains a large number of breeds from many countries, and is one of th...

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...

Much of the history of the Pyrenean Shepherd has been lost to the ages. What is known is that the Pyrenean Shepherd developed long before any records of dog breeding were kept. This b...

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...

The Shiba Inu was first developed thousands of years ago, long before written records were kept of dog breeding.  As a result, almost nothing is known with certainty about this dog’s hist...

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...

There has been, historically, a differentiation in types for the Tibetan Mastiff.  Although sprung from the same litters, these two types of Tibetan Mastiffs differ only in size and build...

For more in depth information please visit the "Poodle" main page.

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