Guardian Dog

Like many ancient breeds of dog, the true history of the Aidi is shrouded in some mystery. Many believe that it was the Phoenicians; an ancient civilization centered in the coastal re...

The Akbash dog is considered to be an ancient breed that is believed to have originated in the area known as the Fertile Crescent; a region in Western Asia that now includes the count...

Because the American Bulldog and its ancestors developed in a time before written records were kept of dog breeding, there is much mystery surrounding its early ancestry.  What i...

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...

Very little is known for sure about the history of the Appenzeller Sennenhund as it was developed before written records were kept of dog breeding and was primarily kept in remote mou...

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 Broholmer was first developed centuries before written records were kept of dog breeding, and as a result it is impossible to anything about its origins with much certainty. ...

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...

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...

The history of the Cao de Castro Laboreiro is a great mystery.  Even the Portuguese Kennel Club states that anything written about the breed’s origins is pure conjecture an...

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...

The Cimarron Uruguayo was first developed hundreds of years before written records were kept of dog breeding, and spent most of its history as a feral dog.  This means that most...

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 Dogo Argentino was the result of a carefully planned and executed breeding program conducted by Antonio Nores Martinez and his brother Agustin.  Because the pair kept excellent record...

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 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...

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...

As early man began to dominate the landscape through technological advances, coupled with the advent of agriculture, he would cease his nomadic hunter gatherer wanderings. This change...

The Great Dane was developed many centuries before written records were kept of dog breeding.  As a result, virtually nothing is known for sure about its ancestry.  Many hav...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In prehistoric times, a mighty race of canines was used by the ancients in many capacities.  These impressively large and fierce dogs were known as Molossers, named for the Molos...

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...

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...

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...