Extinct Dog Breeds

Currently, there are more than 800 types of dogs around the world. However, in the past, there were other dog breeds that did not reach our day, for different reasons. In the following article, we’ll tell you about  some of the extinct dog breeds.

What are the known extinct dog breeds?

According to researchers, there are around  25 dog breeds extinct for various reasons. Pay attention to some of the extinct dogs:

1. Alano

It existed from the Ancient Ages until the 17th century, in Central Asia and Europe. It is the predecessor of the Spanish Alano, a large animal with short fur and various types of coat. They were known for their bravery and were used in battle as warriors, also as guardians, as herders and for herding. From Alano also emerged other breeds, such as the Bulldog.

1. Bullenbeisser

It was of German origin and is considered to be the forerunner of some of the large dog breeds, grouped under the name of “Generation Bullenbeisser”. It is known that they were good hunters, of the Molossian type, with a short brindle coat, “advanced” jaw, large musculature, and whose reproduction was controlled by the hunters. The extinction occurred due to miscegenation.

1. Alpine Mastiff

Another of the extinct dog breeds that inhabited Europe. He was the “father” of São Bernardo and a contributor to the different Mastiffs known today. He had a brindle cloak and in his time was the largest dog in England.  Since it mixed with the general population, the crossings did not take long to appear and, therefore, the disappearance of pure specimens could not be controlled.

1. Celtic hunting dog

The Celtic Hound lived in the time of the Irish Celts and appears in many local legends. It is said to be the “combination” of Irish Lobeiro, Scottish Lebrel and Greyhound. Images of this animal have been found in paintings and jewelry from the 17th century as a symbol of hunting, as guardians of roads and crossroads, and even as a protector and guide for lost souls.

1. Cordoba fighting dog

This breed originally from Argentina came from the crossing between several breeds of dogs: English Bulldog, Bullenbeisser, Bull Terrier and Spanish Mastiff. The first specimens appeared in the 20th century,  and as their name indicates, they were used to fight to the death, had a great tolerance for pain and were very aggressive, even before they crossed. All of this led them to extinction. One of the breeds derived from this is the Dogo Argentino, which appeared in 1920.

1. english white terrier

It arose in England and had hard, short and shiny fur, pure white in color. He had strong muscles and weighed between 5 and 10 kg. The first copy of the  English White Terrier was called Silvio, and was born in 1876. The owner was called Alfred Benjamin and took him to several dog competitions, where he won some prizes between 1877 and 1878.

1. Dupuy Arm

It is an ancient French breed used for hunting on flat land due to its flexibility and lightness. Braco Dupuy was born in the 19th century, in the former province of Poitou, after the crossing between the Lebreles and Bracos breeds. The name is believed to be due to the Puy brothers, who bred their dogs to the African Sloughi brought in by the soldiers. The color of this dog was white with orange spots. Although it is included among the extinct dog breeds in its original form, it could be reconstituted using similar ones.

1. cuban dog

Also called Cuban Mastiff, it was used for fights and belonged to the Bullmastiff group. It was introduced into the Caribbean country to capture runaway slaves. With the abolition of slavery, the Dogo disappeared. It had a broad head, drooping lips and ears, a short tail and was gray in color with a black face.

1. North Country Beagle

The Northern Beagle is another extinct breed of dog that inhabited Great Britain, lived until the beginning of the 19th century. Its disappearance is due to its crossing with other breeds, so the exact date when the last pure specimen is unknown been alive. What can be said is that it is the predecessor of the Modern Beagle, since in its physical aspect it was quite similar.

Main image source: Wikimedia Commons.