Dog Atlas
Every dog breed in the world, one page each: photos, temperament, size, history, care and health. 568 breeds, and the atlas adds new ones by itself every day.
568 breeds from 105 countries, 521 with a photo. Updated daily, last on October 15, 2026.
Dachshund
DachshundA long-bodied, short-legged German hound bred to follow scent into burrows after badgers. Bold, clever and stubborn, it comes in three coat types and several sizes.
Cane Corso
Mastiff & MountainA powerful, elegant Italian mastiff once used on farms for guarding, driving cattle and hunting big game. Devoted to its family and reserved with strangers, it needs a confident owner.
Golden Retriever
Retriever & Water DogA gentle, devoted Scottish retriever with a lustrous golden coat. Eager to please and wonderful with families, it also excels as a gundog, guide dog and therapy dog.
German Shepherd
HerdingA versatile German herding breed known for intelligence, loyalty and drive. It serves as police, search-and-rescue and assistance dog, and as a devoted family companion.
Labrador Retriever
Retriever & Water DogA friendly, energetic British gundog developed from Newfoundland water dogs. Smart and eager to please, it is a top family pet and a leading guide and assistance dog.
Chihuahua
Companion & ToyThe world's smallest recognised dog breed, the Chihuahua is a tiny Mexican companion with big ears, a rounded head and an outsized personality. It comes in smooth and long coats and a rainbow of colours.
Rottweiler
Mastiff & MountainA powerful German working dog once used to drive cattle and pull butchers' carts, the Rottweiler is a confident, loyal guardian that also excels in police, rescue and service roles.
Samoyed
Spitz & PrimitiveThe smiling white spitz of the Siberian Arctic, the Samoyed has a thick, weather-proof coat and a famously cheerful nature. It makes a loving companion but needs space, company and plenty of grooming.
Shih Tzu
Companion & ToyA sturdy little lion dog with a flowing double coat and a sweet, people-loving nature, once treasured by Chinese royalty and now a popular lap companion around the world.
Belgian Shepherd
HerdingA versatile Belgian herding dog bred in four coat varieties: Groenendael, Laekenois, Malinois and Tervueren. Athletic and driven, it excels in police, military and sport work.
Australian Cattle Dog
HerdingA tough, tireless Australian drover with a speckled blue or red coat, famed for its sharp mind, fierce loyalty and habit of nipping at heels to move stock.
Bernese Mountain Dog
Mastiff & MountainA large, tri-coloured, long-coated farm dog from the Swiss canton of Bern. Gentle and steady, it was bred to guard, drive cattle and pull milk carts, and is now a much-loved family companion with a short lifespan.
Shiba Inu
Spitz & PrimitiveThe smallest of Japan's native breeds, a fox-like hunting dog that is bold, clean and fiercely independent. Its name means brushwood dog, and it is as famous online as it is in its homeland.
Border Collie
HerdingThe world's leading sheepdog, a brilliant, driven worker from the Anglo-Scottish border that thrives on jobs and challenges and is often called the most intelligent of all dogs.
American Bully
Mastiff & MountainA modern American companion breed developed from the American Pit Bull Terrier, with a bulky, muscular body and blocky head. It comes in several size varieties and is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.
Carea Castellano Manchego
HerdingA traditional Spanish cattle-working dog from Castilla-La Mancha, known for its hardiness and watchful nature and valued by stockmen more for work than for looks.
Beagle
Scent HoundA small British scenthound with a superb nose, developed to hunt hare and rabbit in packs. Merry and sociable, it is a popular family pet and detection dog, though it follows its nose wherever it leads.
Great Dane
Mastiff & MountainA towering German mastiff-type giant, elegant and powerful, known as the Apollo of dogs. Once a boar-hunting and guardian dog of nobles, it is now a gentle but short-lived companion.
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Scent HoundA muscular, red-wheaten hound from southern Africa, named for the ridge of backward-growing hair along its spine and once used to hold lions at bay.
Poodle
Companion & ToyA clever, athletic water dog in four sizes, from Toy to Standard, famous for its curly non-moulting coat, its trainability and its showy clips.
American Pit Bull Terrier
TerrierA muscular, medium-sized American terrier with bulldog strength and terrier drive. Athletic, people-oriented and enthusiastic, it needs experienced owners, solid fencing and plenty of purposeful activity.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Companion & ToyA gentle, silky-coated toy spaniel that was bred as a royal lap dog. Friendly with children and other dogs, it adapts to city or country life and loves to be close to its people.
Jack Russell Terrier
TerrierA small, mostly white working terrier bred in nineteenth-century Devon to bolt foxes. Bold, quick and tireless, it needs a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
TerrierA small but powerful, muscular terrier from the English Midlands, famed for its courage and devotion to people. A comical, affectionate family dog that needs firm, early socialisation.
Dobermann
Mastiff & MountainAn elegant, athletic German guard dog created by a tax collector in the 1880s. Highly intelligent, alert and devoted to its family, it needs firm, kind training and plenty of activity.
Irish Wolfhound
SighthoundOne of the tallest dog breeds in the world, a rough-coated sighthound from Ireland that is famously gentle at home and steeped in myth and legend.
Vizsla
PointerA lean, russet-gold Hungarian pointer that is both a versatile gundog and a devoted shadow, happiest close to its people and with plenty to do.
Xoloitzcuintle
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Xolo is an ancient-looking Mexican dog that comes hairless or coated in three sizes. Calm, loyal and elegant, it is a national symbol of Mexico and a devoted indoor companion.
Borzoi
SighthoundThe Borzoi is a tall, silky-coated Russian sighthound once used to hunt wolves. It is quiet and elegant at home and a lightning-fast runner outdoors.
Chow Chow
Spitz & PrimitiveAn ancient spitz from northern China with a lion-like mane, a curled tail and a blue-black tongue, known for its dignified, independent and devoted character.
Australian Shepherd
HerdingDespite its name, the Australian Shepherd was developed in California as a ranch herding dog. It is a clever, athletic worker with striking merle colours and a real need for a job.
Pug
Companion & ToyThe Pug is a compact, wrinkle-faced companion with a curled tail and a big personality. Bred for centuries to keep people company, it is affectionate, comical and rarely far from its owner.
French Bulldog
Companion & ToyThe French Bulldog is a small, muscular companion with bat ears and a flat face, developed in nineteenth-century Paris. It is a charming, adaptable city dog, but its flat face brings real health challenges.
Bull Terrier
TerrierA muscular English terrier famous for its egg-shaped head and triangular eyes. Clownish, devoted and strong-willed, it does best with experienced owners who offer firm, kind guidance.
Bulldog
Mastiff & MountainA stocky, wrinkled British companion with a broad head and rolling gait. Once bred for bull-baiting, today it is a gentle, easygoing pet, though its flat face brings serious health challenges.
Akita
Spitz & PrimitiveA large, powerful spitz from northern Japan, famed for loyalty through the story of Hachiko. Dignified and quiet at home, it is aloof with strangers and needs experienced, confident handling.
Newfoundland
Mastiff & MountainA massive, webbed-footed water dog from Newfoundland, famed for lifesaving swims and a famously gentle nature. It is strong enough to haul nets and rescue swimmers, yet calm enough to be a family companion.
Siberian Husky
Spitz & PrimitiveA medium-sized Arctic sled dog with a thick double coat, erect ears and often striking blue eyes. Friendly, tireless and talkative, it is a famous escape artist that needs plenty of exercise.
Basenji
Spitz & PrimitiveA small, elegant African hunting dog known as the barkless dog because it yodels and chortles instead of barking. Cat-like, clean and independent, it is a clever but strong-willed companion.
Pyrenean Mountain Dog
Mastiff & MountainA large white livestock guardian from the Pyrenees, bred to protect flocks from wolves and bears. Calm and dignified with its family, it is watchful, independent and naturally protective.
Boerboel
Mastiff & MountainA powerful South African mastiff-type farm guardian with a short coat and heavy muscle. Loyal and confident with its family, it is wary of strangers and needs an experienced, firm owner.
St. Bernard
Mastiff & MountainA giant Swiss mountain rescue dog, famed for Alpine heroics and a sweet, patient nature. It is a gentle giant that loves children and company but needs space and careful health attention.
Greyhound
SighthoundAn ancient, sleek sighthound built for speed, the Greyhound is a gentle, quiet and affectionate companion that is happiest on the sofa between short bursts of sprinting.
Saluki
SighthoundA graceful, deep-chested desert sighthound from the Middle East, the Saluki combines great stamina with a reserved, independent and calm nature at home.
Alaskan Malamute
Spitz & PrimitiveA powerful Arctic sled dog built for strength and endurance rather than speed, the Alaskan Malamute is a heavy-boned, thickly furred and affectionate companion with a strong will.
Dalmatian
Scent HoundThe spotted Dalmatian is an athletic, endurance-loving dog from Croatia, once a carriage escort and hunter and now a lively and loyal family companion.
Basset Hound
Scent HoundA heavy-boned, short-legged scent hound with long ears and a sad expression, the Basset Hound is a mild, friendly companion with a superb nose.
Bloodhound
Scent HoundA large, wrinkled scent hound famous for following a trail over long distances and time, the Bloodhound is gentle and affectionate but headstrong on a scent.
Pekingese
Companion & ToyA compact, flat-faced toy dog with a lion-like mane, the Pekingese was a treasured companion of the Chinese imperial court and still carries itself with regal self-assurance.
Yorkshire Terrier
Companion & ToyOne of the smallest dog breeds, the Yorkshire Terrier is a spirited terrier in a toy body, with a long silky steel-blue and tan coat and a big personality.
Bichon Frisé
Companion & ToyA cheerful, white powder-puff of a toy dog, the Bichon Frisé is a gentle, sociable companion with a curly coat usually styled into a round shape.
Caucasian Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA huge, powerful livestock guardian from the Caucasus Mountains, the Caucasian Shepherd Dog is a confident, territorial protector for experienced owners.
Havanese
Companion & ToyThe Havanese is Cuba's national dog, a cheerful little bichon with a silky, flowing coat and a springy gait. It is a devoted, people-loving companion that thrives on being part of the family.
American Staffordshire Terrier
TerrierA stocky, muscular American terrier bred on conformation rather than fighting ability. Confident and people-loving, it needs early socialisation and a firm, fair owner.
Dogo Argentino
Mastiff & MountainA powerful, all-white Argentine mastiff-type bred to hunt big game such as boar and puma. Brave, athletic and loyal, it needs experienced handling.
Black Mouth Cur
Scent HoundA muscular Southern American cur with a black muzzle, used for hunting and farm work. Protective of its family and wary of strangers.
Whippet
SighthoundThe Whippet is a sleek, medium-sized sighthound, a miniature racer that sprints at high speed outdoors and turns into a quiet, gentle couch companion at home.
Maltese
Companion & ToyA tiny white toy dog with a long silky coat that does not shed, kept as a companion for centuries and loved for its lively, affectionate nature.
English Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainThe English Mastiff is one of the largest and most massive dog breeds, a calm, dignified guardian with a black mask and a surprisingly gentle, loving nature.
Catahoula Leopard Dog
HerdingThe Catahoula Leopard Dog is Louisiana's state dog, a tough, merle-coated working dog that herds and hunts feral hogs and large game, often with striking glass-blue eyes.
Weimaraner
PointerA silver-grey German all-purpose gun dog with great speed, stamina and a good nose, needing plenty of activity and real work.
Tibetan Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainA massive, thick-coated guardian from the high Himalayan plateau, bred to watch over flocks and monasteries. It is watchful, independent and best suited to experienced owners with space.
Australian Kelpie
HerdingThe Australian Kelpie is a tireless, highly intelligent sheepdog that can muster stock with little guidance, famous for running across the backs of sheep.
Afghan Hound
SighthoundAn elegant, silky-coated sighthound from the mountains of Afghanistan, built for speed over rough ground. Aloof and regal, with a clownish streak and a famously independent mind.
Miniature Schnauzer
Mastiff & MountainA sturdy, bearded little ratter from Germany, now a lively and trainable companion. Alert and spirited, it barks readily but is friendly and willing to please.
Lagotto Romagnolo
Retriever & Water DogA curly-coated Italian water retriever turned truffle hunter. Affectionate and tireless, it uses its superb nose and loves having a job.
Lhasa Apso
Companion & ToyA small, long-coated Tibetan companion once kept as an indoor sentinel in monasteries and palaces. The Lhasa Apso is hardy, long-lived and watchful, with a bold character far bigger than its size.
Leonberger
Mastiff & MountainA giant, lion-maned family dog from Leonberg in Germany. The Leonberger combines a black mask and thick water-resistant coat with a calm, kindly nature and strong swimming ability.
Presa Canario
Mastiff & MountainA powerful mastiff-type guardian from the Canary Islands, once used on farms for guarding and handling cattle. It is a loyal, serious dog that needs experienced handling and early socialisation.
Boston Terrier
Companion & ToyA compact, tuxedo-marked American companion with a short muzzle and big round eyes. Friendly, humorous and fairly quiet, it suits apartments and families.
Shar Pei
Mastiff & MountainA medium-sized Chinese guard dog famous for its deep wrinkles, blue-black tongue and prickly short coat. Once nearly extinct, the Shar Pei is a loyal but reserved companion.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Retriever & Water DogThe smallest retriever, a fox-like red duck dog from Nova Scotia that lures waterfowl by playing at the water's edge. It is clever, active and happiest with a job to do.
West Highland White Terrier
TerrierThe Westie is a small, white, sturdy Scottish terrier with a rounded, fluffy face and a bold personality. It is the friendliest of the Scottish terriers, yet it keeps a classic earth-dog's curiosity and drive.
Portuguese Water Dog
Retriever & Water DogThe Portuguese Water Dog is a robust, curly or wavy-coated working swimmer that once helped fishermen on the Atlantic. Clever, devoted and busy, it needs company, activity and a regular trim.
Boxer
Mastiff & MountainThe Boxer is a muscular, short-coated German mastiff-type dog with a square muzzle and a clownish streak. Playful and devoted with its family, it is a spirited, protective companion.
German Shorthaired Pointer
PointerThe German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile, athletic gun dog that points, tracks and retrieves on land and in water. It is intelligent and tireless, and needs a very active home.
Airedale Terrier
TerrierThe Airedale is the largest of the terriers, a bold, clever and versatile dog from Yorkshire's Aire valley. It has served as a hunter, farm dog, police dog and war dog.
Alaskan Klee Kai
Spitz & PrimitiveA companion-sized spitz that looks like a miniature Siberian Husky. Bred in three sizes, the Alaskan Klee Kai is clever, agile and busy, and tends to be reserved with strangers.
Australian Cobberdog
Companion & ToyThe Australian Cobberdog is a calm, people-focused dog developed in Australia from Labrador Retriever, Poodle and several other breeds, with therapy and assistance work in mind and a low-shedding coat.
English Springer Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogA medium-sized gun dog bred to flush and retrieve game. Its show and working lines have grown so far apart that they can look like different breeds, though both are cheerful, tireless and people-loving.
English Cocker Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogA sturdy, compact sporting spaniel with a constantly wagging tail. The English Cocker is cheerful, people-loving and clever, and comes in both working and show types.
Italian Greyhound
SighthoundThe smallest sighthound, slender and elegant, once a favourite of European royalty. Italian Greyhounds are gentle, sensitive lap companions that can still sprint after a hare.
Bullmastiff
Mastiff & MountainA powerful, short-muzzled English guardian bred from Mastiff and Old English Bulldog to shadow gamekeepers at night. Calm and devoted at home, it is a steady protector with a big heart.
Rat Terrier
TerrierA hardy American farm terrier, descended from outcrossed hunting dogs and related to the feists, that clears vermin, hunts small game and makes a lively, cheerful family companion.
Rough Collie
HerdingThe Rough Collie is an elegant, long-coated Scottish sheepdog with a flowing mane and a refined wedge-shaped head. It is gentle and devoted, and is now mostly a family companion and show dog.
Cairn Terrier
TerrierThe Cairn Terrier is a small, shaggy, weatherproof Scottish working terrier that hunted vermin among the rocky cairns of the Highlands. It is bold, busy and cheerful.
Scottish Terrier
TerrierA short-legged, wiry-coated Highland terrier with a big personality: bold, independent and fiercely loyal, and instantly recognisable by its beard and sturdy outline.
Carolina Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveA lean, primitive-type dog of the American Southeast, found free-roaming in pine and swamp country, with long fox-like ears, a ginger coat and a strong pack sense.
Miniature Pinscher
Mastiff & MountainA tiny German pinscher with a high-stepping gait and an outsized, fearless personality. Lively, alert and short-coated, it is a spirited companion that thinks it is much larger than it is.
Beauceron
HerdingThe Beauceron is a powerful French herding and guarding dog, easily recognised by its black-and-tan coat, red stockings and unusual double dewclaws on the hind legs.
Dutch Shepherd
HerdingThe Dutch Shepherd is a rare, brindle-coated herding dog from the Netherlands, valued for its versatility and work drive. It comes in short, long and rough coats and excels in police, sport and herding work.
American Bulldog
Mastiff & MountainThe American Bulldog is a powerful, muscular farm and catch dog descended from English bulldogs brought to America. It is athletic, loyal and protective, and comes in lighter Standard and heavier Bully types.
Shetland Sheepdog
HerdingThe Shetland Sheepdog, or Sheltie, is a small, bright and trainable herding dog from the Shetland Islands that looks like a miniature Rough Collie. It is gentle, loyal and quite vocal.
Irish Setter
PointerThe Irish Setter is an elegant, mahogany-red gundog from Ireland, known for its silky feathered coat, tireless field drive and exuberant, friendly nature that stays puppy-like for years.
New Guinea Singing Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe New Guinea singing dog is an ancient primitive dog of the New Guinea Highlands, closely related to the dingo. It is famous for a melodic, yodel-like howl and for extraordinary agility.
Coton de Tulear
Companion & ToyThe Coton de Tulear is a small, cheerful bichon-type companion from Madagascar, known for its soft, cotton-like white coat and its devoted, playful nature.
King Charles Spaniel
Companion & ToyA small, domed-headed toy spaniel with a flat face and a long silky coat, named for the royal court of Charles II. It comes in four colour varieties and is a devoted, calm lapdog.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
HerdingThe Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a short-legged, fox-faced Welsh cattle herder with a big personality, famous as the favourite dog of Queen Elizabeth II.
German Spitz
Spitz & PrimitiveAn old German spitz breed with a fox-like face and a thick, standing-off coat, made up of five size varieties from the tiny Pomeranian to the large Wolfsspitz or Keeshond.
Border Terrier
TerrierA small, wiry-coated working terrier from the Anglo-Scottish border, built to follow horses and go to ground after foxes. Today it is a hardy, friendly family dog.
Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog
HerdingThe Maremmano-Abruzzese is a big white Italian livestock guardian that has protected flocks from wolves for centuries and bonds with its charges rather than taking orders.
Patterdale Terrier
TerrierA tough, compact hunting terrier from England's Lake District, bred to bolt foxes from rocky dens. Fearless and very energetic, it is better suited to active owners than to quiet homes.
Giant Schnauzer
Mastiff & MountainThe Giant Schnauzer is the largest of the three schnauzers: a powerful, bearded German working dog used as farm helper, guard, police dog and sports partner, needing a confident owner.
Keeshond
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Keeshond is a plush, silver-and-black spitz with 'spectacle' markings, a curled tail and a devoted, people-loving nature, once a canal barge watchdog in the Netherlands.
Central Asian Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA massive, powerful livestock guardian from Central Asia, bred to protect flocks from wolves. It is calm and independent, loyal to its family and wary of strangers.
Dogue de Bordeaux
Mastiff & MountainA massive, muscular French mastiff famed for having the largest head relative to body size in the dog world. Devoted and protective, it needs firm, early training and careful socialisation.
Schipperke
Spitz & PrimitiveA small, black, fox-faced Belgian spitz with a thick ruff and a big personality. The Schipperke is a watchful, curious little guardian that was once a shepherd's and tradesman's helper in Flanders.
Old English Sheepdog
HerdingA shaggy, bear-like English herding dog with a thick grey and white coat that covers its eyes. Cheerful and clownish, it needs plenty of grooming and company.
Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
HerdingA wolf-like breed created in the 1950s by crossing German Shepherds with Carpathian wolves. The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is athletic, pack-minded and demands an experienced, committed owner.
Griffon Bruxellois
Companion & ToyA tiny Belgian companion with a human-like face, domed head and big dark eyes. Sensitive, loyal and full of personality, it bonds closely with its person.
Neapolitan Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainA massive Italian guardian with loose, heavily wrinkled skin and a calm, imposing presence. Devoted to its family, it needs experienced handling and a roomy home.
Flat-coated Retriever
Retriever & Water DogA glossy, black or liver English gun dog known as the Peter Pan of retrievers because it never quite grows up. Exuberant and affectionate, it needs lots of activity.
Scottish Deerhound
SighthoundA tall, rough-coated Scottish sighthound once used to run down red deer. Gentle and dignified at home, the Deerhound is a large, athletic dog that needs space and a good run.
Chinese Crested Dog
Companion & ToyA fine-boned toy dog that comes in hairless and coated powderpuff varieties, often in the same litter. Playful, affectionate and sensitive, it makes a loving companion.
Pointer
PointerThe Pointer is a fast, elegant English gundog famed for freezing into a stylish point when it finds game. Its job is to locate birds rather than retrieve them, and it is a top choice among field-trial enthusiasts.
Parson Russell Terrier
TerrierA leggy, mostly white English terrier descended from the Reverend Jack Russell's fox-hunting dogs, bred to a tighter size standard than the Jack Russell and full of lively, bold energy.
Bedlington Terrier
TerrierA lamb-like terrier from Northumberland with a pear-shaped topknot, a fast whippety gait and a gentle home manner that hides real pluck and stamina.
Karelian Bear Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveA fearless black-and-white Finnish hunting spitz that holds bears, moose and boar at bay by barking, and is treasured in Finland as a national dog.
German Pinscher
Mastiff & MountainThe German Pinscher is a sleek, smooth-coated medium-sized dog from Germany, once a stable and carriage dog and ratter. It is an old breed related to the Schnauzer and is now rare.
American Eskimo Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe American Eskimo Dog is a fluffy white Spitz companion that comes in toy, miniature and standard sizes. Despite its name it descends from German Spitz and once starred in American circuses.
Boykin Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogThe Boykin Spaniel is a compact, liver-coloured hunting spaniel from South Carolina, bred to work from small boats in swamps. It is the state dog of South Carolina and a cheerful family companion.
Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier
TerrierAn Irish farm terrier with a silky, wheat-coloured coat, famous for its exuberant 'Wheaten greetin' and its friendly, family-loving nature.
Plott Hound
Scent HoundThe Plott Hound is a brindle scent hound bred in the mountains of North Carolina to hunt bears. It descends from German boarhounds rather than from foxhounds and is North Carolina's state dog.
Finnish Lapphund
Spitz & PrimitiveA fluffy, friendly spitz from Lapland, bred by the Sami to herd reindeer. The Finnish Lapphund has a weatherproof double coat, a mane-like ruff and an easy-going, people-loving nature.
Affenpinscher
Mastiff & MountainA tiny, shaggy German companion with a famously monkey-like face. Once a stable ratter, the Affenpinscher is bold, funny and devoted, with a big personality in a small body.
Bully Kutta
Mastiff & MountainA large, heavily built mastiff-type from Punjab and Sindh, used for centuries for hunting and guarding. Powerful and dominant, it needs experienced owners.
Biewer Terrier
Companion & ToyA tiny, tricolour toy terrier from Germany with a long, silky coat. The Biewer Terrier emerged in 1984 from Yorkshire Terriers carrying a piebald gene, and it is a cheerful, people-loving companion.
Puli
HerdingA small-to-medium Hungarian herding dog famous for its corded, dreadlock-like coat. The Puli is agile, quick and devoted, with a lively mind and a strong guarding instinct.
Japanese Spitz
Spitz & PrimitiveA cloud-like, pure white companion spitz from Japan, with a coat that stays clean almost by itself. Cheerful, devoted and a lively little watchdog, it thrives on being part of family life.
Bluetick Coonhound
Scent HoundA speckled blue American hound with a cold nose and a deep, bawling voice. Bred for treeing raccoons, it is friendly and good with children but needs plenty of activity and a firm, patient trainer.
English Setter
PointerAn elegant, white speckled bird dog with a silky feathered coat. The English Setter is a gentle gentleman at home and a tireless, graceful ranger in the field.
Komondor
HerdingA large Hungarian guardian dog draped in a white, corded coat that looks like a mop. The Komondor is calm with its family, wary of strangers and utterly fearless in defending its charges.
Mountain Cur
Scent HoundA rugged American working dog bred to tree squirrels and raccoons, bay big game and guard the farm. Intelligent and willing, the Mountain Cur is happiest with a real job to do.
American Cocker Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogThe smallest sporting spaniel, with a domed head, long silky ears and a feathered coat. A cheerful family companion that diverged from the English Cocker and was once America's most popular breed.
Norwegian Elkhound
Spitz & PrimitiveNorway's national dog, a hardy grey spitz bred to track and hold elk at bay with a loud bark. Bold, loyal and independent, it is a robust, watchful family dog.
Clumber Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogThe largest spaniel, a heavy, white, dignified dog with a mournful expression. Calm and affectionate with family, it is a quiet worker in dense cover and a relaxed companion at home.
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Retriever & Water DogA tough, water-loving retriever from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay with a waterproof wavy coat and amber eyes. The Chessie is courageous, intelligent and devoted, with a strong will of its own.
Bouvier des Flandres
HerdingA rugged, bearded Belgian farm dog once used to drive cattle and pull carts. Today it is a calm, loyal guardian and family companion with a shaggy, weatherproof coat.
Kooikerhondje
Retriever & Water DogA small Dutch spaniel-type dog with an orange-red and white coat and a plumed white tail, bred to lure ducks into decoy traps and now a lively, affectionate companion.
Tibetan Terrier
Companion & ToyA shaggy, square, medium-sized dog from Tibetan monasteries, not a true terrier at all. It is a loyal, lively companion with snowshoe feet and a long, profuse coat.
Korean Jindo
Spitz & PrimitiveA South Korean national treasure from Jindo Island, this spitz-type dog is renowned for loyalty, hunting skill and intelligence, and for its famous journeys home.
Wire Fox Terrier
TerrierA lively, square-built English terrier with a wiry white-and-tan coat, bred to bolt foxes from their earths and still famous as a show-ring winner and a film and comic-strip star.
Brittany
PointerThe Brittany is a lively, compact French bird dog that points and retrieves. Often born with a short or absent tail, it is tireless in the field and a devoted, active family companion.
Silken Windhound
SighthoundA graceful, small-to-medium American sighthound with a silky coat, developed in Texas from Borzoi and Lurcher lines as a gentle, family-friendly coursing companion.
Pharaoh Hound
Spitz & PrimitiveThe national hunting dog of Malta, a slender, glossy tan hound that hunts rabbits by scent and sound and is known for blushing pink at the ears and nose when excited.
Continental Toy Spaniel
Companion & ToyThe Continental Toy Spaniel is a tiny, elegant companion with a plumed tail and fringed ears. The erect-eared form is the Papillon, the drop-eared form the Phalène.
Akbash
Mastiff & MountainThe Akbash is a large white flock guardian from western Anatolia. Its pale coat lets shepherds tell it from a predator at night, and it protects livestock by guarding rather than herding.
Black Russian Terrier
Mastiff & MountainThe Black Russian Terrier is a large, black-coated working dog created in the Soviet Union from about seventeen breeds. Despite the name it is not a true terrier, but a powerful guardian and companion.
Redbone Coonhound
Scent HoundA rich red American hound bred in the South to trail game with a cold nose and tree it with a sweet, carrying bay, made famous by the novel Where the Red Fern Grows.
Taigan
SighthoundThe Taigan is a rare, rugged sighthound from the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. It hunts with eagles and tackles game from marmots to wolves, and is related to the Saluki and Tazy.
Nureongi
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Nureongi is the everyday yellow spitz-type dog of the Korean peninsula. Its name means yellow one, and it is a hardy local dog rather than a standardised show breed.
White Swiss Shepherd Dog
HerdingA white, medium-to-large Swiss shepherd descended from North American white German Shepherd lines. It is gentle, attentive and eager to work with its people.
Bracco Italiano
PointerThe Bracco Italiano is Italy's classic pointing dog, a sturdy, square-built hunter with long drooping ears, hanging lips and a dense short coat, prized for its gentle nature and steady working style.
Tosa
Mastiff & MountainA rare, powerful Japanese mastiff developed in Tosa for dog fighting. Japanese-bred dogs are smaller than those bred abroad, and the breed is restricted in many countries.
Šarplaninac
Mastiff & MountainA large Balkan livestock guardian named after the Šar Mountains. Strong, independent and devoted to its flock or family, it is a serious protector rather than an easy pet.
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
TerrierA small, long-bodied Border terrier with short legs and a soft topknot. It is named after a character in a Walter Scott novel, making it the only breed named after a fictional person.
Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka
Companion & ToyThe Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka is a small, curly-coated Bichon-type lapdog from Russia, loved for its sociable, easygoing nature and its low-shedding coat in many colours.
Standard Schnauzer
Mastiff & MountainThe Standard Schnauzer is the original medium-sized Schnauzer, a robust, square-built German farm dog with a wiry coat, bushy beard and eyebrows, and a keen ratter's spirit.
Koolie
HerdingThe Koolie is a quiet, athletic Australian herding dog bred for ability rather than looks, famous for its merle coats, wide variety of types and keen, sensitive working style.
Northern Inuit Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Northern Inuit Dog and its offshoot the Tamaskan are wolf-like companion dogs bred in the UK from husky, Malamute and German Shepherd stock, combining a wild look with a friendly nature.
Canadian Eskimo Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Canadian Eskimo Dog, or qimmiq, is a powerful, ancient Arctic sled and hunting dog of the Inuit, now rare and the animal symbol of the territory of Nunavut.
German Wirehaired Pointer
PointerThe German Wirehaired Pointer is a rugged, all-round German gundog with a weatherproof wiry coat, tireless drive and a devoted, hard-working nature.
Greenland Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Greenland Dog is a powerful, ancient Arctic sled dog, kept isolated for centuries and treasured as a living part of Greenlandic culture and hunting life.
White Shepherd
HerdingThe White Shepherd is a loyal, gentle white herding dog developed in North America from white-coated German Shepherds and recognised as its own breed by the UKC.
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Mastiff & MountainThe largest and oldest of the four Swiss Sennenhunde, a powerful tricoloured farm dog once nicknamed the poor man's horse for pulling carts, now a gentle and people-loving family companion.
Treeing Walker Coonhound
Scent HoundA fast, vocal American hound developed from foxhound stock to track and tree raccoons, with a ringing bay and a mellow, affectionate side at home.
Spanish Water Dog
Retriever & Water DogThe Spanish Water Dog is an athletic, curly-coated Spanish all-rounder that has herded, hunted and helped fishermen, and is now a lively, devoted companion.
Swedish Vallhund
HerdingA short-legged, spitz-like Swedish herder that works cattle by nipping at the heels, with a naturally short or absent tail and a lively, sturdy character.
Fila Brasileiro
Mastiff & MountainA massive Brazilian mastiff-type guardian and catch dog, powerful and agile, intensely loyal to its family and famously suspicious of strangers.
Eurasier
Spitz & PrimitiveA calm, family-focused German spitz-type companion created from Chow Chow, Wolfspitz and Samoyed, dignified with strangers and happiest in close contact with its people.
Irish Terrier
TerrierA racy, rectangular red terrier from Ireland with a wiry coat and a fiery expression. It is lively and loyal, but not hyperactive, and happy in town or country.
Peruvian Hairless Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveAn ancient, slim and elegant hairless dog from Peru that comes in three sizes. It is a national symbol and the only living breed native to the country.
Kokoni
Companion & ToyThe Kokoni is a small, long-bodied Greek companion dog with a bushy tail and drop ears, thought to descend from the little house dogs shown on ancient Greek vases.
Blue Lacy
HerdingA fast, lightly built Texas ranch dog that herds livestock, tracks and hunts hogs. It is the official state dog breed of Texas and needs real work to stay happy.
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
HerdingThe Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a long, low Welsh herding dog with a fox-like tail, bigger than its Pembroke cousin, and valued as a devoted, trainable companion with real working instincts.
American Foxhound
Scent HoundA tall, rangy scenthound developed in Maryland and Virginia, with George Washington as a key early breeder. It is sweet and sociable but driven by its nose and needs space.
Kuvasz
HerdingA large white Hungarian flock guardian once kept at royal courts. It is powerful, devoted and protective, and needs an experienced owner who can manage its strong guarding instinct.
Olde English Bulldogge
Mastiff & MountainAn American recreation of the athletic bull-baiting bulldog of the early 1800s, built to be more agile, healthier and gentler than the modern Bulldog, with a sturdy frame and a friendly nature.
Extinct
Techichi
Companion & ToyThe Techichi was a small, reportedly mute dog bred by the Toltecs, thought to be the larger ancestor of the Chihuahua and long gone by the 19th century.
Africanis
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Africanis is a lightly built, short-coated landrace of southern Africa, long a companion, herder and guardian of rural households, often marked by a black patch on the muzzle.
Indian Spitz
Spitz & PrimitiveA fluffy, fox-faced white spitz that came to India with the British and became one of the country's best-loved family dogs, comfortable in both flats and houses.
Portuguese Podengo
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Portuguese Podengo is a warren hound that comes in three sizes, small, medium and large, with smooth or wire coats, and is hunted for rabbit and hare.
Briard
HerdingThe Briard is a large, shaggy French shepherd dog from the Brie region, bred to herd and guard sheep. It is a devoted, protective companion known for its long goat-like coat and double hind dewclaws.
Canaan Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe national dog of Israel, a hardy, wild-looking guard and herding dog developed from the semi-wild pariah dogs of the Near East, vigilant and devoted but wary of strangers.
Rajapalayam
SighthoundThe Rajapalayam is a tall, white sighthound from southern Tamil Nadu in India, once a guard and hunting dog of local rulers. It is loyal and protective with its handler and copes well with tropical heat.
Smooth Collie
HerdingThe short-coated version of the Rough Collie: a graceful, sweet-faced Scottish herding dog that is gentle, easy to train and a loyal family companion, with a coat that takes little grooming.
Spanish Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainA huge, dignified Iberian livestock guardian that has protected flocks from wolves for centuries, calm and devoted with its family but wary of strangers and other dogs.
Skye Terrier
TerrierThe Skye Terrier is a long, low, hardy Scottish terrier with a flowing double coat. It is a loyal, dignified companion and one of the most endangered native breeds of the United Kingdom.
Extinct
Molossus
Mastiff & MountainThe Molossus was a large, formidable dog of ancient Greece, kept by the Molossian people of Epirus. It was famed in classical writing for guarding flocks and hunting, and is often cited, uncertainly, as the ancestor of mastiffs.
Extinct
Fuegian dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Fuegian dog was an extinct fox-like canid kept by Indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, used for hunting and warmth. Genetic work links it closely to the culpeo, a wild South American fox.
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
PointerA rugged, shaggy-coated versatile gundog, bred in the 1870s by Eduard Korthals to hunt upland birds and waterfowl through dense cover and water, and a devoted, sensitive companion at home.
Jagdterrier
TerrierA compact, fearless German hunting terrier bred in the 1920s for work above and below ground, with endless drive and a strong prey instinct that suits experienced owners.
Mudhol Hound
SighthoundThe Mudhol Hound is a lean, fast Indian sighthound from the Deccan Plateau, once prized by hunting tribes and royalty and now even trialled by the Indian Army for guard and surveillance work.
Norwegian Lundehund
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Norwegian Lundehund is a rare, agile spitz bred to hunt puffins on sea cliffs, famous for its six toes per foot and extraordinary flexibility.
Manchester Terrier
TerrierThe Manchester Terrier is a sleek, black-and-tan English ratter, a clever and affectionate companion whose dignified manner earned it the nickname Gentleman's Terrier.
Bull Arab
Mastiff & MountainAn Australian pig-hunting dog developed in Queensland in the 1970s from Bull Terrier, Greyhound and German Shorthaired Pointer, combining speed, scenting power and grip with a loyal, steady nature.
Norwich Terrier
TerrierThe Norwich Terrier is one of the smallest working terriers, a bold, cheerful little East Anglian ratter with prick ears and a wiry red coat; its drop-eared cousin is the Norfolk Terrier.
Ibizan Hound
Spitz & PrimitiveA lean, elegant red-and-white hound from the island of Ibiza, famed for huge upright ears, a spectacular vertical jump and a playful, clownish streak.
Pyrenean Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainA very large, heavy-set Spanish flock guardian from Aragón, with a white coat and darker mask, bred to protect sheep from wolves in the high Pyrenean pastures.
Miniature Bull Terrier
TerrierThe Miniature Bull Terrier is a compact, muscular version of the Bull Terrier, with the same egg-shaped head and clownish nature in a smaller, sturdy package.
Norfolk Terrier
TerrierThe Norfolk Terrier is a small, drop-eared English working terrier with a wiry red or grizzle coat and one of the gentlest temperaments in the terrier group. It is a bold ratter that loves company.
Galgo Español
SighthoundThe Galgo Español is Spain's lean, long-distance coursing sighthound, built for endurance rather than pure sprint speed. Calm and sensitive indoors, it comes in smooth and rough coats.
Spinone Italiano
PointerThe Spinone Italiano is a sturdy, rough-coated Italian gundog with a bearded face and a calm, gentle nature. It points, tracks and retrieves, and is equally at home on rough ground or in cold water.
Lakeland Terrier
TerrierThe Lakeland Terrier is a small, wiry, long-legged terrier from England's Lake District, bred to chase foxes on foot. Bold and cheerful, it has a coat that sheds very little when groomed properly.
Smooth Fox Terrier
TerrierThe Smooth Fox Terrier is a lively, mainly white English terrier bred to bolt foxes. It is one of the oldest and most influential terrier breeds, and it needs plenty of activity and an experienced owner.
Sealyham Terrier
TerrierThe Sealyham Terrier is a rare, low-set, white Welsh terrier with a wiry coat and big personality, developed to hunt badgers and otters. Once a film-star favourite, it is now a vulnerable breed.
Bearded Collie
HerdingThe Bearded Collie is a shaggy, bouncy Scottish herding dog with a flowing double coat and an irrepressible zest for life. It is now mainly a family companion and sports dog.
Himalayan Sheepdog
Mastiff & MountainThe Himalayan Sheepdog is a thick-coated livestock guardian of the high Himalayas, protecting yaks and sheep from predators and also helping to herd. It is more wary of strangers than its close relative, the Tibetan Mastiff.
Gordon Setter
PointerThe Gordon Setter is a large, handsome Scottish gundog with a black and tan silky coat. It is the heaviest of the setters, loyal and energetic, and it matures slowly.
Calupoh
HerdingThe Calupoh is a wolf-like Mexican breed created in the 1990s to evoke the ancient wolfdogs of Aztec and Mayan art. Its German Shepherd and Mexican wolf roots gave it a lupine look and a steady temperament.
Irish Water Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogThe tallest of the spaniels, the Irish Water Spaniel is a curly-coated, webbed-footed swimmer with a smooth rat tail and a famously comical streak. It is a rare, versatile gundog and an enthusiastic companion.
Berger Picard
HerdingThe Berger Picard is a rustic, tousle-coated French herding dog with upright ears and a famous smile. It is a rare, mellow but energetic and funny companion that nearly vanished after two world wars.
Otterhound
Scent HoundA large, shaggy English scenthound bred to track otters through water and over rough ground. Today it is one of Britain's rarest native breeds, valued as a cheerful, bearded companion.
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogThe Welsh Springer Spaniel is a compact, hardworking hunting spaniel in rich red and white. Loyal, affectionate and full of stamina, it is often mistaken for its more common English cousin.
Saarloos Wolfdog
HerdingThe Saarloos Wolfdog is a Dutch breed created in 1935 by crossing a German Shepherd with a Eurasian wolf. It is a wolf-like, athletic companion that needs careful early socialisation.
Japanese Chin
Companion & ToyA refined, cat-like toy dog with a flat face, flowing silky coat and a long history as a companion of Japanese nobility. It is happiest on a lap and adapts well to flat living.
Danish-Swedish Farmdog
Mastiff & MountainA small, compact, mostly white farm dog from southern Scandinavia, once a ratter, guard and herder. Lively and people-loving, it makes an active, trainable companion.
Australian Silky Terrier
TerrierA small, long-coated terrier from Sydney with a flowing blue-and-tan coat. Bred as an urban companion, it keeps a feisty rodent-and-snake-hunter spirit in a compact, lively body.
Rafeiro do Alentejo
Mastiff & MountainA powerful Portuguese livestock guardian from the Alentejo plains, calm and serious with its family but watchful and protective of its flock and property.
Azawakh
SighthoundA lean, elegant sighthound of the Sahel, bred by nomadic peoples as a guard and hunter. It bonds deeply with its family and is reserved with strangers.
Sloughi
SighthoundThe Sloughi is an elegant North African sighthound, built for speed and endurance. Reserved with strangers yet deeply attached to its family, it is also unusually alert and watchful for a sighthound.
Karakachan Dog
Mastiff & MountainAn ancient Balkan livestock guardian dog, named for the Karakachan nomadic shepherds. It is a fearless, territorial protector of flocks, famed as a wolf fighter.
Welsh Terrier
TerrierThe Welsh Terrier is a sturdy, square little terrier in black and tan, often likened to a compact Airedale. It is cheerful and playful but stubborn and always ready to stand its ground.
English Shepherd
HerdingA versatile American farm dog descended from British collies, equally at home herding, guarding and keeping the family company.
Extinct
Córdoba Fighting Dog
Mastiff & MountainThe Córdoba fighting dog was an extinct Argentine fighting dog, bred from mastiff types for dog fighting. It vanished after fighting was outlawed, but it is the foundation of the Dogo Argentino.
Hovawart
Mastiff & MountainA German farm guardian named for the old word for yard-watcher, rebuilt in the 20th century from old farm dogs. A strong, long-haired, loyal family guard.
Alano Español
Mastiff & MountainThe Alano Español is a Spanish bulldog-type dog once used in war, the bull ring and the hunt. Rescued from near extinction in the 1980s, it is strong, brave and sociable with other dogs.
Huntaway
HerdingA big, loud-voiced New Zealand sheepdog bred to drive large mobs of sheep across steep high country using its deep, carrying bark. Judged on work rather than looks.
Finnish Spitz
Spitz & PrimitiveA fox-red Finnish hunting spitz famed for its yodel-like barking, which it uses to hold game at bay. Lively, friendly with children and Finland's national dog since 1979.
Kai Ken
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Kai Ken is a rare Japanese mountain hunting dog with striking brindle "tiger" stripes. It is agile, alert and loyal, reserved with strangers, and honoured as a national monument.
English Foxhound
Scent HoundA tireless pack hound bred in England to follow a fox's scent over long distances. Sociable and sturdy, it thrives with company, space and plenty of work.
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog
Mastiff & MountainA rare, muscular American bulldog from Georgia, kept for generations by a single family and used mainly as a guard dog and farm helper.
Bavarian Mountain Hound
Scent HoundA German blood-tracking scenthound developed for following wounded game over steep mountain terrain. It is calm and devoted at home, and still mostly a working hunter's dog.
Glen of Imaal Terrier
TerrierA rare, sturdy, short-legged Irish terrier from County Wicklow, known for being quieter and more easygoing than most terriers while remaining a tenacious worker.
Field Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogA rare, medium-sized English spaniel with a glossy solid coat and a gentle, independent nature. It is a sensible family companion that also enjoys fieldwork.
Hokkaido
Spitz & PrimitiveA hardy, medium-sized spitz from Japan's northern island, bred for hunting bear and deer in snow. Loyal and alert, it is a strong-willed companion that suits experienced owners.
Kombai
Mastiff & MountainA powerful, rare guard and hunting dog from Tamil Nadu in southern India. Short-coated and athletic, it is intensely loyal to family but wary of outsiders.
Chippiparai
SighthoundA lean, fast sighthound from southern India once kept by royalty to course hare. It is intelligent, devoted to a single handler and reserved with everyone else.
Kerry Blue Terrier
TerrierAn Irish terrier with a soft, wavy blue-grey coat and a lively, determined character. Once a farm all-rounder, it is an intelligent, devoted companion that needs firm guidance and regular grooming.
Tibetan Spaniel
Companion & ToyA small, bright and self-assured companion from the Tibetan monasteries. Despite its name it is no spaniel, but a watchful little lookout with a lion-like mane and a strong will of its own.
Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Mastiff & MountainThe smallest of the four Swiss Sennenhunde: a sturdy, tricoloured cattle dog from the Entlebuch valley, full of energy, devoted to its family and happiest with a job to do.
Extinct
Mexican Lapdog
Companion & ToyAn extinct Mexican toy dog said to be the smallest ever, about the size of a guinea pig. It is known mainly from Victorian taxidermy, and some writers suspect it was largely mounted puppies of other breeds.
Greek Shepherd
Mastiff & MountainA large, thick-coated livestock guardian from Greece, bred to protect flocks from wolves and jackals. Closely related to other Balkan guardians, it is fiercely protective and best suited to experienced owners.
Cirneco dell'Etna
SighthoundA slim, elegant Sicilian warren hound with a keen nose, prick ears and a light, tireless stride. Rare even in Italy, it hunts rabbits and must pass a field trial to be registered.
Pudelpointer
PointerA German all-round gun dog created from Poodles and English Pointers, bred to point, track and retrieve on land and in water, with a harsh weatherproof coat and a strong will to work.
Icelandic Sheepdog
Spitz & PrimitiveIceland's only native breed: a cheerful, hardy Nordic spitz that came with the Vikings and still herds sheep and horses. It is friendly, vocal and always up for company.
Aksaray Malaklısı
Mastiff & MountainA huge Anatolian flock guardian from Aksaray with a short grey coat, black mask and heavy jowls, bred to protect sheep from wolves and loyal chiefly to its master.
Appenzeller Sennenhund
Mastiff & MountainThe lively tricoloured Swiss mountain dog from Appenzell, a medium-sized herding and farm guard that is athletic, alert and watchful of strangers, and is now often a companion.
Shikoku
Spitz & PrimitiveA rare, agile medium-sized Japanese spitz from the mountains of Shikoku, bred to hunt deer and boar, with a sesame coat, curled tail and fierce loyalty to its owner.
Thai Ridgeback
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Thai Ridgeback is a lean, athletic dog from Thailand, famous for the strip of reversed hair along its back. It is a primitive-type dog that is loyal to its family, but strong-willed and reserved with strangers.
Small Münsterländer
PointerThe Small Münsterländer is a versatile German gundog that points, flushes and retrieves on land and in water. At home it is an affectionate family companion, but it needs real work and a great deal of activity.
Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog
HerdingThe Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is a compact, rugged herder born with a naturally short or absent tail. Closely related to the Australian Cattle Dog, it is alert, loyal and full of energy.
Welsh Sheepdog
HerdingThe Welsh Sheepdog is a variable, collie-type working dog from Wales, bred for herding rather than looks. It works loose-eyed and independently, and was long used for droving sheep and cattle.
Volpino Italiano
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Volpino Italiano is a small, fluffy Italian spitz with a plume tail and a fox-like face. Lively, alert and devoted, it was once a Tuscan watchdog and became a favourite of Italian households.
Wirehaired Vizsla
PointerA rugged, rough-coated Hungarian gundog that points, tracks and retrieves, built for cold weather and icy water, and a warm, level-headed family companion.
Basset Fauve de Bretagne
Scent HoundA small, wire-coated hound from Brittany with fawn fur and short legs, bred to hunt by scent. It is a cheerful, sturdy dog that also makes a lively family pet.
Taiwan Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveAn ancient, primitive dog from Taiwan, lean and agile with a black-spotted tongue. It is intelligent and fiercely loyal, often bonding closely with one person.
Stabyhoun
PointerA rare, gentle all-round farm and hunting dog from Friesland, in the Netherlands. It points, retrieves and tracks, yet is calm indoors and very tolerant with children and other animals.
Large Münsterländer
PointerA black-and-white German all-round gundog with a long, sleek coat. It points, tracks and retrieves, works well in water, and is an athletic and intelligent companion.
Laizhou Hong
Mastiff & MountainThe Laizhou Hong is a large, muscular red dog from Shandong, China, shaped by native dogs and German-brought Western breeds. It is calm, loyal and happiest with a real job to do.
Teddy Roosevelt Terrier
TerrierA low-set, muscular American ratting terrier, shorter-legged and heavier-boned than the Rat Terrier. It is smart, playful and a devoted shadow to its people.
East European Shepherd
HerdingA big, cold-hardy shepherd bred in the Soviet Union from German Shepherds for guard and military work. It is clever, courageous and notably larger than its ancestor.
Russian Toy
Companion & ToyOne of the world's smallest breeds, the Russian Toy is a lively, long-legged little companion that comes in smooth and long-coated varieties.
Aidi
Mastiff & MountainThe Aidi is a lean, hardy guardian from the Atlas Mountains that protects flocks and camps, hunts by scent and can adapt to city life when given work and exercise.
Lancashire Heeler
HerdingA small, sturdy English farm dog bred to drive cattle and catch rats. Known for its cheerful nature, black-and-tan coat and the famous 'smile' it shows when happy.
Carpathian Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA large Romanian mountain livestock guardian, bred to protect flocks from predators in the Carpathians. It is a vigilant, strong-willed dog that suits experienced owners with space.
Barbet
Retriever & Water DogA rare French water dog with a long, curly, woolly coat and a beard that gave the breed its name. Cheerful, clever and happiest when swimming and retrieving.
Löwchen
Companion & ToyA rare, cheerful little companion dog best known for its lion clip, with a long mane and bare hindquarters. It is bright, people-loving and long-lived.
Australian Terrier
TerrierA small, shaggy, short-legged working terrier from Australia, bred to hunt vermin and guard the home. It is spirited and alert, yet affectionate and quick to learn.
Chongqing Dog
Mastiff & MountainAn ancient Chinese mastiff-type tugou from Chongqing, known for its compact muscular build, bamboo-stick tail and blue-black tongue. It is a tough, confident guardian and a capable hunter.
Mudi
HerdingA lively Hungarian herding dog with a wavy, curly coat and a quick mind. Closely related to the Puli and Pumi, the Mudi excels at herding and a wide range of dog sports.
American English Coonhound
Scent HoundA medium-to-large Southern American hound descended from foxhounds, famous for its tick-patterned coat, powerful nose and musical voice. It is mellow at home but a tireless hunter.
American Water Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogA compact, curly-coated brown spaniel from Wisconsin, bred as a versatile hunter for land and water. It is the state dog of Wisconsin and remains a rare breed.
Armenian Gampr
Mastiff & MountainA large, powerful flock guardian from the Armenian Highlands, used for centuries against wolves. It helped form the Caucasian Shepherd Dog and is a symbol of Armenian heritage.
Bankhar Dog
Mastiff & MountainThe Bankhar is an ancient Buryat-Mongol livestock guardian, big and fluffy, devoted to its family and fearless before wolves and intruders. It is also unusually long-lived for its size.
Dogo Sardesco
Mastiff & MountainThe Dogo Sardesco is a powerful mastiff-type guardian from the island of Sardinia, a local Italian breed that has been moving toward formal recognition by the Italian kennel club.
Harrier
Scent HoundThe Harrier is a cheerful, pack-loving hound, a little smaller than an English Foxhound, bred to trail hares. It is friendly with children and other dogs and needs plenty of exercise.
Toy Fox Terrier
TerrierThe Toy Fox Terrier is a small, glossy American terrier descended from the Smooth Fox Terrier. Lively and trainable, it is known for its clownish humour and attachment to its people.
Tornjak
Mastiff & MountainA thickly coated mountain guardian from the Balkans, the Tornjak is a calm, watchful protector of flocks and family that is gentle at home and decisive when a threat appears.
Extinct
Black and Tan Terrier
TerrierAn extinct early British working terrier, the Black and Tan Terrier is regarded as the forefather of the Fell terriers and the Welsh Terrier.
Podenco Canario
SighthoundA slender, red-coated rabbit hunter from the Canary Islands, the Podenco Canario is agile, keen-nosed and famous for its rhythmic hunting voice and blushing nose.
American Leopard Hound
Scent HoundA spotted American hunting hound with a short coat and keen nose, the American Leopard Hound trees game and barks to guard what it loves.
Nenets Herding Laika
Spitz & PrimitiveAn ancient Arctic spitz from Russia's Yamal region, the Nenets Herding Laika herds reindeer, hunts small game and is thought to be an ancestor of the Samoyed.
Yakutian Laika
Spitz & PrimitiveAn ancient multipurpose northern dog from Siberia's Sakha region, the Yakutian Laika is first of all a tireless sled dog that can also hunt and herd reindeer.
Kishu
Spitz & PrimitiveA quiet, mostly white Japanese hunting dog from the mountains of the Kii peninsula, the Kishu is a bold boar hunter and a devoted one-family companion.
Bolognese
Companion & ToyA small, snowy-white Italian bichon with a fluffy, non-shedding coat of loose flocks, the Bolognese is a calm and devoted lap companion.
Extinct
English Water Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogAn extinct curly-coated British spaniel, usually liver and white, famed for swimming and diving like a duck while retrieving waterfowl.
Ryukyu Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveAn endangered medium-sized hunting dog from Okinawa and Ishigaki, the Ryukyu dog is a quiet, agile climber, often with brindle coat and sometimes rear dewclaws.
Ca de Bou
Mastiff & MountainThe Ca de Bou is a muscular, medium-sized Mallorcan catch dog with a broad, powerful head. Once bred for the bull ring and the fighting pit, today's show-line dogs are affectionate and biddable.
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Scent HoundThe Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a small, rough-coated French scenthound bred to trail hares through brambles. It is a merry, independent and nose-led companion on short legs.
American Hairless Terrier
TerrierThe American Hairless Terrier is a small, lively companion that grew from a single hairless Rat Terrier pup born in Louisiana in 1972. Its bare skin needs sun and cold protection.
Extinct
Talbot
Scent HoundThe Talbot was a white medieval English hound, shown in art with short legs, drooping ears and a long curled tail. It is long extinct, but it lives on in heraldry, inn signs and place names.
Tang Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveAn ancient medium-sized village dog of southern China, long valued as a loyal gatekeeper and companion. It is named for the Tang Dynasty and is recognised by its solid coat and bluish-black tongue.
Xigou
SighthoundA rare, ancient Chinese sighthound whose name means narrow dog. Lean and swift, it has hunted hares on open plains for more than 2,500 years and appears in tombs and folklore.
Pungsan
Spitz & PrimitiveA rare spitz-type hunting dog from the highlands of North Korea, known for its endurance and cold resistance, and for being calm, loyal and rarely quarrelsome. It is North Korea's national dog.
Pyrenean Shepherd
HerdingThe smallest French herding breed, a lean and tireless little shepherd from the Pyrenees. Sometimes called a ball of fire, it is quick-witted, hardy and full of nervous energy.
Extinct
Laconian
Scent HoundAn extinct scent hound of ancient Sparta, the Laconian was prized across the classical world for its speed and superb nose, hunting everything from hares to deer and wild boar.
Miniature Fox Terrier
TerrierThe Miniature Fox Terrier, or Mini Foxie, is a small, fast Australian working terrier that clears farms of rats and rabbits and also makes a cheerful, loyal family companion.
Podenco Andaluz
SighthoundThe Podenco Andaluz is an agile Spanish warren hound from Andalusia that comes in three sizes and three coat types, hunting rabbits, hares and game by sight, hearing and scent.
Sussex Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogThe Sussex Spaniel is a low, rectangular and calm English spaniel with a rich golden-liver coat. It is a gentle family dog and the only spaniel known to give voice when it finds scent.
Sarabi Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainThe Sarabi Mastiff is a large Iranian livestock guardian dog from Sarab County, long used to defend flocks against bears, wolves and leopards.
Bucovina Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA big, powerful livestock guardian from the Carpathian region of Bucovina, white with grey or black patches, bred to defend flocks and farms from predators with courage and a deep, carrying bark.
Kurdish Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainA huge livestock guardian landrace from the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, especially the Pişder region, valued by shepherds for protecting flocks from predators.
Kars Shepherd
Mastiff & MountainA heavy-coated livestock guardian from eastern Turkey, resembling the Caucasian Shepherd Dog, used to protect flocks from predators including bears.
Gull Terrier
TerrierA rare, muscular, mostly white terrier from the Punjab, descended from the Bull Terrier and local dogs, valued as a guard and now restricted in some places.
Andalusian Terrier
TerrierA lean, agile white and tricolour terrier from the sherry cellars of Andalusia, bred to catch rats among the barrels, lively, friendly and good with children.
Bohemian Shepherd
HerdingA medium-sized black-and-tan herding and watch dog from the Chod region of Bohemia, once a border guardian and now a bright, friendly family and sport companion.
German Longhaired Pointer
PointerA versatile German gundog with a smooth, medium-length coat, bred to find, point and retrieve game on land and in water, and a devoted, even-tempered hunting partner.
Curly-coated Retriever
Retriever & Water DogThe tallest of the retrievers, the Curly-coated Retriever is an athletic English gundog covered in tight, water-repellent curls, in solid black or liver.
English Toy Terrier
TerrierA tiny, elegant black-and-tan terrier with candle-flame ears, descended from Victorian ratting dogs and now a rare British native breed.
Georgian Shepherd
Mastiff & MountainA massive livestock guardian from the Georgian Caucasus, the Nagazi is calm, brave and strong-willed, built to drive off wolves and bears while staying gentle with its family.
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
HerdingA shaggy, sturdy herding dog from Poland with a sharp memory and a mop of hair over its eyes, equally happy working sheep or living in an apartment with an active family.
Irish Red and White Setter
PointerAn athletic Irish gundog with a red-patched white coat, older than the solid red Irish Setter and still valued as a working bird dog and a loyal family companion.
Jämthund
Spitz & PrimitiveA large Swedish spitz hunting dog for moose and bear, calm and affectionate at home, with wolf-like grey markings and a love of learning.
African Village Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveA genetically diverse group of free-living, unregistered dogs across Africa, descended from ancient dogs from the Middle East and shaped by local life rather than by breed standards.
Alpine Dachsbracke
Scent HoundA short-legged, robust Austrian scenthound bred to follow the cold trail of wounded game in steep mountain country. It is bold and friendly, and still mostly kept by hunters.
Markiesje
Companion & ToyA small black Dutch companion dog that resembles dogs seen in 17th and 18th century paintings. It enjoys long walks and is alert enough to act as a watchdog.
Tatra Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA big white flock guardian from the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland, bred to protect sheep from predators. Today it is kept as a guard dog and a devoted family companion.
Broholmer
Mastiff & MountainA large, mastiff-type Danish guardian with a calm, watchful nature. Once a guard dog of wealthy estates, it returned from near extinction in the 1970s.
Pumi
HerdingA lively, curly-coated Hungarian herding dog with terrier-like quickness and tufted ears. It is clever and vocal, and needs plenty to do.
Braque Français
PointerAn old southern French gundog that comes in two sizes, the sturdy Gascogne and the lighter Pyrenean, both valued as calm, versatile pointers for hunters.
South Russian Ovcharka
HerdingA big, shaggy flock guardian from the Ukrainian and southern Russian steppes, bred to protect sheep and property with little supervision.
Kromfohrländer
Companion & ToyA rare German companion dog born after the Second World War, available in smooth or rough coats, and known for its devoted, adaptable and people-loving nature.
Chinook
Spitz & PrimitiveA tawny sled dog from New Hampshire, developed to combine power, endurance and a gentle nature, and now New Hampshire's official state dog.
German Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogA sturdy, brown German hunting spaniel bred for foresters and professional hunters, valued for its nose, courage and willingness to flush, track and retrieve.
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
Scent HoundA long-backed, short-legged French scent hound with a rough coat and a cheerful, sociable nature. It was shaped to hunt hare and bigger game in rough country and follows its nose with great determination.
Cretan Hound
Spitz & PrimitiveA slim, swift primitive hunting dog from Crete, built for speed on rocky ground and famous for its ring-curled tail. It is thought to be one of Europe's oldest breeds.
Extinct
Belgian Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainA large, muscular draught dog that once pulled carts of milk, butter and vegetables through Belgium and the Netherlands. It is believed to have died out in the second half of the 20th century.
Kanni
SighthoundA rare, slim South Indian sighthound from Tamil Nadu, prized for coursing hares and for guarding its home. Its name means "pure", for its loyalty.
Alopekis
Spitz & PrimitiveA small, fox-like primitive farm dog from Greece and the Balkans, valued as a rat-catcher, watchdog and companion. It is critically endangered and its history goes back thousands of years.
Basque Shepherd Dog
HerdingA traditional sheepdog of the Basque Country, used for centuries to herd and guard flocks. It comes in a smooth-coated Gorbeiakoa and a rough-coated Iletsua variety and shines in Basque sheepdog trials.
Catalan Sheepdog
HerdingA cheerful, shaggy Pyrenean herding dog from Catalonia, equally at home with flocks, in dog sports or as an attentive family companion and watchdog.
Bakharwal Dog
Mastiff & MountainAn ancient livestock guardian of Himalayan shepherds in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. A powerful, furry black-and-tan mountain dog that looks like a smaller Tibetan Mastiff.
Argentine Polar Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveAn extinct sled dog developed by the Argentine Army to haul freight at its Antarctic bases. It died out after the dogs were removed from the continent under the Antarctic Treaty protocol.
Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA massive, fluffy white or pale livestock guardian from the Romanian Carpathians, known for being calm, disciplined and fiercely devoted to its family.
Chukotka Sled Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Chukotka sled dog is the ancient working spitz of the Chukchi people, bred purely for efficient long-distance pulling. It is the forerunner of the Siberian Husky and still a true Arctic worker.
West Siberian Laika
Spitz & PrimitiveThe West Siberian Laika is a versatile spitz hunting dog from the Urals and western Siberia, prized for its bark-pointing and sharp mind. It is the most widespread of the Laika breeds.
Norwegian Buhund
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Norwegian Buhund is a lively, clever spitz farm and herding dog from Norway's west coast. It thrives on activity, family company and dog sports.
Landseer
Mastiff & MountainThe Landseer is a tall, black-and-white giant developed in continental Europe from the Newfoundland. It is gentler than its size suggests and loves water and family life.
Lapponian Herder
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Lapponian Herder is a calm, friendly Finnish spitz bred to herd reindeer for the Sami. It is a rare, medium-sized dog with a thick double coat and a willing, even temper.
Transylvanian Hound
Scent HoundThe Transylvanian Hound is a sturdy Hungarian scenthound, black and tan with distinctive tan eyebrow spots, built for stamina and reliable tracking of big game. It was rescued from near extinction in the twentieth century.
Toy Manchester Terrier
Companion & ToyThe Toy Manchester Terrier is a miniature, sleek black-and-tan terrier of up to about 5.4 kg, bred down in North America from the Manchester Terrier as a lively and affectionate companion.
Rampur Greyhound
SighthoundThe Rampur Greyhound is a large, short-haired Indian sighthound from the Rampur region, built on old Tazy blood with later Greyhound crosses for speed. It is used for coursing and rarely seen outside India.
Kazakh Tazy
SighthoundThe Kazakh Tazy is an ancient Kazakh sighthound, a long-legged, deep-chested hunter that looks like the Saluki. It is prized for endurance and stands among the world's oldest breeds, with fewer than 300 purebreds.
Estrela Mountain Dog
Mastiff & MountainA large Portuguese mountain guardian, the Estrela Mountain Dog protects flocks and families with calm vigilance. It is loyal and devoted to its people, yet independent and watchful with strangers.
Croatian Sheepdog
HerdingA medium-sized black herding dog from Croatia with a curly or wavy coat. Quick, tireless and devoted, it works as both a sheepdog and a watchdog.
Phu Quoc Ridgeback
SighthoundA rare ridged hunting dog from Vietnam's Phú Quốc island, with a blue-spotted tongue and webbed feet. It is fast, a strong swimmer and a keen tracker, and a famous symbol of Vietnamese heritage.
Lessinia and Lagorai Shepherd
HerdingAn old Italian herding dog from the Triveneto region, used to manage sheep and cattle. A rustic, healthy worker that is still seeking official recognition.
Sapsali
Companion & ToyA shaggy, lion-like Korean dog said to chase away evil spirits. Loyal and gentle at home, it is a national natural monument saved from near extinction.
French Spaniel
PointerA tall, white-and-brown French pointing spaniel with royal history, saved from near extinction by a priest. It is a friendly, biddable hunting partner with plenty of stamina.
Greek Harehound
Scent HoundA rare black-and-tan scenthound from southern Greece, bred to track and chase hare over rough mountain country. It is the only Greek breed recognised by the FCI.
Russian Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogRussia's own gundog, developed after World War II from English Cocker and Springer Spaniels. A cheerful, compact hunter that also makes an affectionate companion.
Austrian Pinscher
Mastiff & MountainA rugged Austrian farm dog once used to guard homesteads and hunt rats, brought back from a single registered dog and still very rare. Playful, alert and a good guard.
Saint Miguel Cattle Dog
Mastiff & MountainA mastiff-type cattle dog from São Miguel Island in the Azores, with a brindle coat and a strong bond to its keepers. Large but not oversized, it is gentle when well trained.
Xiasi Dog
Scent HoundA rare white, wiry-coated hunting dog from Guizhou, China, raised by the Miao people for centuries. Fast and enduring, it is critically endangered, with only a few hundred purebred dogs left.
Moscow Watchdog
Mastiff & MountainA large Soviet-era guard dog created from St. Bernard, Caucasian Shepherd and Russian Pinto Hound blood, built to withstand extreme cold while guarding calmly and firmly.
Cão de Gado Transmontano
Mastiff & MountainThe largest Portuguese breed, a rugged livestock guardian from Trás-os-Montes that protects flocks from wolves and rarely lives outside its homeland.
Cimarrón Uruguayo
Mastiff & MountainA muscular, brindle mastiff-type dog from Uruguay, descended from feral dogs of Spanish stock. Courageous yet calm, it is a national symbol and the mascot of the Uruguayan army.
Dogue Brasileiro
Mastiff & MountainA strong, agile Brazilian guard dog created from Bull Terrier and Boxer crosses, gentle with its family and serious with strangers. It is not recognised by the FCI.
Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA powerful black livestock guardian from the southern Carpathians, the Romanian Raven Shepherd is calm with its family, wary of strangers and bold enough to face wolves and bears.
Continental Bulldog
Mastiff & MountainA Swiss-bred bulldog designed to be lighter and more athletic than the classic Bulldog, able to breathe freely, move easily and give birth naturally.
Beagle-Harrier
Scent HoundA French pack hound that looks like a big Beagle or a small Harrier, bred to follow hares by scent and still prized as a tireless, sociable hunting companion.
Gończy Polski
Scent HoundA rare Polish scenthound, usually black and tan, bred to track large game over rough terrain; hardy, vocal and low-maintenance but in need of plenty of activity.
Extinct
Smithfield
HerdingA shaggy collie-type droving dog that worked cattle to London's Smithfield Market; believed extinct in England, though similar dogs are still shown in Tasmania.
Argentine Pila
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Argentine Pila is a rare hairless dog from northern Argentina, closely tied to the South American hairless family and known for its warm skin, dark colouring and affectionate nature.
Tenterfield Terrier
TerrierA small, lively Australian terrier descended from the Miniature Fox Terrier, once a rural vermin catcher and now a cheerful, alert family companion.
Mi-Ki
Companion & ToyThe Mi-Ki is a rare, calm American toy dog with mobile, winging ears and a silky single coat, bred as a quiet companion and therapy dog.
Bouvier des Ardennes
HerdingA rare, sturdy Belgian drover's dog with a rough, wiry coat, bred to herd and guard cattle in the Ardennes and brought back from near extinction in the 1980s.
Extinct
Staghound
Scent HoundThe Staghound was an extinct English pack scenthound used to hunt red deer, taller and heavier than the Foxhound and a foundation of that breed.
Japanese Terrier
TerrierA small, sleek black-and-white terrier from Japan, shaped by Smooth Fox Terriers from Dutch ships and local dogs. Lively and cheerful, it is both a ratter and a devoted lapdog.
New Zealand Heading Dog
HerdingA tireless New Zealand sheepdog derived from the Border Collie, bred to head stock silently at long distances. It is a true farm worker, happiest with a job to do.
Bulgae
Spitz & PrimitiveA rare reddish-maroon native Korean spitz, named for the mythical fire dogs that chase the Sun and Moon. It nearly vanished in the 1990s and was rebuilt from about twenty dogs.
Extinct
Paisley Terrier
TerrierAn extinct Scottish terrier with a long, silky blue-and-tan coat, bred as a show and pet version of the Skye Terrier. It was the forerunner of the Yorkshire Terrier.
Gull Dong
Mastiff & MountainA powerful working dog of India and Pakistan from crossing the Gull Terrier with the Bully Kutta. Prized locally for its speed and tenacity, it is used for guarding and hunting.
Kunming Dog
HerdingThe Kunming Dog is a Chinese working breed built from German Shepherds crossed with local Kunming dogs. It is the country's best-known police and military dog, prized for scenting, guarding and rescue.
Billy
Scent HoundThe Billy is a rare, pale French pack hound from Poitou, bred to hunt roe deer and wild boar. Its white to cream coat, speed and graceful gallop set it apart.
Thai Bangkaew Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Thai Bangkaew Dog is a medium-sized spitz from a village in central Thailand, descended from a monastery dog and a wild dog. It is loyal, watchful and a natural guardian.
Telomian
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Telomian is a village dog from the rainforests near the Telom River in Malaysia, famed for climbing ladders and hunting rats and snakes. It is not a formally standardised breed.
Extinct
Moscow Water Dog
Retriever & Water DogThe Moscow Water Dog was a short-lived Soviet water-rescue breed made from Newfoundlands and shepherd dogs. It is extinct, but it contributed to the Black Russian Terrier.
Brazilian Terrier
TerrierA small, tri-coloured terrier from Brazil, one of only two native Brazilian breeds recognised worldwide. Quick, bright and devoted, it is a lively family companion with a sharp ratting instinct.
Polish Greyhound
SighthoundA tall, powerful Polish sighthound with a rough double coat, once favoured by nobles for hunting bustards and wolves. Devoted to its family, reserved with strangers, and rebuilt by enthusiasts after the Second World War.
Treeing Tennessee Brindle
Scent HoundA brindle American cur bred to track game and tree it, and known for its distinctive, coarse baying. An energetic, fast and intelligent working hunting dog.
Magyar Agár
SighthoundA sturdy Hungarian sighthound with heavier bone and more stamina than a Greyhound, bred to course game over long distances. Gentle and adaptable at home, with a stronger guarding instinct than most sighthounds.
Lucas Terrier
TerrierA small, sturdy English terrier created in the 1940s by Sir Jocelyn Lucas from small Sealyham Terriers and Norfolk Terriers. Friendly and even-tempered, it makes a good companion while keeping a working terrier's drive.
Hanover Hound
Scent HoundThe Hanover Hound is a sturdy German tracking dog, bred to follow the blood trail of wounded game with calm, single-minded persistence. It is rare and best suited to hunters and country homes.
Dutch Smoushond
Mastiff & MountainThe Dutch Smoushond is a small, shaggy yellow Dutch stable dog, once kept to catch rats and mice. It is rare, scruffy-faced and endearing, and almost vanished during the Second World War.
Cesky Terrier
TerrierThe Cesky Terrier is a short-legged, silky-coated Czech terrier, milder and quieter than most of its relatives. It was designed in the 1940s for hunting in Bohemian forests and remains rare.
Barak
Scent HoundThe Barak is a shaggy, wire-coated Bosnian scenthound, bred to hunt large game with courage and persistence. Its bushy beard and moustache make it easy to spot.
Braque du Bourbonnais
PointerThe Braque du Bourbonnais is a French pointing dog with a distinctive ticked liver or fawn coat, sometimes born with a short tail. It is affectionate at home and keen in the field.
Grand Bleu de Gascogne
Scent HoundAn imposing French pack hound with a slate-blue mottled coat and a deep, bell-like voice. One of the oldest scenthound types, it shaped many other hound breeds, including the Bluetick Coonhound.
German Hound
Scent HoundA lean, elegant scenthound from Westphalia, used to track deer, hare and fox. Tenacious on a trail yet affectionate at home, it is a hunting specialist that rarely leaves Germany.
Norrbottenspets
Spitz & PrimitiveA compact white-and-red Swedish spitz that hunts game birds, elk and even bear. Once declared extinct, it came back in the 1960s and is now known as one of the healthiest dogs studied.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound
Scent HoundA medium black-and-tan Austrian scenthound with tan eyebrow spots that give it the nickname four-eyes. It tracks wounded game, mainly hare, in mountain country and is gentle at home.
Jonangi
Spitz & PrimitiveA short-haired Indian village dog from the Andhra Pradesh coast, once a duck herder around Kolleru Lake. Hardy and loyal, it nearly vanished and is now valued again as a farm guardian.
Chortai
SighthoundThe Chortai is a sturdy, short-haired Russian steppe sighthound, built for coursing hare and fox alongside mounted hunters. It is rare outside its homeland and was nearly lost after the Revolution.
Extinct
Tahitian Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Tahitian Dog was a small native dog of the Society Islands, brought by Polynesian settlers and kept for food and tools. It vanished as a distinct breed after European dogs arrived.
Hmong Bobtail Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Hmong bobtail is a naturally short-tailed spitz from northern Vietnam, one of the country's Four Great National Dogs, used for hunting, herding, guarding and finding routes in mountain terrain.
Swedish Lapphund
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Swedish Lapphund is a black, profusely coated spitz from northern Sweden, descended from Sami reindeer herding and guarding dogs, and one of the country's oldest breeds.
Black Norwegian Elkhound
Spitz & PrimitiveA compact, solid black Norwegian spitz bred to hunt moose silently on a leash. Smaller and quieter than its grey cousin, it is a warm, tolerant family companion.
Basset Bleu de Gascogne
Scent HoundA long-bodied, short-legged French scenthound with a ticked, bluish-white coat and tan markings. Rare outside France, it is a friendly pack dog with a strong nose.
Blue Picardy Spaniel
PointerA speckled blue-grey French gundog from the Somme, developed by mixing Picardy Spaniels with English Setters. Quiet and affectionate, it needs plenty of exercise.
Basset Artésien Normand
Scent HoundA light-boned, short-legged French scenthound bred to hunt small game on foot. Calm and good-natured, today it is mostly a pet.
Bắc Hà dog
Spitz & PrimitiveA medium-sized primitive spitz from the mountains of northern Vietnam, kept by the Hmong as hunter and guard and counted among Vietnam's Four Great National Dogs.
Zerdava
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Zerdava is a marten-brown laika from the Black Sea coast of Turkey and Georgia, prized as a fearless boar hunter and a watchful guardian that bonds closely with its people.
Campeiro Bulldog
Mastiff & MountainThe Campeiro Bulldog is a powerful Brazilian cattle-catching bulldog, once nearly lost and now rescued, with a short smooth coat and a tendency to be aggressive toward other dogs.
Lupo Italiano
HerdingThe Lupo Italiano is a wolf-like Italian breed said to descend from a German Shepherd and Italian wolf cross, though genetic studies find only German Shepherd ancestry. It is leased, not sold.
Drentse Patrijshond
PointerThe Drentse Patrijshond is a versatile Dutch gundog that points and retrieves in the field, yet is relaxed, affectionate and especially gentle with children at home.
Dumfriesshire Hound
Scent HoundThe Dumfriesshire Hound was a large black and tan foxhound from southern Scotland, bred in one famous pack until it was disbanded in 2001. Its blood lives on in hunting packs in France and in some bloodhound packs.
Polish Hound
Scent HoundThe Polish Hound, or Ogar Polski, is a strong, calm scenthound with a resonant voice, bred in Poland for tracking game in tough country and valued by nobility.
Kintamani
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Kintamani is a fluffy, usually white spitz-type dog from the highlands of Bali, developed from local street dogs and recognised by the FCI in 2019. It is independent, agile and a watchful guardian.
Wetterhoun
Retriever & Water DogThe Wetterhoun is a curly-coated Frisian water dog bred to hunt otter and polecat and to retrieve waterfowl. It is a reserved, determined and sensitive family guardian.
Welsh Hound
Scent HoundThe Welsh Hound is a native Welsh foxhound-type pack hound, built for speed and stamina on rocky ground, with a musical voice and a gentle, tolerant nature at home.
Drever
Scent HoundThe Drever is a long-bodied, short-legged Swedish scenthound with great stamina, bred to follow deer and hare at a steady pace. It is still mainly a working hunting dog.
Russo-European Laika
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Russo-European Laika is a lively spitz-type hunting dog from the forests of north-eastern Europe, which barks to signal treed game and doubles as a devoted family guard.
Bruno Jura Hound
Scent HoundThe Bruno Jura Hound is a medium-sized Swiss scenthound from the Jura Mountains, with a black-and-tan coat and a gift for following faint scents over rough ground.
Karst Shepherd
Mastiff & MountainThe Karst Shepherd is a medium-large Slovenian livestock guardian with a long iron-grey coat, an independent character and a serious guarding instinct.
Artois Hound
Scent HoundA rare medium-sized French scenthound with a short tricolour coat and a musical voice, rebuilt in the 1970s from a handful of surviving dogs to match the old hunting type.
Westphalian Dachsbracke
Scent HoundA small, short-legged German scenthound with a tricolour coat and a high-carried tail, the ancestor of the Swedish Drever and a rarity even in its homeland.
Tarsus Çatalburun
PointerA very rare Turkish pointing hound known for its split nose, with a sharp sense of smell. Calm at home and tireless in the field, it hunts partridge and francolin.
East Siberian Laika
Spitz & PrimitiveA rugged spitz-type hunting laika from Siberia east of the Yenisei, used on everything from squirrel to moose and bear. It is friendly with people and tough in the taiga.
Český Fousek
PointerA bearded, wiry-coated Czech pointing dog that points, tracks and retrieves on land and in water, and pairs a tireless hunting drive with a loyal family nature.
Pachón Navarro
PointerAn ancient Navarrese pointing dog, once thought extinct and rescued by dedicated breeders, sometimes born with a remarkable split nose.
Slovak Cuvac
Mastiff & MountainA big, pure-white Slovak mountain guardian that protects flocks and homes with courage, yet stays gentle and devoted with its own family.
Danish Spitz
Spitz & PrimitiveA cheerful white-to-biscuit spitz from Denmark, once the farmhouse children's dog and now being carefully rebuilt as a patient, friendly family companion.
Donggyeongi
Spitz & PrimitiveA rare, naturally bob-tailed Korean dog from the old Silla capital Gyeongju, protected as a national natural monument and a close relative of the Jindo.
Treeing Feist
TerrierA small, lively squirrel-hunting dog from the mountains of the Southeastern United States, bred to chase game up a tree and signal its location to the hunter.
Grand Griffon Vendéen
Scent HoundThe largest of the Vendée griffons, a rough-coated French pack hound with a bushy moustache, built for hunting hare, deer and boar across tough country.
Posavac Hound
Scent HoundA gentle, solidly built Croatian scenthound from the Sava Valley, reddish wheaten with white markings, known as an enthusiastic and docile hunting companion.
Extinct
Buckhound
Scent HoundAn extinct English hound used in packs to hunt fallow deer, famously kept by the royal household until the pack was dissolved in 1901.
Picardy Spaniel
PointerAn old French gundog, larger than most spaniels, with a weatherproof wavy coat and a calm, gentle nature that suits both marsh hunting and family life.
Karelo-Finnish Laika
Spitz & PrimitiveA fox-faced hunting spitz from Karelia, closely related to the Finnish Spitz but also found in fawn and black. Cheerful and tireless, it works game from grouse to bear, even in deep snow.
Fu Quan
Spitz & PrimitiveA very rare Chinese spitz-type working dog, tied to temple life and good-luck folklore for centuries. It has been used for herding, hunting, guarding and sledding, and fewer than fifteen are said to remain.
Corsican Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Cursinu is a primitive-type working dog of Corsica, used for generations to herd, guard and hunt wild boar. Saved from decline in the late twentieth century, it is now a recognised French breed.
Serbian Hound
Scent HoundA medium-sized Serbian scenthound with a fox-red coat, black saddle and a distinctive high-pitched voice. Known for stamina, it hunts boar, deer, fox and hare over rough ground, usually in packs.
Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie
Scent HoundThe smallest of the Anglo-French hounds, bred in France to hunt small game in packs. It is a working hound rather than a house pet and is mainly kept by hunters.
Briquet Griffon Vendéen
Scent HoundA medium-sized, rough-coated French scenthound from the Vendée, bred to hunt in packs. Lively and good-natured, it loves family and outdoor time but has a mind of its own.
Schapendoes
HerdingA shaggy, medium-sized Dutch herding dog with a long, thick coat, moustache and beard. Bright, agile and cheerful, it is a lively companion that loves company and activity.
Segugio Maremmano
Scent HoundAn Italian scenthound from the coastal plains of Tuscany's Maremma, used mainly to hunt wild boar. It comes in smooth or rough coats and is one of Italy's most registered breeds.
Serrano Bulldog
Mastiff & MountainA Brazilian guardian breed recognised by the CBKC, known for its balanced temperament and strong devotion and submission to its owner.
Tyrolean Hound
Scent HoundAn Austrian scenthound bred to hunt in snowy mountains and woods, prized for its nose and endurance. Independent and energetic, it is a hunter's dog best suited to space and work.
Rastreador Brasileiro
Scent HoundA Brazilian scenthound with a booming bay, rebuilt from other hounds after the original population was wiped out in the 1970s.
Ariège Pointer
PointerA powerful, mostly white French pointing dog from the Ariège region, used on hare and partridge and revived by dedicated breeders from 1990.
Sabueso Español
Scent HoundA calm, gentle Spanish scenthound with a booming voice, used for centuries on boar and hare and known for relentless tracking.
Lobito Herreño
HerdingA wolf-like shepherd dog from El Hierro in the Canary Islands, loyal to its keeper and increasingly kept as a companion.
Finnish Hound
Scent HoundA tricolour Finnish scenthound built for hare and fox in hilly, snowy country, calm at home and tireless in the field.
Tibetan Kyi Apso
Mastiff & MountainA shaggier, lighter and longer-legged relative of the Tibetan Mastiff, the Kyi Apso is an ancient Himalayan livestock guardian with a bearded face and a bouncy trot.
Lài Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveA rare landrace from the mountains of northern Vietnam, the Lài is a hardy, loyal farm and hunting dog with webbed feet and a wolf-like tail, now critically endangered.
Slovak Rough-haired Pointer
PointerA tough, wiry-coated all-round gundog from Slovakia, built for stamina and able to track, point and retrieve on land and in water.
Griffon Fauve de Bretagne
Scent HoundA shaggy, fawn-coated French scenthound from Brittany, bred to hunt boar in packs yet affectionate and sociable at home.
Majorero
Mastiff & MountainThe Majorero is a sturdy herding and guardian dog from Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. Medium to large and watchful, it was shaped by island farm life and remains a rare breed with only a few hundred dogs.
Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso
Scent HoundThe Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso is a smooth-coated Italian hound with the legs of a sighthound and the nose of a scent hound. It hunts hare with great stamina and is increasingly kept as a companion.
Patagonian Sheepdog
HerdingThe Patagonian Sheepdog is a Chilean herding dog with a long, thick coat built for the harsh weather of southern Patagonia. It was developed from European working dogs brought by settlers.
Portuguese Pointer
PointerThe Portuguese Pointer is a medium-sized pointing dog used mainly to hunt red-legged partridge. It has a short yellow coat and is one of several Portuguese pointing breeds.
Sardinian Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainThe Sardinian Shepherd Dog, or Fonni's Dog, is an ancient island landrace used for herding, catching and guarding livestock. It is known for its fiery, frontal-eyed "monkey face".
Segugio dell'Appennino
Scent HoundA compact Italian scent hound bred to track hare over steep mountain country, the smallest of Italy's four segugio breeds and available in smooth or wire coats.
Jeju Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveA rare tawny spitz-type native of Korea's Jeju Island, rescued from near extinction in the 1980s and now protected as a national heritage animal.
Braque d'Auvergne
PointerA sturdy, blue-mottled French pointer with a black head from the Cantal mountains, valued as a versatile gundog and a gentle family companion.
Barbado da Terceira
HerdingA muscular, bearded herding and guard dog from Terceira in the Azores, with a long wavy coat and a name taken from its beard.
Ca Rater Mallorquí
TerrierA small, square-built ratter from Mallorca, once used to catch rats in the island's wetlands and now a rabbit hunter, watchdog and companion.
Kerry Beagle
Scent HoundThe Kerry Beagle is Ireland's only surviving native scenthound, a tall, fast, black-and-tan pack hound that once chased stags and now follows fox and hare.
Can de Palleiro
HerdingThe Can de Palleiro is a sturdy Galician shepherd and farm guardian, named for the haystack where it traditionally sleeps, and now a recovering breed.
Podenco Valenciano
SighthoundThe Podenco Valenciano is a Spanish warren hound from the Valencian Community, bred to hunt rabbits at night and well suited to hot climates.
Cantabrian Water Dog
Retriever & Water DogThe Cantabrian Water Dog is an all-white water dog from the coast of Cantabria, used by fishermen, and smaller and lighter than the Spanish Water Dog.
Slovenský Kopov
Scent HoundThe Slovenský kopov is a black and tan Slovak scenthound bred to track wounded deer and hunt wild boar, calm at home but a serious working hunter.
Porcelaine
Scent HoundThe Porcelaine is an elegant French scent hound with a glossy, fine white coat that resembles porcelain. Bred to hunt in packs, it is independent, tireless and keen-nosed.
Gaucho Sheepdog
HerdingThe Gaucho Sheepdog, or Ovelheiro Gaúcho, is a collie-type herding dog developed by gauchos in southern Brazil. It is sturdy, agile, intelligent and gentle with its family.
Assyrian Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainThe Assyrian Mastiff was an ancient landrace of Mesopotamia, known from Neo-Assyrian reliefs. Powerful and heavily built, it guarded livestock and hunted lions and wild horses.
Extinct
Braque Dupuy
PointerThe Braque Dupuy was a tall, racy French pointing dog from Poitou, with a sighthound-like look and extra pace. It was always rare and is generally believed to be extinct.
Estonian Hound
Scent HoundThe Estonian Hound is Estonia's only native breed and its national dog: a medium-sized, agile and pleasant-voiced scent hound, created in the 1940s and recognised by the FCI in 2019.
Hällefors Elkhound
Spitz & PrimitiveA medium-sized, yellow-coated Swedish spitz bred for deer hunting. It is energetic, courageous and persistent, with a strong character and a curled or sickle tail.
Colombian Fino Hound
Scent HoundColombia's only native dog breed, a short-haired scenthound with an exceptional nose, bred for hunting and now seen as promising for search and rescue.
Burgos Pointer
PointerA sturdy, calm Spanish pointing dog from Castile, used for hunting hares and birds. Gentle and noble, it does best in the countryside rather than in town.
Dunker
Scent HoundA rare Norwegian scenthound named for its breeder, Wilhelm Dunker, and prized for hunting hare tirelessly by scent, even in deep winter snow.
Lithuanian Hound
Scent HoundLithuania's only native breed, a rare black-and-tan scenthound dating to the medieval Grand Duchy, once brought back from just 78 dogs after World War II.
Castro Laboreiro Dog
Mastiff & MountainA wolf-like mountain guardian from the far north of Portugal, bred to protect flocks and herds from wolves. Rare today, it is kept mostly as a devoted watchdog and companion.
Terceira Mastiff
Mastiff & MountainAn extinct guardian dog from the Azorean island of Terceira, known for its short corkscrew tail. It is an ancestor of the São Miguel Cattle Dog and the Fila Brasileiro.
Ca de Bestiar
Mastiff & MountainA black shepherd and guard dog from the island of Mallorca, used with sheep, cattle and goats. Rare and tough, it is a loyal but territorial worker.
Ariégeois
Scent HoundA light, tough French scenthound from the Ariège region, used alone or in packs to hunt hares, deer and boar. It is a working hound rather than a city companion.
Welsh Hillman
HerdingAn ancient Welsh herding and droving dog, thought extinct around 1990. A lightly built, sandy dog with a black saddle, it may have descended from the old gellgi.
Griffon Nivernais
Scent HoundA shaggy, grizzled French scenthound rebuilt in the 1920s from ancient Nivernais hunting dogs. Built for endurance, it works hare and boar alike, alone or in a pack.
Hamiltonstövare
Scent HoundSweden's best-known scenthound, created by Count Adolf Hamilton to track hare and fox alone. A tricolour hound that is friendly and good with children, but stubborn.
Cane Paratore
HerdingA rare, wolf-like herding dog from Abruzzo that moves livestock by standing in front of them and touching them rather than by force. It is little known outside Italy.
Segugio Italiano a Pelo Forte
Scent HoundThe wire-coated Italian scenthound, a tireless hare hunter with sighthound lines and a loud voice. It is increasingly kept as a companion dog.
Bohemian Spotted Dog
Companion & ToyA friendly tricolour dog created in 1950s Prague as an ideal laboratory dog and now a companion. It is gentle, playful and a good fit for first-time owners.
Chilean Terrier
TerrierThe Chilean Terrier is Chile's first native breed, a small, lively white rat-hunter descended from Smooth Fox Terriers and Andalusian ratting dogs, and a beloved companion in country and city alike.
Ramanathapuram Mandai
SighthoundThe Ramanathapuram Mandai is a tall, powerfully built hound from southern Tamil Nadu, with goat-like drooping ears and white feet, long depicted in the region's temple sculptures.
Pastor Garafiano
HerdingThe Pastor Garafiano is a medium-sized goat-herding dog from the steep volcanic island of La Palma, built for rugged terrain and revived from near disappearance by dedicated islanders.
Istrian Shorthaired Hound
Scent HoundThe Istrian Shorthaired Hound is an ancient Croatian scenthound, mostly white with orange patches, calm at home and keen and sharp-voiced in the field, prized for hunting fox and rabbit.
Extinct
King's White Hound
Scent HoundThe King's White Hound was the celebrated pack hound of the French kings, a fast, courageous hunter that helped found several later French hound breeds before it died out.
Gascon Saintongeois
Scent HoundA tall white-and-black French pack hound with a fine nose, a rich voice and a graceful gallop, made in two sizes for hunting big game or hare.
Extinct
Grand Fauve de Bretagne
Scent HoundAn extinct, rough-coated fawn hound from Brittany that hunted wolves and wild boar and was famously hard to control.
Braque Saint-Germain
PointerA elegant fawn-and-white French pointer created around 1830 from English and French pointing dogs, valued as both a versatile gundog and a show dog.
Macedonian Shepherd Dog
Mastiff & MountainA powerful black livestock guardian from the mountains of North Macedonia, bred to protect flocks from wolves and bears and newly recognised by the FCI.
Old Danish Pointer
PointerA sturdy white-and-brown Danish pointing dog, calm indoors and steady in the field, known for working slowly and close to its handler.
Old Croatian Sighthound
SighthoundAn extinct Balkan sighthound, much like a slightly smaller Greyhound, that coursed hare in Croatia and Bosnia. Never recognised by a kennel club, it is believed to have vanished by the mid-1990s.
Blue Gascony Griffon
Scent HoundA rough-coated, blue-speckled French scenthound with a fine nose and voice, used on small and large game alone or in packs. Rare outside France, it is excitable yet affectionate.
Bergamasco Shepherd
HerdingAn Italian Alpine sheepdog famed for its unusual coat of matted, flocked locks. Sturdy and rustic, it is a patient and devoted herder and companion.
Maneto
Scent HoundA short-legged Andalusian hunting dog derived from the medium-sized Andalusian Hound, used on rabbit and feathered game and for retrieving ducks. It is rare and considered vulnerable in Spain.
Liangshan Dog
Scent HoundA medium-sized scenthound of the Yi people in Sichuan, prized for tracking, stamina and fearless boar hunting in mountains. It has a black head and a banded red, yellow or grey double coat.
Bulgarian Scenthound
Scent HoundA smooth-coated hunting hound from the Ludogorie region of northern Bulgaria, and the country's most widespread short-haired scent hound, valued as a working companion rather than shown to a strict standard.
Montenegrin Mountain Hound
Scent HoundA rare black-and-tan scent hound from the mountains of Montenegro, bred to hunt fox and hare over rough terrain and occasionally larger game, and famous as the model for a certain comedy puppet.
Bulgarian Hound
Scent HoundA medium-sized, coarse-coated scent hound from Bulgaria, the country's only long-haired hound, usually coloured in warm yellow-rufous shades and prized as a rugged hunting companion.
Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund
Scent HoundThe Small Swiss Hound is a short-legged scent hound in four colour varieties, bred to follow a trail slowly through difficult ground and loved by hunters for its pleasant voice and friendly nature.
Chien Français Blanc et Noir
Scent HoundA tall French pack hound with a black mantle on white, valued for perseverance, a fine nose and a deep voice on deer hunts, and unusually easy for a pack hound to handle.
Sporting Lucas Terrier
TerrierA small, narrow-chested working terrier from Scotland, developed in the 1990s to go to ground. It carries a harsh, shaggy coat and is named after the older Lucas Terrier of Jocelyn Lucas.
Treeing Cur
Scent HoundAn American hunting cur that trees squirrels, raccoons and big game, valued for working ability over looks. It is unusually varied in size and colour, and every colour but albino is accepted.
Small Međimurje Dog
HerdingA small, short-legged Croatian farm dog known as the Ratter, bred to catch rats around the yard. It is smart, loyal and playful with family but wary of strangers.
Mojee
HerdingA large black Chinese working dog, officially called Heilang Quan, developed from German Shepherds and northern Chinese dogs. It serves in police, search and rescue, guard and detection work.
Villano de Las Encartaciones
Mastiff & MountainA large Basque cattle dog from Las Encartaciones, closely tied to the Monchina mountain cattle. It is a rare, brindled, short-coated worker and one of the most endangered Basque breeds.
Tonya Finosu
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Tonya Finosu is a small, all-white spitz from the Black Sea town of Tonya in Turkey. It is playful and devoted with family, but a noisy, suspicious watchdog around strangers.
Schweizer Laufhund
Scent HoundThe Schweizer Laufhund is a family of Swiss scenthounds, in four varieties, bred to follow a scent tirelessly and independently over rough ground. Gentle at home, driven in the field.
Portuguese Sheepdog
HerdingThe Portuguese Sheepdog is a medium-sized herder from Alentejo with a goat-like coat and a shaggy, monkey-like face. It is exceptionally intelligent and lively, and a rewarding sport and family dog.
Ca Mè Mallorquí
PointerThe Ca Mè Mallorquí is a medium-sized pointing dog from Mallorca, once nearly extinct and now rebuilt by a dedicated breed club. It has a short smooth coat and a wide range of colours.
Pampas Deerhound
Scent HoundThe Pampas Deerhound is a lean, long-legged Brazilian hunter that tracks deer and boar by scent and pursues them relentlessly. Away from the hunt it is a calm, docile and child-friendly companion.
Pont-Audemer Spaniel
Retriever & Water DogA rare curly-coated French water spaniel with a pointed muzzle and a comical topknot, nicknamed the little clown of the marshes. It works in water and marsh and sometimes in a setter-like way.
Ratonero Valenciano
TerrierA small, short-coated Spanish ratter from Valencia, traditionally tailless, used to hunt rats and rabbits. Usually tricolour with mostly white markings.
Erbi Txakur
Scent HoundA critically endangered medium-sized Basque scenthound whose name means hare dog, with a short pale orange-brown coat and white markings. Now used mainly on wild boar.
Styrian Coarse-haired Hound
Scent HoundA rough-coated Austrian scenthound created in the 1870s to hunt boar and track wounded game in the mountains. Red or fawn and tough, it is a working dog more than a pet.
Extinct
Norman Hound
Scent HoundAn extinct, very large French scenthound with a fine nose and voice but a slow pace. It is said to be an ancestor of the Bloodhound and Talbot and was declared extinct by 1875.
Kunma Dog
HerdingThe Kunma Dog is a Chinese police dog created by crossing Belgian Malinois with the Kunming dog. It combines the Malinois's drive and build with Kunming dog traits and is widely used in public safety work.
Serbian Tricolour Hound
Scent HoundThe Serbian Tricolour Hound is a rare Serbian scenthound with a black, fawn and white coat. It is calm and affectionate at home and tireless on long hunts over rough ground.
Istrian Coarse-haired Hound
Scent HoundThe Istrian Coarse-haired Hound is a rugged Croatian scenthound with a weatherproof wiry coat. It is still kept mostly as a hunting dog and can be willful and challenging to train.
Lapponian Shepherd
HerdingThe Lapponian Shepherd was a Finnish herding breed created in the 1930s from Lapphunds and Karelian Bear Dogs. It vanished in the 1980s but survives in the bloodlines of the modern Finnish Lapphund.
Extinct
Red Decoy Dog
Retriever & Water DogThe Red Decoy Dog was an extinct English fox-red dog that lured wildfowl into netted tunnels. It is believed to be an ancestor of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
Smaland Hound
Scent HoundThe Smaland Hound is Sweden's oldest native scenthound and its smallest hound, a compact black-and-tan, naturally bobtailed hunter that is rare even at home.
German Roughhaired Pointer
PointerThe German Roughhaired Pointer, or Deutsch Stichelhaar, is a rare, robust pointing dog with a bristly coat, heavy head and long eyebrows, kept mostly in Germany.
Grand Anglo-Français Tricolore
Scent HoundA big French pack hound with a black-mantled tricolour coat, bred from Poitevin and Foxhound crosses to hunt large game, and rarely suited to a pet's life.
Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Noir
Scent HoundA big, powerful French pack hound, white with a black mantle, descended from the old Saintongeois and Foxhounds and used to hunt roe deer, boar and fox.
Kawakami Inu
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Kawakami Inu is a rare spitz-type hunting dog from Nagano, Japan, related to the Shiba Inu, with a more wolf-like face, a fearless nature and a strong guarding instinct.
Schillerstövare
Scent HoundThe Schillerstövare is a Swedish running hound named after the farmer who showed it in 1886. It is a lively, attentive hunter of fox and hare, recognisable by its tan body and black saddle.
Stephens Stock
Scent HoundThe Stephens Stock is a compact, sleek black cur from Kentucky, bred for generations to hunt squirrel and raccoon. It is a high-energy worker that is rarely content as a simple pet.
Old Welsh Grey Sheepdog
HerdingThe Old Welsh Grey was a shaggy Welsh hill and drovers' sheepdog that worked loose-eyed with a short bark. It is now almost certainly extinct and survives in part through the Patagonian Sheepdog.
Valdueza
Scent HoundThe Valdueza is a large Spanish pack-hound created from the 1940s for hunting in mountain country. It blends rough-haired Podenco Andaluz with lighter Mastín Extremeño, plus some Griffon Vendéen.
Ca de Conills
SighthoundThe Ca de Conills is Menorca's traditional rabbit-hunting hound, found in small, medium and large sizes that work together by scent, sight and hearing. It is rare, with only about 316 animals counted in 2024.
Can de Chira
HerdingA rare Spanish shepherd dog from the mountains of Alto Aragon, once widespread among the flock keepers of the Pyrenean region and now surviving in small numbers.
Briquet de Provence
Scent HoundA rare brick-red scenthound from Provence, bred to hunt wild boar and hare, with great stamina and a voice it keeps for the hunt.
West Country Harrier
Scent HoundA pale, pack-hunting hare hound from Devon and Somerset, said to be closer to the old-style Harrier and prized for its scenting and voice.
Saint-Usuge Spaniel
PointerA brown French pointing spaniel from the Bresse region, rescued from near extinction by a priest and now a versatile gundog for waterfowl and woodcock.
Petit Bleu de Gascogne
Scent HoundA blue-mottled French pack hound, a smaller descendant of the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, bred for small game and noted for working calmly with others.
St. Hubert Jura Hound
Scent HoundA medium-sized black and tan hound from the Jura Mountains, prized by hunters for its keen nose, speed and agility on foot hunts. It is told apart from its cousin the Bruno Jura Hound by heavier flews and dewlaps.
Segugio Italiano
Scent HoundItaly's national scenthound, a lean and elegant hunting hound that comes in a wire-haired and a smooth-haired variety. It is tireless on the trail, voiceful at work and gentle at home.
Prague Ratter
Companion & ToyA tiny, quick Czech ratter with a long royal history, now a bright and loving lap companion. It is surprisingly quiet for a small dog and revived by breeders in the late twentieth century.
Armant
HerdingA shaggy, rectangular Egyptian herding and guard dog, brave in defence of its flock and loyal to its family. Its origins are debated and pure examples are now rare.
Original Fila Brasileiro
Mastiff & MountainA rare Brazilian farm guardian being gathered and preserved from the last rustic Fila dogs of the interior. Supporters see it as the true ancestor of the modern Fila Brasileiro, which they say has drifted away from it.
Halden Hound
Scent HoundThe Halden Hound is a medium-sized Norwegian scenthound that hunts hares alone with its owner. Hardy, warm and tireless, it resembles a small American Foxhound and copes well with snowy ground.
Chien Français Blanc et Orange
Scent HoundA large French pack hound in white and orange, descended from the old Saintonge hunting hounds. It is prized for stamina, a good nose and voice, and a friendlier, more manageable nature than many pack dogs.
Villanuco de Las Encartaciones
TerrierA small, short-coated Basque ratter from Las Encartaciones in northern Spain. It is a critically endangered traditional breed, valued as an alert watchdog and companion.
Chien Français Tricolore
Scent HoundA large French pack hound with a black-mantled tricolour coat, bred to hunt in packs under a handler. It is a working dog rather than a typical pet.
Denmark Feist
TerrierAn American hunting feist from Virginia, descended from a single dog bought in 1917. It is a muscular, short-coated squirrel and small-game hunter that is said to work silently.
Perdigueiro Galego
PointerA rare medium-sized pointing dog from Galicia in north-western Spain, kept alive by local hunters and prized for finding and retrieving partridge, quail and woodcock.
Hygen Hound
Scent HoundA Norwegian scenthound created in the 19th century, built for stamina and able to hunt tirelessly across harsh, arctic-style terrain.
Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Orange
Scent HoundA big, powerful French pack hound with English Foxhound influence, bred to hunt large game such as deer and boar rather than to be a pet.
Czech Mountain Dog
Spitz & PrimitiveThe youngest Czech breed, born in the 1970s from a Slovak Cuvac and a Canadian draft dog, and made for sledding, draft work and active families.
Rize Koyun
Mastiff & MountainA livestock guardian dog from the mountains of north-eastern Turkey, named for the town of Rize and valued as a working protector rather than a pet.
Mantiqueira Shepherd
HerdingThe Mantiqueira Shepherd is a medium-sized Brazilian cattle-herding dog from the Serra da Mantiqueira mountains, prized for its intelligence and working ability and nicknamed the Little Policeman.
Boca-preta Sertanejo
Scent HoundThe Boca-preta Sertanejo is a rustic landrace of Brazil's semi-arid Northeast, a versatile hunting, guarding and cattle dog shaped by drought and four centuries of isolation.
Guicho
Scent HoundThe Guicho is a small Galician warren hound used mainly to hunt rabbit in the mountains, recovering after coming close to extinction before its recognition in 2001.
Poitevin
Scent HoundThe Poitevin is a fast, athletic French pack hound created in the 17th century to hunt wolves, nicknamed the greyhound among French hounds for its speed and stamina.
Cão do Barrocal Algarvio
Scent HoundThe Cão do Barrocal Algarvio is a medium-sized Portuguese warren hound from the Algarve that fell to fewer than fifty dogs by the 1960s and was formally recognised in 2015.
Ratonero Murciano
TerrierA compact, short-haired Spanish ratter from the Region of Murcia, long kept on farms to control mice and rats and now protected by a dedicated breeding programme.
Majestic Tree Hound
Scent HoundA large modern American big-game hound of coonhound and bloodhound type, built for coldtrailing and treeing over rough country, with long ears and loose skin.
Podengo Galego
SighthoundA light, medium-sized warren hound from Galicia in north-west Spain, used to hunt rabbit and hare, with a tan coat and close ties to the Portuguese Podengo.
Beskydský bundáš
HerdingAn extinct white, shaggy shepherd dog of the Beskydy Mountains that guarded sheep on mountain meadows and resembled a Slovak Cuvac with upright ears.
Meitei Hui
Spitz & PrimitiveThe Meitei Hui is an indigenous village dog of Manipur, India, long kept by the Meitei people and only recently gaining public recognition and protection as a local dog variety.
Illyrian Shepherd
Mastiff & MountainThe Illyrian Shepherd is an extinct Balkan livestock guardian dog and the forerunner of the Šarplaninac, Karst Shepherd and Deltari Ilir.
Tatra Hound
Scent HoundThe Tatra Hound is the youngest Slovak breed, a compact, friendly scenthound made for tracking wounded game and driving it in the field.
Anatolian Shepherd
Mastiff & MountainA large Turkish livestock guardian, the Kangal has protected flocks from wolves for centuries and now helps save cheetahs in Africa by guarding farm animals.
Miniature Australian Shepherd
HerdingThe Miniature American Shepherd is a small, brainy herding dog from the US, bred down from Australian Shepherds and prized for sports and work.
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