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Dogs have been part of human history for as long as we’ve been able to tame wolves, making them one of the earliest species to be domesticated.
While they weren’t fully domesticated, dogs are the product of selective breeding from wolves, and many distinct breeds have emerged over the past 14,000-29,000 years.
Sadly, some dog breeds have vanished and have not been successfully revived. The following ten breeds were once popular for various reasons but have since disappeared.
10. Talbot
The Talbot was a popular hunting hound in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed that William the Conqueror brought the breed to England in 1066, although this remains unconfirmed. The Earls of Shrewsbury, whose family name is Talbot, feature the dog on their family crest. Interestingly, the Talbot and Greyhound are the only hounds depicted in English heraldry.
Talbots were medium-sized dogs with white fur, short legs, long drooping ears, and a curled tail. Historical records suggest it was valued for its keen sense of smell, although its main prey (deer, boar, fox, rabbit, etc.) remains unclear.
Evidence shows the Talbot existed as early as the 15th century, becoming more widespread in England by the 17th century. It was favored by hunters for its exceptional tracking skills.
The Talbot began fading away by the late 18th century, replaced by the Northern Hound and Southern Hound. It was likely bred out of existence, with breeders selecting for certain traits, leading to the development of the Beagle, Bloodhound, and Coonhound.
9. St. John’s Water Dog
The St. John’s water dog was a breed native to Newfoundland, likely emerging in the late-16th century. Known for their strong work ethic and gentle nature, they were highly valued by fishermen. Excellent swimmers and retrievers, they were essential in the fishing communities.
While their exact genetic origin is unclear, it is believed that the St. John’s water dog was a mix of various working dog breeds brought to the Labrador region. Throughout the 16th and early 17th centuries, they were highly prized. They were even exported to England, but eventually became extinct due to two main reasons.
Canada began regulating dog breeding to promote sheep farming, which led to a decline in the population of St. John’s water dogs. Around the same time, England implemented a quarantine to prevent a rabies outbreak, halting the importation of the dogs. This significantly reduced breeding in the 19th century.
By the mid-20th century, St. John’s water dogs were rarely bred and their numbers dwindled. By the 1980s, the breed had become extinct. However, they left a lasting legacy as one of the key ancestors of all modern Retrievers, including the Labrador and Golden Retriever.
8. Grand Fauve De Bretagne
The Grand Fauve de Bretagne was a breed of scent hound originally used to hunt wolves and wild boars throughout Brittany. These were large dogs with short, dense coats, and a pale golden-brown color. Known for their difficult temperament, they were well-suited for hunting dangerous prey.
Their temperament was often unpredictable, making them hard to control. Grand Fauves de Bretagne had a reputation for attacking goats and sheep while tracking other game, which caused issues. This breed existed as early as the 1520s and was highly valued for its exceptional hunting skills.
They continued to hunt alongside their human partners well into the 19th century, but they eventually went extinct for a rather unusual reason. As wolves were driven out from most of France, the breed was no longer needed.
With no wolves to hunt, breeders ceased breeding the Grand Fauve de Bretagne. By the early 20th century, the breed was considered extinct. Before that, it was crossbred with Briquet Griffon Vendéens to create the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, a breed still popular in France today.
7. Russian Tracker
For centuries, the Russian Tracker was used to herd sheep across the Caucasus Mountains. These large, fast dogs were well-suited for chasing off wolves to protect their flocks. They were also known for their intelligence, capable of managing a flock independently for extended periods.
Weighing around 100 lbs. (45 kg), the Russian Tracker had a thick coat that shielded it from the freezing temperatures of its homeland. This fur also protected the dogs from predators, proving useful when wolves ventured too close to the sheep.
Despite their utility and popularity in the region, the Russian Tracker vanished by the late 19th century. As other dog breeds were introduced to the area, the breed fell out of favor and conservation efforts for them were not prioritized.
Rather than focusing on preservation, the Russian Tracker was crossbred with bloodhounds and other breeds to create a new dog that could replace it. Eventually, they disappeared, but it is believed that they contributed to the ancestry of the Golden Retriever and several other breeds.
6. Blue Paul Terrier
The Blue Paul Terrier was a Scottish breed with a tumultuous history. Originally bred for fighting, its exact origins are unclear. It is believed to have been introduced in the late 18th century, likely the result of crossbreeding an Irish Blue Terrier with an extinct White Bull and Terrier.
The Blue Paul Terrier had a distinctive dark blue coat and smooth fur, giving it an appearance reminiscent of some Greyhounds. It also had a large head with a flat forehead and small, typically cropped ears.
This breed gained immense popularity in Scotland during the 19th century, valued for its strength and bravery, making it a top choice for dogfighting. It was known for being clever and highly effective in taking down opponents.
The Blue Paul Terrier’s aggressiveness in fighting ultimately led to its extinction, as it was not suited for being a companion animal. By the early 20th century, the breed had disappeared, primarily due to the criminalization of dogfighting in Scotland. The remaining dogs were likely crossbred out of existence.
5. Rastreador Brasileiro
The Rastreador Brasileiro was a large Brazilian breed officially recognized in 1967, making it one of the most recent breeds to become extinct. Its color ranged from bluish to black, with various spot and speckle patterns on its short, smooth coat. In appearance, it resembled the American Coonhound.
Originally developed in the 1950s to hunt peccaries—medium-sized wild pigs native to Central and South America—the Rastreador Brasileiro was bred from American and European breeds to achieve the desired traits. However, the breed did not last long.
Shortly after its introduction, the Rastreador Brasileiro went extinct due to a combination of factors. A disease outbreak, coupled with a pesticide overdose, wiped out the entire breeding population. By 1973, the breed was considered extinct and was officially removed from recognition.
Fortunately, efforts to recreate the breed have been underway. These efforts involve identifying mixed-breed dogs and crossbreeding them in an attempt to bring the first Brazilian breed back. Though not fully reintroduced yet, the Brazilian Kennel Club officially re-recognized the breed in 2019.
4. Turnspit Dog
While many dogs were bred in the Middle Ages for specific roles, most were primarily used for hunting. The Turnspit Dog, however, was bred for a very unique purpose: assisting in the kitchen! First described in the 16th century, these dogs were also known as Kitchen Dogs or Cooking Dogs.
Their kitchen duty was to run on a wheel that turned a spit, thus cooking meat (hence the breed's name). It was common for kitchens to employ two Turnspit Dogs that worked in alternating shifts. The breed was perfectly suited for this task and continued to serve English kitchens for centuries.
Sadly, the Turnspit Dog became obsolete due to the arrival of automation in the kitchen, specifically the invention of the spinning jenny, a multi-spindle spinning frame. While the change took time, the dogs were eventually no longer needed in kitchens by the 19th century.
As they fell out of favor, Turnspit Dogs were seen as symbols of poverty and became undesirable. Without a specific purpose, the breed went extinct around the turn of the 20th century. Interestingly, the only known taxidermied Turnspit Dog, named Whiskey, is displayed at the Abergavenny Museum in Wales.
3. Molossus
The Molossus was an ancient dog breed cherished by the Greek tribe and Kingdom of the Molossians, lending its name to the breed. Known for their impressive size and ferocity, these dogs were valued for their ability to work in hunting, combat, and herding roles.
Molossus dogs were exceptionally large, and their greatness was immortalized by some of the greatest ancient thinkers such as Aristotle, Horace, and Virgil. The true origins of the Molossus remain a mystery, though numerous stories and legends about them persist.
One legend suggests that Alexander the Great brought these mighty dogs from Asia, while another theory posits that the Romans were the ones to breed them as guard dogs for their army. Although these stories remain unverified, they highlight the awe surrounding the Molossus.
Though the Molossus eventually disappeared, the cause of its extinction remains unclear. It's likely that crossbreeding contributed to their eventual demise, a fate that has befallen many other breeds. Despite this, the Molossus is regarded as the ancestor of numerous modern dog breeds, including the American Bulldog, Rottweiler, Great Dane, and various Mastiff-type dogs.
2. English White Terrier
In the 1860s, a group of enthusiastic breeders named a new dog breed the 'English White Terrier,' hoping to gain popularity for it. This breed was essentially a pricked-ear variation of the common white terriers of that time. The aim was to create a new breed for dog shows, though the vision never materialized.
For around thirty years, the English White Terrier was bred and sold across Britain with hopes of outshining other terriers of the era. It was likely a mix of the fox terrier and the White Italian Greyhound, with formal recognition occurring in 1874.
Unlike many breeds, the English White Terrier was not a working dog, as it lacked any traits beneficial for hunting or labor. Its purpose was purely for show, yet it was adored for its affectionate nature, requiring 'a considerable amount of cuddling and care.'
After three decades, the English White Terrier became extinct, but its legacy persists in modern breeds. It was crossbred with the Old English Bulldog, which led to the creation of Bull and Boston Terriers.
1. Argentine Polar Dog
The Argentine Polar Dog was not a breed known to many during its existence, but it was highly valued and essential to a specific group. Bred by the Argentine Army in the 1950s, these dogs served as sled dogs for the army's operations in Antarctica.
These dogs were strong and capable, the product of crossbreeding the Siberian Husky, Greenland dog, Alaskan Malamute, and Manchurian Spitz. With a weight of up to 132 lbs. (60 kg) for males, their large size and thick triple coats made them ideal for the extreme cold of the polar regions.
Eleven Argentine Polar Dogs were needed to pull a sled weighing 1.1 tons, and they could achieve speeds of up to 22 mph (35 km/h) on flat ground. Their speed and strength made them perfectly suited to the Argentine Army's requirements. Sadly, the breed was extinct by 1994.
Following the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, all Argentine Polar Dogs were removed from the continent, as they were considered a threat to local wildlife. Without their isolated environment in Antarctica, the dogs were unable to fight off common canine diseases, leading to their extinction.
