{"id":1344,"date":"2016-04-27T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T16:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/?p=1344"},"modified":"2018-08-15T13:10:01","modified_gmt":"2018-08-15T20:10:01","slug":"5-extinct-breeds-dog-lovers-should-know-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/pet-fun\/5-extinct-breeds-dog-lovers-should-know-about\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Extinct Breeds Dog Lovers Should Know About"},"content":{"rendered":"

The title of “Man\u2019s Best Friend” has been one earned by dogs for centuries. \u00a0Our canine companions have been by our side since the rise of humankind as a\u00a0friend, ally, and helper. Over the years, we have been able to effectively breed dogs for specific tasks such as guarding, hunting, and companionship. \u00a0However, with the passage of time, there have been several interesting breeds that aren’t around anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 5 interesting breeds of dogs that no longer exist:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. The <\/span>Hare Dog<\/span><\/a> was a domesticated dog and coyote hybrid (also known as a Coydog) that was popular among the Hare Native Americans in Canada. \u00a0They were a notoriously playful breed with the small slender heads of their coyote cousins and a body to match. \u00a0Their color pattern was white and grey patches on their back, face, and tail. The Hare Dog’s numbers fell into decline after the invention of firearms made their hunting abilities obsolete. \u00a0They eventually bred with other pedigrees exhibiting more dominant traits, and theirs became lost in the gene pool.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"5<\/a>2. The <\/span>Salish Woolly Dog <\/a>is a distant cousin of the terrier, and was bred specifically for its fur, which could be shorn like a sheep\u2019s to make wool. \u00a0Since the dog\u2019s real value came from its long white, wool-like coat, it was important to natives in North America to keep the breed separate from other dog populations, coyotes, and wolves. \u00a0Often the dogs were kept on islands, to ensure their\u00a0lineage, and fed a steady diet of fish.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Switching gears from the new world in America to ancient Greece, the <\/span>Molossus Dogs <\/span><\/a>would leave a line of great dog breeds throughout history. \u00a0The most notable of their descendants are the Mastiff, St. Bernard, Great Dane, and Rottweiler. \u00a0These dogs were big! It is thought that they were larger than any contemporary dog, though the exact aspects regarding size and body are widely disputed. \u00a0It is agreed their build was large and stocky, though size is disputed considering historical claims about it fighting lions, tigers, and even elephants. \u00a0Others argue it was a lean and lightweight dog, resembling something closer to a Greyhound or Great Dane. \u00a0When it comes to a breed that dates back farther than Aristotle and Virgil, there are bound to be discrepancies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"5<\/a>4. Moving forward through history, a descendent of the Molossus was the<\/span> Alpine Mastiff<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0While the Alpine Mastiff is now extinct, we can see their descendants in today\u2019s modern mastiffs. \u00a0The alpine mastiff was what some called a \u201cbridle dog\u201d implying it was large enough to be ridden like a horse, this is thought to have been said mostly in jest. \u00a0In the 1800\u2019s the name Mastiff and St. Bernard were used interchangeably and it becomes difficult to pinpoint when the two actually became different breeds. <\/span><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0<\/span>English Water Spaniel<\/span><\/a> went extinct sometime in the early 1900\u2019s but can be dated as far back as Shakespeare\u2019s Macbeth. \u00a0The little scamp was adept at hunting waterfowl and had similar distinguishing features to a collie. \u00a0It was said that the dogs were as good at swimming and diving as the birds they hunted. \u00a0The water spaniel influenced many contemporary breeds, like the modern spaniel and certain retrievers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bonus<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n

The Russian Tracker<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or Retriever is officially considered to be extinct but there are some in Russia who remain unconvinced. \u00a0Though this particular breed was never officially recognized by credited kennel clubs, many believe it had a long enough history and the characteristics to apply. \u00a0Though this clever mountain dog is thought to have been extinct, some speculate that they may still exist in <\/span>Moscow\u2019s stray dog<\/span><\/a> population, and the dogs that have learned to navigate the subway systems in Russia are thought to be their descendants. \u00a0The primary trait of this breed, apart from being large enough to chase off big Russian wolves, was their intelligence. \u00a0As a work dog in Russia\u2019s harsh climate, it was said these dogs could keep large flocks of sheep alive and well for months on their own, without needing people to help them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are there any breeds we left out? \u00a0Let us know in the comments!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The title of “Man\u2019s Best Friend” has been one earned by dogs for centuries. \u00a0Our canine companions have been by our side since the rise of humankind as a\u00a0friend, ally, and helper. Over the years, we have been able to effectively breed dogs for specific tasks such as guarding, hunting, and companionship. \u00a0However, with the passage of time, there have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[28],"tags":[320,14,319,318],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1344"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1344"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5096,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1344\/revisions\/5096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}