It was some 15,000 years ago, that men and wolves joined forces for mutual benefit, an alliance that led to the development of all of our now existing, domestic dog breeds. In the beginning, breeding was pretty much an affair of hit and miss and coincidence, but soon men learned to mate dogs with desirable traits to each other, in order to strengthen certain characteristics in future dog generations. Until the 19th century the main emphasis, especially in the West, was on ‘working characteristics’ rather than beauty or looks. So what does this mean for dog breeding in the future?
At the left an engraving showing a Poodle from the 17th century, at the right a show Poodle like we know it today (image courtesy of Belinda Hankins Miller / Flickr).
For example the Border Collie, a Scottish herding dog, came in all shapes and colors and up until the 19th century nobody gave much consideration to how they looked. But at the end of the 19th century breed dog clubs and kennel associations were founded and the development of so-called breed standards began. These standards often put ‘look’ before other important points such as character, temperament and working abilities. In some cases this dilemma was solved by having two classes of dogs for the same breed. Show or beauty classes for dogs that are kept as non-working pets and working dog classes that concentrate more on this aspect of the breed. While things do overlap and the classes are interbred freely, this approach has insured that many breeds, such as the Dachshund, have maintained their working character, as well as being able to compete in the ‘show dog’ ring. Other breeds, where this approach hasn’t been used, such as in the case of the Afghan Hound, the breed has been reduced, in many countries, to being a mere ‘show dog’. The following aims to give a little insight into the different types and origins of dog breeds:
Existing, established or historic dog breeds – The ones we have known for a long time.
These are dog breeds that are well established and are recognized by all major kennel clubs and associations. The German Shepherd dog is a good example for a historic dog breed. While the breed standard has changed over the years, the breed itself has recognized since the 19th century. These dogs have been bred selectively towards an agreed breed standard based on hundreds of years of the breeds history or even thousands of years in the case of older breeds such as the Pekingese.
Landraces – Not made by man
Landraces, or geographical races, are dog breeds that have developed because of a geographical restriction, rather than because of an active breeding program. An example for this bred would be the Saluki from the Middle East. It is important to note, that ‘landraces’ change, when taken out of their natural environment, into a dog breed, i.e. when selective breeding starts.
New Dog Breeds – Designer or purpose bred
New dog breed doesn’t mean necessary that this breed is only a few years old, it can also mean ‘newly recognized’ by a kennel club or association of a country to which the breed is new. But more often it means that some breeders created, or aim to create, a new dog breed.
Rare Dog Breeds – Sometimes only rare in certain countries
These can be both, historical and new dog breeds, the adjective ‘rare’ refers only to the fact that this breed has only a few representatives in the area the kennel club or the association in question operates.
Designer Dogs – The often ugly truth
New dog breeds develop all the time, some by accident, some for a purpose and some for simple greed. A sad example for the latter are the now nearly overwhelming numbers of so-called ‘designer dogs’ or, even worse ‘teacup dogs’. These dogs are bred to satisfy a market that is looking for something ‘special’ that not everybody can afford, rather than for a dog that fulfills a certain purpose. Celebrities parading their tiny teacup dogs over the red carpet have unfortunately led to an increasing number of poorly bred ‘designer dogs’ that are only created to satisfy the greed of puppy mill owners and backyard breeders.
How a new dog breed develops
The typical journey of a breed from conception to recognition is similar to this, but situations can vary in different countries:
1. Idea
Either a real or a perceived need sparks the idea of creating a new dog breed. Two good examples for this are the Labradoodle, that was developed because of the real need of creating a hypoallergenic service dog breed and the American Alsatian, that was created because a need was perceived, or assumed, for a large companion dog with a low work drive. At this stage the basics for the new breed are normally mapped out, which can be either very detailed or just be a sort of general idea of what the future breed should look and be like. Typically the beginning of a new breed is the crossing of two pureblood dogs from different races. Subsequently the resulting litters can be used to create more dogs of the new type and / or more pureblood hybrids are created. The wider the gene pool is kept, the lower is the risk of inbred, genetic, diseases, but also the wider the range of phenotypes (appearances) of the resulting dogs. Breeders often aim at a middle way between the two, by crossing in and back to the ‘parent breeds’ as well as breeding the resulting crosses and hybrids amongst themselves (inline). Sometimes, at least in the early stages, other dog breeds will be crossed in also. This happened for example with the Australian Labradoodle that, although mostly part Poodle and part Labrador, carries also Irish Water Spaniels and other breeds in its gene pool.
2. Enthusiasm
It is typically one person, or a small group of persons, that dedicates time, effort and money to taking the original idea further. A small group of breeders often forms at this point, creating the first association to represent the new breed and to start a stud book and registry to document the breeding efforts and the pedigree of the dogs involved.
3. Following and Associations
As more dogs become available, more people might become interested and slowly the new breed develops a following, general interest and a recognizable appearance. More dog clubs and kennels are founded, or join, and often a first overall national association is started. Also the breed standards are getting finalized and registries and stud books are kept and made more publicly available.
4. National Recognition
The breed association will now, in most cases, start to seek recognition of their new breed by one or more multi-breed kennel associations. In the US that could be the AKC, starting with their FSS (Foundation Stock Service), in the UK The Kennel Club and so on. It is important to note that while some kennel clubs require health screening, for example for hip dysplasia, before registration, others are unfortunately more lenient and will register a dog purely based on its ancestry.
5. International Recognition
The ultimate recognition for a dog breed would be to be included into the list maintained by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) of recognized dog breeds. This, however, normally takes a long time; one of the latest dog breeds recognized by the FCI was the White Shepherd (Berger Blanc Suisse) in 2002 and this breeds’ history started in 1968 when white coated German Shepherd dogs where excluded by the breed standard and a new association was founded to support this color variety! The FCI is the international umbrella organization and federation for over 80 national kennel clubs but it doesn’t maintain it’s own dog registry.
The Future – Do we need more dog breeds?
With hundred of thousands of dogs in shelters and pounds that are waiting to find a new, forever home, it is difficult to understand why new dog breeds are necessary at all. While some might fulfill a real need, others are more likely created to fill the pockets of scrupulous breeders, as it is the case with ‘teacup puppies’. Creating a new dog breed is not something that is done over night. It takes years of dedication and many, many generations of dogs before a truly new dog breed has been developed. Before buying a dog of an unknown or designer breed, it is always a good idea to check carefully why and how this breed has been developed and how the breeders in question handle screening for health issues, registry etc.
Beware of designer dogs and puppy mills
As stated several times throughout this article, the biggest danger for dogs is the recent development of so-called designer breeds which are artificially created to satisfy a market that cares little about the soundness of a dog breed and more about its novelty appeal. The biggest danger for every dog breed is actually to become so popular that the demand for puppies can’t be fulfilled anymore by reputable breeders. This can lead to uncontrolled backyard breeding which often produces puppies that are already ill at birth.
That little puppy that you are going to bring home with you will be with you for many years…or at least you hope it will be…so it’s well worth the effort to take the time to research the different breeds to find one suitable to your family make-up and then take the time and effort to find a reputable breeder.
Better yet, pay a visit to your local animal shelter where you’re sure to find the perfect dog waiting to find a new, forever home.
Related Terms: dogs breeds