Top 10 Extinct Breeds of Dogs

One has aptly said that dogs are the ultimate companion. When we talk about dogs the terms faithful comes by its own. No wonder why movies on dogs like ‘Hachiko’ and ‘Marley and Me’ were the blockbuster of their times.

With time and as they say survival of the fittest some breeds got totally extinct from the planet Earth. But having their own special characters and history is worth taking an insight. So let’s take a sneak-peek over some of the extinct breeds of dogs that were popular at their time.

11. Thylacine, the Australian Tiger Dog

Thylacine or Thylacinus cynocephalus were apex predators and considered as the largest carnivorous marsupial in the ancient times. They are also commonly called as Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf. Although not an actual canine species but a marsupial, their resemblance with dogs except for the stiff tail and abdominal pouch was very much pronounced. They were mostly nocturnal creatures and used to survive by hunting even in sparsely populated areas. It is recorded that the last specimen died in captivity.

10. Moscow Water Dog

It is been reported that the breed Moscow water Dog was developed by the Russians in order to perform water rescues during the time when World war II got over. However, the dogs from this breed used to behave very aggressively with everyone. They used to bite the sailors and even the one who train them. Instead of protecting and making the work easy to the sailors they cause unnecessary hindrances while the work. With time Moscow Water Dogs and the Newfoundland starts showing too much resembles. Later the dogs from the breed Moscow Water Dogs got totally extinct and replaced with the Newfoundland.

9. Talbot

The breed Talbot is the considerate ancestors of modern Beagles and Coonhound. In medieval times Talbot was referred to individual hounds but later in the 17th century, it came into existence as a specific breed in itself. As per the historical records, the breed got totally extinct by the late 18th century however the legacy lives on in the ‘Talbot Arms’. It is the name carried by some English inns and pups. They were the scent hound and resemble the bloodhound.

8. Alpine Spaniel

The cold mountains of Swiss Apls were considered as the home for the Alpine Spaniel. They have thick coats and furry outline. It is reported by the historians that by min 19th century the breed Alpine Spaniel got extinct. Some rare disease is thought to be the probable reason for their extinction. They were often used by the rescuers for mountain rescues near the Great St. Bernard Pass. Modern day St. Bernards are the decedents of the Alpine Spaniel and bear the name of the place where their primitives used to flourish.

7. Hare Indian Dog

When a domestic dog along with a coyote got crossed the result came out in a coydog which was commonly known as the Hare Indian Dog. The main purposes that Hare Indian dogs solve were sight hunting and trap-lining. This work was made done by Athabaskan tribes in the Great Bear Lake region of northern Canada regions. With interbreeding and crossing with dogs of other different breeds, the Hare Indian dogs got extinct with time.

6. St John’s Water Dog

All the modern water retrievers like the Newfoundland, Golden Retriever and Labrador retriever are somewhat the decedents of Newfoundland’s St. John’s dog. The dogs from this breed being great swimmer caught the attention of British hunters. They used to import the hounds in order to elevate their water retrieving stock. With time the breed got dissolved into what we see today as Labradors. The breed St Jones water dogs emerge from naturally occurring crossbreeding of the resident dogs.

5. Molossus

Molossus are considered as the potential ancestors of today’s Mastiff-style breeds. In the ancient times, the dogs from the breed Molossus were used for various purposes ranging from fighting to hunting. Some also believe them to be owned for the protection of livestock and the house. They are also reported to be the ancestors of some of the great breeds other than Mastiff like Bernard, Bernese mountain dog, Rottweiler, and Great Dane.

4. Cumberland Sheepdog

The breed Cumberland Sheepdog was the most popular breed in its time in the entire northern England. By the end of 20th century, the breed got totally extinct. It is been reported by the historians that this breed got absorbed into the Border Collie. Even the Australian Shepherds are considered as the predecessor of Cumberland sheepdog.

3. North Country Beagle

Breeds of scent hound the North Country Beagle are the habitats of the Yorkshire and Northumberland regions of England. They were the potential competent of the English Foxhound and this is considered as one probable fact for their disappearance. They have very fast hunting abilities and shrill voice and this is the main reason by people owns them as their pet. As per the historians, they got extinct in the 19th century.

2. Braque du Puy

The dogs from the breed Braque du Puy were very fast, clever and an ideal choice for hunting purposes. The story of their creation is very interesting. It is reported that there were two brothers who have two different varieties of dogs. One was Braque Francais dog and another was Sloughi, from North Africa. They crossed these two different varieties repeatedly for a number of times which resulted in the emergence of Braque du Puy.

1. Salish Wool Dog

The dogs from the breed Salish Wool were had special place for the people who own them since they can weave a lot of wool from their furry coat. They used to shear the coats of the dogs in early summer and create blankets and pullovers with them. Other textiles were also largely made from the wool provided by the Salish Wool dogs. It is been said that since the time Europeans start arriving the continent and bring with them the sheep wool and other inexpensive textile products the Salish Wool dogs become less desirable and advantageous to the people. This ultimately led them to extinct over time.

Worth contemplating and considering while studying about dogs this article brings about some of those facts about dogs that have extinct yet worth pondering upon. Residing and evolved from various parts of the world these breeds have always been a constant source of amusement and enjoyment both at the same time.