An Alphabetical List of Dog Breeds and Dog Breed Evolution Chart

An Alphabetical List of Dog Breeds and Dog Breed Evolution Chart

At Jet Pet Resort, we adore dogs, and between our team, we’ve seen physically and virtually every type of breed that exists. Since we are the premier dog boarding destination for dogs of all shapes, colours, sizes, and traits, we have decided to put together this unique dog breed resource page in the greater Vancouver and Richmond area.

Below is an informative chart on the evolution of dog breeds. It is remarkable to see the variation of dog breeds that exist! But, before we do so, let’s review their ancestors.
Where do dogs come from?

According to UCLA scholars, it’s believed that dogs first originated from the middle east and have genomes similar to wolves.

“Dogs seem to share more genetic similarity with Middle Eastern gray wolves than with any other wolf population worldwide”- Robert Wayne, UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

 

Plus, it’s thought that the modern gray wolf that graces the planet today is the closest relative a dog has. While there’s still no concrete evidence to support the ancestral claims, there’s a lot of theories surrounding this. One of which is that hunter-gatherers kept wolf puppies as pets and domesticated them over time.

 

It’s believed that this occurred around the same time as the proliferation in agriculture, around 10

 

,000 years back.

However, according to Smithsonian Magazine, it’s believed that there are several scientific studies that seem to believe that dogs became domestic a lot earlier.

 

Brian Hare at Duke University Canine Cognition Center believes that dogs experienced gradual changes to their physical appearance, such as curly tails, floppy ears and patterned coats.

 

It’s thought that they underwent a phase of self-domestication. The term has been given the name of “survival of the friendliest” instead of “survival of the fittest.” It’s thought that friendliness helps contribute to these changes in their physical appearance.

Unique, right?

Alongside their physical appearance, you might even notice your own dog having similar characteristics to wolves! Your dog might be howling into music or strange sounds all of a sudden. Plus, when you’re out, you might find it digging a lot to find something or chasing after animals like squirrels! It’s all to do with their wolf instinct.

 

While there are many dogs evolving, to our knowledge, there are over 340 dog breeds. You might be asking, what are the 340 dog breeds? Well, we’ve listed down some of them below for your benefit, all the dog breeds that we are familiar with today.

How many are you familiar with? Can you find yours? Can you imagine your pup a descendant of a wolf?

Chart showing the evolution of dog breeds [Infographic credit: Sciencedirect.com]

dog breed comparison chart

 

Affenpinscher Afghan Hound Airedale terrier
Alaskan Malamute American Cocker Spaniel American Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Anatolian Shepherd Dog Australian Cattle Dog Australian Kelpie
Australian Shepherd Dog Australian Silky Terrier Australian Terrier
Basenji Basset Fauve de Bretagne Basset Hound
Beagle Bearded Collie Bedlington Terrier
Belgian Shepherd Dog Groenendael Belgian Shepherd Dog Laekenois Belgian Shepherd Dog Malinois
Belgian Shepherd Dog Tervueren Bernese Mountain Dog Bichon Frise
Bloodhound Border Collie Border Terrier
Borzoi Boston Terrier Bouvier des Flandres
Boxer Bracco Italiano Briard
Brittany Bulldog Bullmastiff
Bull Terrier Bull Terrier Miniature Cairn Terrier
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cesky Terrier Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) Chinese Crested Chow Chow (Smooth)
Clumber Spaniel Collie (Rough) Collie (Smooth)
Curly-Coated Retriever Dachshund (Miniature Long Haired) Dachshund (Miniature Smooth)
Dachshund (Miniature Wire Haired) Dachshund (Smooth Haired) Dachshund (Wire Haired)
Dalmatian Dandie Dinmont Terrier Deerhound
Dobermann Dogue de Bordeaux English Cocker Spaniel
English Setter English Springer Spaniel English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan)
Field Spaniel Finnish Lapphund Finnish Spitz
Flat-Coated Retriever Foxhound Fox Terrier Smooth Coat
Fox Terrier Wire Coat French Bulldog German Shepherd Dog
German Short-Haired Pointer German Spitz Klein German Wire-Haired Pointer
Golden Retriever Gordon Setter Great Dane
Greyhound Harrier Hound Hungarian Puli
Hungarian Vizsla Hungarian Wire-Haired Vizsla Ibizan Hound
Irish Setter Irish Terrier Irish Water Spaniel
Irish Wolfhound Italian Greyhound Japanese Akita
Japanese Chin Japanese Spitz Keeshond
Kerry Blue Terrier King Charles Spaniel Labrador Retriever
Lakeland Terrier Leonberger Lhasa Apso
Lowchen Maltese Manchester Terrier
Maremma Sheepdog Mastiff Newfoundland
Norfolk Terrier Norwich Terrier Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Old English Sheepdog Papillon Parson Jack Russell Terrier
Pharaoh Hound Pinscher-Miniature Pointer
Pomeranian Poodle Miniature Poodle Standard
Poodle Toy Portuguese Water Dog Pug
Pyrenean Mountain Dog Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottweiler
Saluki Samoyed Schipperke
Schnauzer Giant Schnauzer Miniature Schnauzer Standard
Scottish Terrier Shar Pei Shetland Sheepdog
Shih Tzu Siberian Husky Skye Terrier
Sloughi Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Staffordshire Bull Terrier
St Bernard Sussex Spaniel Swedish Vallhund
Tenterfield Terrier Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan Spaniel
Tibetan Terrier Weimaraner Welsh Corgi (Cardigan)
Welsh Corgi (Pembroke) Welsh Springer Spaniel Welsh Terrier
West Highland White Terrier Whippet Yorkshire Terrier

Which breeds are best for kids?

If you have a house with children and want to bring a new addition into your home but not sure on which canine to adopt or buy? Well, don’t worry, out of the many that exist today, we have you covered. The following breeds are best for kids:

 

  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: This is a toy breed that is cute and lively to be around. Similarly, it’s very friendly, and it’s rare that it will not get along with anyone. They don’t have an aggressive nature and have a lot of affection to give.

 

  • Labrador Retriever: A large crossbreed that can easily bond to adults, kids and other pets in your home. They have high energy and friendly nature.

 

  • Pug: Pugs are a toy breed that loves to sleep and eat. When they’re young, they love to play, and most importantly, they love snuggling up to anyone at any age. This means they’re great to have if you have children in your home.

 

  • Bichon Frise: The Bichon Frise is a cute white fluffy dog that is deemed as a fantastic allrounder. It’s gentle and very playful and, generally most of the time, great with kids.

 

  • Golden Retriever: Golden Retrievers are large and gorgeous golden dogs. Alongside their stunning characteristics, they’re renowned for being fantastic companions for kids, even toddlers and babies. However, due to their size, we recommend you supervising their playtime with children.

 

  • Collie: Collie’s are one of the smartest dog breeds and one of the most playful ones too. They’re not aggressive and have lots of love to give to all of the family.

 

These are just a few dog breeds that are best for kids; there’s a lot more out there. We recommend doing your research and speaking to a breeder first before getting a dog and bringing one home. 

 

What is the smartest dog?

Dogs are highly intelligent animals and can constantly surprise us with their remarkable thought process and behaviours. Many dog breeds are renowned for different traits, however at the moment, the smartest dog in the world today is the Border Collie. The Border Collie originates from the U.K and primarily was a herding and working dog. They’re athletic, full of energy and are highly obedient.

 

Final thoughts

Dogs are incredibly diverse; they can have different traits, sizes, shapes, appearances and behaviours. They’re beautiful animals that can bring a lot of joy into all of our lives, and there is often a dog for everyone. Similarly, there are different types of dogs that can adapt to different living environments; they’re amazing! Plus they’re also can be your friend for life. What’s your favourite dog? Let us know in the comments down below.

 

People also ask

 

Which is the most dangerous dog?

The most dangerous dog can be a subjective topic because it depends completely on how you raise them and socialize them. Generally, the Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Doberman Pinscher, Bullmastiff, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Wolf Hybrid, Boxer and Great Dane are classed as the most dangerous.  

 

How many different types of dog breeds are there?

Just in the USA alone, there are 190 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. In addition to this, the Federation Cynologique, which is commonly known as the World Canine Organization, lists 360 dog breeds in the world. However, this does not account for the designer breeds that exist. 

 

What dog can kill a lion?

Most dogs hunt part as a pact and don’t really kill lions. However, there are some dog breed which is bred to hunt and protect lions which are the following:

  • Rottweiler
  •  Neopolitan Mastiff
  • Boerboel Dogs
  • Rhodesian Ridgeback
  • Bloodhounds
  • Fila Brasileiro
  • Dogo Argentino
  • Kangals
  • Tibetan Mastiff

 

What is the #1 dog breed 2020?

As per the American Kennel Club, it is believed that the most popular dog of 2020 was the Labrador Retriever. This dog is a crossbreed between the Labrador and Retriever and is incredibly friendly to have as a pet.