Although the precise number of dog breeds in the world is unclear, the World Dog Organization has established a record of all dog breeds that have gained recognition on a global scale. There are 339 different dog breeds on that list as of right now. Wow!
But the dozens of acknowledged dog breeds that are extinct are not included in that list. Here are 25 dogs that are no longer a blessing to the world, either as a result of breeding them into a totally new breed or due to lack of care. On the other hand, the vast majority continue to exist as the ancestors of many prominent modern breeds.
- English White Terrier
English white terrier dog breed is an extinct dog breed, often known as the White English terrier or Old English terrier. A pricked-ear variation of the white fox-working terriers that have been present in the United Kingdom since the late 1800s is known as the English White terrier dog breed, a show ring title that has failed to catch on.
The term “English white terrier” was created and adopted in the early 1860s by a small group of breeders eager to create a new breed from a prick-eared variation of the small white working terriers that later evolved into the Fox terrier, Jack Russell terrier, Sealyham terrier, and later in America – the Boston Terrier and Rat terrier. The dog’s genetic defects made it unpopular with the general public, and the Kennel Club hierarchy felt that the “English white terrier” designation had no real significance. In less than 30 years after making a presence on the Kennel Club scene, the English white terrier was extinct. But when it was bred with the Old English Bulldog, the Boston terrier and Bull terrier were born.
- North Country Beagle
Up to the early nineteenth century, the North Country Beagle dog breed, Northern Hound, or Northern Beagle was a dog breed found in Britain. Although the exact date of its disappearance is uncertain, it’s conceivable that it ultimately crossed with other breeds, especially the modern Beagle, until the true North Country Beagle bloodline disappeared. The North Country Beagle was kept by the “dashing class of sportsman” because it could “run down a brace [of hare] before dinner,” according to William Nicholson in The British Encyclopedia of 1809. However, despite being a good scent hound, it was probably lacking in this ability when compared to the delicate nose of the Southern Hound.
- Bullenbeisser
German Bulldog dog breed renowned for their power and agility. The breed shared ancestry with the Bärenbeisser and Boxer (some believe the two breeds were the same; the names mean “bull-biter” and “bear-biter,” respectively). It was quite similar to the Dogo Argentino and pretty similar to the contemporary Alano Espaol, both in look and in use.
More than breed decline, crossbreeding was what led to the demise of the Bullenbeisser. German breeders Roberth, Konig, and Hopner used the dog in the latter part of the 1870s to create the Boxer, which is still in use today.