What caused certain dog breeds to disappear completely? Some of them went through crossbreeding and finally turned into new breeds that better meet modern needs and requirements. Others were exterminated by predators (including humans) or simply by ignoring their needs on the part of those who were engaged in their breeding and maintenance of their existence. Regardless of how it happened, the extinction of entire dog breeds is happening all the time. Here are 11 dogs that no longer exist on our land.
Who’s the nicest dog here?
Kuri
The Kuri breed was introduced to New Zealand around the 14th century, most likely from Eastern Polynesia. It is often said that these dogs were the favorite companions of Maori women, but not everyone loved them. “They were cunning and often bit us,” writes Julien Marie Crozet, a Frenchman who traveled to New Zealand in 1771 on another expedition.
Kuri is often described as an ugly and stubborn dog with a poor sense of smell. As a result, this breed became completely extinct. Rest in peace, Kuri, your short legs and clicking jaws were too good for this world.
Talbot hound
This snow-white hunting dog was so famous in the Middle Ages that its image can be found on many family coats of arms. Some historians believe that William the Conqueror brought this breed to England in 1066. Hunting dogs were quite clumsy, but had an excellent sense of smell and were often used in battle or as assistants to law enforcement. Talbot became extinct around the 16th century but left behind a large number of descendants in the form of beagle dogs.
Molossi
Molossians are a large breed of dog loved by the Romans and Greeks. They were the forerunners of the Mastiff, St. Bernard, Great Dane, etc. It is assumed that they were used for hunting, as herding dogs, and for dog fights (but not at the same time, of course). Molossians also have an “intelligent” history. It turns out that Aristotle loved these dogs, and therefore wrote them in his “History of Animals”:
“Speaking about Molossian dogs, especially regarding their use in pursuits, it is worth noting that they did not differ much from other dogs. However, shepherds of this breed are superior to others in size and in the courage with which they rush to attack a wild animal. ”
Cordoba fighting dog
The breed, combining a ruthless and powerful mastiff, bull terrier, and bulldog, was used for dog fights in Argentina. It turns out that the Cordoba fighting dog was bred too “perfect”: when it came time to mate, males and females were too busy trying to tear each other apart. They had no time to start creating offspring. As a result, the breed became extinct.
Hawaiian Poi dog
Like Kuri, the Poi Hawaiian dog is believed to be of Polynesian origin. The Poi dogs were fed soft vegetarian foods, which caused their “heads to become large and flat because they had poorly developed bones from insufficient chewing.”
This diet also contributed to their rampant obesity. The breed began to disappear in the 18th century after mating with other dogs that were brought to Hawaii.
Paisley terrier
Bred to become a show dog like a Sky Terrier, the Paisley Terrier breed died out when demand from show organizers ran out. But after all, no one said that in show business it is easy to hold out.
Braque du Puy
This purely French hunting dog was first bred in the 19th century and although many similar dogs can be found today, the Braque du Puy no longer exists in its original form.
St. John’s water dog
These friendly-minded goofy dogs roamed Newfoundland and were often exported directly to breeders who used them to create many different retrievers (such as the Golden Retriever and the Labrador).
The original breed of these dogs began to die out slowly in the 20th century until only two dogs remained. Unfortunately, both of them appeared to be male, so this was the end for St. John’s Water-Dog.
Bullenbeisser
This aggressive German Bulldog was ultimately used to create the famous boxer today.
Coton de Reunion
Legend has it that these adorable fluffy dogs survived a shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, fought off sharks, and sailed to the shores of Madagascar. And then, mating with a large number of street dogs, they created the Coton de Tulear breed that has survived to this day (they did a great job, I must say, such a beautiful dog came out!).
But it is more likely that they were brought to the island state by sailors who kept them as their little companions.
Be that as it may, sharks must be careful if they ever encounter one of the dogs pictured above. So, just in case.
Russian hound
These large (weighing about 100 kg) dogs were bred in Russia and used by farmers from the Caucasus Mountains to guard livestock.
In the 1800s, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks watched a circus show with Russian hounds (which took place in Brighton, England) and he liked them so much that he bought the whole pack of dogs. Of these, he eventually created the Golden Retriever, while the common Russian hounds disappeared unnoticed.
