With hundreds of purebreds, numerous hybrid dogs and countless mixed breeds in this world, it is not so easy to find the right dog for. You want it to fit you and your lifestyle, both in physical appearance and character traits.
We created the dog finder website hundello to save you time doing your research. On hundello you will find a structured list of all dogs plus a unique search filter that will help you with your search. The numerous pictures and the short profiles will quickly help you get an idea of what dog breed is right for you or whether there might even be another dog that would be a better match.
Um zu verstehen, warum es heute so viele verschiedene Hunderassen und Varietäten auf der Welt gibt, muss man beim Stammbaum des Haushundes weiter zurückgehen und einen genaueren Blick auf die Biosystematik der Gruppe der höheren Säugetiere werfen. Man muss zudem über die Domestizierung des Hundes, die allerersten Hunderassen sowie die spätere gezielte Zucht von Hunden nach ihren Funktionen (z.B. für die Jagd, zum Herdenschutz, etc.) sprechen. So versteht man am Ende, warum selbst heute noch in einigen unscheinbaren Hunderassen ein ausgeprägter Jagdtrieb verankert ist, andere Rassen, Hybride oder Mischlinge ein starkes Territorialverhalten zeigen und vor allem, es heute eine so große Anzahl an Hunderassen gibt.
The wolf (Canis lupus) is generally considered to be the direct ancestor of the modern domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Though the latest scientific studies suggest that this is, in fact, correct, there was no clear biological evidence to support the theory for a long time. Until a few years ago, some scientists still believed the golden jackal and other members of the genus Canis to be possible ancestral candidates for the prehistoric dog. However, this hypothesis has since been refuted in light of recent genetic analyses. Thus, the wolf – or, to be more specific, the European gray wolf (Canis lupus lupus) – is recognized in the scientific community to be the direct ancestor of today’s domestic dogs.
The wolf is currently the largest predator in the canine family (Canidae) and includes eleven still living and at least three extinct subspecies. There is no scientific consensus on the origin of the modern wolf. The widespread believe is, however, that it descended from the Canis mosbachensis, known as the Mosbach wolf, a wolf-like species who went extinct about 0.787 million years ago. It is further believed that the modern wolf appeared as far as 380,000 to 450,000 years ago.
Much of the research on the exact timing and location of dog domestication has not yet been scientifically established. In recent years, scientists have been able to gain many new insights into when, where and how the dog originated through increasingly precise methods of analysis and through numerous new archaeological findings. Yet the age-old question of where and how the wolf became the dog remains an unsolved mystery.
A study of fossils concluded that dogs were undoubtedly domesticated about 19,000 years ago. There are also some older fossil discoveries. But because we are now talking the earliest stages of domestication and the ensuing many anatomical similarities between the wolf and the prehistoric dog, these findings remained a ripe area of speculation.
A double burial was discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany, it revealed evidence for dogs already living alongside humans some 14,000 years ago, as the dog was buried with its owners. In other parts of the world, too, such as in northern Israel, archaeologists have found graves where humans and dogs were buried together.
One controversial hypothesis from the 1990s is based on the assumption that domestication started well over 100,000 years ago. Researchers compared the mitochondrial DNA analysis of wolves and dogs and theorized that the dogs first separated from wolves 135,000 years ago. Yet new studies have a bone to pick with this timeline because of what is called the “molecular clock,” a technique that uses the mutation rate of biomolecules to indicate the dog split.
Wieder andere Untersuchungen an einem 35.000 Jahre alten Wolfsfossil legen nahe, dass die @lang('Domestizierung vom Wolf zum Hund') mindestens schon 27.000 bis 40.000 Jahre zurückliegt. Je nach Untersuchungsmethode und wissenschaftlichen Fachjournal schwanken die Datierungen teils enorm. Bis in der Fachwelt zu diesem Thema Einigkeit herrscht, werden wohl noch einige Jahre vergehen.The discovery of a 35,000-year-old wolf fossil then suggested that dogs may have been domesticated at least 27,000 to 40,000 years ago. Depending on the research method and scientific publications, the likely dates for domestication vary greatly. Until there is some general scientific consensus on the matter, some years will probably still have to pass.
Scientists are, however, able to agree on the findings of a British genetic study. It suggests that the wolf was domesticated not only once, but at least twice in different parts of the world. While the domestication of the dog did take place in Europe, researchers found genetic proof for a further and independent domestication event in East Asia.
The prehistoric dog is a hypothetical ancestral form to say the least – a description of the first dog that genetically and visibly diverged from its ancestor, the wolf. Researchers assume that the first prehistoric dog arose long after domestication, since there probably wasn’t much phenotypic difference between the first domesticated dogs and the wolf in the beginning.
An older and now refuted prehistoric dog theory describes it as a hypothetical progenitor existing alongside the wolf. In 1901, Swiss cynologist Theophil Rudolf Studer postulated the dingo-type wild canid (Canis ferus), assuming that the prehistoric dog from which it evolved (Canis poutiantini) was the ancestor of all dogs. In addition to the term prehistoric dog, is the term ancient breed. These are hypothetical ancestral forms of dogs from which all of today’s purebreds are direct descends. According to Studer, these prehistoric dogs would later have developed into the following three ancient breeds:
Studer believed that another ancient breed was created after crossing the prehistoric dog with the wolf:
Today, however, researchers generally assume that the early variety of forms of domestic dogs is a characteristic feature of domestication that cannot be traced back to specific breeding lines and is not based on the prehistoric dog described by Studer or its descendent ancient breeds.
While the jackal was still being discussed as a possible ancestor of all dogs in the 18th century, Studer considered the jackal to be only an ancestor of a hypothetical ancestral form:
The grouping of similar types of dogs and defining them by the ancestral breeds is now considered wrong. Similarly, the theory that the domestic dog descended from the jackal has been disproved. Modern DNA analyzes have also refuted both hypotheses, which had concluded that all domestic dogs are descended from wolves.
After humans had successfully tamed the wolf sometime between the Upper and Late Paleolithic and the first domesticated ancestors of today's domestic dogs lived firmly alongside them, the purposeful breeding must also have begun.
Archaeological findings of prehistoric peat dogs reveal evidence for early breeding, as some of the skulls found showed traces of a violent death. Researchers today assume that not the entire litter would have been raised at the time, but only selected dogs that met certain characteristics. During the older Iron Age, the dog population began to change, with remains showing increasing differences in the size and width of the lower jaw. It has also been scientifically proven that during this period the first genetic mutations were causing dental anomalies.
In the Middle Ages, as is evident from empirical sources, the first twelve breeds of dogs are said to have existed. Even as early as the fifth to ninth centuries, Germanic law codes listed various breeds of dogs, classified based on their particular set of uses. The first dog breeds, therefore, included at least the following:
In 13th century Europe, breeders started focusing on breeding dogs specifically for hunting. The aim was to prevent successful hunting dogs from breeding with simple farm dogs. The appearance of the dogs was less important. Dogs which were good hunters were considered to be purebreds. Researchers assume that inbreeding was prevalent at this time to get the best breeding standards to make the best hunting dogs.
With the beginning of the Victorian era came the rise of pet keeping, and dogs were no longer merely used for a particular purpose. Although there was hardly any need for dogs anymore, most of the dog breeds we know today were bred in the 19th century and breed and breeding standards were also defined to engineer a dog breed. It was not uncommon that a new dog breed started with only a few animals, a population with an intrinsic issue referred to as a “genetic bottleneck” that effects genetic diversity because of the issue of inbreeding. The Appenzeller Mountain Dog falls into this category, which can trace its ancestry to just 11 dogs. The English Setter, too, originated from only two dogs.
It was around this time that the first dog shows were held. In such an organized competition by a breed association, a jury judged a pedigree dog based upon how closely the dog conformed to its breed standard. Over time, these competitions produced more and more new breeds of dogs recognized by associations. With the advent of urbanization, the popularity of lapdogs and indoor dogs grew immensely.
Today, there are a total of four major kennel clubs which have their own regulations to promote the breeding of purebreds for type and function and to advance canine studies and canine well-being. They are:
The tasks of these main kennel clubs include: creating guides to breeding for the affiliated clubs; registrations in stud books; offering breed-specific judges education for international dog shows; and certifying pedigrees.
The German cynologist and famous animal painter Ludwig Beckmann defined the term purebred or pedigree (German: Hunderasse) in 1893 as follows:
The only definite character of a breed consists in the fact that it produces its own kind. Even crossbreeds must be referred to as ‘breeds’ and ‘purebreds’ as soon as their offspring display the desired breed characteristics or traits.
While all major kennel clubs recognize a great number of dog breeds in the world, there are also many unknown dog breeds that are not recognized by all or only on a provisional basis. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly how many dog breeds there are in the world. Genetically speaking, an estimated 800 dog breeds probably exist worldwide. However, the FCI, which is headquartered in Thuin, Belgium, only officially recognizes less than half of that number, while the AKC only acknowledges about 195.
Today, overbreeding has caused significant problems for many dog breeds. Overbreeding means an undesirable change caused by breeding, which is not further defined. Although inbreeding can be prevented by stud books and pedigrees, many dog breeds today suffer from various health issues – an act heavily discussed among vets and considered cruel by animal welfare organizations. Larger dog breeds are most susceptible to arthritis and have a higher prevalence of hip dysplasia, a hereditary genetic disease, while small dog breeds often suffer from eye problems and intervertebral disk disease. In addition, there are numerous breed-specific conditions that have become increasingly common in recent decades.
In addition to purebred dogs, there are also dogs known as hybrid or designer dogs. A hybrid dog is defined as a dog whose parents belong to two different recognized breeds and is the result of intentional cross-breeding with the intention of optimizing the best qualities and characteristics of the two dog breeds. The offspring of such a purposeful cross is a “designer dog” (as they have been labeled). Hybrid dogs are usually not further bred; rather, dogs of the original breeds mate with each other again and again.
The parents of mixed breeds, also called “mongrels” or “mutts”, have parents that do not belong to the same breed or to no officially recognized breed. Although hybrid dogs are strictly speaking also mixed breeds, these dogs have no pedigree and are the result of accidental or uncontrolled matings.
A common misconception is that hybrids/designer dogs and mixed breeds are healthier than purebreds. That is not entirely true. Purposefully cross breeding dog breeds can eliminate genetic defects. Take the pug with its short muzzle and resulting breathing problems as an example. The main benefit of cross-breeding is the reduction of the dog's anatomical deformities, which would actually improve the dog’s overall health. It is different when it comes to hereditary diseases. There are several scientific studies on this topic as well as numerous arguments from veterinarians lacking any evidence to show that hybrid dogs or mixed breeds are healthier than purebred dogs. While there is a strong argument for a wider gene pool leading to fewer inherited disorders, the health history of mixed-breed parents is often unknown. Yet when purebreds are properly bred, this information is available.
It becomes an issue when a certain purebred or designer dog becomes popular, drastically increasing demand for them and causing precautions to fall by the wayside. The danger is that countless puppy mills suddenly pop up on the market in addition to reputable establishments and responsible breeders, choosing profit over the welfare of the parents and puppies. Various animal welfare advocates have been cautioning against buying from these breeders as they are only in it for the money.
Your new addition to the family does not necessarily have to be an eight-week-old puppy from the classifieds section. Thanks to the hard work of numerous animal welfare organizations and rescue organizations in times of overcrowded animal shelters, you are able to find the dog of your dreams through different avenues.