They may no longer exist but we are sure their owners back in the day loved and respected them! Here are 12 breeds of dogs that are now sadly gone:

1) Alpine Mastiff: An ancestor to modern-day Mastiffs, the Alpine Mastiff was once considered the largest dog in England. Breeding with Newfoundlands and Great Danes created the St. Bernard.

2) Braque du Puy: This French working dog was bred for hunting in the lowlands and known for being fast and flexible. Also known as the Dupuy Pointer.

3) Hawaiian Poi Dog: The original Hawaiian Poi Dog got its name from poi, a Hawaiian staple food made from taro root. Poi was used to fatten the dogs for use as food because meat was too valuable to be used as dog food.

4) Paisley Terrier: Describing the Paisley Terrier in 1894, Rawdon Lee wrote that “though he can kill rats, and maybe other vermin, the Paisley Terrier is essentially a pet dog, and is usually kept as such.” The breed was primarily a pet, and it was also a popular showdog. The Paisley Terrier was the progenitor of today’s Yorkshire Terrier.

5) Southern Hound: The Southern Hound was a tall, heavy dog with a square head and long ears. It had a deep chest, a long bony body and a deep melodious voice. Southern Hounds were eventually bred with Bloodhounds to create the modern breed.

6) Toy Bulldog: The Toy Bulldog is an extinct dog breed that existed in England at 18th and early 19th centuries. They were created when breeders attempted to develop a new breed of miniature bulldogs, but they were never very healthy or fertile and the Toy Bulldog was never fully developed into a recognized breed.

7) Tweed Water Spaniel: Extinct since the 19th century, the Tweed Water Spaniel is most known for being the predecessor of the modern Golden Retriever.

8) English White Terrier: The English White Terrier (also known as the White English terrier or Old English terrier) is an extinct breed of dog. The English White terrier is the failed show ring name of a pricked-ear version of the white fox-working terriers that have existed in the U.K. since the late 18th Century.

9) Tesem Dog: Tesem Dog was the Ancient Egyptian name for “hunting dog”. In popular literature it denotes the prick-eared, leggy dog with a curled tail from the early Egyptian age, but it was also used with reference to the lop-eared “saluki/sloughi” type; it was one of several types of dogs in Ancient Egypt, particularly the latter type had an appearance most similar to that of a greyhound.

One of the earliest known recordings of these dogs is the “Khufu dog” from the tomb of King Khufu, who reigned between 2609–2584 BC. This dog was named Akbaru, and was depicted wearing a collar. They continued to appear during the Middle Kingdom period (2055 BC and 1650 BC), but by the time of the New Kingdom (1550 BC – 1069 BC), they were replaced by dogs with hanging ears and a straight tail. These dogs were of the saluki/sloughi type.

The Pharaoh Hound of Malta and the Cirneco dell’Etna of Sicily were both popularly and controversially thought to be possible descendants of the Tesem.

 

These were all beautiful dogs. Some were majestic while others were precious. And they were worth their breed(s) one way or the other.

To see more go over to the Dogington Post. You will find breeds you not only never knew existed but you will wonder why they were allowed to go extinct in the first place!