18 American Dog Breeds

The oldest evidence of domesticated dogs in the U.S. was discovered in Illinois; the remains are 10,000 years old, which means dogs have been here for a while. Unlike canines in Japan and Germany, modern American dogs as we know them aren’t direct descendants of domesticated North American wolves. One study looked at canine genomes and discovered today’s American dog breeds are more closely related to other domesticated dogs from Siberia. The researchers believe when humans crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia into North America roughly 15,000 years ago, the dogs they brought with them developed into breeds native to North America.

Unfortunately, researchers also conclude most of these North American breeds went extinct. For instance, the Salish Wool Dog, a white spitz-style dog who lived with the Coast Salish peoples in the Pacific Northwest, died out in the 1800s. The study’s scientists surmise this could be because European and English settlers colonizing the Americas not only pushed Indigenous populations out of their own territories, but they also brought new diseases with them.

The closest thing we have to an ancient American dog breed is the Alaskan Malamute. Every other breed on our list was bred during the 1700s or later, with specific goals in mind.