TOP 5 ANCIENT DOG BREEDS

 

Many thousands of years ago a couple of ancient enemies made a kind of peace and that truce has lasted until this day in fact it's far more than a truce it's the greatest friendship in all of nature and it's all down to men and wolves learning to live and work together of course these friendly wolves are known to us as dogs and they truly are man's best friend but what about the breeds of dogs that have been with us since almost the beginning from the dog that belongs to the mighty himalayas to china's puffy lion dog here's the 5 most ancient dog breeds on earth.

 

Number 5
Tibetan mastiff

 

The tibetan mastiff belongs to one of the most ancient and mysterious cultures on the planet tibet obviously and dna evidence suggests that the mastiff type dog has been a popular companion for the nomadic tibetan people of the himalayas for at least 5 000 years it also shows that prehistoric Tibetans interbred this strong and hearty dog breed with the tibetan wolf to give it extra cold resistance increased hemoglobin for living at high altitude and even more ferocious guarding abilities tibet has long been a monastic culture and monasteries need to be peaceful places so to keep troublemakers and bandits away guard dogs are necessary and the tibetan mastiff has a long history of guarding monasteries they are even capable of killing the tigers which live in the region worldwide they are not a common breed of dog due to being a true working dog and so not really ideal for life as a pet in an urban environment one benefit of these ancient dogs is that many of their health problems have been resolved over time and so long life expectancy is a feature of this breed.

 

Number 4 
Chow Chow

 

Tibetan, china are old enemies and it's a battle that continues to this day as the modern people's republic of china currently occupies the nation of Tibet but the story didn't begin there and the rivalry even extends to their dogs the chinese have the chow chow and this breed is also well adapted to china's chilly northern regions in china these dogs are known as song chiquan which translates as puffy lion dog and one look at its big fluffy head we'll tell you just why but don't just let appearances deceive you chow chows are working dogs and make excellent guardians although they are not a dog for a beginner these dogs have not only been around for a long time they've been important parts of Chinese works of art for a long time too a recently discovered bass relief from the han dynasty dating back to around 200 bc clearly shows a chow chow one other distinctive feature of this breed is its blue black tongue and lips which is pretty unusual maybe this along with the lion-like appearance

 

Number 3 
Samoyed
 

The Samoyed is another ancient dog which comes from the colder parts of the world this time the region of Siberia in modern Russia these dogs were traditionally used for hunting herding reindeer and sled pulling by the Siberian people known as the Samoyed which is also where the name of the breed comes from the Samoyed day probably migrated from central Asia around 1000 bc and brought their dogs with them meaning the Samoyed dogs are a very ancient breed back in the 1800s the first Samoyed arrived in England as gifts to queen alexandra who became a big fan of these dogs and pretty soon everyone wanted their own samoid to be just like the queen they are known to be intelligent, playful and loyal which means that they are great as pads they are also known for having a thick and lush white coat which shows off their arctic origins pretty clearly they also have a naturally smiley face which is known as the semi-smile although that smile might turn upside down quickly if you leave them alone too much as these are very social dogs and are known to get depressed when they are lonely so make sure you've got plenty of time to play with your new buddy.

 

Number 2 
Afghan hound

 

Another mountain dog the Afghan hound can trace its roots back at least 8 000 years and it has lived alongside the warrior people who have inhabited the mountainous region of what is now afghanistan ever since Afghanistan also has desert regions and this dog is highly adaptable and able to keep with hunting large game in all kinds of extreme conditions they are independent dogs and not thought of as the most affectionate but they are extremely loyal and devoted back in the 1800s afghan hounds were imported into england due to the expansion of britain's colonial empire into the reign of Afghanistan they became immediately popular but the british were not the first people to jump on the afghan hound alexander the great was a fan and this led to a trend in ancient greece for these dogs and it is even said that the dogs which were aboard noah's ark were a pair of afghans which is more a story of just how ancient this breed is considered to be afghan hounds are very smart and brave dogs who specialize in chasing down leopards to keep their masters safe and are able to run at the same speed as a thoroughbred racehorse.

 

Number 1 
Chinese Sharpie
 

The Chinese sharpie is one of the most recognizable dogs due to its wrinkly face but if those skin folds make this dog look old then that's partially because it really is an ancient breed the sharpie has been in china for thousands of years and archaeologists have even discovered clay figurines depicting the sharpie which date back to 206 bc the name sharpie translates as sand skin which is down to the color and texture of the coat which is short-haired and rough the main job of the sharpie is to hunt wild boar but they also took care of farmer's flocks from predators as well as protecting the homes of the farmers themselves sometimes these dogs were even used in dog fighting contests but while they are a tough dog they are not the best for dog fighting and were eventually replaced by mastiffs when china fell to the communist overthrow in the 20th century a wave of oppression against dogs began in the country and breeders from British Hong Kong worked hard to try and save as many dog breeds as possible from extermination so many sharpies were shipped to foreign countries during the 1970s including Europe and the USA where they have now become popular and the future of the breed is healthier than ever.

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