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The Atlas of
Dog Breeds

Ancient Breeds from:  China | Japan | Siberia | Alaska | Middle East | Africa

New discoveries in 2004 identified "genetic fingerprints" for 85 purebred dog breeds; 14 breeds are of an ancient type, with genetic fingerprints similar to the wolf, the ancestor of dogs. Most have Asian homelands. They are Afghan Hound, Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Basenji, Chow Chow, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Saluki, Samoyed, Shar-Pei, Shiba Inu, Shih Tzu, Siberian Husky and Tibetan Terrier.  Meet all the breeds.

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Ancient Breeds: China & Tibet   [ Top ]

Canine genetic research published in the journal Science in May 2004 showed that 14 of 85 breeds examined have a "genetic fingerprint" with considerable similarity to the wolf and form a cluster considered most like the early domestic dogs.  However, according to two analyses, seven of these 14 have the oldest genetic patterns.  These are the Chow Chow and Shar Pei [China], Akita and Shiba Inu [Japan],  Basenji [Africa], the Siberian Husky [Northeast Siberia] and the Alaskan Malamute [Northwest Alaska].

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The Proper Care
of Chow Chows

Chow Chow

Chow-Chow - A Profile from WorkingDogWeb

Chow Chow Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club, and more about the Chow Chow, The Kennel Club, UK

Illustrated Chow Chow Standard:  a slide show

Coat Colors:   cream, cinnamon, red, blue, and black

Chow Chow Origins as a guarding, hunting dog

Chow Chow History & FAQ

Chow Chows, both rough- and smooth-coated

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Book of the
Chow Chow

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The Lhasa Apso:
An Owner's Guide

Lhasa Apso   [ Top ]

Lhasa Apso Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club

Lhasa Apso, The Kennel Club, UK

Coat Colors in the Lhasa Apso

Lhasa Apso Information Source

Origin of the Lhasa Apso

Searching for the True Tibetan Apso

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Lhasa
Apsos

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Pekingese:   A
Comprehensive Guide

Pekingese   [ Top ]

Pekingese Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club

Pekingese, The Kennel Club, UK

Coat Colors in the Pekingese: many colors from white and cream to sable and red to black, more

Pekingese History & Legends

Pekingese FAQ

History & Links among Pekingese, Pug and Shih Tzu

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The Complete Pekingese

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Chinese
Shar-Pei

Shar-pei   [ Top ]

Chinese Shar Pei Standard, American Kennel Club

Shar Pei, The Kennel Club, UK

Shar Pei Illustated Standard

Coat Colors in the Shar Pei with 20 recognized hues in shades of creams and reds, and more on coat color

Shar Pei History with a note that the breed has a blue black tongue like the Chow Chow

Shar Pei Profile, Dog Breed Info, and Search Engine

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Chinese Shar-Pei: A
Comprehensive Guide

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Living with
a Shih Tzu

Shih-Tzu   [ Top ]

Shih Tzu Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club

Shih Tzu, The Kennel Club, UK

Colors of the Shih Tzu in shades of red, gold, blonde, champagne and brindle, all colors permitted

Shih Tzu Profile, Dog Breed Info

Shih Tzu in Action:  a slide show

Shih Tzu Realm with 600+ links, clip art, more

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The Official Book
of the Shih Tzu

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Tibetan Terrier:
A Complete and
Reliable Handbook

Tibetan Terrier   [ Top ]

Tibetan Terrier Standard, American Kennel Club

Tibetan Terrier, The Kennel Club, UK

Tibetan Terrier Profile, Dog Breed Info, noting that all colors and patterns are allowed

Tibetan Terrier FAQ including why it's called a terrier

Tiberan Terrier Characteristics

Tibetan Terrier Care including coat care. All colors are allowed from pure white to jet black, with golden, silver, brindle, fawn, parti-color, and tri-color coats known.

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Tibetan Terrier
(Pet Love)

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Akitas: Complete
Pet Owner's Manual

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The Complete
Shiba Inu

Ancient Breeds:  Japan    [ Top ]

Akita

Akita - A Breed Profile:  from WorkingDogWeb

Akita Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club and a
look at the Akita, the Kennel Club, UK

Coat Colors in the Akita: all colors allowed including the unique brindle [many photos], and a color list

Akita Inu ancestors trace to prehistoric Japan, and more on native Akita Dogs and Akita origins in shellmound period, and its development on northern Honshu Island

Akita history and photos from the 1940s and 1950s

Akita types in the U.S. and Japanese today

Shiba Inu   [ Top ]

Shiba Inu Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club

Shiba Inu, The Kennel Club, UK

Coat Colors are red, sesame, black and tan, and white or cream, although not all registries accept all colors

Shiba Inu profile and a quick look at this small native Japanese hunting dog, and Shiba links

Shiba Inu & Shikoku, Japanese native spitz dogs
.

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Japanese Dogs:
Akita, Shiba, and
Other Breeds

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The New
Complete Akita

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Book of the Akita

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The Samoyed
Today

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The Essential
Siberian Husky

Ancient Dog Breeds:  Siberia     [ Top ]

Samoyed

Samoyed Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club

Samoyed, The Kennel Club, UK

Coat Colors in the Samoyed:  white, cream and biscuit are allowed in the purebred dog, but Nenets' native dogs can be white with black patches or all black

Samoyed Resources including the working Samoyed

Samoyede People & their Dogs

Siberian Husky   [ Top ]

Siberian Husky, American Kennel Club

Siberian Husky, The Kennel Club, UK

Colors of the Siberian Husky:  all colors allowed, many special markings shown in more than 250 pictures

Siberian Husky World, a major WorkingDogWeb guide with resources on racing, show and companion Siberians

Siberian Husky Characteristics

Siberian Husky Profile, Dog Breed Info

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The Savvy
Samoyed

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The Siberian
Husky

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Afghan Hounds: Everything About Purchase, Care,
and Training

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Salukis

Ancient Breeds:  Middle East  [ Top ]

Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound Standard, American Kennel Club

Afghan Hound Standard, The Kennel Club, UK

Afghan Hound Coat Colors: any color allowed, and a diversity of colors exists

History of the Afghan Hound, dog of Afghanistan

Afghan Hound Profile, Dog Breed Info

Saluki   [ Top ]

Saluki Standard, American Kennel Club, with coat colors white, cream, fawn, golden, red, grizzle and tan, tri-color (white, black and tan), and black and tan.

Saluki, The Kennel Club, UK

History of the Saluki

Saluki Profile, Dog Breed Info

Saluki Hangs on in Arabia, National Geographic

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Afghan
Hounds

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The Complete
Saluki

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The Basenji: Out of
Africa to You:
A New Look

Ancient Breeds:  Africa      [ Top ]

Basenji

Basenji Facts & Standard, American Kennel Club

Basenji, The Kennel Club, UK

What is a Basenji? & What Colors? four official colors are red and white; black and white; tri-color that includes black, tan and white; and brindle and white.

Basenji Profile, Dog Breed Info

Basenji FAQ

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The Complete
Basenji

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Alaskan
Malamutes

Ancient Breeds:  Alaska     [ Top ]

Alaskan Malamute

Alaskan Malamute Standard, American Kennel Club, with coat colors from light gray to black, sable, and red, with the only allowed solid color being all white

Alaskan Malamute, The Kennel Club, UK

Alaskan Malamute Origins  as a freighting dog and more on its history as a powerful working dog in the Arctic plus many Malamute links

Alaskan Malamute Profile, Dog Breed Info

Alaskan Malamute & Siberian Husky Comparison

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This is the
Alaskan Malamute

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Northern
Breeds

The new canine genetic research that led to the designation of these 14 breeds as members of an "ancient cluster" of breeds touched on many breeds in the "spitz family" or the "northern breeds" of dogs.

Surprisingly, some breeds such as the Norwegian Elkhound did not fall into this ancient cluster, leading to the idea that it is a more recent breed created to look like the ancient northern dogs.  Other breeds of this spitz family, such as the Canaan Dog of Israel, simply were not included in the study.  So there many be more discoveries in the years ahead.

See WDW Guide to Northern Dog Breeds

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Canaan Dog
(Kennel Club Dog
Breed Series)

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Book of
the Akita

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The New
Complete Akita
.

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Alaskan
Malamutes
.

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This is the
Alaskan Malamute
.

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Chow Chows

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Bear Dogs: Canines
With a Mission
.

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Keeshonds
.

 

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Keeshonden
.

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Hunting Laika
Breeds of Russia

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Keeshonden:
Complete Owner's Guide
.

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Finnish Spitz:  A
Comprehensive
Owner's Guide

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New Owners Guide
to Siberian Huskies

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Guide to Owning
a Siberian Husky

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The Norwegian
Elkhound

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Norwegian
Elkhounds

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The Complete
American Eskimo
.