Dog breeds that went extinct and you didn't even know

Did you know that there are dog breeds that have become extinct? 

When we think about the concept of extinction, the first thing we associate is wild animals, right?

After all, almost every day we see in the news that factors such as deforestation, fires and even hunting put several species around the world at risk of extinction.

That's why it's normal for this relationship between wild animals and extinction to occur. But this isn't exclusive to these animals.

And you'll find out more about it here. 

In this content, we will talk about a topic that few people even know about: dog breeds that have become extinct over the years.

Throughout the text, you will learn more about these breeds and understand the factors that led to their extinction.

5 dog breeds that became extinct 

Everyone knows that there is no shortage of dogs in the world, right? 

There are big dogs, small dogs, hairy dogs, almost hairless dogs, city dogs, country dogs, among many other breeds.

But, although there are hundreds of dog breeds in the world, this number was once greater.

This is because, throughout history, there are several dog breeds that have become extinct.

Below, you will learn more about some of them.

Cordoba Fighting Dog – Argentina

Starting the list with a dog originating from a neighboring country, the Cordoba Fighting Dog is a breed that was created with a purpose.

At the time, dog owners in the region wanted to cross breeds of dogs to obtain a different breed that, at the same time, had all the qualities of its ancestors.

And it was by mixing breeds such as boxer, bulldog and mastiff that we arrived at the breed in question.

With great strength and aggressive behavior, it didn't take long for the breed to attract the attention of a not-so-pleasant audience: dog fight organizers.

But, to give you an idea, they were considered too aggressive even for dog fighting.

And it was precisely their aggressiveness that culminated in their extinction.

According to reports, the breed was so aggressive that when it came time to crossbreed, the male and female fought so much that they never even mated.

And that was what caused the extinction of the breed.

But before that, he ended up mixing with other breeds, giving rise to the Dogo Argentino, a breed that is also very strong, but has a calmer temperament than its ancestor.

Kuri – Polynesia

Another dog that is also on the list of dog breeds that have become extinct is the Kuri.

Originating from countries such as Polynesia and New Zealand, this breed was very popular in these regions.

With a very different temperament from the Cordoba Fighting Dog, the Kuri breed of dogs were docile, friendly and, over time, became great companions for the Maori people, who lived in the region until the mid-19th century.

But everything changed after the arrival of the colonizers. It is not known for sure what happened, but after the arrival of the European people, the breed gradually disappeared until it became an extinct breed.

One of the theories to explain the extinction of the breed is that it was caused after the Kuri crossed with European breeds brought by colonizers.

This would have caused the races to end up mixing and causing the race to become extinct.

Brazilian Tracker, one of the dog breeds from Brazil that became extinct but has returned

If you follow our content, you know that we always like to include Brazilian items to represent our country in these lists.

And in the list of dog breeds that became extinct it could not be different.

We are talking about the Brazilian Tracker. And the history of this breed is as follows.

It all started during the 1950s, when a farmer named Oswaldo Filho decided he wanted a breed that was fast and strong.

Oswaldo's objective was to use this breed to help him during hunting.

And it was from several crossings that we arrived at the Brazilian Tracker.

Over time, the dog – which had a black and white coat – became known for its agility. 

Despite being included in the official list of dog breeds in 1967, it did not take long for the breed to be considered extinct.

According to some sources, what caused the extinction of the breed was an intense epidemic of tick disease that ended up affecting the region.

Furthermore, another factor that would have directly contributed to the Brazilian Tracker being included on the list of dog breeds that became extinct was the poisoning caused by excessive contact with pesticides.

After a while, other dogs of the breed even reappeared, this being the only case on the list. To this day, there are dogs that are the result of crossbreeding, but the true Brazilian Tracker no longer exists.

Moscow Water Dog – Russia

Our fourth dog on the list has a somewhat curious origin.

Created at the end of World War II, the researchers' goal was to create a breed that swam well and was capable of saving potential drowning victims. 

And after making several attempts, they arrived at this breed. But there was a small problem.

Despite being excellent swimmers, the breed was also known for its difficult temperament.

And this meant that, in many situations, the dogs ended up attacking the victims instead of saving them.

After this particularity was discovered, the breed was left aside, mixed with other breeds and ended up becoming extinct.

Cuban Dogo – Cuba

Our fifth and final dog on our list has a very similar origin story to the Cordoba Fighting Dog.

The breed was also the result of a mix of dogs – in this case, the Mastiff and the Bulldog.

The result was a very strong dog that was also very brave. With this temperament, the breed began to be used for a very inhumane purpose.

The breed was used to terrorize slaves at the time. In addition to this horrible function, the breed was also used to hunt runaway slaves.

But with the end of slavery, the main function of the breed ceased to exist and, little by little, the breed began to mix with others and became extinct.

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