From What Region of the World Did These Dog Breeds Originate?

ANIMALS

By: Khadija Leon

6 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Much like people, dogs come from all over the world and while some of them may be obvious because of their names, most are not. According to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organization), there are 332 fully official and 11 provisional breeds recognized worldwide. There are some cases where certain dog breeds origins' can be traced back to more than one country.

For many years, some of them have been selectively bred to not only keep the line pure but also for specific purposes, including hunting, herding, guarding, and more increasingly, companionship. 

The more popular breeds, like the Labrador retriever, Beagle, French bulldog, Yorkshire terrier, Poodle, Boxer, German Shepherd and the Chihuahua are easier to match to their countries, but breeds like the Dalmatian, Xoloitzcuintli, Komondor and the Pharaoh hound have rarely been heard of, making it more difficult identify their country of origin. 

If you were given a picture of a certain breed, would you be able to tell which of the countries in the world they come from? Well, in this quiz, that is exactly what you are going to do. Will you get all of them right? bNot many people can. There is only one way to find out, and that is by taking this quiz!

Where is the Afghan hound from?

The Afghan hound is a breed of dog that originates from Afghanistan. They were once given away as gifts by the Afghan royal family and are known for their long thick and silky coats.

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Where is the Dalmatian from?

The Dalmatian is a breed of dogs with a unique black and white spotted coat. The dog is said to originate from Dalmatia, Croatia, and was made famous when it appeared in the Disney film, "101 Dalmatians."

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Where is the Basset hound from?

The Basset hound is a short-legged breed of dog which originates from France and smaller isolated regions of Great Britain. It is a type of scent hound bred specifically to hunt small animals.

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Where is the Rottweiler from?

The Rottweiler, “meaning butcher’s dog,” is a breed of domesticated dog which originates from Germany and was​ bred for herding livestock and pulling carts of meat to the market. Today they are used as guard and police dogs as well as search and rescue dogs.

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Where is the Barbet from?

The Barbet, sometimes called the French water dog, is a breed of dog which originates from France. They tend to come in black, brown or mixed with white and are vulnerable to certain genetic diseases due to how rare the breed is.

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Where is the Xoloitzcuintli from?

The Xoloitzcuintli, sometimes called the Mexican hairless dog, is a hairless breed of dog which can be found in several different sizes. These dogs were considered sacred to Mayans and Aztecs as it was said to be made by an Aztec god.

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Where is the Akita from?

An Akita is a breed of dogs which originate in the northern mountain regions of Japan. There are two types of Akita, the American and Japanese, the first of which was brought over from Japan (reportedly by Helen Keller).

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Where is the Papillon from?

The Papillon (translated to butterfly) is a breed of dog which originated from Belgium and France. It is one of the oldest toy spaniels that has a characteristic butterfly look as it has long fringed hair on its ears.

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Where is the Chihuahua from?

The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog and is named after the city where it originated, Chihuahua, Mexico. They come in different varieties (apple head and deer head) and coats (shorthaired and longhaired).

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Where is the Great Dane from?

The Great Dane is a large breed of dog and one of the tallest breeds, measuring over 3.5 feet tall. The dog, which originates from Germany, has a very slow metabolism and it at risk for several health issues due to its size.

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Where is the Border terrier from?

The Border terrier is a small breed of dog that belongs to the terrier group. The 15-pound dogs originate from Scotland and England and were bred specifically to hunt foxes and other vermin.

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Where is the Jack Russell terrier from?

The Jack Russell terrier is a small breed of dogs that originate from England. Originally meant for fox hunting, these energetic dogs are seen in both a rough and smooth coat and are some of the most popular breeds seen in film and television.

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Where is the Komondor from?

The Komondor, also called the Hungarian sheepdog, is a large breed of dog which originated from Hungary. It was bred as a livestock guardian dog and is known for its long-corded coat, giving it the name, ‘mop dog.'

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Where is the Chinese crested from?

The Chinese crested dog is a breed of dog which originated from China. They come in two varieties, with fur (powderpuff) and without for (hairless), both of which can be born from the same litter.

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Where is the Shih Tzu from?

The Shih Tzu, sometimes called the Chrysanthemum or Chinese lion dog, is a toy breed that​ originated from China. The dog comes in a variety of colors and is known for having a long double coat.

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Where is the Pharaoh hound from?

The Pharaoh hound is a breed of dog which originated from -- and is the national dog of -- Malta. The dog is traditionally used for hunting rabbits and was named because they resembled dogs found in ancient Egyptian tombs which were thought to be brought to Malta.

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Where is the Labradoodle from?

A labradoodle, sometimes called a labrapoodle, is a crossbreed dog which was created by crossing a poodle (miniature, toy or standard) with a Labrador Retriever. They were first seen in Australia. Although not considered an official breed, it is one of the more popular types of dogs.

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Where is the Vizsla from?

The Vizsla is a breed of dog which originated in Hungary and was bred as a sporting, hunting and companion dog. They are extremely trainable and are known for being affectionate, gentle and protective.

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Where is the Doberman Pinscher from?

​The Doberman, also called Doberman Pinscher, is a medium to large sized dog which was developed by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann in the late 19th century in Germany. They are extremely intelligent and are often used as guard dogs.

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Where is the Berger Picard from?

The Berger Picard, sometimes called the Picardy Shepherd, is a breed of dog which originated from France and was originally intended for herding animals. After the second world war, they were nearly extinct. It is one of the rarest breeds available.

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Where is the Greyhound from?

The Greyhound is a breed of dog which originated from Europe and was bred for racing and different coursing games. The breed is known for its tall and slender appearance as well as for being a sighthound.

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Where is the Bichon Frise from?

The Bichon Frise is a small breed of dog which originated from the Canary Islands in Spain and parts of Belgium. The toy dog, which is often thought to be French, was used as a sailing dog by the Spanish but is now used as a companion dog.

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Where is the Havanese from?

The Havanese is a breed of dog which originated from Havana, Cuba, after which it was named. It is the national dog of Cuba. They are great companion dogs and can adapt to many different situations.

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Where is the Pug from?

The Pug is a breed of dog which originated from China. These sociable creatures have distinctive short muzzles, wrinkled faces and curly tails and were one of Queen Victoria’s favorite dogs during the 19th century.

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Where is the Beagle from?

The Beagle is a type of scent hound which originated in England. It was used for hunting different types of animals as it has some of the best tracking skills of many of the different dog breeds. The most famous beagle in the world is Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip.

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Where is the Border collie from?

The Border collie is a breed of dog which originated in the United Kingdom. These dogs are known for herding different types of livestock as well as for being very intelligent and obedient.

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Where is the Whippet from?

The Whippet, sometimes called the snap dog or English whippet, is a medium breed of dog which originated from England. They are descendants of the greyhound and these sighthounds are particularly good at different sporting activities.

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Where is the St. Bernard from?

The St. Bernard is a large breed of dog which originated from Switzerland and Italy. Originally bred to rescue people at the Great St. Bernard Pass along the Italian-Swiss border, the dog became extremely popular after starring in the "Beethoven" films.

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Where is the Dachshund from?

The Dachshund, sometimes called the “wiener or sausage dog,” is a short-legged breed of dog which originated from Germany. There were bred to flush out badgers and hunt rabbit but are now one of the most popular dogs in the United States.​

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Where is the Samoyed from?

The Samoyed, sometimes called the Bjelkier, is a breed of herding dog which originated from Samoyed, Russia. They were bred to help pull sleds and for herding animals. The playful dogs are known for having a very thick white double layered coat.

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Where is the French bulldog from?

The French Bulldog, sometimes called Frenchie, is a small breed of dog which originated from France and England. The dog is a cross between the bulldog and the ratter and was one of the most popular dogs in the United Kingdom.

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Where is the Golden retriever from?

The Golden retriever is a large breed of dog which originated from Scotland. The dog was originally bred to retrieve waterfowls which were shot, as well as for companionship. Today, they are used as guard dogs as well as search and rescue dogs.

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Where is the Poodle from?

The Poodle is a breed of dog which comes in the miniature, toy and standard size. The dog’s true origin is unknown, so it is shared between Germany and France. It is a particular favorite at the Westminster Dog Show and World Dog Show, winning several of them.

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Where is the Siberian husky from?

The Siberian Husky is a medium-size breed of dog which originated from Siberia, Russia, the place after which it was named. The dog was used as a companion to those who hunted and gathered, particularly in harsh cold environments.

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Where is the Pembroke Welch corgi from?

The Pembroke Welsh corgi is a cattle herding dog which originated from Pembrokeshire, Wales, the place after which it was named​. This particular breed of dog is said the be the favorite of Queen Elizabeth II who reportedly owned many during her reign.

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Where is the Shiba Inu from?

The Shiba Inu is one of the spitz breeds of dog which originated from Japan. Originally bred for hunting, the small dog is often mistaken for an Akita Inu and is said to do very well in mountainous terrain.

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Where is the Chow Chow from?

The Chow Chow, sometimes called ‘Songshi Quan’ (puffy-lion dog), is a dog breed which originated from northern China. It is believed to be a type of Foo dog, one of the traditional stone guardians of Buddhist temples.

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Where is the Lhasa Apsos from?

The Lhasa Apsos is a non-sporting dog breed which originated from Lhasa, Tibet. It was said to have been bred to alert monks in Buddhist monasteries when intruders entered different rooms. The dogs have a long and dense coat and come in a variety of colors.

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