What’s common for all dogs is that they are such a good friends to us humans. It’s no different with these exotic dog breeds also. They are humans’ best friends who come in various shapes and sizes as the matter of fact.
Golden retrievers, German shepherds, Boxers, Bulldogs… are some of them which we see every day in the local park.
Yet there are many interesting breeds that are an unusual sight for most of us and can be called exotic.
What makes a dog breed exotic?
When thinking about the breeds we mentioned here we decided to label exotic as dogs that are:
- Not raised in everyday environments.
- Have a unique history or background
- Have a unique physical appearance
Combine all these and more, and you have a unique dog breed, and this article is exactly about them. Let’s check out together some buddies of this kind.
1. Tibetan Mastiff
Check out this coat! Tibetan Mastiff is able to handle harsh Central Asia winters thanks to it. He’s a big boy weighing 100 to 160 pounds.
2. Dandie Dinmont Terrier
This cutie is very rare nowadays and there is only few hundred of them registered annually. Farmers and gipsies used to keep these dogs with short legs to hunt rats and badgers.
3. Leonberger
Okay, this is one huge animal! Leonberger is a cross between a Newfoundland, St. Bernard, and a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, with males reaching up to 170 pounds!
4. Portuguese Water Dog
Can you resist these beautiful curls?! These dogs are very comfortable when it comes to water and they were used in Portugal to herd fish into nets, retrieve lost tackles, and help fishermen in other ways.
5. Löwchen
“Little Lion” in German, is one of the rarest dog breeds in the world. Also, it is very old breed which made a wonderful companion for the wealthy elite of France and Germany since the 15th century.
6. Brussels Griffon
It is extremely rare breed known for its humanoid face expression. They were almost extinct after World War II.
7. New Guinea Singing Dog
This breed was in complete isolation for more than 30,000 years, living in the Papua New Guinea mountains. Today there are about 100 of them outside of their natural habitat.
8. Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless Dog)
This unusual dog with no fur can be traced back to ancient Mexico, where they were domesticated and used as home and hunt companions.
9. Czechoslovakian Vlcak
In 1955 German Shepherds were bred with wolves and that how Czechoslovakian Vlcak was made. They are friendly as German Shepherds and like to live in packs like wolves.
10. Bergamasco Shepherd
Wow! That’s some fur coat! Surprisingly it doesn’t shed and requires very little care. Bergamasco Shepherds are real gentle giants who can be shy with strangers.
11. Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
These adorable exotic dog breeds are 50% longer than they are tall. But they are 100% more adorable than the others dogs on this list
12. Lancashire Heeler
This breed was created as a good house pet and to also herd cattle back in the day, they do both of these jobs pretty damn well.
13. Mudi
This dog breed is pretty rare, if you’re lucky enough to own one of these you are in for a treat, they are extremely intelligent dogs and very loving. They are easy to recognize with their sheep like coat.
14. Russkiy Toy
These puppies could only be found inside Russia until the 1990’s. But now they’re pretty popular around the world. About the same size as a chihuahua dog these dogs are cute AF
15. Caucasian Shepherd Dog
If you need a giant dog to protect your livestock and just be adorable as well. These dogs are perfect. They weigh between 110 to 200 lbs and being used to protect livestock from bears in Georgia.
16. Swedish Vallhund
The ” Viking Dog ” has been around for more than a millennium. These dogs just crave human attention and are perfect pets for the family
17. Slovensky Cuvac
These dogs were originally breed to protect livestock, but after years of doing so they adopted a protective attitude towards humans as well. Don’t be fool by their cute look and fur, they are mostly muscle and are very strong dogs
18. Neapolitan Mastiff
Unlike the previous dog breed, these 150 pounds of cuteness are loving dogs that just want to cuddle. Today they are being used in the army and police because they are big and very intelligent.
19. Bedlington Terrier
These sheep looking dogs only look funny, they have surprisingly strong jaws that were used in the past to hunt rats and fight other dogs. Til this day they are very playful and love to exercise
20. Bouvier Des Flandres
These are brave dogs. They are most known to serve during the World Wars and help carry wounded soldiers if needed, there is a legend that one of these dogs managed to bite the hand of Adolf Hitler
21. Otterhound
Only around 1000 dogs are left in the world today because they were breed in the past to hunt otters, but when the otters population in the UK decreased dramatically, so does the breeding of this dog.
22. Catahoula Leopard Dog
The leopard dogs are known to be extremely friendly to humans, they were also the first rare dog breed to be bred in the US. As the name suggests, they have a leopard like coat and they were used for herding and hunting
23. Swedish Lapphund
Maybe the most rare on this list of exotic dog breeds. The Swedish Lapphund has been herding reindeer in Lapland for more than 7,000 years, these animals have huge hearts and are so rare that there are only between 5 – 10 of them in the USA
24. Saluki
This is a special breed. One of the oldest dog breeds in the world dating back to 6,000 BC. In ancient Egypt these dogs were considered magnificent for their beauty and were sometimes mummified along side pharaohs. It is also the only dog breed that’s considered clean and noble in the Muslim religion
25. Karelian Bear Dog
Considered a national treasure in Finland. Could be a perfect hunt dog, they have a natural ability to distract a bear’s attention while the human sneaks in for the kill. If trained correctly they could also be a loving part in a family
26. Catalburun
Only one of three exotic dog breeds that have split nose, this makes them a super hunter that can sniff prey from miles away. The breed is almost unknown outside of Turkey
27. Chinese Crested
A hairless animal that needs special attention especially in cold weather. The breed only has hair on his head, legs and tail. It has a very good attitude and can be very cute as a family member
28. Azawakh
This huge huge dog breed comes from West Africa and with very apparent origins of the Sahelian zone of Mali. You won’t see this dog out side of its natural areas, or at least it will be very rare. Also the dog has a very unique type and look that you would not easy forget.
These dogs are a little hesitant at first, but when they get used to you, they are very affectionate.
