It gives new meaning to dog years.

Various types of sled dogs have been used by humans across the Arctic for almost 10,000 years, but new research reveals one particular type to be the oldest continuously domesticated breed.

According to a new study published in Science, Qimmit have been kept by Inuit populations in Greenland for around a millennium, whereas other sled dog subsets have been bred out.

“They’re a working dog that has been performing the same task with the same people for 1,000 years or more,” Tatiana Feuerborn, the lead study author and a paleogeneticist at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes for Health, told Popular Science. “That’s what sets them apart from other Arctic and sled dog breeds.”

However, the population of the special animal has been steadily declining as a result of “environmental changes and cultural transitions,” according to the study.

There are even fears that Qimmit could become extinct.

In 2002, there were about 25,000 in Greenland, but that number had plummeted to just 13,000 in 2020.

3 Dogs bred to live in Arctic climates are especially known for their teamwork skills and long, fluffy coats. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

The Science study delves into the genetic history of the Qimmeq.

Other dog breeds that descended from a common ancestor include the Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute, Samoyed and Canadian Inuit dog. Similarly, these canines adapted to the harsh Arctic climate, but none have remained with the same population like the Qimmeq.

The team of researchers studied 92 genomes, ranging from contemporary to ancient, to trace how far back the breed goes, and how its isolation in Greenland impacted its development, as opposed to other comparable Arctic dogs.

“We’re not the first people to say this… but this is some of the first quantifiable evidence that really lends credence to it,” she added, clarifying the findings.

Older DNA samples were taken from bones and fur embedded in preserved Inuit garments, which were borrowed from museums, while contemporary saliva swabs were graciously given to researchers by modern-day Qimmeq breeders in Greenland.

3 Even today, with the popularity of snowmobiles, sled dogs are utilized for their keen senses, endless energy and hunting instincts. REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Despite their lupine looks, the Qimmeq is less closely linked to wolves than previously suggested, researchers also uncovered.

“Qimmeq–wolf hybrids have been reported to form strong bonds with a single owner and often display aggression toward humans outside of their ‘family,’ killing dogs from outside their team,” the study reports. “This highly territorial behavior makes it difficult to integrate them with new owners and unfamiliar animals.”

3 This chart indicates specific gene flow across time. AAAS

While the study is certainly interesting food for thought for dog lovers across the world, it also provides insights into how to preserve the current Qimmit population,

In many areas of Greenland, once-expansive ice sheets have become slushy seas, and researchers have marked billions of tons of ice loss in recent years.

“Dogs have been so intrinsically tied to human history as the first domesticated animal. They have been at the formation of every human society,” Feuerborn said. “In Greenland in particular, these dogs have been there all along. Being able to preserve that cultural history alongside the genetic history is important. It has immense cultural value.”

The UK has 4 million more dogs than previously estimated, with regional hotspots in Telford, Darlington and Harrogate, new research shows.

The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, found that the UK is home to around 13 million dogs, which is much higher than previously thought.

With plans to replicate this study in the future, we’ll be able to track changes in dog populations over time, helping us better understand the changing population, including breed popularity and its impact on welfare. Dr Kirsten McMillan, Deputy Head of Research at Dogs Trust

Led by Dogs Trust in collaboration with researchers from the University of Leeds and the University of Exeter, the research combined data from a breed registry, vet organisations, pet insurance companies, an academic institution and animal welfare charities in a UK-first to reach a more accurate number.

Accounting for the UK’s dog population could help those involved in dog welfare to plan for future canine care needs and pinpoint areas of focus.

Telford was revealed as the top dog hotspot in the country, with 8.2 dogs per 20 people. Harrogate had the joint-third highest ratio in the country with 7.4 dogs per 20 people.

The lowest densities of dogs were reported for six areas of London, covering postcode areas N, E, SW, WC, W and UB, with approximately one dog for every 20 people.

The researchers used data from 2019 to complete their first estimate, but this new approach puts a framework in place so they can track the dog population over time, making data available about the popularity of specific breeds and dog hotspots.

Dr David Wong, Associate Professor of Health Data Science and Health Informatics at the University of Leeds School of Medicine, was an author on the study. He said: “This groundbreaking study sheds new light on the UK’s dog population and density. Supporting the research team to develop a better understanding of our canine companions has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Dogs Trust have excelled in bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders and experts to deliver insights that will underpin research for many years to come.”

Dr Kirsten McMillan, Deputy Head of Research at Dogs Trust and lead author, said: “The UK is well known for being a nation of dog lovers, but it turns out we may have significantly underestimated how many dogs are out there by over four million! This inaccuracy can have serious implications as it affects important statistics like how many dogs of different breeds or sizes live in certain regions, how the dog population grows each year, and the overall trends in dog ownership.

“This new study is the most comprehensive analysis of the dog population in the UK to date. It’s packed with valuable insights for everyone involved in dog welfare and our friends within the welfare sector, veterinary care, epidemiological, and business fields. With plans to replicate this study in the future, we’ll be able to track changes in dog populations over time, helping us better understand the changing population, including breed popularity and its impact on welfare.

“It’s been fascinating to uncover stark differences in dog density throughout the UK, with Telford and Darlington emerging as leaders, boasting the highest dog-to-human ratios. These and future statistics provide valuable insights into regional trends and the dynamics of pet ownership across the country.”

Dr Xavier Harrison, Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: “Knowing how many dogs there are in the UK is important, but isn’t necessarily straightforward to calculate. Up to date estimates of the size and distribution of the dog population within the UK, and how these trends vary by breed and age, allow us to highlight where and why certain breeds are more popular. More importantly, they provide a solid baseline for investigating what factors that may drive changes in dog ownership in the future, with consequences for human and pet health.”

Further information

Top image credit: Dogs Trust

‘Estimation of the size, density, and demographic distribution of the UK pet dog population in 2019’ was published in Nature Scientific Reports.

Data sources included a breed registry (45.0%: The Kennel Club (KC), UK), veterinary corporations (26.5%: PDSA; Medivet; Vets4Pets), pet insurance companies (17.1%: The Insurance Emporium (The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited); NCI Insurance; Cardif Pinnacle; Agria Pet Insurance; Direct Line), animal welfare charities (5.9%: Battersea Dogs and Cats Home; Blue Cross; SSPCA; Raystede; Wood Green, The Animals Charity; Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home; Mayhew) and an academic institution (5.5%: SAVSNET – Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, University of Liverpool).

For media enquiries, please contact Mia Saunders in the University of Leeds press office via m.saunders@leeds.ac.uk.

Ever wonder how your four-legged friend would size up against one of its furry forefathers?

Well if it looks anything like the Greenland sled dog, your pup might have some pretty old ancestors.

Image: Mr.Bonde / Pixabay

Research led by Dr Mikkel-Holger Strander Sinding in 2020 cast new light on the history of man’s best friend, and showed that our domesticated dogs might be much older than we ever thought.

For years, scientists (and most of us) have known that modern dogs descended from Eurasian wolves, but when and where that happened still remains a genealogical mystery. So Dr. Sinding’s team sequenced the genome of a dog from Siberia’s Zhokhov archaeological site, dating to around 9,500 years ago.

“I was actually anticipating that we would find some sort of precursor of domestic dogs,” he said. Instead, they found today’s sled dogs and the Zhokhov dog descended from the same branch. “It means that all dogs must have diversified earlier than this.”

Because of their findings, we now have a firm date for diversification in dogs, which proves some breeds are descended from a species almost 9,500 years old.

One of the first breeds to descend? The Greenland sled dog, a thick-haired and curly-tailed canine from the Arctic tundra, which we now know as the oldest dog breed.

Image: Naja Bertolt Jensen / Unsplash

National Geographic explains: “The sled dog branch of the family tree, which includes various types of huskies and malamutes, broke off from the rest of the dogs around 9,500 years ago, versus something like a labradoodle, which only became a breed in 1989.”

The Greenland sled dog is a fascinating breed, whose storied history grew in tandem with Inuit culture in the North. The breed arose in the Bering Sea region at least 2,000 years ago and arrived in Greenland approximately 1,000 years later. When the Inuit people began their migration from Siberia across to Arctic regions of what is now North America and Greenland, they brought with them dogs from which Greenland sled dogs, huskies and malamutes later evolved.

Image: Lars H Knudsen / Pexels

“Based on 10 genomes of Greenland sled dogs and an ancient 9,500-year-old genome of a Siberian sled dog we can see a few things,” said Dr. Sinding.

“Firstly, Greenland sled dogs experienced a population bottleneck ~900 years ago, fitting the immigration to Greenland and have maintained a largely consistent ancestry since arrival.

The 9,500-year-old dog, from a site with the world’s oldest sled remains, shares close common ancestors with modern Arctic dogs (Greenland sled dogs, Siberian husky and Alaskan Malamute). However, the Greenland sled dog is the genetic lineage/breed closest to this ancient sled dog.

Greenland sled dogs are still closer to Siberian husky and Alaskan Malamute (their recent cousins), but Siberian husky and Alaskan Malamute are more diluted (mixed with other dogs) from the ancient origin than Greenland sled dogs are.”

Image: Thomas Ritter / Pixabay

The team’s research also revealed interesting information about the breed’s adaptation to Arctic life, such as the ability to thrive on a high-fat diet. This also links them with the Inuit and Thule peoples of the Arctic, which have survived with their working dogs for thousands of years by hunting and eating blubber-rich marine mammals like seals and whales.

“One of the biggest differences between a brown bear and a polar bear is that the polar bear has a specific genetic adaptation for eating lots of blubber. And we see almost precisely the same solution in [sled] dogs,” Dr. Sinding says.

He also noted that the breed adapted to be particularly good at regulating body temperature in cold weather and running and pulling sleds in low-oxygen conditions.

Image: Thomas Ritter / Pixabay

And although we might associate those traits more with wolves, interestingly, Dr. Sinding says their study proves the dogs are in a class of their own.

“The scientists also compared the Zhokhov dog’s DNA with an even more ancient canid—a Siberian Pleistocene wolf that lived about 33,000 years ago,” said National Geographic.

“Together with genomes from modern wolves and domesticated dogs, the team revealed that, remarkably, sled dogs haven’t interbred with gray wolves in the past 9,500 years, unlike other breeds. This is especially strange, given that indigenous peoples have documented dog-wolf pairings.

“The fact that traces of wolf genetics don’t show up in the Greenland sled dogs’ genome suggests that either hybrids didn’t survive well, or that there was some reason humans did not breed them.”

Luckily, these beautiful creatures learned to survive on their own, and have become an interesting insight into Greenlandic life.

Image: Thomas Ritter / Pixabay

In any case, this ancient relationship with our four-legged friends can provide insight into how early cultures around the world valued the natural world, and can offer clues about the dates certain cultures domesticated and settled into more agricultural roles.

Other very old dog breeds include the Central African basenji, which was depicted in cave paintings in Libya that date back to around 6000 BC, the Japanese Akita Inu, and the saluki, which was revered in ancient Egypt and kept as a royal pet.

Header image: Lars H Knudsen / Pexels

An Akita Inc laying in the grass (Photo by Pixel-Shot on Shutterstock)

Throughout human history, dogs have been our steadfast companions, with some breeds tracing their lineages back thousands of years to the earliest days of domestication. While modern breeds like Golden Retrievers and Labradoodles are relatively recent developments, several ancient dog breeds have maintained their distinctive characteristics across millennia, offering us a living window into our ancestors’ earliest relationships with canines.

Recent archaeological discoveries in Alaska have shed new light on this ancient bond, revealing that humans were sharing salmon with wolf-like canids as early as 12,000 years ago—about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought in the Americas. These findings, based on chemical analysis of ancient canine bones, suggest that food sharing may have been a crucial factor in the early stages of dog domestication, as these animals adapted to rely on human-provided meals rather than hunting their natural prey.

While the distant wolf-like canids mentioned above are thankfully not found in our households today, what are the oldest dog breeds that still exist? We researched through expert lists of ancient dog breeds to find out the consensus. Let us know if we missed one in the comments below.

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The List: Oldest Dog Breeds, According to Experts

1. Basenji Basenji (Photo by Edvinas Bruzas on Unsplash) The Basenji’s fascinating history stretches back to ancient Africa, with Dutch.com noting evidence of these unique dogs on cave paintings dating to 6000 B.C. and artifacts from 3000 B.C. These skilled hunters originally helped their owners by independently gathering food, though this self-sufficient nature meant they required dedicated training. While they possess remarkable intelligence, Canine Campus cautions that Basenjis have a stubborn streak and need plenty of exercise to stay content. Their strong hunting instincts make them flight risks – they’re known to dart through open doors and scale fences, so keeping them leashed is essential. Rather than barking, A-Z Animals says Basenjis produce a yodel-like sound. They’ve earned the nickname “jumping up and down dog” for their vertical leaps in tall grass. They also display notably feline characteristics, particularly in their fastidious grooming habits.

2. Akita Inu

Akita Inu (Photo by Mikhail Vasilyev on Unsplash)

These cute fluff balls descend from ancestors that lived long ago. Archaeological evidence suggests the Akita Inu’s ancestor, the Matagi-Inu, existed between 8,000 B.C. and 200 B.C., according to Animal Hearted. While smaller than today’s Akitas, these early dogs established the foundation for one of Japan’s most revered breeds.

A-Z Animals explains that these powerful members of the Husky family were originally bred to hunt formidable prey like wild boar, deer, and bear in northern Japan’s harsh winters. Their natural disposition combines fearlessness with a calm, dignified demeanor, making them versatile enough to serve as therapy dogs, police dogs, and family companions.

The Japanese Akita holds a special place in its homeland’s culture. SpiritDog notes that they are considered national monuments, symbolizing good health, happiness, and longevity. Distinguishable from their American cousins by their fox-like features (compared to the American Akita’s bear-like head), these dogs are celebrated for their unwavering loyalty and courage.

3. Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound (Photo by Arve Kern on Unsplash)

The Afghan Hound’s origins trace back thousands of years to the mountainous regions spanning modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. K9 of Mine writes that they served as both hunting dogs and status symbols, prized for their remarkable speed and agility.

The breed’s ancient lineage is so significant that, according to The Scotsman, Christian legend places Afghan Hounds aboard Noah’s ark. As hunters, they excelled at pursuing swift prey like antelopes and leopards.

Their place in today’s culture has changed quite a bit, like most breeds. A-Z Animals explains how British soldiers later introduced these dogs to the U.K. as show dogs, where their distinctive flowing coats became legendary. While adaptable to various climates and living situations, these sociable dogs require extensive grooming and exercise to thrive in family settings.

4. Saluki Saluki (Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash) Tracing back through the sands of time, Dutch explains that the Saluki’s exact origins remain mysterious. Archaeological evidence, however, places these elegant dogs in the Middle East at least 5,000 years ago, where they were cherished companions of nobility, as depicted in ancient artwork and artifacts. It can be challenging to pinpoint ancient breeds’ origins. A-Z Animals notes that while the Guinness Book of World Records dates them to at least 329 B.C., cave paintings resembling Salukis stretch back an impressive 9,000 years. From pharaohs to modern families, these dogs have maintained their distinctive traits across millennia. According to Pet Keen, their legendary speed and hunting prowess made them favored companions of ancient royalty, though today they thrive best with active families who can match their energetic nature.

5. Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan Mastiff (Photo by Keenan Barber on Unsplash) Deep in the mountains of Tibet, a breed emerged that would shape the future of guardian dogs. According to Animal Corner, the Tibetan Mastiff’s history stretches back roughly 5,000 years, serving as both hunters and royal guardians in ancient Tibet. Their legacy runs even deeper than initially thought. The Scotsman reports a groundbreaking study suggesting these dogs might be the first domesticated breed, dating back approximately 58,000 years, and likely served as ancestors to all modern Mastiff breeds. Their primary role was protecting Tibetan tribes’ livestock from formidable predators like wolves and bears. Standing guard in modern homes with the same majestic presence as their ancestors, these dogs continue to impress. Petland describes them as having a lion-like alertness and magnificence, though notes their intelligence comes with a stubborn streak that responds best to early training.

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.

Most dogs aren’t bred to feel at ease in our homes, but scientists studying puppy cognition have found ways you can help yours adapt

Sophie Gamand

“Oreo was my best friend growing up,” says Brian Hare. If Hare wanted to hone his baseball pitching skills, his Labrador enthusiastically took on fielding duties. If he decided to explore the nearby woods, Oreo was an ever-willing companion. But there was one place where boy and dog always parted company. “Oreo never set foot in our house. Not one time,” says Hare.

Today, the front door is no longer closed to most dogs in higher-income countries – and many spend their days relaxing on sofas and watching TV. You would think they would be in doggy heaven. But…