Fascinating images reveal how dog breeds have changed over the years – with some now looking COMPLETELY different than they did 100 years ago
- Many popular dog breeds look incredibly different than they did 100 years ago
- The changes are due to advancements in selective breeding in the 20th century
- Selective breeding is the process in which particular characteristics are developed by choosing which male and female dogs will have offspring
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Dogs have long been considered man’s best friend, but the pooches that are running around today look a lot different than they did a century ago.
Most dog breeds were developed through selective breeding within the last few centuries, thousands of years after they were first domesticated. Selective breeding, also called artificial selection, is the process in which humans develop particular characteristics by choosing which male and female dogs will mate and have offspring together.
With the number of different breeds that now exist, it’s easy to forget that dogs are actually all members of the same species, especially considering a dachshund looks nothing like an Old English sheepdog. Many popular dog breeds also look surprisingly different than they did 100 years ago because of advancements in selective breeding in the 20th century.
Incredible images show how different dog breeds have evolved over the past century, from basset hounds’ ears getting longer to pugs developing flatter noses.
Bassett hounds’ ears have gotten longer over the years while their hind legs are now shorter. They also have more skin folds than they did before
Newfoundlands appear to have gotten larger over the years. Newfoundland males can weight up 150 pounds, about 50 pounds more than they did 100 years ago
Irish setters may have gotten thinner over the past century, but their coats have gotten both longer and thicker
Scottish terriers used to have coarse, wiry coats a century ago. Their fur is now longer and softer than it was before
German shepherds were leaner with smaller chests 100 years ago. Now, they are bred to be larger with coats that are longer and thicker
Dobermanns are now thinner and less aggressive than the were 100 years ago
Shetland sheepdogs are now bigger than they were before and have longer, fluffier coats
Old English sheepdogs’ appearance has remained consistent over the years, though their fur was shaggier than it is now
Rottweilers now have coarser coats, and they no longer have short docked tails
Great Danes are now heavier and have longer years than they did a century ago
Dachshunds have longer bodies than they used to, but their legs have gotten even shorter over the past century
Pugs have been bred over the years to have larger eyes and flatter noses, though they are still about same size they were century ago
West Highland white terriers are furrier than before, but their appearance has stayed relatively the same
Over the past century, Airedale terriers have developed longer faces and longer, shaggier fur
Bull terrier have thicker, more muscular frames than they used to. While their faces have become shorter, the bridge of their noses are now larger
Chow Chows’ are even more wrinkled than the used to be. They are also heavier