Ancient Dog Breeds: Are They Really Ancient – Or Have We Simply Changed Them Less?

We often hear certain dogs described as “ancient breeds.” The Basenji, Saluki, Akita, Shiba Inu, Chow Chow, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed and Afghan Hound are just some of the dogs regularly given this label. They are often described as being thousands of years old, genetically closer to the wolf and fundamentally different from the modern breeds we live with today.

There is some truth hidden within that description, but the reality is considerably more interesting.

The question is not simply whether the Basenji is an ancient dog or whether the Saluki has existed for 5,000 years. We need to separate the history of a type of dog from the history of a modern registered breed.

Dogs resembling Salukis undoubtedly existed thousands of years ago. Spitz-type dogs have existed for a very long time. Humans living in northern climates have used dogs for pulling, hunting and travelling for generations. African communities have lived and hunted alongside dogs resembling Basenjis for centuries.

But does that mean the pedigree Saluki registered with the Kennel Club today represents an uninterrupted 5,000-year-old bloodline? Probably not.

And this is where our understanding of the ancient breeds becomes far more useful.

What do we actually mean by an ancient breed?

For much of canine history there were no breed standards, pedigree databases, kennel clubs or closed stud books. People had dogs that performed jobs. A community might need dogs capable of pursuing game across open desert. Another needed dogs that could survive freezing temperatures and pull a sled. Somewhere else, people needed dogs capable of independently hunting in dense vegetation.

The successful dogs reproduced. Those dogs were therefore being selected, but it was very different from the type of selective breeding that later produced many of our modern breeds. Selection was largely about survival, environment and function.

A dog that could not tolerate extreme cold was unlikely to make a particularly successful Arctic sled dog. A dog without the speed and desire to pursue prey was unlikely to contribute much to a population of desert hunting dogs. An African hunting dog incapable of navigating vegetation and making independent decisions would similarly have been disadvantaged.

Over generations, populations of dogs became adapted to particular environments and ways of life. What they did not necessarily have was a written standard stating precisely how tall they should be, what shape their ears should take, exactly what colour their coat should be or which other dogs they were permitted to breed with.

That distinction is extremely important.

Modern pedigree breeding, particularly the system of closed populations and formal breed standards familiar to us today, is largely a product of the last couple of centuries. Researchers looking at canine genetics have therefore questioned whether calling some modern pedigree populations “ancient breeds” is actually accurate.

One influential genetic study suggested that “basal” may be a better term. Researchers found that many dogs previously labelled ancient were genetically distinctive not necessarily because the modern breed had existed unchanged since antiquity, but because their ancestors had remained relatively isolated from the huge amount of mixing that occurred among other dog populations. In other words, perhaps these aren't always ancient breeds. Perhaps some are dogs that we changed less.

The Victorian transformation of the dog

To understand why these dogs can appear so different, we need to look at what happened to dogs elsewhere. Humans have selectively bred dogs for useful characteristics for a very long time, but the extraordinary division of dogs into hundreds of tightly controlled breeds is relatively recent.

During the nineteenth century, particularly in Britain and Europe, dog breeding changed dramatically. Breed clubs appeared. Written standards were created. Dog shows became popular. Stud books were established and populations increasingly became closed. Instead of breeding a good working dog to another good working dog of a suitable type, breeders increasingly asked whether both animals belonged to the same registered breed. This created increasingly distinct genetic populations.

At the same time humans began selecting extremely intensely for particular characteristics. Sometimes that characteristic was behaviour: pointing, retrieving, herding, guarding or hunting. Sometimes it was appearance. Often it was both.

This is one reason the behavioural differences between breeds can be so substantial.

A Border Collie isn't simply a generic dog wearing Border Collie-shaped clothing. Generations of selection have increased the likelihood of particular behavioural patterns.

The same applies to Labradors, terriers, livestock guardians, spaniels and sighthounds.

Selective breeding does not simply alter what a dog looks like. We can select for behavioural systems that dogs are biologically predisposed to perform and find intrinsically rewarding.

The ancient or basal breeds give us an interesting contrast because many of their ancestors experienced a different kind, and often a different intensity, of human selection.

They weren't necessarily bred to ask us what to do

This can help explain one of the most noticeable characteristics owners encounter when living with some of these breeds: independence.

We have spent generations creating dogs whose success depended upon paying extremely close attention to humans. Think about a Border Collie working sheep. The dog performs an incredibly specialised predatory sequence but also needs to respond to commands from a handler hundreds of metres away. Think about a Labrador waiting beside a gun before being directed towards a fallen bird. These dogs have been intensively selected to cooperate with us.

Now consider a Basenji hunting in central Africa or a Saluki pursuing prey across open country. Once the chase began, there was little value in the dog repeatedly stopping and asking a human what to do next. It needed to make decisions. The same principle applies to many northern dogs. Dogs travelling, hunting or pulling alongside people in extremely difficult environments required endurance, problem-solving ability and a degree of autonomy.

That doesn't mean these dogs cannot be trained. It means trainability and intelligence are not the same thing. Humans have a tendency to describe dogs that rapidly obey human instructions as intelligent and dogs that don't as stubborn. From an evolutionary point of view, however, independently making the decision that works for you can be every bit as intelligent as waiting for somebody else to give you the answer.

Interestingly, behavioural research has found measurable differences. In one study examining human-directed communication, dogs belonging to the ancient breed grouping took longer to establish eye contact with people and spent less time looking towards humans when faced with an unsolvable task than dogs from several other breed groups.

That does not mean they cannot bond deeply with their owners. Nor does it mean every Akita, Basenji or Husky behaves this way. It tells us that generations of selection can alter how naturally relevant humans are when a dog is solving a problem. That is fascinating!

Where did these dogs come from?

The breeds placed within the ancient or basal grouping are geographically diverse, which itself gives us an important clue.

The Basenji originates from central Africa, where dogs of its general type were used for hunting. Rather than waiting for constant instruction, these dogs needed the physical ability, environmental awareness and independence to work through dense terrain.

The Saluki developed across the Middle East and surrounding regions as a fast hunting hound capable of pursuing prey across enormous expanses of open ground. Dogs remarkably similar in outline appear in ancient artwork, demonstrating the enormous age of this type of dog, although that does not prove that today's closed pedigree Saluki population has remained genetically unchanged for thousands of years.

The Afghan Hound similarly developed from hunting dogs associated with Afghanistan and surrounding mountainous regions. Speed mattered, but so did agility, stamina, environmental resilience and the ability to hunt without somebody micromanaging every movement.

In East Asia we find breeds including the Akita and Shiba Inu of Japan and the Chow Chow and Shar-Pei of China. These populations developed away from the heart of later European breed creation and retained distinctive genetic signatures.

Further north are dogs including the Siberian Husky and Samoyed, associated with human communities surviving in some of the harshest climates on Earth. Dogs were transportation, hunting partners, workers and an important part of community life.

The Alaskan Malamute developed alongside indigenous Arctic communities in Alaska, with dogs selected for strength, endurance and the ability to work in extreme conditions.

The Finnish Spitz, another dog that has appeared in genetic studies of basal populations, developed as a hunting dog in Finland.

There are also populations such as the Dingo and New Guinea Singing Dog which are frequently included in scientific discussions of basal dogs, although describing them simply as conventional domestic “breeds” is problematic.

What many of these populations share is not one geographical birthplace. What they share is that their histories often occurred away from the extraordinary mixing and subsequent breed formation that took place particularly within Europe and that may be the important part.

Being genetically different doesn't prove that a breed is ancient

This is where early discussions of canine DNA sometimes became misleading. If scientists construct a genetic tree of modern dogs, some breeds appear on branches nearer the base of that tree than many familiar European breeds.

It is tempting to look at that and conclude: “That's the oldest breed.”

But genetics doesn't work quite that simply, a population can look genetically distinctive because it has remained isolated. Imagine a village that has existed away from neighbouring populations for hundreds of years. If relatively few outsiders move into that population, its genetics may remain distinctive. That doesn't make the people living there unchanged representatives of the first humans, it tells us something about their population history.

Something similar appears to have happened with dogs. A large genetic analysis found that geographic and cultural isolation, and therefore reduced recent gene flow from other dog populations, was one of the strongest common factors among breeds previously labelled ancient.

There is another complication: population bottlenecks. Several supposedly ancient breeds have come close to disappearing. The modern Shiba Inu population, for example, was reconstructed from several Japanese populations after numbers dramatically declined. The Finnish Spitz also went through a period when very few suitable dogs remained. European Afghan Hound populations were rebuilt from an extremely limited number of imports, while the European Basenji population began with only a small number of dogs brought out of Africa before additional African dogs were introduced later.

So while the history behind these dogs may indeed be very old, today's registered population isn't necessarily an untouched genetic time capsule.

Ancient pictures don't necessarily show modern breeds

This is another trap that appears regularly in breed histories. Someone finds a 3,000-year-old carving of a dog with erect ears and a curled tail and concludes that it depicts a particular modern breed. Or an Egyptian image contains a slim, long-legged hunting dog and it becomes evidence that a particular sighthound breed has existed unchanged since the Pharaohs, but similarity of appearance does not establish genetic continuity.

There were undoubtedly sighthounds thousands of years ago, there were undoubtedly mastiff-type dogs, there were small dogs, large dogs, hunting dogs and spitz-like dogs.

That does not mean each represented the same closed genetic population recognised by kennel clubs today.

The Pharaoh Hound and Ibizan Hound are particularly useful examples. Their appearance has frequently encouraged romantic stories linking them directly with ancient Egyptian dogs. Yet genetic work has not placed them among the same basal populations that might be expected if their modern populations were genuinely uninterrupted remnants of ancient Egyptian breeds. Researchers have specifically pointed out the problem of attempting to connect modern breed appearance with ancient depictions. The type may be ancient without the breed being ancient and that distinction changes almost everything.

So are they closer to wolves?

You will frequently hear ancient breeds described as being “closer to the wolf,” again, this needs context. All domestic dogs are dogs. Your Pug is not thousands of years further evolved from wolves than an Akita in the way people sometimes imagine.

Being positioned differently on a genetic family tree does not mean an Akita is practically a wolf while a Labrador is something entirely different. Some basal populations have retained genetic features that distinguish them from the large cluster containing many modern European breeds, but researchers warn against using this genetic distinctiveness as straightforward evidence that these dogs represent an earlier stage of domestication.

They have been domestic dogs for a very long time. However, they may have experienced less of the very recent, intensive selection for close human cooperation that shaped some modern breeds, that may matter enormously when we look at behaviour.

Why they can feel so different to live with

People sometimes buy an Akita, Basenji, Husky or Chow Chow expecting dog behaviour to operate in exactly the same way as it did with their Labrador or spaniel.

Then they discover something very different, recall can be challenging, predatory behaviour may be powerful, repeating an obedience exercise twenty times may rapidly lose its appeal, the dog may appear less concerned about pleasing the owner.

They may be environmentally focused rather than constantly handler focused, some are naturally reserved around unfamiliar people and others may have strong social preferences or lower tolerance for unfamiliar dogs.

Again, none of these should be treated as universal rules, but understanding the history of the population gives us a far better starting point than assuming every puppy begins life as an identical blank slate.

Research increasingly supports differences in human-directed behaviour and trainability between dog populations. Recent work comparing modern breeds with more “premodern” populations, including ancient breeds and village dogs, found greater reported trainability among modern breed dogs and associated some of those differences with changes in brain morphology. The researchers proposed that recent artificial selection may have favoured traits useful for behavioural flexibility and close cooperation with people. That doesn't make one group better, it means we have bred different dogs for different worlds.

The Ancient and Basal Breeds: What Are They Actually Like to Live With?

Before looking at the individual breeds, there is an important point to make. “Ancient breed” is not a formal biological category with a universally agreed list of members. Different genetic studies have grouped dogs in slightly different ways, and the term basal is increasingly more useful than ancient. What these breeds often have in common is that their populations remained relatively isolated from the extensive mixing that occurred during the development of many modern European breeds.

Their histories also vary enormously. A Saluki chasing gazelle across open desert had a very different job from a Siberian Husky pulling a sled or a Chow Chow living alongside communities in China. We should therefore not expect all so-called ancient breeds to share one personality.

There are, however, some recurring themes: independence, environmental awareness, strong breed-specific motivation, less automatic handler focus and, in several breeds, some degree of reservation towards unfamiliar people or dogs. These are tendencies, not guarantees. Individual temperament will always be influenced by genetics, breeding choices, early development, learning and experience.

The Basenji

The Basenji developed from hunting dogs of Central Africa. Dogs of this type worked alongside people but needed enough independence to hunt effectively in difficult terrain. That history remains remarkably visible in the modern breed.

Basenjis are often extremely intelligent, inquisitive and resourceful, but they don't necessarily express intelligence by eagerly waiting for instructions. They can be independent, persistent and exceptionally good at discovering how to access something they want. Many are affectionate with their own family while being more reserved with strangers. They are also famous for not producing a conventional bark, although anyone expecting a silent dog may be disappointed: Basenjis can yodel, whine, scream and produce an impressive range of other noises.

Predatory behaviour can be very strong. Movement may immediately attract attention, and expecting completely reliable recall around wildlife can be unrealistic for some individuals.

Health matters too. Basenjis have historically been affected by Fanconi syndrome, a hereditary kidney disorder, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). DNA testing has significantly improved breeders' ability to avoid producing affected dogs. Eye examinations, thyroid testing and assessment of hips may also form part of responsible breeding programmes.

A Basenji puppy should be taught from the beginning that engaging with its owner is worthwhile. Recall, lead walking, handling and trading objects should begin early, but training needs to avoid endless repetition. A puppy that understands an exercise perfectly well may see very little point in performing it another twenty times simply because a person has asked.

Socialisation should include calmly experiencing different people, dogs, surfaces, sounds and environments without expecting the puppy to interact with everything it sees. Owners should also think seriously about secure fencing and preventing the puppy from learning that escaping and independently exploring the neighbourhood is enormous fun.

Suitable outlets: scent work, tracking games, searching for hidden food, appropriate chasing games, lure coursing where available, problem-solving activities and controlled opportunities to explore. The Basenji often benefits from training that involves figuring something out rather than simply performing repetitive obedience exercises.

The Saluki

The Saluki developed across the Middle East as a hunting sighthound, traditionally used for quarry including hare, fox and gazelle. The Royal Kennel Club describes the breed as reserved with strangers, dignified, intelligent and independent, which captures something important about the Saluki temperament.

These are often gentle, sensitive dogs rather than confrontational ones. Many form exceptionally deep relationships with their families but do not necessarily have the Labrador-like desire to introduce themselves to every person they meet.

Then something moves.

The quiet dog walking beside you can suddenly become a very different animal when the visual predatory system switches on. Thousands of generations of hunting ability are not necessarily overcome by having a particularly nice piece of sausage in your pocket.

This is one of the breeds where owners need to understand the distinction between training recall and guaranteeing recall. A Saluki can absolutely learn an excellent recall, but allowing unrestricted freedom around wildlife may still carry significant risk.

Salukis are generally considered relatively healthy, but responsible breeding still matters. Cardiac and thyroid assessment are among the tests recommended by the US national breed club, while in Britain particular attention has been given to neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, or NCL, with DNA testing used to prevent the condition becoming established within the UK population.

Saluki puppies should be raised with plenty of exposure to the wider world, but this exposure should be gentle rather than overwhelming. Forcing a naturally reserved puppy into close interaction with strangers can create exactly the opposite response from the one intended.

Recall foundations, emergency stops, calm handling and confidence around novel environments deserve particular attention. Because the adult dog is extremely fast, it is wise to establish these skills before adolescence brings greater independence and a rapidly developing interest in chasing.

Suitable outlets: lure coursing is perhaps the most obvious, alongside secure free running, chase games with suitable toys and opportunities for long exploratory walks. Giving a sighthound safe opportunities to run like a sighthound can be extraordinarily valuable.

The Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound comes from hunting dogs associated with Afghanistan and neighbouring regions, where dogs needed speed, agility and enough independence to pursue quarry across challenging terrain. Their glamorous modern appearance can disguise what is underneath the coat. This is a serious hunting heritage.

Afghans are frequently described as aloof or independent, although those words can be misunderstood. They can be extremely affectionate with their families while showing relatively little interest in performing behaviours simply to gain human approval. They are also sensitive dogs. Heavy-handed handling can damage trust surprisingly quickly, while endless repetitive training can result in an Afghan deciding that it has something better to do.

Their hunting ancestry means visual chase behaviour can be powerful. Like other sighthounds, they can move from apparently relaxed to travelling at considerable speed in a fraction of a second.

Responsible breeders commonly screen hips, eyes and thyroid function. The enormous coat also creates a practical welfare consideration: puppies need positive grooming and handling experiences long before they possess the full adult coat.

Puppy training should therefore concentrate heavily on relationship, recall, body handling and grooming. Feet, ears, mouth, legs and coat should all be gently handled from the beginning. Owners should teach cooperative grooming rather than waiting until the dog has a huge coat and then attempting to physically restrain it.

Training works best when sessions are short and purposeful.

Suitable outlets: secure free running, lure coursing, appropriate chase games, exploratory walking and scent-based searching. Although they are visual hunters, mental work that allows independent decision-making often suits them extremely well.

The Akita and Japanese Akita Inu

There is some terminology to untangle here. Genetic literature often refers simply to the Akita, while modern kennel organisations distinguish between the Japanese Akita Inu and the larger, heavier Akita that developed partly through later breeding outside Japan. Both ultimately trace back to Japanese dogs, but they should not simply be treated as interchangeable modern breeds.

The historical Japanese dogs were used for purposes including hunting and guarding. That heritage contributes to a temperament that can be calm, dignified and deeply devoted to its family while remaining independent and relatively reserved towards outsiders. This is not generally a breed in which indiscriminate social interaction should be the puppy-raising goal.

Many Akitas become increasingly selective about unfamiliar dogs as they mature. Some individuals have a particularly low tolerance for dogs of the same sex. Strong predatory behaviour may also be present.

That makes early puppyhood enormously important. The aim should not be to make an Akita puppy play with lots of dogs. Instead, teach it that seeing dogs does not require interaction. Calm neutrality is far more valuable. Teach lead skills, recall, handling, resource exchanges, muzzle conditioning and disengagement from distractions early. Because an adult Akita is physically powerful, waiting until behavioural problems appear can make everything considerably harder.

Health concerns include hip dysplasia, thyroid disease and eye disease, while autoimmune disorders also occur within the breed. Gastric dilatation-volvulus, or bloat, is another important condition for owners to understand. Hip, ophthalmological and thyroid screening are among the recommended tests.

Suitable outlets: scent work, tracking, structured hiking, searching activities, controlled tug and problem-solving exercises. They frequently enjoy working with their owner when the activity has a clear purpose, even if repetitive formal obedience is not what naturally motivates them.

The Japanese Shiba Inu

The Shiba is a small Japanese hunting breed originally associated with hunting birds and small game in mountainous terrain. Its size can be deceptive. A Shiba is not simply a little fluffy companion dog, many display considerable independence, environmental awareness, hunting motivation and very strong opinions about being physically handled. They can be affectionate without being particularly compliant, and their response to pressure can be surprisingly dramatic. The famous “Shiba scream” is not entirely an internet invention. Some Shibas are socially selective with other dogs and many become less interested in indiscriminate dog play as they mature.

For puppies, handling work is exceptionally valuable. Collar holding, foot handling, grooming, veterinary-style examination and restraint should all be introduced gradually and positively. Recall should begin immediately. Owners should also guard against accidentally raising a dog that believes every dog it sees must be greeted. Socialisation should create confidence and neutrality, not social dependency.

Eye disease, hip dysplasia and patellar problems are among the conditions monitored within the breed, with ophthalmological, hip and patellar evaluation forming part of recommended health testing programmes. The Royal Kennel Club currently includes eye testing, including gonioscopy for primary lens angle assessment, within its recommendations for the Japanese Shiba Inu.

Suitable outlets: hunting-style search games, scent work, tracking, controlled chase games, hiking and exploring novel environments. Shibas frequently enjoy activities where they can investigate rather than simply perform commands.

The Chow Chow

The Chow Chow has an extremely long history in China and historically fulfilled several functions, including guarding, hunting and general utility work. Modern Chows are often described as aloof, dignified and independent. Unfortunately, aloofness is sometimes romanticised to the point where poor socialisation is excused as “just the breed.” There is an important difference, a well-raised Chow may genuinely have little interest in being touched by strangers, and that is perfectly reasonable. A dog terrified of strangers because it experienced virtually nothing outside its home during puppyhood is another matter entirely. Puppy socialisation should therefore concentrate on calm exposure without forced interaction.

A Chow doesn't need to love strangers it needs to know how to exist safely around them. Body handling is particularly important, grooming, veterinary examination, foot handling and being touched around the face should be established early. Training a muzzle comfortably during puppyhood is sensible with any large dog and particularly useful for breeds that may become reserved about physical handling.

Chows can be affected by hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar problems, thyroid disease and eye disorders. Eyelid conformation deserves particular attention because entropion can cause eyelashes or skin to rub painfully against the surface of the eye. Recommended screening programmes include hips, elbows, patellas, eyes and thyroid function.

Suitable outlets: scent work, tracking, exploratory walks, searching games and structured low-impact exercise. They do not necessarily require frantic activity, but they still need meaningful opportunities to use their brains and investigate their environment.

The Shar-Pei

The Shar-Pei is another Chinese breed with a history very different from that of a modern companion dog. Dogs of this general type were associated with guarding, hunting and farm work, although reconstructing the precise history of ancient populations is difficult.

Temperament can be independent, self-contained and reserved. Many Shar-Pei are extremely loyal towards their own household but less interested in unfamiliar people. Dog selectivity can also emerge as the animal matures, again, socialisation needs to focus on neutrality. Forcing a reserved puppy to accept unwanted touching from strangers because “puppies need socialising” can actually teach the puppy that people are unpredictable and intrusive.

Teach the puppy that strangers can exist without approaching it. Handling deserves enormous attention because this is also a breed in which medical treatment may unfortunately become part of life. The Shar-Pei has some significant breed-specific health and welfare concerns. Skin disease, recurrent inflammation, ear problems and entropion are important issues, and Shar-Pei autoinflammatory disease, which includes episodes commonly known as Familial Shar-Pei Fever, can be associated with serious complications including amyloidosis.

Extreme wrinkling should never be regarded as desirable simply because it looks distinctive. The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch guidance specifically highlights excessive wrinkle that contributes to eye, eyelid and skin problems. Recommended breeding assessments also include hips, elbows, patellas, eyes and thyroid function.

Puppies should therefore learn cooperative handling, ear examination, eye examination, skin checks and calm veterinary restraint.

Suitable outlets: scent work, tracking, searching, structured walks and problem-solving games. For many Shar-Pei, activities based around investigation rather than highly repetitive obedience are particularly appropriate.

The Siberian Husky

Few dogs demonstrate the difference between intelligence and obedience better than the Siberian Husky. These dogs developed as endurance sled dogs. Their ancestors needed to run, cooperate with other dogs, navigate difficult environments and continue working for long periods. Human cooperation certainly mattered, but it was a different relationship from the one we created in a Border Collie or modern gundog.

Huskies are often highly social, energetic and playful. Many enjoy both people and other dogs, although individuals vary. They are also legendary escape artists. Digging under fencing, climbing, squeezing through gaps and travelling considerable distances are not unusual themes in Husky ownership.

Recall can be challenging, partly because running and exploration are profoundly rewarding behaviours in their own right. They may also show significant predatory interest in smaller animals. This is another breed where saying “my dog knows recall” and “therefore I can safely let him off around deer” are two entirely different statements.

Health screening places particular emphasis on hips and eyes. Hereditary eye disorders have long been monitored within the breed, and DNA tests are now also available for certain neurological conditions including forms of polyneuropathy and shaking puppy syndrome.

A Husky puppy should learn recall, lead skills, stop cues and engagement from the first weeks at home, alongside gradually learning that not every exciting thing in the environment can be pursued. Importantly, young puppies should not be physically exhausted in an attempt to “wear them out.” Running endurance develops as the dog matures.

Suitable outlets: recreational mushing, canicross, bikejoring or scooter work once physically mature and appropriately conditioned, alongside hiking, scent work and controlled running. Giving a sled dog a legitimate opportunity to pull can transform pulling from something the owner constantly fights into something the dog is actually allowed to enjoy under the right cue and equipment.

The Alaskan Malamute

The Malamute and Siberian Husky are frequently lumped together, but historically their work differed. Where Huskies became famous for relatively fast endurance travel, the Malamute developed as a powerful Arctic freighting dog capable of moving substantial loads. This history produced a strong, physically capable and often highly independent dog.

Malamutes can be enormously affectionate towards people, but maturity can bring greater dog selectivity, particularly between same-sex dogs. Predatory behaviour towards smaller animals can also be significant.

Their sheer size means puppy training cannot be treated casually. A cute puppy pulling towards another dog quickly becomes an adult capable of moving a human being several metres if it decides to do so.

Loose lead walking, calm greetings, recall, impulse control, handling and the ability to disengage from dogs should begin immediately. Socialisation again should not mean unlimited puppy play. A Malamute needs to learn that other dogs are part of the environment and do not automatically signal wrestling time.

Hip disease, inherited eye disorders and Alaskan Malamute polyneuropathy (AMPN) are important considerations. The latter is an inherited neurological disorder that can cause weakness, abnormal movement, exercise intolerance and muscle wasting. Hip, ophthalmological and AMPN DNA testing are among the recommended health screens.

Suitable outlets: pulling sports, hiking, pack walks, weighted work once mature and professionally guided, scent work and tracking. Allow the adult Malamute to use its strength constructively rather than spending its entire life being corrected for wanting to pull.

The Samoyed

The Samoyed developed alongside the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. Dogs were associated with herding reindeer, pulling, hunting and close everyday relationships with people. That history may help explain why the Samoyed often feels rather different from some of the more reserved breeds within the basal grouping. Many are highly sociable, sometimes too sociable.

Samoyed puppies can become extremely excited by people and dogs, with barking, pulling and frustration developing if every social encounter becomes an opportunity for interaction. This is a perfect example of why socialisation does not mean allowing puppies to greet everybody. A Samoyed should learn that seeing a person or dog can simply result in continuing the walk. They are intelligent, energetic and frequently vocal. Barking served useful communicative functions historically, so owners should not be surprised when their Samoyed discovers the power of its voice.

Health concerns include hip dysplasia, eye disease and cardiac conditions. Breed testing recommendations also include DNA tests for specific inherited retinal and ocular-skeletal disorders.

Grooming training is essential. That magnificent adult coat does not suddenly appear with a dog that automatically enjoys being brushed. Puppyhood should include gentle grooming, standing for examination, foot handling and learning to relax during coat care.

Suitable outlets: canicross, recreational pulling, hiking, scent work, tracking, searching, appropriately managed social activity and, for some dogs, herding-style activities. They generally benefit from having something to do rather than simply being expected to exhaust themselves on walks.

The Finnish Spitz

The Finnish Spitz developed as a hunting dog, particularly associated with locating game birds and alerting the hunter to their position through repeated barking.

That last part is rather important, if you acquire a Finnish Spitz and then become horrified that the dog enjoys barking, you have somewhat missed the historical memo.

Vocalisation is deeply embedded in the breed's working history.

They are typically alert, lively, intelligent and independent, with considerable awareness of what is happening around them. Hunting behaviour can be strong, and many will notice movement or wildlife long before their owner does.

Puppy raising should include recall, disengagement from wildlife, calm observation and very deliberate work around barking. The answer is not necessarily to punish every vocalisation. Instead, teach the dog when barking is useful and when another behaviour pays better. A strong “thank you, that's enough” or quiet cue can be particularly valuable.

The Finnish Spitz is generally regarded as a relatively healthy breed, but prospective owners should still investigate the health and longevity of the breeder's lines.

Suitable outlets: scent work, tracking, searching for hidden objects, woodland exploration, hunting-style games and activities where locating something and indicating its position earns a reward. Instead of continually fighting the dog's desire to search, find and alert, we can put those behaviours to work.

What About Dingoes and New Guinea Singing Dogs?

Genetic papers discussing basal dog populations also sometimes include animals such as the Dingo and New Guinea Singing Dog. They are useful scientifically because their relative isolation can tell us a great deal about canine population history. However, it would be misleading to simply place them alongside the Saluki, Shiba Inu or Samoyed as ordinary domestic pedigree breeds.

Their histories, ecology and relationship with humans are different, and they should not be used as evidence that breeds such as the Basenji or Akita are somehow “half wild.” They aren't, a Basenji is a domestic dog, a Husky is a domestic dog, an Akita is a domestic dog. Being genetically basal does not mean being partly wolf, primitive in intelligence or incapable of forming strong relationships with people.

What it may tell us is that the route their ancestors travelled through domestication and later breed development was different.

The Common Puppy-Raising Lesson

When we put all these breeds together, a pattern begins to emerge.

Many of them benefit from owners who prioritise:

Engagement without dependency. Teach the puppy that humans are relevant and rewarding without expecting it to stare constantly at its owner.

Neutrality rather than indiscriminate sociability. Your puppy does not need to greet every person and every dog. For naturally reserved breeds in particular, being comfortable around somebody without wanting to interact with them is an excellent outcome.

Recall before freedom. Do not allow a hunting or highly exploratory puppy to spend months discovering that disappearing after wildlife is more rewarding than coming back to you and then attempt to repair recall afterwards.

Handling from the beginning. Grooming, nail care, veterinary examinations, collar grabs, harnesses, ear checks and mouth examination should become normal while the dog is still small.

Appropriate independence. Allow puppies to investigate, problem solve and develop confidence without micromanaging every moment.

Breed-specific outlets. A dog bred to chase should occasionally have something appropriate to chase. A dog bred to pull should eventually have opportunities to pull. A dog bred to search should search. A dog bred to track should use its nose.

This doesn't mean recreating dangerous or illegal historical hunting practices.

It means recognising the behavioural systems that made the breed successful and finding safe modern ways of allowing the dog to express them. That may be one of the biggest differences between successfully living with these dogs and constantly battling against them.

Don't Buy the Look Without Understanding the Dog

Ancient and basal breeds can be extraordinarily rewarding dogs to live with.

But many have become popular because of appearance. People see the extraordinary coat of an Afghan Hound, the wolf-like beauty of a Siberian Husky, the teddy-bear appearance of a Chow, the fox-like Shiba Inu or the smiling face of a Samoyed.

What they don't necessarily see is the behavioural history underneath. The Husky doesn't know that you bought him because his blue eyes looked beautiful on Instagram. The Saluki doesn't know that chasing deer is inconvenient. The Finnish Spitz doesn't know that your neighbours would rather he didn't announce everything he notices. The Akita doesn't know that modern dog owners expect every dog to enjoy meeting unfamiliar dogs. The Basenji doesn't know that you would prefer him not to make his own decisions. Those characteristics didn't appear accidentally, they are part of the reason these dogs exist.

Breed tendencies explain behaviour; they don't remove our responsibility to train and manage it. Instead, understanding the breed should allow us to train better. We can prevent the behaviours that are incompatible with modern life, teach the dog the skills it needs to live safely in our world and, at the same time, provide suitable outlets for the behavioural characteristics humans spent generations preserving.

Perhaps that is the greatest lesson the so-called ancient breeds can teach us.

Don't simply ask how to stop the behaviour, ask why the dog wants to perform it in the first place. Once we understand that, we can start raising dogs in a way that works with their genetics rather than spending their entire lives fighting against them.

Less selectively bred doesn't mean completely unselected

There is another important distinction, saying these populations may have been less intensively selectively bred does not mean nobody selected them at all, quite the opposite. Humans probably applied enormous selection pressure, it was simply different selection pressure.

For thousands of years a dog might have reproduced because it could hunt successfully, survive the climate, coexist with the community and remain physically healthy enough to work. The environment was selecting too. Extreme heat, freezing temperatures, food availability, disease, terrain and the need to perform useful work all influenced which dogs survived and reproduced.

That is very different from deciding that a dog should reproduce primarily because its ears, coat, height or head shape most closely fit a written breed standard. We therefore need to distinguish between functional selection and the intense closed-population selective breeding associated with many modern pedigree dogs.

These so-called ancient dogs aren't dogs that humans forgot to breed.

They may represent populations in which humans historically selected for what worked, while nature continued applying plenty of pressure of its own.

What does this mean when raising one?

Understanding this history should change our expectations. If you own one of these breeds, your aim shouldn't be to erase the characteristics that generations of dogs were selected for, you need to understand them. A dog whose ancestors benefited from independent decision-making may need particularly careful work on engagement and recall. A hunting breed needs appropriate outlets for predatory behaviour rather than simply being told not to chase anything for the rest of its life. A dog that isn't naturally inclined to continually reference its handler may require you to actively build the value of doing so.

Early socialisation is important, but socialisation doesn't mean forcing a naturally reserved dog to interact with hundreds of strangers. Good socialisation teaches the puppy that the world is safe, predictable and manageable while allowing temperament and breed characteristics to remain intact.

Training also needs to be meaningful. This is particularly important with dogs owners describe as “stubborn.” If your dog learns an exercise quickly and then asks, why are we doing it again?, endlessly increasing repetition may not improve training, sometimes it simply makes the activity less worthwhile. Find what motivates that individual dog. Use food, movement, play, access to the environment and functional rewards intelligently. Build engagement from puppyhood. Teach recall before giving the dog opportunities to discover that ignoring you and chasing wildlife is considerably more exciting.

Most importantly, recognise that training cannot completely override genetics.

Environment matters enormously. Learning matters. Socialisation matters. Experience matters, but experience works with the genetic dog standing in front of us.

It doesn't replace it.

Perhaps “ancient breed” tells the wrong story

The phrase ancient breed is appealing. It conjures images of dogs standing beside Pharaohs, travelling with nomadic tribes or pulling sleds across landscapes untouched for thousands of years and those histories deserve celebrating. But scientifically, the phrase can encourage us to believe something that probably isn't true: that the pedigree dogs standing in our homes today are essentially unchanged versions of dogs that existed several thousand years ago.

The better story may actually be more fascinating. Many of these dogs come from populations with extremely old functional histories. Their ancestors developed alongside humans in geographically or culturally isolated regions, often under powerful environmental pressures. They were selected for jobs and survival rather than primarily for the requirements of modern dog shows. Then, while large parts of the dog population were mixed, divided, standardised and intensively reshaped into the hundreds of modern breeds we recognise today, some populations remained comparatively separate.

So rather than asking: “How ancient is this breed?”

perhaps we should ask: “How much have humans changed this population, what did we historically select it to do, and what parts of that history are still influencing the dog in front of us?” That question is far more useful to dog owners.

Because whether we call them ancient, basal, primitive or something else, these dogs remind us of one of the most important lessons in understanding canine behaviour:

Dogs are not all the same animal underneath different coats.

Every breed population carries the consequences of the environment it developed in, the work its ancestors performed and the choices humans made about which dogs reproduced. Some modern breeds have been extraordinarily specialised through intensive recent selection. Others appear to have retained more characteristics from older, less intensively managed dog populations. Neither is better or worse, but they can be profoundly different and when we understand the history behind those differences, their behaviour begins to make much more sense.