15 Rare And Interesting Dog Breeds You Didn’t Know Existed

These large dogs are affectionate to their owners, but can be wary of strangers. Residents of Portugal's Estrela Mountains have used this breed to guard their livestock and homes for hundreds of years.

They almost look like golden retrievers, but the Hovawart is a German dog that comes in three different colors: golden, all black, and black with brown "points," like a Rottweiler. The name means "estate guard dog," but owners of Hovawarts should be experienced in owning and training dogs, as these pooches don't listen as well as other breeds.

The Eurasier was bred by crossing a Chow Chow, a Wolfspitz, and a Samoyed. They love spending time with their humans and aren't well suited for stressful work, but make great therapy dogs thanks to their even temperament.

Also known as the Peruvian Hairless Dog, these animals rarely have any fur except for occasional cases where it appears on the top of their head, their feet, or the tip of their tail. They're extremely smart and protective, and they're great for people who are normally allergic to dogs because they don't have as much dandruff as other breeds.

This herding dog is thought to have originated over a thousand years ago during the age of the Vikings, but the breed nearly went extinct in the 1940s. These pets are intelligent and affectionate, but because of their herding instincts, they may become uncomfortable if their human family is spread out. They might even nip at your heels to encourage you to get back in your human "herd!"

This French herding dog (whose name is pronounced "Bare-ZAY Pee-CARR") nearly went extinct during the World Wars, and even today, it's hard to find this breed. It can be seen in the 2005 film Because of Winn-Dixie — the directors needed multiple "scruffy-looking" dogs with a consistent look to portray Winn-Dixie, so they found a few Picards to do the job. 

This Hungarian dog comes in a wide variety of colors. They're excellent herding, hunting, and extermination dogs, and they need to be kept active in order to be happy. Those who have owned these pups also say that they're fantastic around people as long as they get enough exercise.

Like the greyhound, the Azawakh is an extremely lean dog by nature, and slight visibility of the ribs means that the dog is at a healthy weight. These African hounds are protective and will form a strong bond with their owners, but might be wary of strangers.

The Leonberger is truly a massive dog, reaching up to 170 lbs in weight. They're all-around great dogs — loyal to their owners, great with strangers, gentle with children, and accepting of other dogs.

As its name suggests, these dogs were originally created by breeding a domesticated dog (a German Shepherd) to a wolf. These days, though, there is only a very small percentage of wolf blood found in this breed. These animals are intelligent and hard-working, and they've been known to be trained as search-and-rescue dogs. However, they can be difficult to train and require experienced owners to handle them properly.

These mountain dogs are popular in the nation of Georgia, but it's much harder to find them in the United States. They are large animals, weighing up to 130 lbs, and because they were bred to guard their owners against anything (including wolves and bears), they can be aggressive towards strangers if they don't receive proper training.

Also known as the Dutch Sheepdog, this breed is affectionate and active. It makes a great dog for families, and it enjoys fast-paced sports like agility. It's common to find them in black and white, but their coat can be any color.

The Pumi is known for its perky (and adorable) ears. They're a terrier-type shepherd dog, and they're often used on farms to herd sheep and cattle as well as to hunt rats. They're easy to train, but if not socialized from an early age, they can be suspicious of strangers.

Also known as the Russian Toy, these tiny dogs nearly went extinct in the 1920s and then again in the 1990s. They've only recently become known outside of Russia, but they're slowly rising in popularity thanks to their small size and lovable personalities.

This breed was developed in Germany between the two World Wars as a way of fighting off introduced animal species that were disrupting the ecosystem. Today, these terriers are still primarily used as hunting dogs, and due to their strong prey drive, they're best kept out of houses that contain other animals such as cats.

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