13 African Dog Breeds With Unique Histories

As a continent, Africa is home to so many different types of terrain. The area has mountains, deserts, plains, and more. As a result, the many African dog breeds are uniquely suited to the countries that they come from. Some dogs have no hair to stay cool in the hear. Some dogs are tan in color to blend into the surroundings. Some have long legs to hunt gazelles.

Some of the world's oldest dogs come from Africa, with one breed believed to be from 7000 BC. Ancient versions of today's modern dogs were even used by pharaohs in Egypt as companions and hunting dogs. That's the big thing with breeds from African countries — they are pretty much all hunting dogs or guard dogs to keep owners safe from lions and hyenas, rid of rodents, and stocked with food from their hunts. This differs from say, Chinese dog breeds, which were often used as sleeve warmers or companions for royals versus working, hunting dogs.

Keep reading to learn about the various African dog breeds, and how some ancient dogs evolved into the popular pooches we know today.