100 Years of Dog Evolution: Fascinating Photos of What Dogs Looked Like Before Human Intervention

Sigh, dogs. One of the best things that have ever been gifted to humanity. Pure pawsitivity in animal form. Little rays of sunshine running around our houses and eating our couches. They are the best things that have ever happened to us. Man's best friend, truly. We look at them, and we cannot believe that we get to have them in our homes. Our goofball golden retrievers. Our reserved, strong and protective German Shepherds, who are also goofballs. Our mildly insane Dachshunds, who are too cute for us to not adore.

We know our dogs as they are, but sometimes, we find ourselves wondering what these dogs were like before. A hundred years ago, before all the human intervention, all the things that we have done to make them look the way that they do today, what did they look like then? And well… thanks to the internet, we actually have the answer in pawfectly put-together before and after photos.

01
BASSETT HOUNDS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
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02

via Daily Mail, Getty Images
You can really tell how much some of these breeds changed over time. Their purposes became different. Most of them were no longer needed for hunting and tracking. They became pets, and cuter pets sell more, so certain changes were selectively made to make them more appealing, for the better or worse.
03
NEWFOUNDLANDS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
04

via Daily Mail
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05
IRISH SETTERS

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06

via Daily Mail
07
SCOTTISH TERRIERS

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08

via Daily Mail, Getty Images
09
GERMAN SHEPHERDS

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10

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11
DOBERMANNS

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13
SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS

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14

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15
OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS

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16

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17
ROTTWEILERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
18

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19
GREAT DANES

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20

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21
DACHSHUNDS

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23
PUGS

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25
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS

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26

via Daily Mail, Getty Images/EyeEm
27
AIREDALE TERRIERS

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28

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29
BULL TERRIERS

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30

via Daily Mail, Getty Images/iStockphoto
We wish, sometimes, that some of these changes could be reverted, but they cannot. So, now, we have to make the best out of what we have. And at the current moment, it means making people as aware as possible about these different breeds of dogs and convincing them that dogs are worth adopting, no matter what they look like.
31
CHOW CHOWS

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via Daily Mail, AFP via Getty Images