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

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Nov 20, 2025 9:00 AM EST

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.

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01
BASSETT HOUNDS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
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
05
IRISH SETTERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
06

via Daily Mail
07
SCOTTISH TERRIERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
08

via Daily Mail, Getty Images
09
GERMAN SHEPHERDS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
10

via Daily Mail, Universal Images Group via Getty
11
DOBERMANNS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
12

via Daily Mail, Universal Images Group via Getty
13
SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
14

via Daily Mail, Universal Images Group via Getty
15
OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
16

via Daily Mail, Getty Images/iStockphoto
17
ROTTWEILERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
18

via Daily Mail, Getty Images
19
GREAT DANES

via Dogs of all nations 1867
20

via Daily Mail, Universal Images Group via Getty
21
DACHSHUNDS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
22

via Daily Mail, Getty Images/iStockphoto
23
PUGS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
24

via Daily Mail, Getty Images
25
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
26

via Daily Mail, Getty Images/EyeEm
27
AIREDALE TERRIERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
28

via Daily Mail, Universal Images Group via Getty
29
BULL TERRIERS

via Dogs of all nations 1867
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

via Dogs of all nations 1867
32

via Daily Mail, AFP via Getty Images

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

BASSETT HOUNDS

NEWFOUNDLANDS

IRISH SETTERS

SCOTTISH TERRIERS

GERMAN SHEPHERDS

DOBERMANNS

SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS

OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS

ROTTWEILERS

GREAT DANES

DACHSHUNDS

PUGS

WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS

AIREDALE TERRIERS

BULL TERRIERS

CHOW CHOWS

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