20 Photos That Show Exactly How The Nation’s Favorite Dog Breeds Have Transformed

You might think you know everything about your dog, down to where they like to be scratched and which toy they enjoy most. But if your pup is purebred, you may not know much about their breed’s history. Are you aware, for example, of how their looks have changed over the generations? Many dog breeds have totally transformed in time, so let’s now take a look at 20 of them. They might just surprise you more than your own pooch’s newest trick – we think, anyway.

20. Saluki

The Saluki isn’t as well-known as many other dog breeds, even though they’re apparently the first-ever domesticated dog. Though these slim, long-legged pups have a dancer-like grace to them, they’re incredibly adaptable, too. In other words, they’re capable of surviving in a slew of different environments. But they’re quite expensive – some cost thousands of dollars – and training them can be tough. So, out of 196 entries on the American Kennel Club’s most popular dog breeds list, the Saluki ranks 120th.

The Saluki hasn’t changed physically all that much over the centuries. In fact, pictures of them etched into Egyptian tombs look very similar to the dogs we see today. However, as they migrated across the Middle East, they developed new colors and coat textures. That’s why you can today find Salukis with feathered, smooth or silky fur in colors ranging from cream to fawn to red to black.

19. Beagle

Ever since American families began discovering the Beagle in the early 20th century, they’ve been one of the country’s most popular breeds. This trend may have been encouraged by the Westminster Kennel Club’s dog shows, which ushered them into the spotlight. A Beagle won Best in Show honors in both 2008 and 2015, after all. And the breed as a whole sits in sixth place on the AKC’s list of most popular dogs.

Modern Beagles have a similar build and coloring as their predecessors from 1915, as pictured above. However, the breed has gone through a massive transformation since the first Beagles arrived in the mid-1700s. At the time, the dogs were only 8 to 9 inches tall – people called them “pocket Beagles.” Eventually, though, people came to prefer them as more substantial hunting companions and hounds, so they were bred to fit the bill.