Have you ever wondered why there are so many dog breeds in the world? Why are there such a huge variety – from the tiny chihuahua to a huge mastiff? Yet all dogs are descended from a single species – the gray wolf Canis lupus of Central Asia.
The incredible explosion of dog breeds occurred over time. With natural mutations, climate and human preferences, more and more different types of dogs developed. Humans wanted dogs for different reasons – to help in hunting, herding, guarding, work and for companionship.
Dog breeds continue to develop as we can see with the crossbred types such as the labradoodle (labrador and poodle), cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle) and puggle (pug and beagle).