Today in History: Jack Russell was born on this day in 1795. While he was a cleric and an enthusiastic fox-hunter we now know him best as the man who developed the Jack Russell Terrier, a variety of the Fox Terrier breed. Before Russell's time, there were just a few dog breeds, with one of the oldest breeds being the Greyhound. During the Victorian era there was an explosion of dog breeding and dogs were bred to conform to every personality and look. The American Kennel Club now recognizes 195 breeds, with 79 additional breeds working toward full recognition, although Wikipedia lists hundreds more.
However, all breeds come from just one dog, a Gray Wolf in Asia. In fact, most of the oldest dog breeds around are Asian: Shanxi Xigou (Chinese Saluki), Tibetan Mastiff, Siberian Husky, Shiba Inu, Akita Inu, Chinese Shar-pei, Chow Chow, Japanese Chin, Tibetan Spaniel, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso and the Shih Tzu.
According to Reader's Digest, the most popular dog in my state, North Carolina, is the Plott Hound, which was bred in North Carolina for the purpose of hunting boar. I've never heard of the Plott Hound, much less seen one.
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