Your Dog's Genetic Profile Infographic

Researchers have analyzed the DNA of 85 dog breeds, and they have found
startling genetic similarities between all of the breeds. In total,
there are four main groups of dogs, the wolflike, the herder, the hunter
and the mastifflike. Most modern breeds are a little bit of each of
these four major types, and the infographic below will show you where your dog lies on the scale.

The length of the colored bars in a breed’s genetic profile shows how much of the dog’s DNA falls into each category.

Wolflike

With roots in Asia, Africa, and the Middle
East, these breeds are genetically closest to wolves, suggesting they
are the oldest domesticated breeds.

Herders

Familiar
herding breeds such as the Shetland sheepdog are joined by breeds never
known for herding: the greyhound, pug, and borzoi. This suggests those
breeds either were used in the creation of classic herding dogs or
descended from them.

Hunters

Most in this group were
developed in recent centuries as hunting dogs. While the pharaoh hound
and Ibizan hound are said to descend from dogs seen on ancient Egyptian
tombs, their placement here suggests they are re-creations bred to
resemble ancient breeds.

Mastifflike

The German shepherd’s
appearance in this cluster, anchored by the mastiff, bulldog, and
boxer, likely reflects its breeding as a military and police dog.