Dog Information

Is it possible to recreate extinct dog breeds?

Do you think it would be possible to take the desired traits of an extinct dog breed and recreate blending modern breeds. I am most interested in the Southern Hound, The Tweed Water Spaniel and The Talbot.

Public Comments

1. You may come to something that is similar, but I highly doubt you would be able to recreate the "exact" breed.
2. Why not. But your great grandkids might have to complete the project. Save me a Talbot pup! Best of luck.
3. Well considering it took many many years to perfect the dog breed to begin with, you may eventually be able to create a dog almost identical, however with using newer versions of the original breeds, I don't think it would be possible to recreate it exactly. There's a reason the breed went extinct to begin with.
4. You will not be able to recreate it exactly unless you have an intact DNA sample of the breed in question and somehow manage to implant it in an embryo and create a clone. However, you can come very close to the extinct breed's characteristics and appearance. This practice is called back breeding. You can read more about it in the link below.
5. Noooooooooooo
6. Possible but hardly worth while. Most breeds died out because other breeds, better suited to the job came along. It would take a ton of money, time and resources - probably better spent saving the vulnerable breeds which are under threat now. Most of those old breeds would not be well suited to modern life anyway.
7. http://www.akc.org/breeds/cavalier_king_charles_spaniel/history.cfm Cavaliers were recreated in the early 20th century thru breeding several toy breeds.