How Many Breeds of Domestic Dogs Are There in the World?

Kylar asked, “How many breeds of domestic dogs are there in the world?” Thanks for your question!

Did you know the variety of dog kinds (jackals, coyotes, dingoes, wolves, etc.) and breeds (domestic dogs, which were bred from gray wolves) we have today came from one set of parents on Noah’s ark?

On day six of creation, God created the canine kind. (A kind refers to a group of animals that can have babies together.) The two canines on Noah’s ark had all the information in their DNA needed to produce the many features and traits of the different dog breeds we have today.

Each dog breed has specific traits that make them better at certain jobs. Over the years, humans have bred dogs based on these traits (a process called artificial selection) for jobs such as hunting, pulling sleds, and even for companionship.

No other animal kind has the same range of variation as dogs. In fact, to answer your question, Kylar, there are hundreds of dog breeds recognized around the world. The American Kennel Club currently has 200 registered domestic dog breeds in America. The International Canine Federation lists 360 dog breeds worldwide. And these numbers don’t even include mixed-breed dogs! The variety we see in dogs definitely showcases the creativity of our Creator!

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