Everyone knows Frenchies and golden retrievers. But what about basenjis and Bergamascos?

NEW YORK (TND) — The crowd surrounding the pug’s table at the American Kennel Club’s annual “Meet the Breeds” showcase on Jan. 27 was so tightly packed that one could only assume — but not see for themself — that there was a squat, wrinkly-faced pug at the center of the hubbub.

Elsewhere in Javits Center, a similarly dense group had gathered around the borzoi’s booth in hopes of shaking hands with one of the breed’s representatives. A canine representative, to be specific, and the elegant sighthound fulfilled the duties well, delicately placing a paw into any outstretched hand.

Pugs are indisputably well-liked, easily landing among the top 25 dog breeds of 2024 on U.S. News & World Report’s most recent list. In the AKC’s latest registration-based popularity rankings, pugs placed 35th.

But borzois, despite the breed’s wizardly intrigue and their chosen “Meet the Breeds” representative’s remarkable ability to shake hands, failed to crack the AKC’s top 100 in 2022; last week's U.S. News rankings made no mention of borzois whatsoever. They aren’t likely to win these types of popularity contests anytime soon, which is no reflection on their gentle temperament and regal appearance but rather, indicates the complex and ambiguous formula by which dog breeds fall in and out of favor.

Temperament, in fact, may have little to do with it. A 2013 study found no evidence to support hypotheses that certain breeds are favored due to desirable behaviors, health, or longevity, instead suggesting that fashion, or "social influence" may be the prevailing factor over function. Accordingly, starring roles in movies and TV shows seem to have an impact, from the uptick in Dalmatian adoption after Disney’s 1996 “101 Dalmatians” remake to the increased interest in huskies among “Game of Thrones” fans.

And then, there's the internet, where Doug the Pug has attracted millions of followers with his stylish outfits and floppy tongue and viral TikToks of father-son golden retriever duo Tucker and Todd earn the already-beloved breed even more fans. Awareness of the shiba inu spread via the rampant overuse of the “doge” meme, to the point that the U.S. government latched onto the Japanese hunting dog to promote health insurance. This time last year, Google searches for borzois soared, thanks to an animation of the long-nosed hound using its snout to reach the last Pringle in the can.

At the AKC’s annual exposition of more than 125 breeds, there’s plenty of room for both the popular set (chihuahuas, French bulldogs, and golden retrievers, according to this year’s U.S. News rankings) and those who fly so far under the radar they’ve yet to even earn recognition in meme form.

To be sure, some attendees showed up at Javits Center solely to spend time with their favorites, but most seemed enthused to simply meet the breeds, as in any breed whatsoever, with the slightest preferential treatment given to those dogs most eager to be pet. Big crowds could be skipped over. There was plenty to see, from a scruffy, white-bearded dog so rare that fewer than 150 live in the U.S. to the lamb curled up under the signage for “Bedlington terrier” that must have wandered into the wrong convention at Javits Center.

Missed the opportunity to shake hands with a borzoi or to find out if a mop dog actually feels like a mop? There's always next year, but in the meantime, here are 12 little-known breeds that certainly won’t make the top 10 on any upcoming popularity rankings but just may steal the number one spot in your heart.

1) Basenji

What does a barkless dog sound like?

In the case of the basenji, communication comes mostly via yodel.

For the curious, there's no shortage of videos documenting basenji vocalizations on YouTube. The question of why the breed doesn't bark, however, isn't as straightforward to answer. Most sources point toward the central African hunting dog's laryngeal ventricle, which is shallower than that of other breeds. The resulting limitations to vocal cord movement largely prevent basenjis from barking. But some basenjis do bark, a fact pointed out by those who doubt that the shape of the laryngeal ventricle tells the complete story.

A 1983 article offered an alternative explanation: "If, on the other hand, the basenji breed derived from domestic ancestors so ancient that the barking character had not yet been selected for, then modern basenjis would have simply never developed this trait at all."

Basenjis are one of the oldest breeds in existence. How old? No one knows for sure, but old enough to show up in rock engravings from ancient Egypt, where they were reportedly presented as gifts to pharaohs, and old enough to have a great deal of genetic material in common with the ancient wolf population in the Middle East that purportedly shaped our modern canine companions.

Old enough, one might think, to have made considerable strides in popularity, but factors like small litter sizes and a once-a-year natural breeding cycle have instead kept the barkless dog fairly obscure.

2) Kromfohrländer

Even those familiar with the basenji may have to concede that, no, they have never encountered a Kromfohrländer. The medium-sized German breed is so rare, in fact, that the private Facebook group for Kromfohrländer owners in North America bluntly tells potential members, "Your shelter dog is not a Kromfohrländer, even if he looks like one."

Terse, but true. Every "Kromi" currently in existence is microchipped and registered. According to the Kromfohrländer Club of America, there are 142 Kromfohrländers in the United States, although a percentage may have since passed away. An interactive map breaks down the country's Kromfohrländers by region, complete with a photo gallery of nearly identical-looking pups with some variance in coat type (broken down into two varieties, either rough or smooth) and markings (some shade of brown and as symmetrical as possible on the head). On a separate page, a list of breeders includes just three kennels.

Contributing to the Kromfohrländer's scarcity is the breed's relatively short history. Its existence is a happy accident, the outcome of a chance meeting between Peter — a scruffy pointing dog from France who served as a U.S. Army troop mascot during World War II and later wound up in Germany — and a black-and-white fox terrier named Fifi. A sweet tale of puppy love worthy of its own Disney animation evolved into the Kromfohrländer's origin story when Peter's owner, a woman by the name of Ilse Schleifenbaum, recognized in Peter and Fifi's first litter the potential for a brand new breed. Ten years later, the Kromfohrländer was recognized by the German Kennel Club.

Breeding, as dictated by Schleifenbaum, was to be conducted exclusively as a hobby, never commercially. And so, even in Germany, there's patience required in adopting a Kromi, with only 220 puppies, give or take, born each year. The good-natured companion dogs also come at a cost — 1,600 euros, as recommended by the Kromfohrländer Breeding Association.

3) Alaskan Klee Kai

Back in 2011, Miley Cyrus adopted an Alaskan klee kai named Floyd. He was a constant presence on her Instagram and even made it into the director's cut version of her "We Can't Stop" music video. When Floyd passed away, Cyrus honored him with a tattoo.

Similarly, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas got inked in tribute to one of their Alaskan klee kai, Waldo Picasso, after his death. The now-separated couple also shared Porky Basquiat, Waldo Picasso's brother and the most dapper groomsman at their 2019 wedding.

And for NFL fans, no Alaskan klee kai is more iconic than Nike, who amusingly took over duties for former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during 2020's virtual draft.

Google Trends data suggests that Floyd, Waldo Picasso, Porky Basquiat, and Nike each played a significant role in promoting the breed, with spikes in interest coinciding with the famous pets' headlines. Still, for every one person who’s heard of the Alaskan klee kai, there are thousands more who are familiar with Siberian huskies, Samoyeds, and Alaskan malamutes. Compare those who have met at least one Siberian husky with the number of people who have ever come across an Alaskan klee kai, and the margin between the two groups would surely widen.

Legend has it that the Alaskan klee kai is the creation of the Glacier Witch, who pulled the diminutive creature out of icy water, dried it by the fire, and determined its name based on the Eskimo words for “little dog.”

Really, the klee kai’s development began not that long ago, in the 1970s, and is well-documented. It all started with a 17-pound husky called Curious, named for her curiously small size. Linda Spurlin adopted the unusual dog from her husband’s relatives in Oklahoma, prompting attempts to breed others of a similar stature. She was successful, and by 1988, the Alaskan klee kai — a blend of the Alaskan husky, the Siberian husky, and various smaller dogs — was made available for purchase.

Nearly a decade later, in 1997, the breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club. Next up for the spitz-type dog, breeders hope, will be AKC recognition as a member of the non-sporting group.

4) Pumi

The pumi is a close relative of the puli and the mudi. The next question on most minds would be: What's a puli? Also: What's a mudi?

The three breeds, all uncommon in the U.S., are Hungarian herding dogs, their ancestors brought to Europe by the Magyars. The puli is thought to be the oldest of the three, recognized by the AKC in 1936 (some may recall the mop-like canine as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's breed of choice).

The pumi wouldn't join its dreadlocked cousin as an AKC-recognized breed until 2016, but the word "pumi," as a descriptor of sheepherding dogs, dates back to 1815. The terrier-like herding dog with expressive ears and a curly coat evolved spontaneously as pulik began to mate with the Western European breeds that arrived in Hungary via the livestock trade. Controlled breeding of the "sheepdog terrier," as described by Dr. Emil Raitsis, began in the early 20th century.

5) Drentsche Patrijshond

Show anyone Gabriel Metsu’s “The Hunter’s Present,” and it’s almost a guarantee that they won’t be able to identify the type of dog standing alongside the hunter in the 17th-century oil painting. A similar dog takes a break next to his nude companion in another of Metsu’s works, “Hunter Getting Dressed after Bathing.”

Knowing that it’s a Drentsche patrijshond is the first step. Pronouncing the breed’s name is the second, although “Drent” (for short) will do just fine.

There’s also the English name, “Dutch Partridge Dog,” but the Drentsche Patrijshond Club of North America has made the purposeful decision to stick with the original version to better preserve the rare pointing dog’s Dutch heritage and to prevent pigeonholing the Drent as a breed specialized solely for hunting Hungarian partridges.

Developed during the 16th century in a Dutch province that permitted anyone, not just the elite, to hunt, the Drent became a dog that could do it all. Families in rural Drenthe often couldn’t afford more than one dog, so it was their Drent, and only their Drent, hunting Hungarian partridges and foxes, catching vermin on the farm, carting goods to the market, alerting the family to visitors, and keeping children entertained.

Recently, a population analysis outlined a grim future for the Drent. Genetic diversity among Drents, researchers explained in the August 2023 report, is decreasing, with current levels akin to breeding from just 2.15 animals. A decade ago, 500 puppies were born annually; now, that number is closer to 250. These numbers are expected to continue trending downward unless a serious effort is made going forward to ensure the Drentsche patrijshond’s longevity.

6) Lagotto Romagnolo

Pigs and truffles go hand-in-hand, or at least that's the common perception from those not well-versed in the lucrative truffle trade. In actuality, pigs, no matter their exceptionally keen sense of smell, are often a bit too interested in eating the fungi they've unearthed from beneath the ground. Besides, truffle pigs have been banned in Italy since 1985 to mitigate the amount of damage to the mycelia of truffles.

Truffle hunters instead rely on dogs — springer spaniels, beagles, golden retrievers, rescues, virtually any dog that has been trained (with plenty of patience) to associate the scent of the hard-to-find buried treasure with enthusiastic encouragement and, most importantly, treats.

But professionals in Italy swear by the lagotto Romagnolo.

A relatively unknown breed to those not involved in the cutthroat truffle trade, the lagotto Romagnolo is worth thousands. Training, too, is an investment. But not to worry; skillful lagotti will pay for themselves, sooner or later.

Owning a top truffle dog is not without risk. There’s a war amongst foragers, fueled by a greed so blinding that the lagotto Romagnolo, to the most money-hungry of hunters, no longer takes the shape of a curly-coated canine companion but is regarded as little more than a tool — a highly valuable tool, at that, and a tool that, in the hands of the competition, could reduce one’s chances of striking culinary gold. Tainted meatballs and hot dogs hidden along truffle hunting paths became so pervasive in Italy that, in 2022, law enforcement brought in their own well-trained dogs to detect not truffles but poison.

Sometimes, the dogs are stolen, a fate that dognapping victim Luke Fegatilli considers even worse. Death, at least, brings closure, whereas Fegatilli remains tormented by the false hope that his missing lagotti Romagnoli will one day return.

7) Belgian Tervuren

The Belgian Tervuren's history is a muddled, difficult-to-trace account intertwined with other Belgian sheepdogs that, until the turn of the 20th century, were not considered separate breeds. As working dogs on farms, they weren't even considered purebred at all.

In the latter half of the 19th century, dog fanciers in Germany began to push for the standardization of the country's working shepherd dogs. By 1891, a handful of enthusiasts formed the Phylax Society in an attempt to finally pin down a German dog breed. Too many differing opinions stifled progress, and the club was disbanded just a few years after its founding.

The Phylax Society's efforts, though ultimately unsuccessful, inspired neighboring Belgium to pursue a similar endeavor of identifying a standardized shepherd dog to represent the country. At a gathering of 117 canine representatives, veterinary professor Adolphe Reul and his colleagues determined that there was undoubtedly a quintessential Belgian dog. Among 40 dogs selected from the initial group, there was consistency in build, ear shape, and eye color.

Coat length, texture, and color varied, and so, from the desire to define one standardized Belgian breed, there instead came to be four: the Belgian Tervuren from the town of Tervuren; the Groenendael, also known as the Belgian sheepdog; the Malinois, named after the city of Malines; and the Laekenois, the last of the Belgian herding dogs to receive full recognition from the AKC. Tervurens are the longhaired “other than black” variety, standing in contrast to the solid black Groenendael, alike in every other way.

During World War II, the intelligent Tervurens were employed by both the military and the Red Cross. The breed’s success on the battlefield was nearly its downfall, as German soldiers carried out orders to shoot each one they came across.

Following the war, the popularity of the Belgian Tervuren skyrocketed. Today, the Terv certainly has its fans, though nowhere near as many as the German shepherd, which was, of course, eventually standardized after the Phylax Society’s failure to do so.

8) Bergamasco Sheepdog

As a puppy, the Bergamasco sheepdog gives little indication of its adult appearance. For the first few months of life, the Bergamasco is a tiny fluffball with sweet little eyes poking out beneath soft tufts of hair. Fast forward to adulthood, and the heritage breed hailing from Italy no longer has eyes at all.

The eyes, of course, are still there upon closer inspection, but they're hidden (and protected from snowblindness) by the Bergamasco's signature shaggy coat that looks more "mop" than "dog." There's a resemblance to the aforementioned puli, the pumi's dreadlocked relative, and to the komondor, but despite the aesthetic similarities, the Bergamasco's coat is unique. Unlike the two Hungarian breeds whose cords are formed by a coarse outer coat clumped with a softer undercoat, the full-grow Bergamasco has three types of hair: a short, fine undercoat that acts as a waterproof layer; long, rough "goat" hair that's particularly prominent around the neck area; and woolly hair with a finer texture that grows in tufts.

For the first few months of a Bergamasco's life, owners are likely to face one frequent misconception — that their new puppy is some kind of "doodle," yet another addition to the continuing deluge of poodle mixes that some disparagers have dubbed the "doodle epidemic." An Aussiedoodle, the cross between an Australian shepherd and a poodle, is a common guess.

By the time the Bergamasco nears its first birthday, the start of the "flocking" process will eliminate much of that confusion. Goat hair grows in at approximately 8 or 9 months, as does the woolly layer, and the thickening of the coat leads to clumping. Known as "flocks," the flat bundles of hair require some manual separation when they first begin to form, using two to three finger widths as a general guide. A messy appearance is inevitable during this process, the stubby formations described as "natural and unavoidable" by the AKC breed standard.

"It is only at approximately 3 years of age that the flocks will have grown long enough for the unique look for which the dog is known to begin to be achieved," the standard continues.

Even then, owners will encounter misconceptions. Confusion for komondors and pulik is inevitable (Google Trends shows interest in both breeds soaring over searches for the Bergamasco throughout the past two decades). And then, there's the assumption that the Bergamasco's coat requires a hefty amount of maintenance.

In reality, once the flocks are formed with some human help, the Bergamasco's coat is mostly self-sufficient. Some care must be taken to keep it free from debris, but frequent bathing will damage the coat and dry out the dog's skin; instead, twice-yearly baths, with no shampoo, are recommended.

9) Norrbottenspets

In 1948, the Swedish Kennel Club declared the Norrbottenspets extinct.

Fur prices had declined drastically in the wake of World War II, and no longer did the small spitz-type dog — known for its fearless approach to hunting game in the harsh wilderness of the Scandinavian Peninsula — serve a practical purpose. Registrations halted, and the stud book was closed. The Norrbottenspets, it appeared, had vanished.

Then, there was a resurrection.

While traveling through Sweden's North Bothnia province, a Swedish forester by the name of Stig Onnerfeld came across honest-to-God Norrbottenspets, alive and well on small homesteads and entirely oblivious of the fact that they were supposed to be extinct. He submitted his findings to the Swedish Kennel Club, and in the 1960s, the Norrbottenspets was reintroduced to the registry. A newspaper campaign sought additional owners, resulting in enough specimens to ensure the continuation of the breed.

The Norrbottenspets was accepted to the AKC's Foundation Stock Service in 2007, an impressive achievement for a breed that, at one point, had seemingly ceased to exist. Upon full recognition, the resilient canine would join the hound group.

10) Bedlington Terrier

The few times a Bedlington has made headlines have been eventful: the escape of a champion show dog named Foggyfurze Sugar Baby (or Candy, for short) at Idlewild Airport, Candy’s eventual capture after evading rescue efforts for six days and surviving on a diet of jackrabbits, the terrier-turned-smoke-detector named Ragatag who alerted his owner to a 5 a.m. fire in an unoccupied room at the Alvin Hotel and saved 30 occupants from the blaze.

But Candy’s airport escape was nearly seven decades ago; almost a century has passed since Ragatag’s heroic actions. Now, the Bedlington mostly just ends up on listicles of the weirdest-looking breeds you have to see to believe or the 25 types of dogs you've never heard of before. (Guilty.)

In 2023, though, Linda Freeman, a Bedlington breeder from Vienna, Virginia, was featured in the Washington Post as the ringleader of an informal group of terrier owners tackling Washington, D.C.'s rat problem. They call themselves the Ratscallions, and the spirited pest control team includes breeds like the border terrier, the cairn terrier, the dachshund, a greyhound mix, and Freeman's Bedlingtons.

This particular bit of press best exemplifies the Bedlington terrier's roots, reminding anyone fooled by the dog's gentle lamb-like appearance that a drive to hunt foxes, badgers, otters, and other vermin is just as firmly characteristic of the English breed as a pear-shaped head and silky topknot, and has been for centuries. Legend has it that Ainsley's Piper, the first Bedlington terrier to be called as such back in 1825, was such a skilled predator that he remained a formidable foe to badgers even as a blind, toothless senior citizen.

11) Portuguese Podengo Pequeno

One of the few guidebooks dedicated to the Portuguese podengo pequeno describes the primitive rabbit-hunting hound's key characteristics in the same way that someone may detail their cat's quirks. Breeder Ginger Bowles cautions readers to avoid reaching for the smallest of the three Portuguese podengo size varieties, as the dog is likely to flee in response to the motion, and she characterizes them as wary and alert around strangers. Perhaps the most strikingly cat-like bit of advice is the recommendation to ignore a pequeno in order to form a close friendship with the canine, instead waiting until pequeno has decided that affection is OK.

A pequeno may reject you completely if you 'break the rules.' You cannot talk them out of it or convince them otherwise once they have made up their mind," wrote Bowles.

A couple pages later, Bowles does compare the pequeno to a cat — first in the way it might squabble with another in its pack, and then in reference to the little dog's soft, cat-like feet that enable it to track prey through thick brush.

Of course, someone who's specifically interested in the pequeno's cat-like behavior would probably be better off rescuing a cat from a shelter or adopting one of the kittens their friend found abandoned in a cardboard box or plucking it out of the trash, rather than shelling out a couple thousand dollars for a Portuguese podengo pequeno puppy from a reputable breeder. There's also the difficulty of finding the breed available in the United States, resulting in an adoption process that will likely involve a waiting list and a lot of patience.

It took until the 1990s for purebred podengos to reach the United States, but Portugal's national dog has a history dating back to antiquity. A broadly accepted origin story begins with the primitive hunting dogs distributed to the area by Phoenician traders and Moorish invaders. As the smallest of the podengos evolved, its ability to find and flush out rabbits earned it a spot alongside hunters. Portuguese podengos, in all sizes, have more recently attracted the attention of Portugal’s upper classes, who view the dog as an emblem of national pride.

12) Borzoi

The stately borzoi, despite its brief stint as an unofficial Pringles spokesdog, is not an everyday sight. But during the Romanov family’s three centuries of rule in Russia, noblemen were accompanied on hunts by large packs of the elegant hounds, typically numbering in the hundreds. On at least one occasion, no fewer than a thousand borzois participated.

From Russia, borzois made their way to England. From England, they landed in America. By 1891, the borzoi was recognized by the AKC. It was the early expansion of the borzoi population to countries beyond Russia that would save the breed from extinction decades later, when the ruling elite’s sighthounds were slaughtered en masse during the brutally violent end to the Romanov dynasty.

The long snout that earned the borzoi its reputation as a Pringle lover’s ideal companion is a product of its heritage as the premiere hunting dog of the Russian elite. A sizable nose is conducive to both easier breathing while sprinting after prey and a stronger jaw to clamp down on a catch; a narrow face widens the borzoi’s field of vision beyond that of the average dog.

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