What are the oldest breeds of dog?

I believe Greyhounds, Salukis, Ibizan Hounds, Canaan Dogs and Norwegian Elkhounds are some of the oldest that are AKC recognized (as in been a breed, not how long they've been AKC recognized.  )

I've always heard that Norwegian Elkhounds were one of the oldest northern breeds. But I recently read online somewhere that DNA research has shown that possibly Elkhounds were bred to resemble an older form of dogs. Not sure about that--but either way, IMO they are still the cutest form of dogs. (No offense to anyone else, I'm just biased. But I do love all doggies!)

One of the early Malamute breeders, Paul Voelker, believed the Alaskan Malamute to be the oldest breed on the North American continent and probably the breed longest associated with man. According to Voelker, bone and ivory carvings dated at twelve to twenty thousand years old show the Malamute essentially as he is today.

 
Taken From:
[linkhttp://www.geocities.com/~texalmal/alasmal/malhist.html]http://www.geocities.com/~texalmal/alasmal/malhist.html[/link]

ORIGINAL: micksmom

I believe Greyhounds, Salukis, Ibizan Hounds, Canaan Dogs and Norwegian Elkhounds are some of the oldest that are AKC recognized (as in been a breed, not how long they've been AKC recognized.  )

Let's not forget the Pharaoh Hound (Kelb Tal Fenek)  in there.  They developed around the same time as the 'Beezer and have quite the history dating back at least 5,000 years.  All the while being bred for function, not form in a somewhat isolated area, just like the Ibizans.  Also Afghans, Azwakhs, and some of the lesser known and non AKC sighthounds have been around for thousands of years. 

Most of the older sighthound breeds aren't really domesticated though, they live in a symbiotic relationship with man...not as pets but as partners to survival.

I thought also that Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apsos go quite far back?

There was a study done on this a year or two ago.  They studied the mitochondrial DNA, if I remember correctly/.  I remember reading that article, but can't find the complete article right now.  Here's a summarization of the article:
 
[linkhttp://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm]http://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm[/link]
 
"However, according to two analyses, seven of these 14 have the oldest genetic patterns.  These are the [link>http://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm#ChowChow][size=2]Chow Chow[/link] and [link>http://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm#Shar-Pei]Shar Pei[/link] [China], [link>http://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm#Akita]Akita[/link] and [link>http://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm#Shiba]Shiba Inu[/link] [Japan],  [linkhttp://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm#Basenji]Basenji[/link] [Africa], the [link>http://www.workingdogweb.com/AncientBreeds.htm#SiberianHusky]Siberian Husky[/link] [Northeast Siberia] and the Alaskan Malamute [Northwest Alaska]. "
 
 
Seems like the Chow and Shar Pei were the first branch, the second was the basenji by itself, the third was ???.  (I guess my brain turns off when they stop talking about basenjis.)
 
 

Yup, I was going to say the Caanan Dog first, then I think the Pharoah Hound,  the Basenji I think is pretty old, too. Don't have any 'proof' for that though []

Greyhounds, salukis, pharoahs, ibizans.

Ok, I did some research on the internet and discovered that, according to genetic theory, Pharaohs and Ibizans are NOT as old as was claimed.  (Boy am I embarrassed.)  But on the other hand they do look ancient.  Salukis, Mals and some of the Asian breeds turn out to have the oldest genomes, according to the various studies.

Canaan dogs are a reconstructed "breed".  My vote is for the sighthounds as being true breeds for the longest time, as there is a plethora of primary source evidence for deliberate functional breeding - and these sources go back five or six thousand years.

Northern type dogs have been extant that long or longer, from pictoral evidence, but there is no evidence to support deliberate breeding, manipulation for functional purposes, or even deliberate domestication, for many thousand years following.

Until very recently, there were breeds maintained by the indigenous American peoples, dogs that demonstrated a marvelous range of functions and physical variety, that showed a real knack for breeding among the Americans.  These breeds would have been up to 20,000 years old.  Very few of these dogs have remained since European contact, sadly - some were simply exterminated in the rage to "purify" dog breeds in the 1800s, some passed away with their human counterparts, some were replaced or interbred with European strains.

Basenjis in ancient Egypt:
 
[linkhttp://bleedingeyeballs.com/basenjiart/artifacts.htm]http://bleedingeyeballs.com/basenjiart/artifacts.htm[/link]
 
Basenjis in current (1987) Africa
 
[linkhttp://www.basenji.org/african/bobi.htm]http://www.basenji.org/african/bobi.htm[/link]
(notice the "bells" around the neck)
[linkhttp://www.basenji.org/african/library.htm#InAfrica]http://www.basenji.org/african/library.htm#InAfrica[/link]

The Siberian Husky, formerly known as the Chukchi Dog before the 20th century was actively bred as it is for a 1,000 years that anyone knows of. Except for the 20th century, they were never bred for looks, but for performance and temperment. As such, they have not changed much in looks from the wolf, and are often mistaken for one. According to the canid genome project, they are in clade III. Clades II and IV, however, are supposed to be genetically closer to wolf. But I'm not sure, myself. Some of the breeds are so far removed from the abilities and look of a wolf that it's hard to imagine much genetic congruence. Then again, my dog is not a timberwolf but he can resemble one, sometimes.

Just from my own research, the Saluki is thought to be one of the oldest of all "breeds" of dogs. They are also thought to be direct decendants of the extinct Persian wolf, and the mummified remains of dogs strongly resembling the Saluki have been found in the tombs of Egyptian kings. When you have a "primitive" breed like the Saluki along with a domesticated dog like the Irish Setter, which I do, you can see the differences in the levels of domestication and, for lack of a better term, the "ancient-ness". Sighthounds were developed to cover vast areas as hunters, sometimes being the only thing that stood between the health and starvation of the tribes that kept them. The regions where they thrived were barren. The sighthound had to be quick, agile, hardy and fierce, and for the most part, they still are. The desert sighthounds are some of the hardiest and most strong-willed, as they were developed to thrive in the most grevious and deadly conditions. And their bloodlines have remained mainly undiluted for many centuries.