Around the World in Twenty Dogs Quiz

Answer: Wire fox terrier

Like its name suggests, the wire fox terrier was bred to hunt foxes. There's a smooth-coated variant as well, although the two breeds aren't related. While a foxhound's job on a hunt was to sniff out the fox, the fox terrier was apparently supposed to chase the fox into its den - the animal's small body enabled it to get into the hole.

Answer: Soft-coated wheaten terrier

Like its name suggests, the soft-coated wheaten terrier has a silky coat, particularly the ones native to Ireland. Its habit of jumping on people and licking them is nicknamed the 'wheaten greetin', although this is not a habit that should be encouraged as they don't always know their own strength! As well as hunting, they were also bred as guard and herding dogs.

Answer: Newfoundland

If you've read 'Peter Pan', you might remember Nana the dog - she was a Newfoundland. Not only is it a big strong dog that once pulled carts as well as aiding fishermen - it also has gained a reputation as a rescue dog. One particularly famous Newfie, Nelson, saved a cab driver from drowning in a flood in Australia.

Answer: Golden coonhound

The other five types of coonhound are bluetick, redbone, black and tan, English and plott. As its name suggests, the treeing Walker coonhound's job is to 'tree' prey - in its case, raccoons and opossums - so that hunters can shoot them. The 'Walker' part has nothing to do with its gait - it is, in fact, named after Thomas Walker, who brought its forefather, the English foxhound, into the USA.

Answer: Mexican hairless dog

Just as the Sphynx is a hairless cat, so the Xoloitzcuintli is a hairless dog, which makes it another good companion for an allergic dog lover. The Aztecs, Maya and other indigenous groups regarded it as a sacred dog, and an avatar of Xolotl, god of death, which would guide a dead person to the afterlife - this may be the explanation for the numerous dog effigies found in tombs at Colima.

As well as a hunting dog and a companion, it also made a tasty meal for its owners.

Answer: No

Don't let its name fool you - the Australian shepherd is an American dog! However, Australian herding dogs were used to create the breed when they were imported to the United States along with sheep, as part of an effort to provide mutton and wool during the Gold Rush.

Answer: Bali

The kintamani lives in the mountainous region of the same name on the island of Bali, and is very closely related to Balinese feral dogs. It generally resembles a less fluffy samoyed, although there are black and multicoloured varieties out there too. Unlike its feral cousins, it can be kept as a pet, but you're not likely to find many outside their homeland.

Answer: Tosa

Trained to fight silently, the tosa - which gets its name from the old name for the Kochi prefecture - is still used in dogfights in Japan today. It was created by breeding local dogs with molosser breeds such as bulldogs and English mastiffs. It is banned in most of the Scandinavian countries, the UK, Malaysia, Turkey, New Zealand, Malta and Australia, due to its being bred as a fighting dog and being responsible for attacks on people and animals.

Answer: Pekingese

The Empress Dowager's standard included bent legs so that the pekingese would not wander far from the palace; hairy paws so that its steps would be silent; a coat to match every costume; and a timid nature that would keep it out of danger, although it was also supposed to learn to bite 'foreign devils'. Like its compatriots, the chow chow and the pug, it has a brachycephalic (short and wide) skull, which gives it its squashy-faced appearance. According to Chinese legend, it was the result of mating a lion and a monkey.

Answer: Tibetan mastiff

At the time of writing, the most expensive dog in the world was a Tibetan mastiff - a Chinese dog called Big Splash, who cost his owner 10 million yuan (approximately $1.6 million). Tibetan mastiffs were traditionally bred as guard dogs for monasteries and groups of nomads, often working in tandem with the smaller Tibetan spaniel, who would bark to alert the bigger dogs and their owners if they sensed potential threats.

Answer: Taigan

The taigan is one of many sighthounds from the Central Asian region (the Ukrainian chortaj, or hortaya borzaya, is a relative, as are the Afghan hound, the Indian kanni and the Turkish tazi). It might look delicate, but it's actually quite a hardy creature, given that it is used for hunting in the Tian Shan mountain range on the Kyrgystan-China border.

It is sometimes used to hunt in tandem with golden eagles, and its name means 'catch up and kill' in the Kyrgyz language.

Answer: Samoyed

It's not hard to see why this dog's nickname is the 'Smiling Sam' - it has a happy, friendly face and disposition, and is not ideal if you want a big mean dog to guard your home! Named after the Samoyedic peoples who used it as a herder and sometime sled puller, its fur can be used for knitting, and it covers its nose with its tail in very cold weather.

Answer: Saluki

The saluki is another ancient breed. Like the Basenji, pictures of dogs resembling it have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Although dogs are considered unclean in Islam, the saluki is an exception; the white mark found on the necks of some salukis is called the 'kiss of Allah', and the Bedouin allow it in their tents, as well as using it to hunt.

Answer: Rhodesian ridgeback

The Rhodesian ridgeback is so called because of the strip of hair running down its spine. Until the Thai ridgeback was discovered, it was thought to be the only dog breed with this feature. It is the result of breeding between indigenous dogs and Boer settlers' dogs.

Its old name of 'African lion hound' came from its being used to distract lions until the hunters killed them. (I made all the other breeds up.)

Answer: Instead of barking, I make a 'yodelling' noise

The basenji makes a kind of screeching howl, or 'barroo', that sounds more like the laughing of a hyena than a bark! They are often described as being 'cat-like' due to their aloof natures and habit of cleaning themselves. Pictures of dogs thought to be basenjis have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs, and they are thought to be related to dingoes, although no genetic link has been found as yet.

Answer: Anatolian shepherd dog

Also known as the karabash and the Turkish mountain dog, the Anatolian shepherd is classified as a 'giant' breed and guards livestock, rather than herding them. It has also been used for combat and hunting, and is a hardy beast accustomed to harsh conditions - very handy for a dog working on the Anatolian Plateau, after which it is named.

Although it does look very similar to its compatriot, the Kangal dog, they are actually separate breeds. (I also made the names of the other breeds up.)

Answer: Dalmatian

The dalmatian is probably one of the most well-known breeds of dog in the West due to the adventures of Pongo, Perdita and their brood in '101 Dalmatians', though the movie in question did result in an awful lot of abandoned dalmatian puppies. Dalmatian puppies are white, and develop spots as they grow older. One of their main jobs as working dogs was to run alongside carriages, particularly fire engines, so that they could lead firemen towards a fire.

They also make good circus performers.

Answer: Lagotto Romagnolo

The lagotto Romagnolo gets its name from the ancient region of Romagna - which includes the city of Ravenna, a city famous for its marshes. Lagotto means 'duck dog'. When several of the Ravennese marshes were drained in the 19th century, the lagotto found an alternative calling as a truffle hunter, and is the only purebred dog in the world with this function.

It is hypoallergenic and like many other water dogs, has webbed toes.

Answer: Entlebucher mountain dog

The greater Swiss mountain dog is the biggest of the sennenhunds, followed by the Bernese, then the Appenzeller, and finally the Entlebucher. It is named after the town of Entlebuch in the canton of Lucerne, and is a herding dog as well as a guard dog, although unlike the Bernese and greater Swiss mountain dogs, it is not a cart puller. 'Sennenhund' does not actually mean 'mountain dog' - it refers to the Senn, the Swiss herders who work in the Alps.

Answer: German shepherd dog

The German shepherd dog, or Alsatian, is one of the most popular and recognisable dog breeds in the West. According to "Time" magazine at the time of writing, the German shepherd was the second most popular breed in the US, beaten only by the labrador retriever.

It is also said to be one of the most intelligent dog breeds, along with its compatriot, the poodle, and the border collie. A herding dog as its name suggests, it has also worked as a police dog, a military dog, a rescuer and a sniffer dog. Famous GSDs include Rin Tin Tin, Strongheart, and - more notoriously - Adolf Hitler's pet, Blondi.