The Universal Dog

Few species are as diverse as the dog. From chihuahuas to Irish wolfhounds, dogs have been bred into almost any variation humans can imagine. There are at least 200 official dog breeds in the U.S., and one international organization recognizes 344. But for all their variety, there is a universal dog. Whatever you start with, if you let dogs mix freely, this the dog you’ll get in a few generations. I took this picture in Qingdao, China. But I once owned a mutt that looked like this in the U.S., and I’ve seen his doppelganger in India and Thailand. I have no doubt I could find this dog anywhere that stray dogs roam. He’s the universal dog.