The Affenpinscher originates from Germany, and his name literally translates as Monkey Terrier in German - he was given this name because of his monkey-like expression and face. The breed can be traced back to around the seventeenth century, and was originally trained for ratting. He was registered with the AKC in 1936.

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As the name suggests, the Afghan Hound originates from Afghanistan, and was originally bred for hunting, for which he was ideal because of his speed, agility, and long legs. A member of the Greyhound family, this is a breed that enjoys a long history, dating back thousands of years. This hound was first registered with the AKC in 1926.

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The Airedale Terrier originates from Great Britain, and was once known as the Waterside or the Bingley Terrier. In the nineteenth century this breed was used for a number of purposes, such as military work, killing vermin, and hunting. This terrier was first registered with the AKC in 1888.

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The origins of the breed are not well understood but it is believed by some to be an ancient pure breed. The Akbash Dog is thought to be the Turkish equivalent of other white guardian breeds found in and around the northern Mediterranean Basin. Unlike those breeds, only the Akbash Dog has its unique combination of molosser and sighthound qualities. This breed was developed at least 3000 years ago, probably by shepherds who purposely bred for white-colored guarding sheepdogs, perhaps to tell them apart from predators. Archeological evidence suggests that the earliest civilizations arose in the parts of the world currently occupied by Syria, Iran and Turkey (the fertile crescent region). It is here that about 10,000 years ago enough people congrated to form a society or societies, which in turn began to domesticate animals and cultivate (or domesticate) plants. In short order there would have been a need for livestock protection dogs to care for the livestock. The white breeds of livestock protection dogs include the Great Pyrenees of the Pyrenees Mountain area in France and Spain, and the Maremma of the Maremma Mountains of Italy. A reasonable - but not in any way proven - hypothesis is that white (Akbash) dogs were developed in Turkey, and spread from there with the exploits of the Ottoman and earlier empires, to where they are found today.

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The Akita originates from Japan, where the breed was apparently developed by a Samurai. This breed has over three hundred years of history, having been developed around the mid 1600s. The breed is now known as a national monument and a national treasure in Japan. The Akita was registered with the AKC in 1972.

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The breed was developed in Wasilla, Alaska during the mid-1970s by Linda S. Spurlin after she observed the result of an accidental mating of an Alaskan Husky and an unknown small dog. The breed was developed with Siberian and Alaskan Huskies using Schipperke and American Eskimo Dog to bring down the size without dwarfism. She bred these dogs in private until she released them to the general public in 1988. Originally called the "Klee Kai", the breed split into "Alaskan Klee Kai" and "Klee Kai" for political reasons in 1995. The breed consolidated under the new name in 2002. The Alaskan Klee Kai was officially recognized by the American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) in 1995 and by the United Kennel Club (UKC) on January 1, 1997.

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