How to Tell the Difference Between Look-Alike Dog Breeds

By Marlisse Cepeda

Whether it's their muscular frames or shiny coats, many pooches share characteristics that make them hard to tell apart. Why? "All domesticated dogs descended from a single grey wolf about 15,000 years ago," says Lisa Peterson, spokesperson for the American Kennel Club (AKC). Those similarities may make it seem like there are only a few dozen dog types out there. Yet the AKC and the United Kennel Club (UKC)-the two largest dog registries in the US-recognize 175 and 300 breeds, respectively. Click through to meet some of those cuddly creatures and find out how to spot the subtle differences between them. (Psst: The dog descriptions that follow are the ideal standards for the breed, so if your pup doesn't match up with them, that just means he's one of a kind!)

Original article appeared on WomansDay.com.

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1 - 8 of 8
PrevNext
  1. Whippet and Italian Greyhound
  2. Rough Collie and Shetland Sheepdog
  3. Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute
  4. Brittany and Welsh Springer Spaniel
  5. American Staffordshire Terrier and Dogo Argentino
  6. Pomeranian and German Spitz
  7. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and Entlebucher Mountain Dog
  8. German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois

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1 - 8 of 8
PrevNext
  1. Whippet and Italian Greyhound
  2. Rough Collie and Shetland Sheepdog
  3. Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute
  4. Brittany and Welsh Springer Spaniel
  5. American Staffordshire Terrier and Dogo Argentino
  6. Pomeranian and German Spitz
  7. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and Entlebucher Mountain Dog
  8. German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois