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Dogs are specialized to do perform specific tasks. The breeds we see today are the result of purposeful (or accidental) breeding. But the dogs we have now aren’t the only dogs that existed; there have been many dog breeds that used to exist and now don’t. For example, the fuzzy guy pictured above:

COTON DE REUNIONS

Legend has it that these adorable fluffy dogs survived a shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, fought off sharks, swam ashore to Madagascar, and mated with enough street pooches to create the surviving Coton de Tuléar breed (hell yeah, nice work).

But a more likely story is that they were merely brought to the island nation by sailors who kept them as companions.

Either way, sharks should be careful if they ever come across one of the beasts pictured above, just in case.

HAWAIIAN POI DOG

Like the Kurī, the Hawaiian Poi dog is thought to be of Polynesian origin. Poi Dogs were fed a mushy vegetarian diet, and their “heads became large and flat due to the disuse of the bones from lack of chewing.” This diet also contributed to their rampant obesity, and the breed started to fade away in the 18th century after mating with other dogs that were introduced to Hawaii.

Full story at Mental Floss.

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Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons