# Are the purebreds today, look any different from their ancestors a century ago?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-purebreds-today-look-any-different-from-their-ancestors-a-century-ago/321600>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 14, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-purebreds-today-look-any-different-from-their-ancestors-a-century-ago/321600 "2005-09-14T15:09:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-purebreds-today-look-any-different-from-their-ancestors-a-century-ago/321600/21 "2005-09-16T19:27:26Z")

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I recently wrote a research paper along these lines. I discovered that one of the reasons little dogs look so weird is that all dogs have eyes that are the same size, just little dogs have smaller skulls, so they have to have bulging foreheads or no brain at all. (Sorry, no cite, but it was from a reputable scientific paper.)

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**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-purebreds-today-look-any-different-from-their-ancestors-a-century-ago/321600/22 "2005-09-16T20:34:01Z")

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I can’t cite this but I recall a study that showed that the original Afhgan hounds did not have the long hair that they have now. As it turns out, it wasn’t due to changing the breed standard but was the effect of grooming technique. IIRC, overbrushing wet hair tended to break off the hairs resulting in a shorter coat or vice versa. Wish I could find some info on it.

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**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-purebreds-today-look-any-different-from-their-ancestors-a-century-ago/321600/23 "2005-09-16T22:50:38Z")

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That picture of the munchkin cat made me wonder whether I should cry or throw up.

This is why I’ll always own mutts.

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