65 Dog Breeds That Start With L – Complete List (with Pictures)
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The 65 Dog Breeds That Start With L
1. Labahoula Dog
The Labahoula is a hybrid dog that is the result of crossing two hunting dogs: the Labrador Retriever and the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. Labahoulas tend to be athletic and even-tempered dogs that love to be busy. They do best with active families who share their love of outdoor adventure.
The Labahoula is best suited to life in a household with access to a large yard. They are not suitable for apartment living and need plenty of daily exercise to keep them at their best.
2. Lab’Aire
The Lab’Aires is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and an Airedale Terrier. The Lab’Aire is not a particularly popular breed. Still, they are kind-hearted and loyal and make good family pets, although they can be a little impatient with young children and need to be watched closely. The breed is known for their trainability, as well as their love of the outdoors, and their swimming ability.
3. Labany Dog
The Labany is a hybrid designer dog that is the result of a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Brittany Spaniel. As a relative newcomer to the world of designer dogs, the Labany was only developed as a designer breed recently, and as such, they only exist in small numbers.
Labanies are high-energy dogs that love the outdoors, are easily trained, and are affectionate toward just about anyone they meet. They make great family pets for those who love to spend time in the outdoors, but due to their overly friendly nature, they tend to make poor guard dogs.
4. Labbe Dog
The Labbe is a designer dog that is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and the ever-popular Beagle. Believed to have originated in the United States sometime in the 1990s, this popular dog is known by several names, including Beagador, Labeagle, and the Labbe Retriever.
Labbes are known for their friendly disposition, easy-going nature, and endless energy. They love spending time with their families and will become destructive if left alone for long periods.
5. Labernard Dog
The Labernard is a mix of the Labrador Retriever and Saint Bernard. The result is a giant, friendly teddy bear of a dog that is highly intelligent, loyal, and loving.
Labernards make excellent family pets that love spending time with their families. Due mainly to their size, the breed is not suited to apartment living and needs a home with plenty of space. Labernards do best in a household where somebody can be home with them most of the time, and when left alone for long periods, they can become destructive.
6. Labernese Dog
Labernese are mixed-breed dogs resulting from crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Bernese Mountain Dog. The breed takes many of the best traits from their parents and is a large, friendly, and highly active dog. They have a lovingly sweet personality and crave human attention and, therefore, make wonderful family pets.
7. Labloodhound
The Labloodhound displays the best traits of the Labrador Retriever and the Bloodhound. The Labloodhound was initially bred as a companion animal and family pet, but thanks to their unparalleled sense of smell and highly developed ability to retrieve, they’ve also become skilled and highly sought-after hunting dogs.
8. Labmaraner
The Labmaraner is bred by crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Weimaraner. As a large and intelligent dog, the Labmaraner is known for their strong prey drive, free spirit, and boisterous behavior that can make them difficult to handle and hard to train.
These traits make them most suited for an experienced dog owner who can give them the time and attention they need.
9. Labollie Dog
The Labollie is a hybrid cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Collie. They’re friendly, always eager to please, and have bundles of energy and plenty of love to share. They are highly intelligent dogs, easy to train, make fantastic family pets, and are a great breed for first-time dog owners.
10. Lab Pei
The Lab Pei is a designer dog resulting from crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Chinese Shar-Pei. This adorably cute medium-sized dog has an unusual temperament. They tend to develop close, loving bonds with their family but can be standoffish toward strangers. The Lab Pei is intelligent and loyal and can make an excellent family pet.
Although they are not aggressive, they will be protective of their family and their home, barking to alert their owners at the first sign of any trouble. The Lab Pei is best suited to a home without other pets because while they can tolerate other animals if well socialized, they don’t easily make friends with other household pets and prefer to have their family all to themselves.
11. Lab Pointer
As a designer dog that is thought to have been developed several decades ago, the Lab Pointer is the result of crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Pointer. They are popular, good-natured dogs that make excellent family pets and personal companions.
Lab pointers are fiercely loyal to their families and make good watchdogs that will bark to alert their owner whenever anybody new arrives at their home. They are great with children of all ages but have quite a strong prey drive and should not be trusted to be alone with other small pets.
12. Labrabull
The Labrabull is a hybrid dog resulting from crossing a Labrador Retriever with an American Pit Bull. As a relatively new crossbreed, the Labrabull is growing in popularity in the U.S. as a loyal and energetic family pet. Labrabulls need early training and socialization to ensure that they are not aggressive toward other dogs or new people.
13. Labradane Dog
The Labradane is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Great Dane. They are exceptionally large, well-mannered dogs that are gentle and patient around children. They are not overly energetic or boisterous dogs, but due to their size, they should still be watched around young children because they could inadvertently knock over a toddler.
14. Labradinger Dog
The Labradinger is a relatively new designer dog that is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Springer Spaniel. As well-mannered and energetic dogs, Labradingers make great family pets and have grown in popularity across the United States over the past few years.
While exceptionally loyal to their owners and always eager to please, Labradingers don’t do well when left alone for long periods. They can become vocal and destructive when left to their own devices. Therefore, they are best for families where somebody is home with them most of the day.
15. Labradoodle
The Labradoodle is one of the most popular designer breeds in the United States and is the result of crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Poodle. Though initially created to be hypoallergenic guide dogs, they have become popular family pets across the country.
They are highly active dogs that always seem to be on the go, and they are best suited to families with a large and secure yard in which they can run about and play.
16. Labradoodle Australian
The Labradoodle Australian (also known as the Australian Labradoodle) combines the Poodle, Labrador, English Cocker Spaniel, American Cocker Spaniel, Curly-Coated Retriever, and Irish Water Spaniel into one breed.
The result of this interesting mix is a highly intelligent, energetic, and outgoing dog that needs a great deal of mental stimulation. The Labradoodle Australian is known for their trainability and can pick up even the most advanced skills with little effort. Yet, their intelligence is such that they get bored easily and constantly need new and exciting activities to keep them interested.
The Labradoodle Australian makes for a great family pet. They are kind and gentle with children of all ages and will likely get along with any other pet in their household.
17. Labradoodle Miniature
The Labradoodle Miniature is a designer dog resulting from crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Miniature Poodle. They are intelligent and loving smaller versions of the Labradoodle, which is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a standard-sized Poodle.
Apart from their size, the breeds share common traits in their personality and temperaments, and both are fantastic and exceedingly popular family pets.
18. Labrador Corso
The Labrador Corso is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Cane Corso Italiano. They are large, sturdy, and highly intelligent dogs that are known to have an unreliable and, at times, aggressive temperament.
They have a strong guarding instinct and make great watchdogs, but they need an experienced owner who can give them the training and direction that they require. Despite being half Labrador, these dogs are not a good choice for a family pet.
19. Labrador Husky
The Labrador Husky results from crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Siberian Husky. They are intelligent and energetic dogs that, like their Husky parent, have a love of running in the outdoors. They’re friendly and easy to train, but they need a family with the time and energy to give them the exercise and mental stimulation they need.
They are not dogs that do well when left to their own devices for long periods and will resort to digging and other destructive behavior when bored.
20. Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of the world’s most popular dogs and an absolute favorite with families across the United States. They have an outstanding temperament and a friendly and loyal personality. They are great with children of all ages, and you need only look at the number of times they are used to create hybrid designer breeds to gauge their popularity.
They are highly trainable dogs that are used as guide dogs, as well as drug and explosive detector dogs by military and police agencies across the world. Labradors are playful, but like humans, they will become lazy if they don’t get the regular exercise that they need, and they can easily put on excessive weight.
21. Labraheeler Dog
The Labraheeler is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and an Australian Cattle Dog. The breed is energetic and makes for a great family pet. Thanks to their Cattle Dog parent, they can be a little snappy toward other dogs and benefit from early training and socialization. They are best in single-pet households because they are not ideal around cats and other smaller animals due to their high prey.
22. Labrahuahua
The Labrahuahua is a pint-sized designer dog resulting from crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Chihuahua. They are thought to have been first developed in the 1980s. Though they are typically gentle and loving dogs, if your Labrahuahua is closer in temperament to their Chihuahua parent, you may find that they display a bit of an attitude.
Labrahuahuas make great family pets. They’re not overly active dogs; however, they love a good game of fetch and enjoy getting out for a walk each day.
23. Labrakita Dog
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Labrakitas are stocky, well-muscled, and noble-looking dogs that are a cross between the Labrador Retriever and Akita Inu. Like their Akita Inu parent, the Labrakita is loyal to a fault, highly devoted, and extremely protective toward their families.
While all dogs benefit from early socialization and training, in the case of the Labrakita, they are essential if you hope to have any chance of keeping them as a pet. Otherwise, their overprotective nature and distrust of strangers will become problematic and potentially dangerous.
24. Labrala Dog
The Labrala is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Hungarian Vizsla. While not popular in the United States, they have quite a following in some parts of Europe, where they are known for their friendly and even disposition, abundance of energy, and loyalty toward their family.
Labralas make excellent family pets and, due to their protective nature, make good watchdogs that will alert their owners to the presence of any stranger. Still, due to their lack of aggression, they are unsuitable to be employed in a guard dog role.
25. Labrasenji Dog
The Labrasenji is a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Basenji. The result is a large dog that can weigh up to 70 pounds and stand as tall as 22 inches. The Labrasenji is a loving breed and is often described as being catlike in their mannerisms.
They can also be stubborn, which can make training them a challenge. Many Labrasenjis don’t bark but rather take on the Basenji’s ability to yodel. However, that is not always the case, and even within the same litter, some dogs can bark, and others can yodel.
26. Labrastaff Dog
The Labrastaff is a popular cross of a Labrador Retriever and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Labrastaff are active dogs with bundles of energy and a love of playing outdoors. They’re also incredibly loyal dogs that love children.
Labrastaffs enjoy being around people and will lap up any attention that they’re given, but they can get bored easily when left alone for long periods and will quickly resort to destructive behavior to keep themselves entertained.
27. Labrottie Dog
The Labrottie is a large designer dog resulting from crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Rottweiler. They’re fiercely protective and always full of confidence, and the loyal and big-hearted dogs make excellent family pets and guard dogs.
28. Lacasapoo Dog
The Lacasapoo is a rare mixed breed of dog that crosses the Lhasa Apso and the crossbred Cockapoo. The small, happy, and affectionate dogs love attention and will go out of their way to please their owners. Because of that, the Lacasapoo is easy to train.
Though they’re energetic, provided that they get an outdoor walk each day, the Lacasapoo is a great dog for apartment living.
29. La-Chon Dog
The La-Chon is a small mixed-breed dog resulting from crossing a Bichon Frise with a Lhasa Apso. As happy and loving dogs, La-Chons are known for their energetic personalities and the fact that they form strong, lifelong bonds from a young age.
They do best when they find their forever home early in their lives, as even a young dog that needs to be rehomed will likely pine for their family if separated.
30. Laekenois Dog
The Laekenois is a rare type of Belgian Shepherd that was initially bred to guard livestock. Like all three Belgian Shepherd breeds, the Laekenois is energetic and highly intelligent. They make excellent family pets but do best when kept busy with a job or involved with mentally stimulating activities, such as agility training, frisbee, or other dog sports.
31. Lagotto Romagnolo Dog
Originally bred as a hunting and retrieving dog in northern Italy, the Lagotto Romagnolo is considered an ancestral breed to many European water retrievers. They’re active, intelligent, and hard-working, and the Lagotto Romagnolo was, until recently, almost extinct. However, due to renewed interest in the breed, they are once again becoming popular dogs in their home country.
32. Laizhou Hong Dog
The Laizhou Hong, also known as the Chinese Red Dog, is a large, strong, and confident breed that originated in Shandong province in China in the 19th century. With their friendly temperaments and protective streak, the Laizhou Hong is a popular family pet and guard dog throughout much of China.
While the breed can now be found in many countries outside of their homeland, the Laizhou Hong is still considered a relatively rare breed.
33. Lakeland Terrier
The Lakeland Terrier is a tough, sturdy, and intelligent dog that comes from the Lake Districts of England. They’re a popular family pet, originally bred to hunt foxes and badgers. They are known for their energetic and friendly personalities and their typical Terrier tendencies to bark incessantly and dig holes wherever they go.
34. Lakota Mastino
The Lakota Mastino is a type of Bandogge believed to have origins that date back to a breed of large war dogs that were transported to the Americas with Spanish explorers 400 years ago. Some of these dogs were left behind and adopted by Native American warriors, who crossed them with local dogs and then used them as hunting and companion animals.
The breed is known for its strong prey drive and protective streak and is often trained and used as protection dogs. However, the Lakota Mastion is a stable breed, and if they’re well-socialized, they can make excellent family pets. While they adore children of all ages, due to their size and potential for aggression, leaving them unsupervised around young children is not advisable.
35. Lancashire Heeler
The Lancashire Heeler is a tough little dog that originates in the northwest of England, where they were bred as a drover’s dog. These brave and feisty little dogs are believed to have been originally bred as a cross between a Welsh Corgi and a Manchester Terrier; however, the exact details of their origin have been lost in time.
Though surprisingly active for their size, the Lancashire Terrier can do well as an indoor dog if they get out daily for a walk and outdoor play.
36. Landseer Dog
As a large and friendly dog, the Landseer is a member of the Mastiff family and was developed originally in Canada as a working dog. They are excellent swimmers and were often employed by fishermen to haul in fishing nets. They also excel as water rescue dogs.
The Landseer is a gentle dog, and they make excellent family pets. They are fond of children and are loyal and protective dogs that will physically place themselves between their owners and perceived danger.
37. La Pom Dog
As a small dog with a big heart, the La Pom is a pint-sized designer dog breed resulting from crossing a Pomeranian with a Lhasa Apso. While the breed’s exact origin is unknown, it first appeared in the United States sometime in the last 10 to 20 years.
La Poms are smart dogs that love to please and respond well to basic obedience training. They’re also playful and gentle little dogs that love children and make wonderful family pets.
38. Lapphund
The Lapphund is a hard-working dog originally developed to herd reindeer in Lapland and northern Finland. They are friendly, gentle dogs that love children and make excellent family pets.
However, due to their seemingly endless energy, they do best with an active family that likes spending time outdoors. They make excellent therapy dogs and can be trained to do well in obedience trials, agility, and other dog sports.
39. Lapponian Herder
The Lapponian Herder, also known as the Lapinporokoira, is a member of the Spitz family and was developed in Lapland by the indigenous Sami people, who used them to herd reindeer. Although they’re rare in most countries, Lapponian Herders are still popular in Sweden and Finland, where they are kept as family pets and still occasionally used for herding.
40. Large Münsterländer Dog
Although Large Münsterländer Dogs were bred as pointing and retrieving gundogs in the Münster region of Germany, the large and versatile working dogs can make excellent family pets but are rarely sold by breeders to non-hunting families.
As active and independent dogs, they are quite boisterous when young, but as they mature, they settle down to become cheerful and calm dogs that respond well to direction but learn to anticipate their master’s commands and will act independently of instruction when working.
41. Larson Lakeview Bulldogge
The Larson Lakeview Bulldogge is considered by many to be the same breed as the Olde English Bulldogge. However, proponents of the Larson Lakeview believe that it is a separate breed and point to efforts made to develop a dog that is larger and stronger than the Olde English Bulldogge.
Like the Old English Bulldogge, the Larson Lakeview Bulldogge is a friendly, loyal, and protective dog that, if well-socialized, can make an excellent family pet.
42. Latvian Hound
The Latvian Hound is a medium-sized hunting dog developed during the early 1600s in Latvia to hunt wild boar, deer, elk, and small game animals like rabbits.
As a family pet, the Latvian Hound is both loving and loyal. They get along well with children, and if socialized while young, they are also happy living in a home with other dogs. However, the breed does have a highly developed prey drive and, therefore, is not suitable for a home with cats, rabbits, or other small animals.
43. Leavitt Bulldog
The Leavitt Bulldog, also known as the Olde English Bulldogge, is an American breed developed in the early 1970s to recreate a dog resembling the original bull-baiting Bulldog. Despite their strong, muscular, and fierce appearance, the Lezvitt Bulldog is a usually a docile and friendly dog that loves spending time with their human family.
The breed does, however, have a strong protective instinct and will, when challenged, fiercely defend their family and their home from any perceived misbehavior.
44. Leonberger Dog
The Leonberger is a gentle giant believed to have been first bred to resemble a lion. As a close relative of the St Bernard, the Leonberger makes an excellent family pet for anybody with enough space to keep one. The Leonberger is renowned for their calm, affectionate, and loving temperament and for making friends with almost everyone they meet.
The Leonberger can make a good family watchdog mainly due to their imposing size and loud, booming bark. However, since they are not aggressive and are unlikely to do anything more than act as a deterrent, they are not typically used as guard dogs.
45. Leopard Cur Dog
The Leopard Cur is not a formal breed in and of itself, but rather the name given to any mixed breed dog resulting from crossing a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog with another hound. Usually, these dogs are bred for hunting; however, it is not unusual for Leopard Curs to double as family pets and companions when not working in the field.
46. Levesque Dog
The Levesque was a large hunting dog first developed in 1873 in Pampoint, Brittany, by Rogatien Levesque. The dogs were known for their short black and white coats, as well as their gentle and loving personalities. Over the years, the Levesque fell out of popularity and is now considered extinct.
47. Lha-Basset Dog
The Lha-Basset is a rare mixed breed of dog resulting from crossing a Basset Hound with a Lhasa Apso. First developed in the United States sometime in the early 2000s, the breed is still relatively new and has yet to gain popularity.
The Lha-Basset is an excellent family pet and companion dog that will get along well with adults and children and is also capable of living in a household with other small pets. However, they are not recommended for families with small children or toddlers since they are not fond of being poked and prodded and may become snappy toward a small child if pushed too far.
48. Lha-Cocker Dog
The Lha- Cocker is a small mixed breed dog that is the result of crossing a Lhasa Apso with an American Cocker Spaniel. They were first developed in the United States in the early 2000s and love to be the center of attention.
The breed is not recommended for a family with small children or toddlers since they are known to get a little snappy and aggressive when continually being poked and prodded.
49. Lhaffon Dog
The Lhaffon is a cross between a Brussels Griffon and Lhasa Apso. As with most Lhasa crossbreeds, the Lhaffon is a relatively new dog, having only been developed in the early 2000s. The Lhaffon is known to be a bit of a “couch potato” and tends to be lazy and, consequently, can quickly become overweight.
This isn’t a dog that will encourage you to take them out for a walk, but they need at least 30 minutes of walking every day to stay fit and healthy. They are also not patient dogs, and they don’t like being teased or harassed by young children and may become snappy with them. As such, they are not the best dogs for families with children younger than school age.
50. Lhasa Apso Dog
The Lhasa Apso is a rare breed of dog originally bred by Tibetan monks as a sentinel dog for use in their monasteries. The brave and feisty little dogs were quick to alert the monks to the presence of strangers approaching or entering the monastery. Rarely seen outside of Tibet, these little dogs are incredibly wary of strangers. They are not at all suitable to be kept around children.
51. Lhasa-Corgi
The Lhasa-Corgi is a hybrid breed resulting from crossing a Lhasa Apso with a Welsh Corgi. They are small and naturally protective dogs with a confident and feisty attitude that you would expect from much bigger dogs.
They are exceptionally loyal and loving toward their owners but are extremely wary of strangers and other dogs. Like many other Lhasa crossbreeds, they have little tolerance for being poked and prodded by small children. Therefore, they are not recommended for families with small children.
52. Lhasa-Coton Dog
The Lhasa-Coton is a hybrid toy dog breed resulting from mixing a Lhasa Apso with a Coton de Tulear. They are energetic and confident little dogs and are known for their long, thick coats and aggressive attitude. They are affectionate and loving toward their owners but are often wary and aloof around strangers.
When it comes to training, a Lhasa-Coton puppy must receive plenty of socialization training. It is also advisable to start their obedience training while young, as it is likely that your dog will see the training as a chore rather than as a positive experience, and it may take time to achieve any noticeable results.
53. Lhasa Pin Dog
The Lhasa Pin is a rare and relatively new hybrid that is the result of crossing a Lhasa Apso with a Miniature Pinscher. While the dog’s origins are unknown, the Lhasa Pin is believed to have been first bred in the United States in the early 2000s.
They have a friendly temperament, but like many Lhasa crossbreeds, the Lhasa Pin can be difficult to train. However, they respond best to positive reinforcement and are usually willing to play along if they are being rewarded with tasty treats.
54. Lhasa Vendeen Dog
The Lhasa Vendeen is a cross between a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen and a Lhasa Apso. The friendly, cheerful, intelligent pup is self-assured and loves exploring. They are also exceptionally good escape artists and will readily take any opportunity to escape from their yards to explore the outside world.
The Lhasa Vendeen is suitable for apartment living; however, they need to get outside for a walk every day and plenty of playtime.
55. Lhasalier Dog
The Lhasalier is an energetic and happy mixed breed dog that is a cross between a Lhasa Apso and a King Charles Spaniel. They are exceptionally loving and loyal to their families and especially fond of children, which is a somewhat rare trait in Lhasa Apso crossbreeds.
The Lhasalier responds well to training, and despite their independent and sassy personality, they are obedient and well-mannered. Though quite a rare breed, the Lhasalier makes for a great family pet that is suitable for life in an apartment or a house with a secure fenced-in yard.
56. Lhasanese Dog
The Lhasanese is a cross between a Lhasa Apso and a Pekingese. The Sweet, loyal dogs love nothing more than spending time with their families. They are fantastic with children, and unlike many of the Lhasa crossbreeds, they can be trusted not to get snappy or aggressive with them.
57. Lhasapoo Dog
The Lhasapoo is a hybrid crossbreed resulting from mixing a Lhasa Apso with a Poodle. The protective, playful dogs are among the more popular Lhasa Apso crossbreeds. They are suitable for apartment living but will equally be at home in a house in the suburbs with a big backyard and plenty of room to run about.
58. Lithuanian Hound
The Lithuanian Hound is a rare breed developed in Lithuania as a hunting dog to hunt foxes, rabbits, and boar. While the breed is still quite popular in their native country, where they are often family pets, they are hardly seen or heard of in other parts of the world.
As a sturdy medium-sized dog, the Lithuanian Hound is loyal and friendly around their family yet is known to be reserved and wary of strangers. They are protective dogs by nature and will fiercely defend their home and family when threatened, and as such, they make excellent family watchdogs.
59. Llwellin Setter
The Llwellin Setter is an English bird dog that most breeders consider to be the same as the English Setter. They are medium-sized dogs with a strong athletic build and desire to retrieve. They are primarily employed as bird dogs and used for finding and flushing game birds for their owners.
Despite being good hunters, the Llwellin Setter can be a difficult dog to housetrain, and they struggle to master basic obedience outside their hunting role. In a domestic setting, these dogs get bored easily, and if not given sufficient mental stimulation, they will quickly become destructive. For this reason, they are not considered to be ideal as family pets.
60. Longhaired Whippet Dog
The Longhaired Whippet was first developed in the 1970s by Walter A. Wheeler Jr., who selectively bred his own dogs with other Whippets displaying a long-haired gene. To this day, there is some disagreement among breeders as to whether the dog is an individual breed or simply a long-haired variety of the standard Whippet.
Longhaired Whippets are kind, sweet-natured, and people-orientated dogs that are always full of energy and sometimes seem a little goofy. Their fine, silky hair is relatively simple to maintain despite its length, and overall, the Longhaired Whippet is a relatively easy dog to own.
They love children, get along well with other pets, and show little to no aggression, but they will bark to warn of the presence of strangers and are great pets for families or first-time dog owners.
61. Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog
The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is a hunting dog named after Catahoula Parish in Louisiana and has been the official state dog of Louisiana since 1979.
As confident and intelligent dogs, Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dogs are still often used as hunting and cattle dogs. However, many more have become family pets and personal companions in suburban households. But if not socialized when young, they can be aggressive toward people they don’t know and other dogs.
62. Löwchen Dog
The Löwchen is an incredibly old breed that was a popular lap dog with the European aristocracy for hundreds of years. They are playful little dogs with big personalities, and they were often the center of attention in royal courts, where their long flowing coats were kept clipped to give them the appearance of tiny lions.
They almost went extinct toward the end of the 19th century and remained rare throughout most of the 20th century, but they have gained popularity over the last few decades.
63. Lucas Terrier
The Lucas Terrier is a small, sturdy, and rare Terrier breed developed in the United Kingdom by Sir Jocelyn Lucas in the 1940s. There are currently fewer than 1,000 Lucas Terriers living throughout the world, with 500 living in the United Kingdom and the rest located in other countries, including a small number in the United States.
The kind and well-mannered little dogs get along well with people and other dogs. They are a highly adaptable breed that makes a great family pet, and it is somewhat surprising that such an amicable breed has not gained more popularity.
64. Lundehund
The Lundehund is a small Spitz-type dog that originated in Norway and was traditionally used to hunt puffins and their eggs on difficult-to-reach cliffs and caves. They are particularly well suited to this work, and over the years, they have developed an unusual range of motion in their joints that allows them to get in and out of incredibly tight and narrow spaces.
Although unusual for a dog, the Lundehund has six toes on each foot, rather than the usual four, a trait that helps them to navigate narrow paths along cliffs. Today, the breed is incredibly rare, with an estimated 1,400 dogs remaining in existence worldwide.
65. Lurcher Dog
The Lurcher is an old breed that dates to the 14th century. They were bred originally as a cross between a sighthound and any working dog, and the Lurcher was developed as a way of getting around the laws of the day that outlawed the owning of sighthounds by the general population.
Despite their longevity as a breed, the Lurcher is yet to be recognized as a separate breed by any major international kennel club.
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