Humans and their canine friends have worked together and lived side by side for thousands of years. There are many dog breeds created by humans; while now we welcome them into our lives and homes and consider them part of the family, some dogs have been originally bred for a variety of purposes, from hunting to protective reasons.

You may think that creating new dog breeds is a modern thing, but it’s not. Over the past 20,000 years, humans have intentionally bred these animals by choosing parents with desirable traits and then deciding which of their offspring best fit our needs (hauling, herding, hunting, etc.).

Many dog breeds created by humans result from cross-breeding two or more early breeds to produce some new, desirable combination of characteristics. Also known as designer dogs, these animals are adorable and make great life companions.

Here are 9 dog breeds created by humans!