The modern history of the American Indian Dog begins in the 1960's as Kim Laflamme took on the quest for saving this special old breed. He began with two dogs from his grandparents and started to search on where Indian dogs could still be left. After a lot of searching he found enough dogs (i.e. dogs with enough blood of the Indian Dogs in them; due to cross-breeding there were very few pure descendants of the old Indian Dogs) to start breeding. His goal was to bring the A.I. Dog back from the past by recreating the breed from the few available descendants by breeding backwards and using selective breeding just the way the Native Americans did, to create physically, mentally and genetically healthy individuals, with all the abilities and instincts this ancient breed had before. Even today he has still been able to find a few good examples to introduce into the breeding program.

Instead of reporting to military, when he was called to Vietnam , Kim continued his research in hiding and found even more dogs of Native Americans. Through the appropriate breeding practice, his dogs were slowly getting closer to what the plains or common Indian dog used to be. As a result of trading and breeding among Indian Bands, the Plains Indian dog (common Indian Dog) incorporates all other old dog types bred by Native Americans. With a lot of effort, Kim managed to separate about five distinct bloodlines and to keep them in his breeding program. It is still very important to keep the animals as unrelated as possible and to do an outcross after a maximum of four generations of line breeding. More exact data on places where Kim found his dogs, as well as on individual dog types and breeding process, can be found on his websitee (www.indiandogs.com), (www.americanindiandogs.com) and (www.iidoba.org). Since the A.I.Dog has become more popular in recent times, many people like to think they have such a rare dog at home, but mostly that's not the case. Today, in times of modern breeding, it is very difficult to find new dogs for the breeding program, because the modern breeds can not be included, the old dogs are pretty much gone and their direct descendants can’t be found or have been crossbred to an extent that they are just not suitable for breeding anymore.

Also, it’s very important to understand that the modern American Indian dog does not have any coyote, dingo or even wolf bred in during the past several hundred years. These dogs are not hybrids of their wild counterparts; they are very loyal, trust worthy, have a great learning ability and are extraordinarily versatile in their possible uses, as they were in the past when bred by native peoples in North America . The main goal is to protect this exceptional breed with its original character, strength and versatility, not to create hybrids. It is of course not possible to completely prove that today’s Indian dogs are 100% pure descendants of the old dogs, but through Kim’s research and the places where his dogs had been found, we know that they are the closest living relatives to the old dogs of Native Americans. It is necessary that the breeding program stays with its strict rules and does not get manipulated through greed and lack of knowledge on genetics. One has to be aware that these dogs are a symbol of the American history and a lifestyle close to nature and that there is a lot to learn from them for every one of us.

The breed 'American Indian Dog' is recognized by their own American Indian Dog registry, and I.P.D.B.A, (International Progressive Dog Breeders Alliance ). This registry allows the individual breed clubs to maintain control of their breed and does not insist that a breed eventually must become AKC to be considered a “real breed''. The IPDBA registry is a progressive registry that recognizes this breed and will allow the dogs to participate in competition, agility and to compete for championship points.

The American Indian Dog is not and will not be recognised by big name registries like AKC (American Kennel Club), because this would damage the breed through additions and rules which are not in the sense of natural breeding.