The Himalayan Sheepdog, () known locally by various names including the Bhotia,Bhote Kukur, Bangara and sometimes called the Himalayan Mastiff, is a

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

livestock guardian dog A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a dog type bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators. Livestock guardian dogs stay with the group of animals they protect as a full-time member of the flock or herd. Their ability to guard t ...

from the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

History

Tracing back to ancient times, Himalayan Sheepdogs were guardians and companion for shepherds as well as Nepalese monasteries. Due to the decline in nomadic lifestyles, the Himalayan Sheepdog's population has also been in decline, though there are still dedicated breeders and enthusiasts working to preserve and promote the breed. The breed is recognized by International Kennel Club under the name Bhote Kukur. Closely related to the slightly larger

Tibetan Mastiff The Tibetan Mastiff is a large Tibetan dog breeds, Tibetan dog breed. Its double coat is medium to long, subject to climate, and found in a wide variety of colors, including solid black, black and tan, various shades of red (from pale gold to deep ...

, Himalayan Sheepdogs are distinguished by being more protective against people. There are subtypes of the breed found in the

Kumaon hills Kumaon (; , ; historically romanised as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded on the north by Tibe ...

and Chamba; the former, which is known as the Cypro Kukur or Kumaon Mastiff, is brindle, rich golden brown or black in colour, the latter is smaller than most of the breed and resemble a larger, longer-haired black

Labrador Retriever The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador or Lab is a British list of dog breeds, breed of water dog retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the Newfoundland Colony, colony of Newfoun ...

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

is home to a larger variant of the Himalayan Sheepdog known as the Bhutia Sheepdog.

Description

Himalayan Sheepdogs are found in the Himalayas from

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

to eastern

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. The breed is primarily used as a livestock guardian dog, protecting flocks of

yak The yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox, hairy cattle, or domestic yak, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan, the Pamir Mountains ...

and

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

from various predators, and as a property guardian dog; unusually for a livestock guardian, the breed is also used to assist with herding. They may also be used to assist in hunting. Himalayan Sheepdogs are especially adapted to high altitudes, and the breed's double coat is typically harsh and thick and they are usually black and tan or solid black with some white markings on their toes, chest and neck. They have small drooped ears and a heavily plumed tail that is curled over their back. The breed has a distinctive deep bark. Feral Himalayan Sheepdogs compete with

snow leopards The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...

in the Himalayas, particularly in

Gangotri National Park Gangotri National Park is a national park in Uttarkashi District in Uttarakhand state of India, covering about . Its habitat consists of coniferous forests, alpine meadows and glaciers. Gomukh at Gangotri glacier, the origin of the river Gang ...

, as both share prey including the

bharal The bharal (''Pseudois nayaur''), also called the blue sheep, is a Caprinae, caprine native to the high Himalayas. It is the monotypic taxon, only member of the genus ''Pseudois.'' It occurs in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and in Ch ...

. This has threatening the food chain and the survival of snow leopards, which are already classified as vulnerable. The problem is worsened by the growing population of these dogs, many of which hunt in packs and often supplement their diet from human scraps, creating further ecological imbalances. Dog in snow

In 2005 the Himalayan Sheepdog was one of four dog breeds featured on a set of

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...

s released by the Indian

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology A Communications Ministry or Department of Communications is a ministry or other government agency charged with communication. Communications responsibilities include regulating telecommunications, postal services, broadcasting and print media. The ...

to celebrate the country's canine heritage. A stray Himalayan Sheepdog mix achieved the highest known altitude scaled by a dog after accompanied mountain climbers to the summit of

Baruntse Baruntse is a mountain in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal, crowned by four peaks and bounded on the south by the Hunku Glacier, on the east by the Barun Glacier, and on the northwest by the Imja Glacier. It is considered as one of the best p ...

at .

References

{{Livestock guardians Dog breeds originating in Asia Livestock guardian dogs

History

Description

See also

References