The Tang Dog (唐狗) is an ancient medium-sized dog breed indigenous to
southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not ...
. Tang dogs are prized as a companion and watch dog but are also occasionally used for hunting and as
meat dogs
Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world. During the 19th century westward movement in the United States, ''mountainmen'', native ...
.
The breed is named for the
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
, a period of prosperity in
China.
Appearance
The Tang dog has a rich coat, compact body and short stature. It is a medium-sized dog with a ratio of shoulder height to body length of 10:10. The face has a bluish-black tongue, a large, broad nose, and long, slightly sloping eyes. Tang dogs are always solid colors, which may include cream, red or black.
History
Tang dogs are native to southern China and have been used for thousands of years in southern China as loyal gatekeepers.
In the 2000s, the Tang Dog Association was established in Hong Kong to raise people's attention to Tang dogs.
In 2017, a Tang Dog won the World Dog Show championship at the dog show held by the Chinese Kennel Union.
References
{{Chinese dogs
Dog breeds originating in China