The Xigou ( zh, 細狗), also known as Xiquan ( zh, 細犬), Xiliegou ( zh, 細獵狗), Chinese Hound ( zh, 中國獵犬), Kuaiquan ( zh, 快犬), and Chinese Xiquan ( zh, 中國細犬), is a rare breed of

sighthound Sighthounds (also called gazehounds) are a Dog type, type of hound dog that hunts primarily by sight and speed, unlike scent hound, scent hounds, which rely on scent and endurance. Appearance These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it ...

native to China.

Background

The Xigou is an ancient indigenous dog breed from China, with evidence suggesting it has existed for over 2,500 years. Historically, the Xigou has been highly regarded by both nobility and commoners throughout various Chinese dynasties. Representations of the breed can be found in numerous Chinese tombs and cultural relics. While some cynologists speculate the Xigou is the principal ancestor of all sighthounds known today, others indicate modern stock may have been intermixed in more recent years, pointing to

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

s shipped to China by the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. Once used to chase and capture prey on the open, flat land of the Huangtu Plateau, the breed is now in trouble, its numbers plummeting as a result of the government curbing the rights of its citizens to hunt. The China Kennel Union (CKU) classifies the breed as 'rare', and is trying to resurrect it. To that end, the CKU initiated an effort to collect DNA from the dogs in 2017.

Appearance

The Xigou is lanky, with males being tall and females being shorter, between tall. The Xigou has a long and narrow head, a flat forehead, small spacing between ears, drooping ears, a slender neck, a slender waist, a curved back, and a long tail. It is divided into short-haired and feathered species, etc. Coat colors include yellow, black, brown, white, and fawn red.

Variety

The existing Xigou varieties mainly include Shaanxi Xigou ( zh, 陝西細狗), Shandong Xigou ( zh, 山東細狗), Hebei Xigou ( zh, 河北細狗) and Menggu Xigou ( zh, 蒙古細狗), etc.

Shaanxi Xigou

The Shaanxi Xigou, also known as Xiǎn ( zh, 獫) or Shǎnxī Hound ( zh, 陝西獵犬), and Xianliequan ( zh, 咸獵犬), is a versatile breed known for its hunting prowess, reliability as a guard dog, and loyalty as a companion. Some experts contend that the Shaanxi Xigou is the progenitor of all Xigou. This breed is characterized by a long, narrow head resembling that of a sheep. Shaanxi Xigou is mainly distributed in

Weinan Weinan ( zh, s=渭南 , p=Wèinán) is a prefecture-level city in east-Guanzhong, central Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, northwest China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about east of the provinc ...

Xianyang Xianyang ( zh, s=咸阳 , p=Xiányáng) is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. Once the capital of the Qin dynasty, it is now int ...

and

Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

in the

Guanzhong Guanzhong (, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben str ...

region of

Shaanxi Province Shaanxi is a province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to the west. Shaanxi ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Shandong Xigou

The Shandong Xigou, also known as Tiaoquan ( zh, 跳犬), is renowned for its exceptional sense of smell and strong hunting instincts. Historically, it served as the royal hunting dog during the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

and continued to be favored as a hunting companion for centuries. Beyond its role in hunting, the Shandong Xigou is also highly effective in guarding livestock on farms. The breed can be found in both a long and short-haired types, the long-haired types is called Fanzi ( zh, 幡子) by the locals, and the short-haired types is called Huatiao ( zh, 滑条) by the locals.

Hebei Xigou

The Hebei Xigou, also known as the Kangxi Imperial Dog ( zh, 康熙御犬), closely resembles the

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

in appearance. This breed was primarily used for hunting hares and is highly regarded for its loyalty, strong memory, keen sense of smell, high prey drive, and excellent endurance. The Hebei Xigou is well-suited for hunting in open plains and can also serve as an effective guard dog. It is an improved and expanded variety of the Shandong Xigou, with some scholars suggesting it emerged during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, the Hebei Xigou was selected as the royal hunting dog and was favored by the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

Menggu Xigou

The Menggu Xigou, also known as the Qidan Hound ( zh, 契丹獵犬), is a distinctively different hound, characterized by a stockier build and a thicker coat. This Xigou is known for its tenacity, keen sense of smell and excellent running ability. Dating back to the Liao dynasty, the Menggu Xigou was favored by northern aristocrats, who relied on it both as a hunting dog and a watchdog. Historical records suggest that

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

brought the Mongolian Xigou with him during his campaigns through Europe. Experts believe the Menggu Xigou traces its origins to the

Saluki The Saluki or Persian hound (Persian:سگ تازی، Arabic: سلوقي) is a standardised breed developed from sighthounds – dogs that hunt primarily by sight rather than strong scent – that was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game ...

. Menggu Xigou is mainly distributed in

Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a province in northeast China. It is the northernmost and easternmost province of the country and contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe City along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the confluence of the Amur and Us ...

Jilin ) , image_skyline = Changbaishan Tianchi from western rim.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = View of Heaven Lake , image_map = Jilin in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_al ...

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

and the eastern part of

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

. Like other Xigou, the breed is now relatively rare.

In mythology

Xiaotian Quan Xiaotian Quan () is a Chinese mythological beast and companion of the Chinese god Erlang Shen. Depicted as a Dog coat#Black, black dog, it assists Erlang Shen in battle by using its powerful bite and howl to attack, maul, or subdue demons. Xiaoti ...

( zh, 哮天犬) is a Chinese mythological beast and companion of the Chinese god

Erlang Shen Erlang Shen, or simply Erlang, is a god in Chinese folk religion and Daoism, associated with water (flood control), justice, warriorhood, hunting, and demon subdual. He is commonly depicted as a young man with a third, truth-seeing eye in the mi ...

( zh, 二郎神). According to the descriptions of many mythological texts, drawings and sculptures,

is a slender, short-haired white dog. For this reason, some scholars believe that

is a white short-haired Xigou.

Folklore Activities

Xigou Nian Tu ( zh, 細狗攆兔), literally means "Xigou chasing rabbit" or "Slender dog chasing rabbit", also known as Pucheng fine dog out rabbit. This is a Chinese folk competitive activity with a long history, popular in more than 10 provinces and regions in China, including

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

Ningxia Ningxia, officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region in Northwestern China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was later separated from Gansu in 1958 and reconstituted as an autonomous ...

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

, etc. It is said to have originated in the area north of the

Wei River The Wei River () is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. In ancient times, such as in the Records ...

from the

Warring States Period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

to the

Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...

or earlier. The event is held on specific festivals, mainly the

Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival ( zh, t=wikt:元宵節, 元宵節, s=wikt:元宵节, 元宵节, first=t, hp=Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival ( zh, t=上元節, s=上元节, first=t, hp=Shàngyuán jié) and Cap Go Meh ( zh, t=十五暝, ...

Dragon Boat Festival The Dragon Boat Festival ( zh, s=端午节, t=端午節, first=t, p=Duānwǔ jié, cy=Dyūnńgh jit) is a traditional Chinese holiday that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which corresponds to late May or earl ...

Laba Festival The Laba Festival () is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the month of La (or Layue 臘月), the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar. It is the beginning of the Chinese New Year period. It is customary on this day t ...

, etc. On the day of the festival, owners will dress their Xigou in specially made clothes or hang colorful ribbons on them, let go of the dog leashes, and let the Xigous run and chase rabbits.

Gallery

Tang Dynasty ( 618 C.E. — 907 C.E. )

File:Tang Pottery Horse & Rider (9930009395).jpg , '' Tang Horse & Rider Pottery'', On Cantle

Song Dynasty ( 960 C.E. — 1279 C.E. )

File:故宫博物院藏《搜山图》之射女妖.jpg, ''

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

Search the Mountain''(Partial), middle (1250 C.E.) File:Li Di-Hunting Dog.jpg, ''

Hunting Dog'' (

12th century The 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and overlaps with what is often called the Golden Age' of the ...

)

Yuan Dynasty ( 1260 C.E. — 1368 C.E. )

File:Liu-Kuan-Tao-Jagd.JPG, '' Yuan Khubilai On The Hunt''(Partial), Top right (1280 C.E.)

Ming Dynasty ( 1368 C.E. — 1644 C.E. )

File:Xuande-salukis-092x0507 01lg.jpg, ''Two Xigou'', painted by the

Xuande Emperor The Xuande Emperor (16 March 1399 31 January 1435), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Zhanji, was the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1425 to 1435. He was the son and successor of ...

(1399 C.E. –1435 C.E.,

Ming The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, t ...

) File:波士顿美术馆藏《搜山图》之拽蛇女.jpg, ''

Soushan Tu'' (Partial), Top right (1450 C.E.) File:明佚名灌口搜山图07.jpg, ''

Guankou Soushan Tu'' (Partial), Bottom right (Circa 1500 C.E.)

Qing Dynasty ( 1644 C.E. — 1912 C.E. )

Ten Prized Dogs ( Painted by the Lang Shining )

File:Dog by bamboo.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 04.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 06.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 05.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 07.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 08.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 09.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 01.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 02.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining File:Ten Prized Dogs 10.jpg, One of a series in ''Ten Prized Dogs'', painted by the Lang Shining

Republic of China ( 1912 C.E. — 1949 C.E. )

File:亜細亜大観 04 143 "蒙古犬".jpg, Four Menggu Xigou

In Popular culture

Manhua (Chinese comics)

*Xiaotian ( zh, 哮天): A character from

Manhua () are Chinese-language comics produced in Greater China. Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China throughout its history. They are usually graphic and can be written for a myriad of genres, including romance, fanta ...

''Fei Ren Zai'' ( zh, 非人哉). His true form is a gray-blue Xigou. He is based on the Chinese mythological beast

. ( zh, 哮天犬).

Donghua (Chinese Animation)

References

{{Chinese dogs Dog breeds originating in China