The mighty Khonch Nokhoi is considered to be a Mongolian variant of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog by some and a regional sub-type of the Tibetan Mastiff by others, but some authorities believe this is incorrect. It most certainly has ties to the dogs of Tibet, as well as to the Altai Herders and other Asian working dogs, but is believed by most Mongolians to be much older than any of these other breeds. During the Soviet occupation of the region, a fair ammount of Caucasian Ovcharka and German Shepherd blood influenced the breed, leaving only a small number of pure Mongolian dogs in existence. Imported dogs from Tibet are occasionally crossed with native sheepdogs of Mongolia, with hopes of reviving the breed. Sometimes called a Mongolian Ovcharka, the Hon'ch Nohoi is a rugged and resilient Moloss, valued for its fierce personality and good working qualities.
http://www.molosserdogs.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10185/Mongol37653.jpghttp://www.molosserdogs.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10185/MongolianShepherd1997.jpgThis breed is celebrated by the native Mongolians, who in fact believe themselves to be a result of a mating between a dog and a deer. Said to had been the favourite dog of Genghis Khan, it undoubtedly influenced the bloodlines of some European breeds. There are two main types within the breed, differentiated by size and temperament. The heavy and tall mastiff variant is usually used as a property guardian and is better known outside Mongolia, but the smaller working sheepdogs are much more common and are prized herders and shepherds' companions. Both types of the Honch Nohoi are commonly found in the same litter, but the puppies are then separated and raised for different purposes. Crosses between the types are known as Bancars and are very common, but aren't as valued. A variety of sub-types can be encountered throughout Mongolia, some of which are seen as separate breeds by a number of researchers
http://www.molosserdogs.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/11127/thumb_mongol.jpgThis alert watchdog is rare today, reportedly more numerous outside its native borders than within Mongolia. Strong protection drive and confrontational nature, coupled with its strength and stubborn character, make the Mongolian Hon'ch Nohoi unsuitable for urban life. These tough dogs are playful with their masters and very gentle with children, but have very little tolerance for strange people and dogs. The ears of the working sheepdogs are almost always cropped, while the large home guardians are usually left in their naturalstate. Regardless of type, the harsh dense coat varies in length and comes in a range of colours, from white to gray to black, but the black-n-tan dogs are the most favoured, especially the ones with clearly defined tan markings above the eyes. The height rarely exceeds 24 inches at the withers, although some examples of the larger variant are said to reach the height of 30 inches on occasion. The Land of Dogs I am a French dog lover who is passionate by rare canines. In the old English book about dogs I met the Mongolian Mastiff, the largest of mastiff breeds. In the same book a Manchurian Snow dog is also mentioned. Sometimes it is called the Mongolian dog. Chengis khan is said to be a very good hunter who owned a lot of prey birds and dogs. Do nomads use specific dogs for hunting? Filippe Touret, Reims, France |
|
[size=-1]Mongolian Dog Types
Be Brave as Lion
Dog Care and Maintenance
Good Dog Signs
Save Bankhar! |
|
http://www.mongoliatoday.com/images/8/Dog_guard.jpg | Trusted gurd of ghers and herds |
Many travelers who visited Mongolia in different periods were impressed with the number of cattle and dogs. Mongolian nomadic families usually migrate with their cattle, frequently changing pastures. With such lifestyle the service of dogs is essential for alerting about arrival of strangers, guarding and herding sheep flocks. Each nomadic family usually has 2-3 dogs to look after livestock, guard the house and help in hunting. 1990 study by A. Osor, director of the dog training school, gives examples of how dogs serve nomadic herders. - Dog Nyangar owned by herder Luvsantseren of Delgerkhaan soum in Khnetii province, at night walks around the sheep flock every 30-40 minutes checking around.
- Herder Bazarsuren from Bulgan soum in South Gobi province trained his dog Khuder to take cattle to pasture and bring back in the evening.
- Herder Zeveg from Middle Gobi told that once he saw two wolves attacking his sheep flock grazing some 10 kilometers distance. Under the master order his dog Olz rushed to save the sheep and soon brought back the entire flock with no single animal lost.
Dog was always a loyal friend and companion to nomadic herders. Many ancient rock paintings show that Central Asian nomads used dogs for guarding their flocks and hunting. Graveyards of Hunnu people often contain metal embroidery and pottery with pictures of hunters with dogs or dogs buried along with their masters. Ancient Chinese historical records describe Hunuu dogs as "very ferocious and big dogs with strong legs and wide chest." http://www.mongoliatoday.com/images/8/dog_laying.jpg | Mongolian type dog |
Dogs are mentioned very often in famous historical documents and literary epics as "Dogs are the most loyal friends. They will never change poor master for a rich herder, grown by poor nomad it will never follow even a khaan." There was even a poem composed by Sandag, a famous poet of 19th century "Praise to Dog" Ch. Jugder, well known expert on Medieval Mongolian philosophy, notes that "Mongols deeply respected and revered their dogs and the dogs never betrayed their masters." Such respect for dogs even found reflection in the legislation. The Codes of Law from 1640 and 1709 (enforced and observed until 1921) both contain provisions prohibiting to kills or beat dogs. Dogs, similar to horses, were buried on the hills so that people do not walk on their remains. Dog's tail was cut off and placed under the head. A piece of fat was put into their mouth and words of wishes to be born as a human being in the next life were said before burial. Before the revolution of 1921 the number of fogs in the country was astonishing. According to veterinarian D. Tseveenjav, some 200-300,000 dogs lived in the country in 20s. Since the total population of that time counted approximately half a million, Mongolia was truly the land of dogs then. As the population gets more and more settled and repeated campaign to destroy stray dogs, the number of dogs is diminished. According to A. Osor study, in 1985 there were 18,840 dogs registered in the country.
Mongolian Dog Types Traditionally four types of native dogs were maintained in Mongolia. 1. Gharzh (gharts)- Tibetan Mastiff. For centuries Mongolia and Tibet shared Buddist Lamaism religion and have had close cultural interaction. Thousands of Buddhist monks traveled each year to Tibet on pilgrimage while Tibetan monks maintained a separate district in the capital city of Mongolia. Not surprisingly Tibetan Mastiffs were widespread, especially at monasteries and small villages being used primarily as guard dogs.
2. Taiga (n) - Siberian Laika dogs from Siberian taiga forest. They came to Mongolia through Northern Mongols- the Buryats. Taiga (n) dog is almost as large sized as Mongolian one but is lighter in shape with longer legs and thinner body. Maintained mostly in moutainous northern regions, it is primarily used for hunting.
3. Borz- Central Asian hounddog type. Often called Fast Brown, they can be found in north-east parts of the country.
4. Mongolian dog. Resembles strongly that of Tibetan Mastiff. As a breed it is not registered though D Tsevenjav, a veterinarian who studied the breed during 70-80s notes that it has distinct morphological and physical specifics. According to A. Osor studies Mongolian dog breed has the following parameters: | Male | female | Body length | 108 cm | 107 cm | Chest width | 18,7 cm | 16,1 cm | Height | 3 cm (+-9.0) | 58.7 (+-3) | Weight | 38 kg average | |
|