Did you know that there are hundreds of dog breeds in the world. Yet among those hundreds of dog breeds, one of them can be found in Bali!
There are a few groups responsible for registering and tracking the different dog breeds of the world. One of the groups is the Federation Cynologique International (FCI) that is based in Belgium. FCI records show that there are around 360 dog breeds worldwide.
From the roughly 360 types of dogs, one of them is the kintamani dog. FCI officially registered the kintamani dog as its own breed back in 2019.
According to research, kintamani dogs have been around in Bali since 3,000 years ago, specifically in Desa Sukawana, Kecamatan Kintamani, Kabupaten Bangli. Residents of Bali did not breed this dog with a goal to let it help locals with their everyday tasks, but kintamani dogs have rather been naturally mating in Bali.
Male kintamani dogs usually grow to be around 45-56 cm, while the females might grow to 40-51 cm. This type of dog has a thick coat, with while, brown, beige or black furs. Its appearance resembels that of a mix between a samoyed and a malamute.
Compared to other dogs, kintamani dogs are rather tempramental towards other dogs. This is caused by the natural character of kintamani dogs to be territorial, disliking other dogs that enters or gets close to its territory. However, kintamani dogs are far more friendly towards humans, and can be great watchdogs. However, you might have to brace yourself to hearing their voice as kintamani dogs bark very frequently due to its territorial behavior.
Uniquely enough, kintamani dogs are very well skilled in climbing and like to be on higher grounds. Don’t be shocked to see them on top of trees, roofs, or the upper storeys of your house while looking down and surveying what is going on below them. With their ‘hobby’ of climbing and its skill level in doing so, you need to consider the likelihood of them climbing your house’s fence and running away, should you choose to get one as your pet.
Unfortunately, the population of kintamani dogs has drastically dropped since 2008. The rabies epidemic of 2008 has made its population decrease from around 600,000 at the beginning of the 2000s to around 150,000 in 2010.
Now, the Department of Livestock and Animal Health has made a concerted effort to promote campaingns on preservation of kintamani dogs. One of the most effective ways is promoting the importance of getting rabies vaccines for dogs in Bali.