Sinhala Hound
Breed at a glance
- Origin
- Sri Lanka
intro
The Sinhala Hound is a landrace of dog from Sri Lanka . The Sinhala Hound is a native dog found throughout Sri Lanka, often living in a semi-wild state scavenging for food. [ 1 ] According to a native legend, when Prince Vijaya first set foot on Sri Lanka in the 6th century BC , he was greeted by the barking of dogs; the Mahāvaṃsa mentions domestic dogs belonging to the island's Stone Age inhabitants, the Yaksha . [ 2 ] [ note 1 ] The average lifetime of Sinhala Hounds is 10-13 years. Long overlooked by authorities in favour of imported dog breeds , only recently [ when? ] has the Sri Lankan Kennel Club been encouraged to recognize the landrace as a breed. [ 2 ]
Physical characteristics
The Sinhala Hound can be found in a variety of colors, but brown or dark brown brindle are most common. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] They are very similar in form to the African Basenji , the New Guinea singing dog , the Carolina Dog and the Australian Dingo . [ 1 ] [ 2 ]