26/12/2022
Meet "TIGRIZ"
My first ever philippine witch dog added to my family kennel.
Philippine 'Witch Dog' Could Be 36,000 Years Old.
In the ancestral lands of Bukidnon in Mindanao, there is a type of wild dog that does not breed with other dogs. It has sharp claws, climbs trees, hunts cobras, and could be 36,000 years old. It is called tiger dog and a*o ng gubat by locals. It is also called bird catcher in Luzon and witch dog in the Visayas. The a*o ng gubat in Bukidnon has a brindle coat—dark-brown with black stripes According to Philippine indigenous dog researcher Tom Asmus, the dog can survive independently in the jungle, and is difficult to raise at home.
" A*o ng Gubat"
Philippine 'Witch Dog' Could Be 36,000 Years Old
by MARIO ALVARO LIMOS | MAY 20, 2020
IMAGE Tom Asmus
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
In the ancestral lands of Bukidnon in Mindanao, there is a type of wild dog that does not breed with other dogs. It has sharp claws, climbs trees, hunts cobras, and could be 36,000 years old. It is called tiger dog and a*o ng gubat by locals. It is also called bird catcher in Luzon and witch dog in the Visayas. The a*o ng gubat in Bukidnon has a brindle coat—dark-brown with black stripes
According to Philippine indigenous dog researcher Tom Asmus, the dog can survive independently in the jungle, and is difficult to raise at home.
A*o ng Gubat
PHOTO BY TOM ASMUS.
“They climb trees after prey, hunt snakes, and are capable of surviving on just jungle vegetation,” said Asmus. “It's difficult to keep a wild blooded one domestically, as they have little to no resistance to common domesticated canine illnesses.”
The dog’s refusal to mate with dogs other than its own kind makes its genes among the purest native breed in the country, says Asmus.
In the wild, the dog has an impeccable kill instinct, which makes it a high-value target for illegal dog fights. “They will kill another dog no matter its size or type,” said Asmus.
Even Asmus has trouble keeping his group of 10 a*o ng gubat from killing livestock. “If I let them loose, they kill domestic dogs, goats, cats, and all kinds of poultry. They see no difference between a rat and a cat.”
An Alpha Male A*o ng Gubat.
Unlike other dogs, the a*o ng gubat has extra sharp claws which they regularly shed.
According to Asmus, unlike most dog breeds around the world, the a*o ng gubat has extra sharp claws it uses for climbing trees to chase prey. Most interesting is how it regularly sheds these claws to produce new ones, instead of wearing them out. This has not been observed in other breeds of dogs (regular dogs shed nails but usually due to illness), says Asmus.