Sinhala Hound
Dog breed / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sinhala Hound is a landrace of dog from Sri Lanka.
Quick Facts Origin, Breed status ...
Sinhala Hound | |
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Origin | Sri Lanka |
Breed status | Not recognised as a breed by any major kennel club. |
Dog (domestic dog) |
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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 has the Sri Lankan Kennel Club been encouraged to recognize the landrace as a breed.[2]