Africanis
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Africanis
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| Other names | African Dog Bantu Dog Hottentot Hunting Dog Khoikhoi Dog Tswana breed dog Zulu Dog Umbwa Wa Ki-Shenzi |
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| Origin | Southern Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Breed status | Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major kennel club. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Notes | Recognized by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||||||
| Traits | |||
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| Height | 50–60 cm (20–24 in) | ||
| Coat | Short, hard, thick coat; wire-haired variation possible |
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| Color | Any | ||
| Classification / standards | |||
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| FCI | Group KUSA: Emerging breeds | [Not recognized; KUSA standard] | |
The Africanis is a landrace of Southern African dogs. It is believed to be of ancient origin, directly descended from hounds and pariah dogs of ancient Africa, introduced into the Nile Valley from the Levant. The Swahili name for the breed is umbwa wa ki-shenzi meaning common or mongrel or "traditional dog". Africanis is also an umbrella name for all the aboriginal dogs in Southern Africa.
While the Africanis Society of Southern Africa has conceptualised the Eurocentric term of "Africanis" to encapsulate all African breeds of dog, there do exist numerous specialised types developed by various African ethnic groups with their own indigenous and ancient names. These types are not "land races" as dictated by the Africanis Society, but rather unusual types developed for certain specific conditions, and that do exhibit differences in type one from the other.
The Africanis Society of Southern Africa aims to conserve the Africanis as a landrace rather than develop it as a breed. While the Africanis is recognized by the Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA) as an emerging breed, researchers on the ground, such as anthropologist Sian Hall, hold that the various different types of indigenous African dogs have already developed, over thousands of years, as types suited to their specific conditions by Africa's own indigenous peoples. They therefore have no need to be Eurocentrically regarded as an "emerging breed" by European Canine Institutions. Hall holds that the dogs have already developed as distinct types among the various African groups and that each deserves to be regarded and recognised as such. It follows that one breed descriptions cannot be allocated to the many different types of indigenous dogs on the African continent.
The Africanis is a short-coated, medium-sized dog, well-muscled and slightly longer than tall. It can be of any colour and occasionally comes with a ridgeback.(Regarding the ridged back, according to the Africanis Society of South Africa: A ridge of varying form can exceptionally be seen on the back. It has sadly been established that this mutation can be associated with a dermoid sinus. Therefore, ‘ridged’ individuals are not recommended for breeding). There is also a wire-haired variety of the breed, but it is relatively rare. The height usually varies from 50 to 60 cm (with the tolerance of 2–3 cm).
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