Kintamani (dog)

Kintamani

3-month old white puppy with apricot-tipped ears
Other names	Balinese Kintamani, Balinese Mountain Dog, Balinese Dog, Bali-Berghund
Common nicknames	Kinta
Origin	Indonesia
Breed status	Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major kennel club.
Traits Weight Male 15–17 kilograms (33–37 lb) Female 13–15 kilograms (29–33 lb) Height Male 45–55 centimetres (18–22 in) Female 40–50 centimetres (16–20 in) Coat Medium, harsh and double coat with collar Color White (officially); unofficial colors of black, beige, and brindle also exist Life span 14 yrs
Classification / standards FCI Group 5 Spitz and Primitive Dogs, Section 5 Asian Spitz [Not recognized; PERKIN standard]
Notes	Recognized by the Perkumpulan Kinologi Indonesia (Indonesian Kennel Club) and Asian Kennel Union
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Kintamani is a dog native to the Indonesian island of Bali. It is a popular pet for the Balinese and locally Bali's only official breed and efforts are currently under way to have the dog accepted by the Federation Cynologique Internationale as a recognized breed. It is an evolving breed indigenous to the Kintamani region which evolved from the local Bali street dogs, which are rather a feral random-bred landrace distinctive to Bali.

Genetic studies have shown that, despite evidence to the contrary, the Kintamani dog is native to Bali. Thirty-one highly polymorphic short tandem repeat markers from Kintamani dogs, Bali street dogs, Australian dingoes, and nine American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized breeds of northeast Asian or European origin were compared. The Kintamani dog was identical to the Bali street dog at all but three loci. The Bali street dog and Kintamani dog were most closely aligned with the Australian dingo, more distantly related to AKC recognized breeds of Chinese origin, and most distantly related to AKC breeds from western Eurasia. Therefore, the Kintamani dog has evolved from Balinese feral dogs with little loss of genetic diversity.

These results come despite observable facts about the Kintamani Dog that make them more similar to breeds from elsewhere and which set them apart from the average village dog; facts which had lent credence to a local folk belief that the breed originated 600 years ago from a Chinese Chow Chow brought from abroad.

The Kintamani looks something like a mix between the Samoyed and a Malamute. They have long hair, a broad face, a flat forehead, and flat cheeks like Chinese dogs such as the Chow Chow and are amenable to life as a pet. Whilst many live much the same kind of life as an average village dog, they dig holes to nest their young and some live in small caves among the boulders around Kintamani. They are locally considered good-looking dogs are more often sought after as good pets. The Kintamani dog is gentle around people, yet retains enough assertive behavior to render it a noteworthy (but not vicious) watchdog.

The most desired and only officially accepted coat color is white - preferably with apricot-tipped ears. Breeders often confine the dogs to cold dark caves near the Kintamani volcano, insisting it an essential step in developing the thick white coat. However, other coat colors, such as black, beige, and brindle exist.