Chuandong Origin

Here is an article published by the CKU which presents the Chuandong Hound dog (Sichuan dog) and its origins.

The original article can be found at the following link: CKU - CHUANDONG HOUND

China has a vast territory and has bred a wide variety of local dog breeds. They were once famous and recognized and loved by many people.

However, due to the late start of breeding and protection of purebred dogs in China and the impact of foreign purebred dogs, many local dog breeds are on the verge of extinction before they can be recognized by the world in the future.

This time we will introduce Chuandong Hounds to everyone , hoping to play a positive role in their conservation work.

Basic information

The parallel canyon in eastern Sichuan is one of the most distinctive fold mountain belts in the world . There are more than 30 mountain ranges, interlaced ridges and valleys, steep and narrow mountains, and extremely inconvenient for information exchange and transportation .

And because of its relative isolation , a native dog breed in China is rarely affected by foreign dog breeds. It can maintain high genetic independence and blood purity. It not only has a long history, but also has a significant Regional cultural characteristics.

It is Chuandong Hound.

Eastern Sichuan Hounds , once also known as Linshui Dogs and Hushan Dogs , are mainly distributed in Chongqing and the surrounding areas of Guang'an Linshui, Hechuan, Dazu (Bamboo), Wusheng, Yuechi and other places.

Unlike most Western purebred dogs that have been continuously artificially bred , the Eastern Sichuan Hound is mostly located in the southwest mountainous area. Because of the unique geographical environment, and in the process of natural reproduction and evolution, it has gradually formed unique appearance characteristics and personality temperaments .

Is our local one ancient and primitive native breed.

The Eastern Sichuan Hound is a medium-sized dog , with a body length slightly larger than his height, a body shape close to a rectangle , a compact body, and well-developed muscles .

Folded brows, variegated tongue, erect ears, short stiff fur and smooth and straight tail are its most basic physical characteristics. The strong and sturdy physique, the loyal and brave personality, the solemn and majestic demeanor, are very in line with the traditional Chinese aesthetics . It makes people feel as if they have traveled through time and space and saw the domineering Chinese bulldog that used to stand in the courtyard of the Bashu giants !

However, the brave, fearless and unyielding character of Eastern Sichuan Hounds is their attractive advantage as a hunting dog, but it is also a shortcoming that easily killed them in the past .

There is a saying among the local hunting elders: "A good dog does not last long" refers to this problem.

Although they are small, they dare to attack even cows, and it is not uncommon for them to bite their prey and jump off the cliff together . But after all, it is not as tall as the Argentine Dogo, which is big enough to compete with wild boars. Taking them to hunt is often accompanied by a high casualty rate .

And because their desire to fight is often stronger, if they encounter two Chuandong Hounds in a fight, if the owner does not pull them apart in time , they will never give up! In the end, not only will the dog get injured, but it will also cause bad social effects.

Therefore, for this kind of dog, social training must be carried out from an early age to avoid accidents in their future lives. After well-trained most of eastern Sichuan hound character is very stable , can quickly adapt to the family and social environment, but also to peaceful coexistence and other pets in the home.

According to the results of genetic studies, humans began domesticating dogs about 14,000 years ago.

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of dog burial or sacrifice in areas such as the Majiayao and Qijia cultures in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the Yangshao and Longshan cultures in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the Liangzhu culture in the Yangtze River basin .

During the Xia and Shang dynasties, with the development of the hunting industry , people began to domesticate dogs for field hunting and to protect their homes. Among the major archaeological sites in the Shang Dynasty, dogs became the most common animal, and the number was quite large .

In the Western Zhou Dynasty, there was even the dogging technique , and full-time officials responsible for identifying the pros and cons of dogs and raising and managing dogs were deployed. This directly reflects the importance of raising dogs at that time and the large scale of raising dogs.

It was not until the Qin and Han Dynasties that with the development of the agricultural economy, especially the manor economy , dogs entered the daily lives of the people more and more, becoming a symbol of entertainment and quality of life.

In recent years, traces of dog bones have been found in the archaeological sites of Dayi Gaoshan Ancient City and Qingbaijiang Sanxing Village in Chengdu .

The history of the Eastern Sichuan Hound can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) according to textual research .

Archaeologists discovered a huge Western Han tomb in Chongqing on April 20, 2000 , which contained a large number of dog pottery figurines . Some of them are simple grave goods , some as protection of God , the spiritual guardian of the tomb of the family. They have broad heads, short and wide mouths, round eyes, erect ears, and short and strong limbs, just like today's Eastern Sichuan Hounds.

After being verified by the Yongchuan Cultural Relics Management Institute, the original characteristics of the pottery dog before 1700 are basically consistent with the main characteristics of today's Eastern Sichuan Hound . It can be seen that as early as the Han Dynasty, the rich and powerful in eastern Sichuan raised a unique dog breed that is very close to today's eastern Sichuan hound , and used it to look after the home and protect the owner.

In addition to this site, other Han Dynasty remains in the Bashu area are also rich. Eastern Han painted pottery dogs were also unearthed in Fengdu , Chongqing , and some Han Dynasty pottery dogs were also unearthed in the Three Gorges Reservoir area .

They have round bodies, piercing eyes, fierce faces, wrinkles on their foreheads , and an upright posture. They look like "no one is near", and they rarely lie down. One of the most eye-catching is a Han Dynasty pottery dog in the Chengdu Museum . It is more than a foot tall and has a fat body. It is one of the museum's "net celebrity" cultural relics.

Among them, from a rubbing rubbed from the sarcophagus of the Eastern Han Dynasty , we can also see the fierce hunting situation of the year : the accompanying hounds rushed forward and tightly bit the neck of the wild beast, and two hunters held weapons to knock the beast to the ground .

From these pottery artifacts, we can see that many dogs have collars around their necks , their backs have noses for their owners to pull, and some dogs have bells tied to their necks . It can be seen that they have been widely raised by locals since at least the Han Dynasty .

Modern development

According to historical research, it should be the first dog in East eastern Sichuan ancient ancestors domesticated out a ferocious hound original, along with the development of human society, has become an elite class of "practical pet" , has Comprehensive functions of guard, companion and hunting.

From the large number of unearthed pottery figurines, it can be seen that it may also have the role of showing the status of the owner . The more high-quality dogs are, the more they are favored by the nobles of the upper class . However, for a truly good dog, the owner may not be willing to go out hunting. This is true in ancient and modern times.

It was not until modern times that China's social structure undergone drastic changes. The old powerful class quickly disintegrated , and a large number of dogs were left among the people and raised by the people. Only then did they regain their hunting "duty" .

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the Sichuan region experienced more than 40 years of war. At that time, people in Linshui County moved out one after another in order to avoid war. As a result, there was no one in ten miles and no smoke in hundreds of miles .

At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, many bandits appeared in Sichuan. So the local residents of Linshui used their dogs to watch the nursing home . In addition to hunting with them, they were also used to prevent robbers from snatching. People at that time called it "Lin Water Dog" .

When it developed into the Republic of China, many warlords also took a fancy to these hounds and used them as their dog breeds for hunting and nursing homes.

One of the more famous is the story of army general Deng Xihou and Qiu Qingquan fighting a dog. It is said that Deng Xihou, the army general at the time, liked the Eastern Sichuan Hound very much and kept many dogs at home.

At that time, the Kuomintang general Qiu Qingquan returned from studying in Germany and brought back two German shepherds . Knowing that Deng Xihou loves keeping dogs, Qiu Qingquan insisted on fighting with Deng Xihou's "earth dogs" . As a result, Qiu Qingquan's two "foreign dogs" died and the other was injured.

Not only that, Fan Shaozeng , a general of the Sichuan Army, also loved this dog very much. He once raised more than 30 in captivity and often went out hunting with his subordinates.

After the Liberation War , the number of hunting dogs in Eastern Sichuan decreased sharply, and only some hunters living in the mountainous areas had such dogs. It was not until the 1970s that they were protected and successfully reproduced.

To the early 1990s , some of our researchers to breed our dogs have had some investigation. Among them, Zhou Guang, Li Changli, Jiang Shengming and other experts went to the place of origin to do a lot of research and confirmed this dog breed , but its size and coat color are slightly different due to geographical differences.

Because the dog breed did not have a standardized appellation at that time . Therefore, in order to develop our country's dog breed resources, Mr. Zhou Guang scientifically and concisely named it "East Sichuan Hound" based on its origin and main functions . And in 1994, in the second issue of "China Dogs " magazine, the Eastern Sichuan Hound was recommended, and this ancient and precious Chinese native dog was introduced to the public and attracted the attention of the masses.

In 2003, SARS occurred in China. During the SARS outbreak , the population of Eastern Sichuan Hounds suffered unprecedented destruction due to various reasons . The impact of this destruction has not completely subsided until now.

Nowadays, excellent quality Chuandong hounds are very rare .

In October 2016, CKU also officially started the conservation of Chinese native dog breeds . In April 2017, the CKU China Native Dog Care Club was formally established to carry out the identification and registration of native dogs, including the Eastern Sichuan Hound .

In 2018 , CKU and Chinese native dog enthusiasts actively introduced Chongqing dogs and rivers, which have come across thousands of mountains and rivers, to the audience and purebred breeders at the FCI World Cup Dog Show in the Netherlands. East hound . And these ancient Chinese native dogs are also deeply loved by overseas fans.

We believe that through the efforts of people from all walks of life, this ancient hound can finally be continuously and effectively protected.

Let this kind of hunting dog , which has helped and guarded people for thousands of years , can be active in this land of China forever and be on the stage of purebred dogs in the world as soon as possible.

Name: Eastern Sichuan Hound
CHUANDONG HOUND

Origin: China

Purpose: olfactory hound

FCI Group: Group 6 (Smell Hounds and Related Dog Breeds)

Overall shape

Medium-sized dog, fearless personality. The muscles are strong and the body structure is suitable for activities.

Important ratio

A rectangular dog with a body length slightly longer than shoulder height. Measured from the forehead, the length of the skull is the same as the length of the muzzle as much as possible. The distance from the elbow to the ground is about half the height of the shoulders.

Behavior/character

Fearless, firm, energetic and strong jumping ability.

Head

Moderate length, strong but not rough, with well-developed cheeks, better for bitches.

Skull

Skull: The skull is flat between the ears.

Forehead: slightly loose with fine wrinkles, no excess wrinkles on the skull.

Amount: clear but moderate.

Face

Nose: Black nose with large nostrils, liver color, red or brown is absolutely not allowed.

Muzzle: wide from the base of the muzzle to the tip of the nose, the muzzle is not long. In youth, there are marks on the face like a black mask, and the color gradually becomes lighter as they age.

Lips: firm and well pigmented.

Mouth: tongue, gums, upper lip and top of the mouth, blue and black are preferred. A pink-spotted tongue is allowed. A completely pink tongue is not allowed.

Jaw/Teeth: The jaw is strong, with a perfect scissor bite, and the lower jaw is square.

Eyes: dark brown or light brown, fairly large, almost almond-shaped. The eye circles must be black.

Ears: located on both sides of the skull. Medium-sized, triangular, erect ears inclined forward. Don't cut the ears.

Neck

Medium length, strong, well connected to the shoulders.

Trunk

Topline: The topline is horizontal.

Waist: strong, wide, slightly arched.

Chest: The chest is as deep as the elbow. The chest height is half of the shoulder height. The ribs are well developed, but not barrel-shaped.

Lower abdomen line and abdomen: There is no excessive uplift.

Hips: moderately inclined.

Tail

The root of the tail is high, lifted up in motion, of medium length, and the round root of the tail tapers to the tip of the tail. Stay strong and hold high.

Limbs

Forequarters

Shoulder: The backward angle is good and does not collapse.

Elbows: strong, not eversion.

Forearms: straight forelegs, the same in hunting, good bone mass, not too thin to the feet.

Department: Short and slightly inclined.

Forefoot: strong and compact. Good toe joints and strong foot pads. Not a rabbit's foot. Short nails.

Hindquarters

Thighs: Strong thighs with strong muscles.

Hind knee: Good bend.

Ankle joint: stable, parallel and perpendicular to the ground.

Hind feet: Sturdy and compact. Good toe joints and strong foot pads. Not a rabbit's foot. Short nails.

Gait/step volume

The back is level and strong, the stride is smooth, stretches straight forward effortlessly, and the hindquarters have driving force. When moving forward, there should be no hind legs too close, swaying or forelegs fighting phenomenon.

Coat

Hair quality: short and very thick, without undercoat.

Coat color: red (change from light to dark)

Size

Ideal shoulder height for male dogs 45-50 cm; for female dogs 40-45 cm

Defect

Any deviation from the above view is considered a defect, and its severity is proportional to the impact on the dog's health and security, mobility and work ability.

Disqualification:

Aggressive or too timid.

Any dog ​​with obvious physical or behavioral abnormalities is considered a disqualification.

Note:

Male dogs must have two apparently normal testicles that are completely placed in the scrotum.

Only dogs that are functional and physically functional, and have typical dog breed characteristics, can be used for reproduction.

references:

1. "Talking about the Eastern Sichuan Dog in China"

2. "Study on the Polymorphism of 16 Microsatellite Loci in Eastern Sichuan Hound"

3. "Is it a water dog or a Chongqing dog"

4. "These dogs in the museum are worth seeing"

5. Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum