Philippine Forest Dog

Philippine Forest Dog

He is not recognized by the F.C.I.

Origin

Translation

En français, cette race se dit

Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar

En español, esta raza se dice

In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd

This breed is also known as

Asong Gubat
Witch Dog

The Philippine Forest Dog is an indigenous breed of the Philippines, historically used for hunting and agricultural work. It is a medium-sized, agile, and sturdy dog with unique characteristics such as cat-like claws that it sheds and a natural aptitude for climbing trees. This breed is one of the few dog breeds capable of hunting and eating cobras !

The breed is currently undergoing official recognition to establish its purity. The Philippine Forest Dog is considered a primitive breed. It has retained many ancestral traits and behaviors, leading a more independent existence in the wild, and is often reserved with strangers while being fiercely loyal to its family. Locally known as the Asong Gubat, it is an indigenous primitive dog breed native to the Philippines. Although it may appear to be a wild creature, for some, it is an integral part of the family. The Philippine Forest Dog has existed for approximately 30,000 years. It is believed that early settlers brought the ancestors of this breed to the Philippines as companion and hunting dogs.

The Philippine Forest Dog is a small to medium-sized dog, long used by Filipinos for hunting wild game, catching vermin, and as a farm dog. These characteristics and morphology have been preserved and are now the primary focus of canine breeding. The Philippine Forest Dog breed standard calls for a vigorous, agile, and athletic dog, well-suited to life in the forest.

A primitive dog, the Philippine Forest Dog is able to survive the harsh climatic and topographical conditions of its native habitat. Wary of strangers, it is remarkably loyal, even to the children of its family. Although domesticated, it possesses a highly developed survival instinct, even when left alone in the forest. This breed can display a very pronounced protective temperament, which explains why it is chosen as a guard dog despite its size.