The Alopekis ( el, Αλωπεκίς) is a small, foxlike dog from
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
with pricked ears, a sickle-shaped tail, and a smooth short coat.
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary E-Book
2012 By Virginia P. Studdert, Clive C. Gay, Douglas C. Blood
The dog is found in the Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
region of Greece and dates before 1922. The alopekis is believed to be a landrace
A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation ...
that descended from a type of small dog common to the Balkan peninsula
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, although some claim it descends from eastern pye dog Pye can refer to:
Businesses
* Pye (electronics company), British electronics manufacturer
* Pye Records, British record label
** Pye International Records, a subsidiary
People
* Pye (surname)
* Pye Dubois, musician
* Pye Hastings, musician
* ...
s. Alopekis numbers have declined to the point of near extinction in the last half-century, a situation further exacerbated by the mass sterilisation of dogs in some regions to reduce the number of strays, although it still survives in small populations in Northern Greece.[ Recent efforts have been made to identify surviving populations and save the type.][
]
See also
* Dogs portal
* List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on genomics, dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines m ...
External links
Alopekis
Greece’s New Pet Law May Threaten Ancient Greek Dog Breed Alopekis
References
Dog breeds originating in Greece
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