The Tang Dog (唐狗) is an ancient medium-sized dog breed indigenous to
southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
. Tang dogs are prized as a companion and watch dog but are also occasionally used for hunting and as
meat dogs.
The breed is named for the
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, a period of prosperity in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
Appearance
The Tang dog has a rich coat, compact body and short stature. It is a medium-sized dog with a ratio of shoulder height to body length of 10:10. The face has a bluish-black tongue, a large, broad nose, and long, slightly sloping eyes. Tang dogs are always solid colors, which may include cream, red or black.
History
Tang dogs are native to southern China and have been used for thousands of years in southern China as loyal gatekeepers.
In the 2000s, the Tang Dog Association was established in Hong Kong to raise people's attention to Tang dogs.
In 2017, a Tang Dog won the World Dog Show championship at the dog show held by the Chinese Kennel Union.
References
{{Chinese dogs
Dog breeds originating in China