Africanis 2645308 225038082 2008-07-11T16:14:46Z Smitty 2773571 clean up using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Infobox Dogbreed <!-- Put article text AFTER this infobox markup. See: --> <!-- Wikipedia:WikiProject Dog breeds/Templates for more info.--> | image = Africanis.jpg | name = Africanis | country = [[South Africa]] | altname = African Dog <br> Bantu Dog <br> Hottentot Hunting Dog <br> Khoikhoi Dog<br> Kafir Dog <br> Zulu Dog<br> Umbwa Wa Ki-Shenzi | notrecognized = no standards available }} <!-- End Infobox --> The '''Africanis''' is a group of [[South Africa]]n [[dogs]] not recognised as a breed. It is believed to be of ancient origin, directly descended from [[hounds]] and [[pariah dog]]s of ancient [[Africa]], introduced into the [[Nile Valley]] from the [[Levant]]. The [[Swahili]] name for the breed is ''umbwa wa ki-shenzi'' meaning ''common'' or ''mongrel'' or "traditional dog". Africanis is also an umbrella name for all the aboriginal dogs in southern Africa. ==Appearance== [[Image:Canis Africanis.jpg|thumb|right]] The Africanis is a short-[[coat (animal)|coated]], medium-sized dog, well-muscled and slightly longer than tall. It can be of any colour and occasionally come with a ridgeback. The Africanis has over the years been shaped by Africa for Africa. Its beauty is embodied in the simplicity and functionality of its body. It is slenderly built, agile, supple, and capable of great speed. ==Temperament== The Africanis is well disposed without being obtrusive: a friendly dog showing watchful territorial behaviour. The breed is independent and territorial, but highly trainable. :''It is my experience that the Africanis is a marvellous pet and house dog. Guided by its instinct of subservience it will steal your heart before you realise it''. ::- Johan Gallant, President of the Africanis Society of Southern Africa ([[September 9]], [[2005]]). ==Health== The Africanis needs neither pampering nor special food. It is consistently healthy and has, over the years, developed a natural resistance against internal and external parasites. ==History== There is ample evidence that no [[canine]] [[domestication]] took place in Africa and that the traditional African dog is a descendant of [[dogs]] that had been domesticated in the [[Eastern world|East]] and came to [[Africa]]. Their earliest presence has been established in [[Egypt]] and dated at 4700 BC. [[Archaeology|Archaeological]] records show that, from then on, the dog spread rapidly along the [[Nile]] into [[Sudan]] and even beyond. At the same time, migrations, trade, and [[transhumance]] took it deep into the [[Sahara]]. By 2000 BC, this moving frontier stopped for a long period. Meanwhile, throughout the Egyptian dynasties, the breeding of swift and slender hounds together with a variety of common dogs became very popular. For thousands of years, the aboriginal [[Stone Age]] San ([[Bushman]]) populations in [[Southern Africa]] hunted without the help of dogs. Although the [[Khoikhoi]] brought domestic [[sheep]] along a western migratory route to the [[Cape of Good Hope]] just before the [[Christian era]], there is no conclusive evidence that dogs were part of their party. The domestic dog first arrived in Southern Africa with the migration of the Early [[Iron Age]] [[Bantu]] speaking people. Dogs of [[Nilotic]] origin consecutively joined the Early and also Later Iron Age migrations. It is generally accepted that these migrations travelled along the [[Great Rift Valley|Central Rift]] and the [[Lacustrine]] region. They followed [[tsetse fly|tsetse]]-free corridors through [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]] to reach [[Botswana]] and finally South Africa. The earliest evidence for the presence of a domestic dog in South Africa has been established by Dr. Ina Plug, deputy director of the [[Transvaal]] Museum. The remains were found near the Botswana border and dated at 570 AD. By 650 AD the presence of the house dog is established in the Lower [[Thukela]] valley. By 800 AD it is part of a [[Khoisan]] settlement in [[Cape St. Francis]], indicating that contact and trade between Bantu and Khoisan had been established. For hundreds of years this exclusive primitive canine gene pool adapted to various conditions of the Southern African landscape and, through natural selection, evolved into ecotypes all belonging to the same [[landrace]]. It is sometimes argued that dogs brought by the [[Arab]] trade, Eastern seafarers, and [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorers might, over the years, have "contaminated" the traditional African dog. In other opinions, these chances are scant. Exotic canine influences became more likely after the colonisation of [[Transkei]] and [[Zululand]] during the 19th century. The true Africanis is still found today in tribal areas where people maintain their traditional lifestyle. The fast-changing South Africa and the impact that this causes on rural societies, together with a certain disdain for the traditional dog and the status that the ownership of an exotic breed provides, poses an increasing threat to the continuation of the aboriginal Africanis. The [[Africanis Society of Southern Africa]] was founded to conserve this ancient gene pool. Conserving the Africanis as a land race stands for conserving [[biodiversity]]. Today, the Africanis is recognized by the [[Kennel Union of Southern Africa]] (KUSA) as an emerging breed. ==References== *Gallant, Johan, ''The Story of the African Dog''. University of Kwazulu-Natal Press ISBN 1-86914-024-9 books@ukzn.ac.za *[http://www.africanis.co.za Africanis Society of Southern Africa] == External links == * [http://0-etd.uj.ac.za.raulib.rau.ac.za/theses/available/etd-05042005-131045/ University of Johannesburg (scientific study)] * [http://www.kusa.co.za/docs-doc-download.php?doc_id=300 Breed standard (KUSA)] [[Category:Dog breeds]] [[Category:Dog breeds originating in Africa]] [[Category:Hounds]] [[no:Africanis]] [[fi:Africanis]]