Initial findings of the research on domestic dogs in some north and north central provinces of Vietnam

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris or Canis familiaris) belong to the carnivorous order (Carnivora), mammal class (Mammalia). They are of the animals domesticated by humans very early. According to Dawin, domestic dogs have a multi-ancestral origin, which means that they may have descended from wolves, jackals, and some other carnivores. However, with the help of modern molecular genetic techniques, it has been shown that domestic dogs have only one ancestor, the wolf, one of the closest species in the taxonomy.

In Asia, especially East Asia, based on morphological similarities, Olsen suggested that domestic dogs are descended from the Chinese wolves (C. lupus chanco), aka the Tibetan wolves. (C. lupus laniger). Besides, based on the research results of Peter Savolainen and Ya-Ping Zhang, it has been shown that domestic dogs in Southeast Asia have the highest level of genetic diversity and are closely related to gray wolves. The authors also hypothesized that domestic dogs were first domesticated in Southeast Asia 33,000 years ago, and, about 15,000 years ago, they began migrating to the Middle East and Africa.

 Hypothetical model of domestication of domestic dogs

Through thousands of years of natural and artificial selection, there are now more than 400 different dog breeds in the world. In Vietnam, indigenous dog breeds are still called Vietnamese dogs. However, in 2006, the first survey trip of the dogology research team of the Vietnam - Russia Tropical Center in Ha Giang showed that the Vietnamese native dogs were very rich and diverse in morphology. Surveys continued to be expanded throughout the North in 2007 and the North Central region (in 2008) by means of comparative assessment of morphological forms that identified 13 indigenous dog types of Vietnam, including: Vietnamese dingo, short dingo, big dingo, short-tailed H'mong, long-haired H'mong, Bac Ha, sled dog, Sharki, Akita, Laika, Sapei, Laos dog, and Wolf-like. Their proportions are shown in figure 2.

Figure 2. Proportion of indigenous dog breeds of Vietnam in the North and North Central regions

Some breeds of dogs that dominate in number include Vietnamese dingo, big Dingo, Sharki, and short-tailed H'mong, accounting for from 11.19% to 24.07%, and the lowest is short Dingo, accounting for only 0.68%. Other breeds have the proportions from 1.36% to 8.81%.

In addition to the results obtained on the composition and proportion of Vietnamese native dog breeds, the findings of the surveys also showed their distribution according to the provincial administrative units and the altitude belts.

Table 1: Distribution of indigenous dog breeds in some northern and North Central provinces of Vietnam

Some breeds of dogs have a wide distribution such as Vietnamese dingo, short-tailed H'mong, Sharki, Akita, Laika, and big dingo as they are present in most of the provinces in the North and North Central regions. Other breeds are present in 2 to 9 provinces in the research areas. Short dingo has a narrow distribution, only found in Bao Lac District, Cao Bang province, while Wolf-like is only found in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. Lao dogs are only distributed in Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, and Thanh Hoa as they may be  endemic dog breeds in the region.

Figure 3. Distribution of Vietnamese native dog breeds by altitude

Dog breeds such as short-tailed H'mong, long-haired H'mong, and Bac Ha have a wide range of distribution 200 to 1,800m above sea level, averaging over 800m. The Wolf-liked and Lao dogs have the narrowest distribution from 100m to 400m; however these may be endemic breeds to the plains. Akita, Laika, and Sharki are distributed mainly at an altitude of 300-1,300m, not found at higher altitudes.

In conclusion, the composition of indigenous Vietnamese domestic dog species in the Northern and North Central provinces is quite diverse and wide. The high level of diversity is found in mountainous provinces, especially in remote areas and those are far from urban centers, with little human impact, few exchanges, and difficult and inconvenient traffic. In urban areas with developed economy, the percentage of native dogs is very low.

Article and photo by Dr. Dinh The Dung