Asong Gubat: Will This Be the First Official Dog Breed of the Philippines?
ON January 2, Kathleen Llemit of Philstar.com reported that the Philippine Canine Club, Inc. intends to introduce what could be the Philippines' first indigenous dog breed, the asong gubat, to the Philippine Circuit dog show, in the hopes that it will soon be recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale or FCI:
The event also hopes to formally introduce the Philippine Forest Dog or asong gubat, which organizer Philippine Canine Club, Inc. (PCCI) hope will be the first dog breed from the Philippines that will be recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the ruling organization for national kennel clubs in the world.
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Philippine 'Witch Dog' Could Be 36,000 Years Old
Esquire Philippines first reported on the existence of the so-called asong gubat, also known as witch dog and aso ng gubat. Philippine indigenous dog researcher Tom Asmus studied the dogs for years and observed unique traits.
According to Asmus, the dog can survive independently in the jungle and is difficult to raise at home.
“They climb trees after prey, hunt snakes, and are capable of surviving on just jungle vegetation,” said Asmus in an Esquire interview in 2020.
“It's difficult to keep a wild-blooded one domestically, as they have little to no resistance to common domesticated canine illnesses.”
The aso ng gubat has other unique identifiers.
According to Asmus, the aso ng gubat is likely a breed of its own that has been largely overlooked.
Among its unique identifiers are the following:
- Sharper claws that it regularly shed
- Genitals less than half the diameter of most domestic dogs, so it usually only mates with its kind
- Double-sealing anus
- Very high prey drive
- Black lips
- Black gums and roof of the mouth
- Tongue spotting
The Lumads have an oral mythology about the aso ng gubat
In the ancestral lands of Bukidnon in Mindanao, there is a type of wild dog that does not breed with other dogs. It has sharp claws, climbs trees, hunts cobras, and could be 36,000 years old. It is called tiger dog and aso ng gubat by locals. It is also called bird catcher in Luzon and witch dog in the Visayas. The aso ng gubat in Bukidnon has a brindle coat—dark-brown with black stripes, similar to the dogs in the photos above by Tom Asmus.
The Lumads in Bukidnon have passed down for generations ancient oral mythology about the aso ng gubat. According to lore, anyone who hurts an aso ng gubat will be cursed. Kill one and your entire family will be cursed.
“Most Filipinos think that the aso ng gubat is only a myth and does not exist,” says Asmus. “But the Lumads see them on the same level as humans, with some considering them as forest spirits.”
The existence of such ancient lore suggests that the aso ng gubat is not just a mere street dog, but is an ancient indigenous breed of wild dog.
