Alopekis

The Alopekis is a small, ancient landrace dog from Greece and the neighboring parts of the Balkans, not a formally standardized breed. It was an all-purpose farm dog: hunter, watchdog and herder in one. It can be found across Greece but is most often seen in the farming country of the north, around Serres, Drama and Xanthi. It is critically endangered, and nobody knows exactly how many are left.

History

The Ancient Greek word alōpekís meant a cross between a fox and a dog, and the same idea lies behind another old name, Kunalṓpēx. The dog has many local names too, among them Alepuditsa, Alepudoskylo, Venetaki and Zacharoskylo.

The Alopekis is said to have been domesticated in Greece before the Mycenaean era. The earliest known image is a scratched outline on a Neolithic storage jar from Thessaly, dated to about 3000 BC and now in the archaeological museum in Athens; it is the oldest picture of a dog found in Greece. A similar find from Rafina dates to the Early Bronze Age. Aristotle, Xenophon and Aristophanes all mention the dog, and Xenophon names it as one of the two main Greek hunting dogs. Writers of that time believed it came from mating dogs with foxes.

Numbers have fallen steeply, partly because of mass sterilization programs meant to reduce strays in some regions. Small populations survive in northern Greece, and Greek groups are working to preserve the dog.

Appearance

The Alopekis looks rather like a fox: small, with a wedge-shaped head, upright ears and a sickle-shaped tail. The body is longer than it is tall, but sturdy and well proportioned, without dwarfism or markedly shortened legs. It stands on average 25 to 30 cm at the withers and weighs about 4 to 7 kg.

The double coat comes in three types: short, hard and smooth; semi-long, tufted and rough; and semi-long, hard and wiry. It always has an insulating undercoat, since this is a dog meant to live comfortably outdoors. Every color and combination is accepted except albino. White, black, brown and two-colored coats are the most common.

Temperament

As a companion the Alopekis is described as obedient, quiet and loyal, friendly and expressive with people and good with children. It is alert and protective of other farm animals, and it has a lot of energy, able to cover long distances. It is said to adapt well to either town or country life.

On the farm its traditional jobs were killing rats and mice and guarding poultry from foxes, jackals and ferrets. It is small enough to settle in with the hens and ducks in the coop, and it works alongside the larger Greek sheepdogs and livestock guardians. It also makes a brave watchdog.

Care and health

The coat is easy to groom, and its texture helps keep it clean. The dogs are noted for cleaning themselves often and carefully.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.