Armant

The Armant is a shaggy herding dog from Egypt, where it is widely used both to work livestock and to stand guard. Outside Egypt it is little known.

History

Nobody is sure where the Armant came from. One account says it descends from Briards brought to Egypt by Napoleon’s armies and crossed with local dogs. Another says its ancestors arrived with Russian travelers in the 1800s. Either story would explain the thick, shaggy coat, but neither has evidence behind it. The Egyptian Kennel Federation holds that the breed is wholly African, and a link to North African village dogs has also been suggested, a view that has gained ground in recent years.

The breed takes its name from the town of Armant, where it is supposed to have originated. It is also called the Hawara Dog, after the Hawwara tribal confederation who kept these dogs with their livestock.

Crossing with other breeds has left the Armant endangered. It is recognized by the Egyptian Kennel Federation, and the Egyptian Armant Herding Club is working to find and preserve purebred dogs.

Appearance

The Armant is a medium-sized dog, longer than it is tall. Females stand 45 to 55 cm and males 50 to 60 cm, and dogs typically weigh 50 to 65 pounds (23 to 29 kg). The coat is rough and shaggy and comes in black, black and white, black and tan, tricolor, grizzled, gray or light brown. Tails are never docked, though some dogs are born with a natural bobtail.

Temperament

Armants are described as brave, intelligent sheepdogs, loyal to their owners and wary of strangers. They defend their flock fiercely, which earned them the name Sabe, the Arabic word for lion.

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