Now in the world there are more than five hundred breeds of dogs, many of which people brought up relatively recently. Practice confirms that representatives of the more ancient breed always have better life adaptability, and between their other congeners are distinguished by high intelligence and healthy physiology. All this applies to the full extent to the banshees, which already almost 14 thousand years are faithfully accompanying the shepherds, helping them to herd their flocks on the huge Mongolian plains.
The history of the Mongolian shepherd dog
These dogs are considered to be the ancestors of the Central Asian and Caucasian sheep-dogs , but this breed has little connection with the Tuva sheepdog and the Buryat-Mongolian wolfhound. The local name of this breed is the Mongolian banhar, which means chubby cheeks or rich in down. More rarely, these dogs are called Baavgai (bearish-like) in their homeland, which visually characterizes the peculiarity of this ancient breed. Images of the Mongolian dog Banhar can be found on gravestones, petroglyphs, on samples of religious painting. There are legends telling how the breed of Banhar dogs appeared in Mongolia. Tradition says that one pilgrim returned from Tibet, along with a white-breasted companion dog, who could see the terrible evil spirits with his second pair of eyes.
The habit of some dogs of this breed to fall asleep sitting with their eyes open, has led to the appearance of the faith of local residents in the fact that they pray to the gods for their masters. They even wish their dead pets to return to Tibet and be reborn there as a human being. And the killing of the dog in these parts was always not a charitable activity, and even the ancient laws protected them from the infringement of evil hands, which can not be found in any other country in the world.
Description of breed Mongolian shepherd dog
The wool of the bangs can be compared to the fur of a sable or a fur seal, so brilliant and beautiful. The tip of the tail is decorated with a brush of rough "horse hair", which is longer than the frame. Such an ornament you will not find anywhere else - it is a characteristic feature of only the Mongolian Shepherd. In general, wool is a topic for a special conversation. Where you will see 75 percent down in the undercoat. This indicator was not awarded to any of the representatives of mammals on our planet.
There are Mongolian shepherds of three colors - a black-taned ochkarik, a black ochkarik and much less often you can find a pure red banhara. All of them have a hereditary white patch on their chest. The reddish-brown ebb in its black wool, according to most experts, these dogs have received from their wild ancestors - the red wolves that inhabit Central Asia. The dense coat in males reaches a length of 15 cm, and forms a peculiar mane on the head and neck.
Representatives of the Mongolian shepherd dog have average or above average growth, dense musculature. Males are usually larger than bitches. The lower limit of growth for a bitch is 55 cm, and for dogs - 60 cm. The head of a bangar is massive with a wide skull. The peculiarity of their muzzle is that it has a swelling due to the increased fat layer, which helps to keep heat and protects from overheating of the nasal sinuses. Their ears are small, triangular in shape and low set.
Dogs of this breed have undergone a good hardening in the harsh conditions of the Great Steppe, and are excellent at coping with predators, protecting the herds from them. Even in the absence of their master, they can graze livestock, and hunt the beast. Perhaps, only this breed of dogs has the same schooling intellect and the sense of an organized team, as well as their main opponents - wolves. All those who dealt with them were struck by the loyalty of the bans, controllability and good intellect. By their nature, they are more like phlegmatic, in every situation, trying to look cool and cool. Recently, interest has arisen towards this breed, and more and more often one can find announcements about the sale of Mongolian shepherd puppies, which makes it possible to see the beauties of the banhars not only in the photo or video, but also in real life.