The idea of monks having a breeding program seems counterintuitive (not sure why),  but there is a long history of just such a thing. Certainly, the Monks of New Skete and their German Shepherd Dogs come to mind as a current model, but Buddhist monks nurtured and mated Japanese Chin they acquired on the ancient Silk Road, as well as Lhasa Apsos bred to be sentinels in Buddhist monasteries, Tibetan Spaniels said to turn prayer wheels, and Tibetan Terriers bred to be companions and “first responders” (those Buddhists were busy men!). We can’t forget the Augustine monk, Bernard de Menthon, who founded a hospice and monastery around the year 1050 and had a breed named after him. Update: Since posting this article, we’ve learned of legendary blue Chow Chows being raised by monks in China and Mongolia. Read about that here.  

To learn more about the Chihuahua and Buddhist monk in this photo, click here.