Occasionally, National Purebred Dog Day will write about a dog that may be less a purebred dog, and more of a landrace (genetically related dogs unique to a given geographical area), but we like you to be well informed, and so we introduce you to the Bisben, a large herding breed/dog (also used for hunting) that’s native to the Himalaya Mountains.
The Bisben’s true classification is up for grabs: Some claim the dog is a type of Mastiff (often mistaken for a Tibetan Mastiff by those not paying attention to the head piece) that descended from a cross between wolves and Indian sheepdog breeds during the 18th century. Some say the dog is more of a “type,” and not really a defined breed. What makes the discussion interesting is that records indicate the Bisben was developed no later than the late 1700’s, and could be many centuries older. Landraces have been known to become (or called) “breeds” when experts realize they’ve been breeding true for years with a respectable level of genetic uniformity. Add to this the fact that while the Bisben is most popular in India, it has gained popularity all over Asia as a working and companion dog, and this spread is more suggestive of a breed, and not a landrace.
We’ll leave the debate to the cynologists. We’ll conclude by mentioning that the Bisben is one powerful and ferocious dog that had to develop into one of the toughest herding dogs capable of working in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Extremely high altitude, freezing temperatures, and terrain so treacherous that one wrong step can lead to death is tricky business in a land inhabited by deadly predators.
We lied. The real conclusion to this is something we came across (and loved!) while researching the breed. Some believe there is a connection between the Bisben and the Yeti, sometimes known as the Abominable Snowman, Meh Teh, or Wildman. Who wouldn’t want to put a leash on the family Yeti and go for a walk? All in!
Our image was found on Pinterest, and trying to find its source took us to invalid URLs. We’d love to credit this picture!