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Dalbohund

"Frågan", related to "Bella" but believed to be only part Dalbo-dog.

All over the world, the dog is the oldest domestic animal. Once upon a time, when man began to walk upright, he was quite a helpless being, but soon enough he learned to take help from the dog. An American, Thurber once formulated a hypothesis, that it was the dog who domesticated man. When man began to think about settling and keeping domestic animals, the dog soon become even more important as a protector. An evidence of the great importance of the dog is the fact that he often was buried together with his master. As the people began to live in villages, they wanted dogs fit for different duties. As their wealth grew the field of work for dogs changed. Sporting dogs, Shepherd dogs and Pet dogs were divided into several breeds. Lapphund, Jamthund, Grahund and Vastgotaspets are some examples of ancient Swedish breeds. All over the world, the oldest domestic animal of man, with his specialities, have been bred to suit man's way of living. The big Cattle dogs were common in the late 10th century and mentioned in Old Norse songs. Since those ancient days cattle dogs have been used to protect the livestock from attacks from beasts of prey. Sometimes the dog was promoted to pet dog or "life dog". He was also used as a Hunting dog on the feudal landowner's huntings. Some of those big and hardy cattle dogs are still used in several countries.

Also Sweden has had a tall and grand cattle dog, whose predecessor can be traced to Old Norse Tales. Their duties are very clearly expressed in the early Swedish literature. Salander wrote in the middle of the 18th century: " The young cattle are mostly herded in the forest, all summer until the meadows are cut and the harvest is done, by a young shepherd with one, two ore more cattle dogs, especially if there are plenty of wild animals in the forests".

The only Swedish cattle dog whose breed is known is "the Dalbodog" and he is known since the 1800th century. The Dalbohound protected the grazing cattle against wolfs and bears to the end of the 1900th century. The breed got it's name from the province where he was most frequent; Dalsland, but he also worked in Bohuslan and Vastergotland. In the end of the 1900th century the Dalbohound died out. Some reasons to that are that wolves gradually disappeared, rabies, years of poverty and famine and registration fees for dogs.

What is left are only the tales and a few photos. The breed are described as brawny and stocky, 65-70 cm high. The color was gray and black with a white breast. The fur was long, thick and bushy. Despite his size and strength he was amazingly lithe and fast. Several stories have given the breed exaggerated proportions for generations. But, for sure, the breed had a reputation as a heroic protector of his master's stock. Grand and fearless, he fought wolf and lynx.

In 1933 C.O. Widbom sent out a petition, where he pleded to people who lived in former known Dalbohound-districts, that they should tell, if they knew about still existing individuals of the breed. Widbom said : If nothing else is gained than a request to rescue what can be rescued of our Swedish breeds, the appeal has filled it's mission".

The appeal gave only one answer, and that was negative. Everything indicates that we have lost a domestic breed. The Dalbodog is extinct.

One of the main sources to our knowledge about the Dalbohound is an article in the first cynology paper, where the editor P. Erlandsson, announced that around 1870, were perhaps some dogs of the breed left. Although, it was not before the middle of the 2000th century, that someone started to trace the history of the Dalbohound again. Il Öhman did an advanced research about the breed. In his research he found that the breed was perfect for fights against two and four legged cattle thieves. Another cynologist, Björn von Rosen, was also searching for the breed and gave a rapport in the magazine "Hundsport" in 1960. In 1971 some photos taken in 1906 were found in Mellerud. These are the only photographic evidences of the existence of the Dalbohound. Although, analyses of pictures and result of researches have given much valuable knowledge about a splendid and interesting domestic breed