Telomian

Telomians were originally bred as vermin-controlling hunting dogs by the Orang Asli indigenous people of Malaysia. Telomians developed an unusual climbing ability, as the Orang Asli built their houses on stilts in order to avoid contact with dangerous animals on the ground. They were officially introduced to the West in 1963, by anthropologist Dr Orville Elliot, who named the breed after the Sungai Telom valley in Pahang where he first saw them. A pair of dogs was brought to the United States, with a Telomian Dog Club being established in 1970. A second pair of telomians was imported to the US in 1973 and it is believed that all Telomians in the West descend from these two domesticated pairs.[1]

The telomian is a small breed with an elongated back. The short and smooth coat can be any shade of sable, with white and ticking. A black mask is not unusual. Adults are 15-18 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 18-28 lbs.[2] Like the chow chow, most telomians have a blue-black tongue.[1] The dingo, New Guinea singing dog, Indian pariah dog and the telomian have a single annual estrus cycle, which for the telomian peaks during September through October.[3]