| Country of origin | Philippines | ||||||
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| Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||
An askal is a mixed-breed dog in the Philippines. The name is a Tagalog-derived portmanteau of asong kalye (street dog). A pet you can leave in the streets, Askals are very resilient compared to their pure-breed counterparts.[1] In Cebuano, mongrel dogs are called irong Bisaya, which literally means a native dog.[2] To counter perceived political incorrectness, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has suggested the alternative term Aspin, short for asong Pinoy (Pinoy dog).[3]
Askals are often more resilient and street-smart than purebreds,[4] but unlike in other countries, mixed breeds are not popular choices as pets in the Philippines. But in the past few years Askals are becoming known to be good house pets. In the Philippines, these dogs are discriminated against other purebred dogs. Askal dogs however are now being considered for training as bomb-sniffing dogs as purebred dogs of the Philippine K9 units are becoming too old to work and too expensive to maintain.[5]
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Similar to the vira-lata dogs (trash can tipper) of The Dominican Republic and Brazil, the Askal is basically a stray dog in the Philippines. Askal is the Tagalog (Austronesian language) contraction of the word asong kalye or street dog. Irong Bisaya which means native dog is the Cebuano name for these stray dogs. In Bicol region these dogs are generally called Ido or Ayam. These dogs were developed for generations of natural selection.
An Askal is a dog of mixed ancestry. Because of cross-breeding, the Philippine native dog does not have a definitive appearance. An Askal crossed with spitz type dogs would have the typical looks of a spitz. An Askal that is of Labrador mix or a pinscher mix would manifest the appearance of the parent breed. Generally, an Askal is a medium-sized dog with a longer than tall body. These dogs have short, dense coat that can be of any color. These dogs have various ear types. Some individuals would have pricked ears; others would have droopy and rose ears. Eyes can be variedly shaped and colored as well. These dogs have long, pointed muzzles and complete set of evenly spaced teeth that meet in a scissor bite. Tails are long, thick at the root and taper to a point. These wiry dogs have long thin legs.
Askals are loving and loyal dogs. They may not be pedigreed but they make wonderful companions. An Askal would be content to lie under the table while the family dines and would patiently wait for table scraps or would wait for the family to feed them. An Askal may not have the gregarious personality of other purebred dogs, but the loyalty and devotion it gives to its human family can never be doubted. An Askal dog makes a wonderful playmate for children in the same manner that it makes an ideal hunting or jogging buddy.
Askals generally are outdoor dogs. These dogs are accustomed to being tied in the yard to guard the family and their property. These dogs are not very territorial. An Askal will not fail to warn the family of strangers by barking, but once the visitor is accepted inside the house, the dog will acknowledge the stranger as a guest of the family. These dogs are not dog-aggressive. Askals tolerate other animals as well. It is common for this dog to befriend smaller pets of the family.
An Askal is a healthy breed and is a low maintenance dog. These dogs do not shed a lot compared to other breeds, brushing the coat regularly would be enough to maintain its good condition.
For centuries, dogs have been man's loyal, affectionate and functional friends.
Askals have existed in Philippine soil for centuries, but the origin of these native dogs are unknown. Dogs have descended from wolves. As there are no wolves in the Philippines, the Askal cannot be indigenous to the Philippines. Because the appearance of the Askal resembles that of a Dingo it was speculated that the Askal has descended from Australia's native dog. Historians believe that the Dingo was brought to Australia from Indonesia by the Austronesian sea travelers. The Austronesians have sailed and traveled to other countries, one of which is the Philippines. Dogs were brought along as they were used in hunting. Moreover, dogs have also served as blankets that kept the owner warm at night. Through thousands of years, the dogs were bred and crossed with foreign dogs resulting to the present day Askals.
Despite the Askal’s potential for being very good family companion, not all Filipinos see man’s best friend in their Askal, and a family earning more than enough to warrant having a house pet usually prefers the company of purely bred dog. Most people keep Askals as alarm dogs as they will bark at suspicious people roaming close to the owner’s house, but their instinct usually allow them to discern between people living close by or without bad intentions and those that might be ill-intent. It is common to see these Askal dogs tied to short chain-link outside of houses. Since dog accessories can be expensive items in the Philippines for people with average to low-income wages, owners of these dogs sometimes had to resort to creative way to tie their dogs and it is not rare to see dogs with various types of improvised collars made from anything the owners had access to. Some of these homemade dog collars can be made out of crude materials not suited for such purposes. Nevertheless, most owners care for their dog and show it in various ways such as moving the dog to a different location when sun gets too hot during the day, keeping the bones of the meat they cooked and storing leftovers for their companion. Feeding can sometimes become a neighborhood thing, with people giving their leftover meals to dogs that are not causing trouble as some of them empty trash bags when hungry and get into various shenanigans during the day. They are frequently let loose to roam around at night and the vast majority of female dog show sign of bearing or having bore puppies (swollen mammary gland) as a result of them being rarely neutered. Askals rarely get to be examined by a veterinarian as it can be quite expensive, and not many people can afford such a luxury so it is not uncommon for some of these dogs to show signs of various skin disease or infection. This contribute to the Askal reputation of being a very tough dog as only the toughest one survives to live a long life. Even though killing a dog for his meat is forbidden by the Metro Manila Commission Ordinance 82-02[6] of 1985 and by the Animal Welfare Act of 1998,[7] the consumption of dog meat is still common[8] in many part of the Philippines and dogs are sometime sold to neighbors for a price to be eaten. A typical dish using dog meat in the Philippines can be Asong Pulutan or Asocena. Filipinos who eat dog meat do not see killing dogs as any different than slaughtering a cow or a goat, and it is still rooted in their culture despite ongoing efforts by the government and Philippines Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)to eradicate the practice.
Campaigns and programs were launched to preserve these dogs. The Animal Welfare Foundation spearheaded the rescue operations by establishing a two-hectare rescue center in Capas, Tarlac where dogs recovered from illegal slaughter houses were housed. Recovered dogs are open for adoption. The See Beauty Beyond Breed (SBBB) campaign was launched, supported by movie and TV personalities with the aim of uplifting the image of the Philippine native dog.
Áskal is also the name of a Spanish association that trains dogs for the deaf. Their name comes from the fact that Áskal only works with mixed breed dogs rescued from shelters.
Shore Animal League of America)[9]