The King of The Hills

The Kintamani breed of dog has long sought accreditation by Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) as the only purely Indonesian breed of dog. The growing acknowledgement of the Kintamani breed and the attractive characteristics of the breed, have created a booming demand for these dogs, both at home and abroad.

The spokesman of the Bali Dog Lovers Association, Oka Munadi, said, "few Indonesians know that the Kintamani dog is credited with a 'F10' rating possessing an intelligence quotient determined to exceed that of many foreign breeds." Munadu said that in addition to the popularity of the breed in Jakarta and Surabaya, the Kintamani is also very popular in Holland.

Meanwhile, home in Indonesia in areas outside Bali, such as Jakarta and Surabaya, there are already a number of established Kintamani breeders each producing up to 80 dogs in a single year selling at an individual price of between Rp 2.5 – Rp. 5 million (US$280 –US$550).

Ironically, in Bali, few people bother to breed the Kintamani, preferring to raise imported dog breeds. Munadi said the most popular Kintamani dogs have white coats, preferred over members of the breed with coats that are black, chocolate or multi-colored. Particularly prized are the thick fur most prevalent on the Kintamani's neck and hind-quarters. Plans are reportedly underway for a major dog show to be held in Bali. Gde Ngurah Anindita, chairman of the Bali Dog Festival, said the festival will soon be held to gather dog lovers and help further popularize the Kintamani breed while

(BaliDiscovery.com)