The flock guardian dogs of the nomads has a very long history in Afghanistan and the Afghan region. Excavations of caves
near Aq Kopruk yielded evidence of an early Neolithic culture (ca. 9000-6000 B.C.), based on domestic animals. Since we know that
the dog were domesticated before the other animals, we can assume that this Neolithic culture also has dogs. If this was
the pre-central asian molosser is just speculations, but the possibility surely is present.
To better understand the Sage Koochee and how it have been created and developed, we need to take a closer look at
Afghanistan, its climate and geography. Afghanistan is located in the middle of central Asia, landlocked between Pakistan,
Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. For millennias Afghanistan have been a meeting
place between east and west, north and south. The famous old "Silk Road" went through Afghanistan, and caravans with goods
have been travelling through the country as far back in time as the oral tradition can describe.
There are three distinct regions in Afghanistan; the central highlands, northern plains and southwest plateau. In north the
mountains known as "Hindu Kush" is predominant, and it is actually a part of the Himalayan chain.
The climate and temperature differences between the three "regions" is huge. The mountain region in the northeast has a
subarctic climate with dry cold winters, with as low temperatures as -24° F. (-31° C.), which have been registred in Kabul.
While the mountainous areas on the border of Pakistan are influenced by the Indian monsoons, which leads to a hot warm
weather, up to 120° F. (49° C.), which have been recorded in Jalalabad in July.
Because of these huge differences in terrain, climate and temperature in the different regions of Afghanistan, we also begin
to understand why the different sub-types of the Sage Koochee have developed; the Mountain, Steppe & Oasen type. And we can
easily understand that a powerful built dog better suited for the harsh and cold mountains would be preferred by the nomads
up in the northeast, while a lighter built dog with a shorter and thinner coat would be preferred by the nomads that moved over
steppes and deserts.
Click on the pictures to enlarge
Examples of the Mountain type (Djence Sheri) at left and the Steppe/Oasen type (Djence Palangi) at right.
At left Abri, bred by Rasaq Qadirie. At right a one year old Djence Palangi.
Afghanistan has a long history of wars, both sivil and against invaders, which certainly have made its
effect on the dogs of the region and their population. We know that under the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989)
guardian dogs was shot on sight, and we can assume that dogs that protected its human owners, livestock or property, also
were killed under earlier wars and occupations.
From Cyrus II, which establihed his authority over the area in the 6th century B.C., and until the first Afghand-British war
in the 1830's Afghanistan were controlled by many different nomadic tribes, as well as several foreign powers.
The Britons made their first invation of
Afghanistan in the 1830's, when they crowned Shah Shoja to King. The Afghans would not tolerate a foreign occupation, nor a
King imposed on them by a foreign power, and insurrections broke out. The Britons evacuated Afghanistan in 1843, returned in
1879 after the murder of the British envoy and his escort in Kabul. The Britons finally withdraw from Quandahar in april 1881.
During the reign of Abdor Rahman Khan (1880-1901) the boundaries of the modern Afghanistan were drawn by the British and the
Russians. Amanollah launched the third Anglo-Afghan war in may 1919, and after the month-long war the Afghans gained control
of their own foreign affers. Before signing the peace treaty with the Britons, the Afghans concluded a treaty of
friendship with the new Bolshevik regime in the Soviet Union, a friendship that lasted until the Soviet occupation in 1979.
Through the 1900's there were sevaral civil wars up to 1978 when the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was born on April the 27th.
From the late summer of 1978 there were again civil war in Afghanistan, and the 24th December 1979 the Soviet Union began their
invasion. By early 1980 several regional groups, collectively known as Mujahideen had united inside Afghanistan. In May 1988
the Soviet Union began to withdraw, and in February 1989 the last Soviet soldier left. The civil war continued however.
During the Soviet occupation the Sage Koochee's did suffer. Dogs protecting its humans, property or livestock were often
shot on sight, if they were acting threating to the Soviet soldiers. It have also been reported that Sage Koochee dogs
have been shipped to Russia, where they have been used in the breeding of the modern CAO lines.
An old 1800's illustration of the British army at the Khyber Pass.
The 3rd Ghurka regiment, employed by the Britons brought elephants for easier transportation of the equipment.
The Taliban government took control over Afghanistan, beginning with the occupation of Herat in 1995. Under the Taliban
regime dogs were not allowed, according to their rules and beliefs. The ever popular dog-fights were stopped and many Koochee Dogs
were moved to remote areas or to the neighbouring countries. After the Taliban regime were overthrown by USA and the
Northern Alliance in 2002, refugee Afghans returned with their Koochee Dogs.
Now the Sage Koochee is not as numerous as earlier, but there are still many true and pure dogs existing in Afghanistan.
Click on the picture to enlarge
A nomad caravan from northern Afghanistan, with a Sage Koochee of mountain type (Djence Sheri).
For more about the Sage Koochee, visit Koocheedog.com
