Page written by Konstantinos Adamopoulos,
President for K.O.D.E.P - Kynologikos Omilos Diasosis Hellenikou Pimenikou
(Kennel Club for preservation of the Hellenikos Poimenikos),
based on his search, research and devoted studies of the ancient Greek dogs.
It is well known from many ancient Greek authors that there have been bred many different true to type breeds of dogs in Greece, at least from 1000 B.C. Some of the different breeds we can learn about from these authors is the dogs of the Spartans (Lakonics), Locricians, Molossians, Epirotics, Macedonians, Thracians, Arcadians, etc.
All these breeds had specific characteristics and each of the breeds was used to a specific type of work.
There were hounds (courser), wardogs, shepherd dogs, guardian dogs (watchdogs), housedogs, etc.
After the 15th century there were a gradual change in canine activities and lack of work for the dogs.
All these breeds in difficult situations translocated, as much, to the highlands, because in the mountain areas there were more food sources for these large dogs, which was mainly used in pastoral work.
Unfortunately the situation for these dogs have become more and more difficult as the years have gone by.
Based on available descriptions, but also on modern kennel technics, we started a very carefully search for the old Greek breeds. After many years of hard work and research we had found, and collected, a fair number of these dogs.
Our next step was carefully selection of the best speciments, and the following breeding, of the three breeds we had localized. The K.O.D.E.P. (Kynologikos Omilos Diasosis Hellenikou Pimenikou -Kennel Club for the preservation of the Hellenikos Poimenikos) was formed to take care of the management of the breeds, to search and detect dogs at different places as well as the dogs genealogy. The goal of the Club is to preserve all the Greek dog breeds.
The three dog breeds that is kept separated and bred as three different breeds is the Hellenikos Poimenikos (Greek Sheepdog-Greek Shepherd Dog), Skilos tou Alexandrou (Alexander the Great's Dog), and the Skilos tou Pyrrou (King Pyrros Dog).
This page is about the dog of Alexander the Great, the Skilos tou Alexandrou.
The Skilos tou Alexandrou is a dog with Mastiff typed head.
This is the ancient Greek Macedonian dog that followed King Alexander the Great in his war campaigns.
The Skilos tou Alexandrou is the strongest and most powerful of the Greek breeds. Fearless and devoted he protect the flock from the predator, attacks the enemy at first sight, and fights against the intruder to his death.
Analogy of the cranium-muzzle is about 2:3. The top of the skull is nearly flat.
Muzzle: Wide and deep with parallel lines.
Body: "Brawny" & heavy.
Neck: Medium lenght with double dewlaps.
Chest: Deep and very wide.
Coat: Short to medium.
Colour: Black, red-brown, reddish, brown, white-brown, black-brown, parti coloured.
Height: Males 63-73 cm. (24,7-28,7 in), females 60-66 cm. (23,5-26 in).
Minimum weight: Males 42-52 kg (92-115 lb), females 34-42 kg. (75-93 lb).
Lenght of body: 0-5 % larger than the height at the withers.
For the K.O.D.E.P.
President Konstantinos Adamopoulos
P.P. Germanou 44 st.
16231 Byron, Athens
Greece
Telephone: +3017650146
E-mail: vistagi@yahoo.com
Molosserworld would like to thank Maria Adamopoulou-Katsougri, the sister of the author of this page, for her helpfullness in the matter of the Greek dogs. Without her help as a middleman this page would not have existed.
