Page 136 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

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The British in the 19th century also brought their dogs with them, but mixing with “Kaffir
dogs” was first unthinkable because of the ongoing wars with the indigenous Xhosa and
later not opportune because of the English idea of pure breeding of dogs, which had
already begun. Mixing the English dogs with the native “mutts” was simply
unthinkable. The prevailing Victorian attitude guaranteed very little mixing of the
different origins of the dogs.

The same applies to the Boers, who encountered Basotho and Ndebele peoples on their
treks, and later Zulu from Natal. The Boers certainly did not allow their dogs to roam in
enemy territory. As cattle breeders, they would certainly have valued a good animal or
dog. But this interbreeding does not seem to have taken place on a large scale and the
indigenous dogs remained more or less intact in their population.

This remained the case until the time of apartheid. It was only with the establishment of
dog racing tracks from about the middle of the 20th century that Greyhounds were
introduced in large numbers and these were crossed with native dogs to improve their
stamina. In 1995, the South African Veterinary Association estimated that there were
about 40,000 Greyhounds living in South Africa. In addition to the estimated 3,000
registered racing Greyhounds, there were very many that were used in illegal racing

events. The rapidly increasing middle class were Greyhound enthusiasts and were more
interested in the speed of their dogs than in hunting success. The betting business
became the driving force behind dog breeding.

The Africanis is of medium size and well muscled. He is agile and supple and can run at
great speed. The coat is generally short, in a range of colours and with or without

markings. Sometimes a hair crest can be seen on the back - one of the Africanis genetic
contributions to the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Traditionally, he is always found around
people, other dogs, livestock and pets. The Africanis is well behaved without being
pushy: a friendly dog that shows alert territorial behaviour. The dog displays
unadulterated canine social behaviour with a high degree of facial expression and body
language. His nervous condition is stable, but the dog is always cautious when
approaching new situations [85].