Fort Sabet Dogs

The Fort Sabet dog is a landrace of dog native to Abayad. They have erect ears, a wedge-shaped head, and a curved tail. It is easily trainable and often used as a guard or police dog in rural areas. The dog is an example of an ancient, distantly-related group of wild dogs stretching across the equator, stretching as far as Hazala to the west. It is possible that the ancestors of these dogs date back 4,500 years ago.

The breed gets their name from the historical Fort Sabet overlooking Tafari Harbor, as the first time the dogs were documented by a foreigner were by Eduran advisors visiting in the early 15th century as military advisors at the fort. Though most street dogs in Abayad are in fact Fort Sabet dogs, the names for this breed are often erroneously used to refer to all urban strays despite the fact that some free-ranging dogs there do not match the breed and may be mixed, especially around urban centers where foreign breeds were readily brought.

History
The Sabet dog of Abayad is an ancient autochthonous landrace that is found across Abayad, Southern Tarsis, and Northern Dihara. A Sabet-like dog skull was discovered in an ancient cave site in Abayad, and prehistoric rock art depicting a dog of similar type has been found in nearby rock shelters.

Despite the breed’s being highly intelligent and easily trainable, the breed was intentionally downplayed during the Late Confederation period by merchants from Ichoria and Edury who wished to sell their foreign breeds within the country. In 1595 AC, a breed standard was established, and the dog has been recognized by most associations within the country.

Some in Abayad view the dogs as a risk, citing their increasing population in recent years. They consider the dogs a menace and a nuisance, owing to constant barking and occasionally biting people, livestock, or pets. Nevertheless, most attacks on humans are caused by human provocation. Since most of the dogs are not vaccinated, they may carry rabies.

Appearance
The Fort Sabet dog is a medium sized dog of square build and short coat. It has a double coat, with a coarse upper coat and soft undercoat. The most commonly observed colors are browns, ranging from dark to reddish brown, with or without white markings. Solid blacks are rare, but occur. Shaded coats, brindles, solid white, and spotted are never seen in pure populations. These are generally signs of mixing with modern breeds, as they are only seen in dogs in cities where non-native dogs have historically been found.

The head is medium-sized and wedge shaped. Their muzzle is pointed and is of equal or slightly greater length than the head. The neck and forequarters are elevated, and hindquarters are minimally angled. Their trot is short, and eyes are almond shaped and brown. The ears are held erect and pointed at the mouth, with a broad case set low on the head, and a tail that is curled and held high when excited.

Temperament
Sabet dogs are very alert and social, used commonly as guard and police dogs in rural areas, being very territorial and defensive. They require socialization as pups and do well with families and children if provided with such socialization. They are highly intelligent and easily trainable.

Health
Being a naturally evolved breed, Sabet dogs have very few health concerns, thriving with minimal maintenance in suitable climates. Their skin needs very little grooming, and the dogs themselves are fairly clean. Genetic health ailments like hip dysplasia are extremely rare, since there is no inbreeding, and the dominant genes that aid in their survival are naturally selected over time. Most deaths occur due to accidents with vehicles, not getting clean food or water, tumors in the body, or being bitten by snakes.