# NYT Article on Tracing Breeds Back in Time



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Thank you for gifting us that fascinating article, Liz 🙏😊🥰. I wonder how or if it applies to pariah breeds as well.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

That was an interesting read! Thank you for sharing 😊


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Streetcar said:


> I wonder how or if it applies to pariah breeds as well.


About 21 years ago, the winter before 9/11, I escaped to the beaches of southern India. I avoided Goa and settled in a small town to the south called Gokarna, whose pride was their annual cart festival for the god Krishna.

During my month on the beach, I stayed at a tiny seaside hostel, run by a family known for building the famous cart. The hostel did not resemble a hotel to western eyes, with 10-12 small (maybe 4' x 6') huts, bucket showers, pit toilets, and a few picnic tables lined up neatly for meals. I was familiar enough with India to be completely comfortable for under $1 per night.

A few days after I arrived, I saw some of the guests playing with a desi dog, a young tan and white pup who could fit in a bread basket. Curious, I asked about him, and learned that his mum brought him to the hostel nearly every day. The only surviving pup in her litter, she trusted us enough to feed him and look after him, while she sheltered nearby but out of sight.

I fell head over heels in love. By the end of the week I had named him Chapati, a name that caught on with all the guests and made our hosts laugh (imagine a bunch of westerners wandering the beach calling out to their beloved fry dough) even while they were disgusted by the presence of a street dog who ate their food and fed off of their plates.

Chapati would appear out of nowhere on his visits, which lasted about an hour or so. Some of the European men would take him into the ocean for a quick dunk to rid him of his fleas. We would feed him rice and, yes, chapati, as well as whatever curries we had. He had a round belly, a puppy belly distended by parasites. And he was oh so sweet. His mom was never far, but you'd never see her until it was time for him to leave. He'd catch her scent, nose in the air, and start drifting up the beach to the tall grass, which would suddenly part and out she'd walk. They would wrestle affectionately on the sand and head off to parts unknown.

Before I left I learned that a young couple had fallen in love with him and chosen to adopt him. They were taking him to the vet for treatment and papers, so they could fly back with him to somewhere in Scandinavia, IIRC. I cried for the mixture of emotions, for Chapati, for his mom, and for the couple. A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon his picture, and I still hope he and his mom lived happy lives.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Lovely article, and lovely puppy story. Papillons are another breed with a "long history", as long as you are not too picky! There have been tiny spaniel-type dogs around for a very long time, but I was fascinated to discover that papillons are more closely related genetically to pugs and other toy dogs than to the large spaniels.


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