The beautiful and unique-looking Bali Heritage Dog is widely misunderstood as being a mutt or mongrel, but are actually incredibly special, pristine dogs, that are considered the oldest dog breed in the world. Characterised by their long pointed ears, high hind legs and short hair, they are commonly seen on the streets of Bali. 

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Scientists at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California (UC) Davis, have explored the history of the Bali dog, and discovered that about 7000 years ago, the dog of today was born in Southeast Asia, descended from the grey wolf. Other studies show the Bali dog itself dates back 12,000 years, meaning it predates the Australian Dingo, the New Guinea singing dog, and the African wild dog. 

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Between 2000 and 2003 the DNA of 3,000 indigenous dogs from all over Bali was tested in the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis. The research revealed that Bali’s indigenous dogs held one of the richest pools of genetic diversity of all the dogs in the world, and as such, is one of the few remaining indigenous dog populations, meaning it's genome is hugely valuable to science. 

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Bali is home to two unique indigenous dogs — the Bali heritage dog and the Highland Kintamani. The Bali heritage dog has lived on the island in its pure form for at least 2500 years, possibly much, much longer, and the Kintamani probably evolved as a sub-type.  Because of its very rich DNA, the Bali heritage dog presents a wide range of colours and markings. But not only that, The Bali Heritage Dog is a beautiful and affectionate breed, with tons of personality. By nature, they hate to be confined and like to roam free in groups. They are also very territorial, highly intelligent and easy to train.