What you do see in the capital and in other urban centres across the country in swelling numbers is the Changkhi or the common street dog whose origin seems to be unknown.

Bhutan is the origin of two breeds of dogs, the Damchi and Bhutia Sheepdog locally known as Bjopchi.

The Damchi is a much loved dog in Bhutan but elsewhere its survival is still unsure. A few are found in Germany where a breeder imported the lovely dogs from India but the bloodlines are very thin.

These dogs have a silky top coat which is moderate in length and have a slight mane. They have a curl in the tail which is well feathered. The coat comes in black and white and tri-colour, several variations are acceptable.

A more logical explanation indicates that Damchi means ‘tied dog’, which explains its purpose as a guard dog. The Third King owned a Damchi and the breed was featured on Bhutan postage stamps.

The Bhutia Sheepdog (Bhutan) is the big and ferocious Bjopchi dog which is bred by herders to shepherd cattle and yaks against predators. It is still very popular as a guard dog.

The Apsoo went under different names such as Bhutan, Bhutia, Bhuteer terrier and more commonly as Lhasa Apsoo. It is believed that the breed originated from Lhasa, around 800 BC.

These dogs were raised by the aristocratic part of the Tibetan society and by Tibetan monks in the monasteries where they were used as guard dogs. They were very valuable both spiritually and materialistically. To be presented with an Apso was to be blessed with good fortune.

They tend to have a very long life-span of 15-18 years and DNA analysis has identified the Lhasa Apsoo as one of the 14 most ancient dog breeds.

“When I was a kid I only remember that families only kept Apsoo and Damchi as pets”, said 79-year-old Ap Mindu.

Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and this similarity in their overall behavioral pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships.

Traditionally Bhutanese revere dogs not only as an animal closest to humans in the cycle of rebirth but also as an inseparable companion.

According to Ap Wangdi, 70, from Punakha, in the past dogs with a white tipped tail were considered unlucky so the tail were tied off whereas dogs with a white spot on the forehead was considered to bring luck.

“A dog with a white chest was considered a coward and puppies were usually lifted by their neck folds and those that did not cry were qualified to be kept,” he said.

But in the absence of the difficulty in getting Bhutanese pure breeds there is a growing preference for exotic breeds rather than traditional ones.

Pet dogs are being replaced more and more with imported breeds. In the past 10 years Bhutan has seen Labradors, German Shepard, St Bernard, Dalmatians, Shih tzus, Spaniels, Boxers, Pugs, Afghan Hounds. And dog loving people go to lengths to import these exotic breeds.

Sonam Dorji, a dog lover has bought a female Collie from Thailand for Ngultrum three thousand to breed with his local dog.

“Dogs are very smart animals and scientific research has proven that dogs have a reasonably high level of intelligence,” he added.

According to Sonam, imported dogs like Border Collies were noted for their ability to learn commands, while other breeds may not be so motivated towards obedience, but instead show their cleverness in devising ways to steal food or escape.

While stray dogs haunt dustbins and scavenge on vegetable and hotel leftovers, some shop shelves in Thimphu are beginning to stock on imported dog food. It does not come cheap and a packet exceeds Ngultrum five hundred.

According to Sherab Tobchen, the Pedigree dog food is very good, every once in a while he feeds it to his dog Domchu and there is a noticeable change in the dog hair as it becomes very healthy and shiny. But he told Kuensel that the dog food was expensive so he could not afford to buy it on a regular basis.

“I saw all attractive dog food packets in the shop and when I saw the price, I couldn’t imagine who could afford to buy expensive stuff for their dogs”, said Ugyen, who was shopping for groceries.

Thinlay Dorji, a shopkeeper says that he feeds his pet, a stray dog with rice and vegetables most of the times. “I don’t feed him meat as once he gets used to it, I will have a difficult time feeding him”, he added.