Telomian

The Telomian is a Malaysian village dog from the Orang Asli communities, and it is the only Malaysian breed known outside the country.

History

It was kept by Orang Asli people in the interior of peninsular Malaysia, living around houses raised on stilts — which is where its most cited trait comes from: it climbs ladders, using its paws in a way most dogs cannot. It was brought to the United States in the 1960s by an anthropologist, and the small population outside Malaysia descends from those few dogs.

Temperament

The breed is known for being intelligent, agile and reserved with strangers, closely attached to its own household and quieter than most primitive dogs.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and secure boundaries — it climbs. Early socialising matters. The short coat needs almost nothing.

Health

Generally hardy; a tiny population outside Malaysia carries the inbreeding caution that implies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.