Irrepressible is defined as; inextinguishable, unquenchable, uncontainable, uncontrollable, indestructible, undying, and everlasting.  Irrepressible describes the Bali Dog perfectly.

You can bring in legally, import illegally and backyard mass produce and cross breed as many non-Bali Dogs as you want. But there’s only one Dog on Bali that looks like it truly belongs.

There are many issues and threats facing this small Island.  From pollution made by humans, to human made inequality poverty and suffering, Bali has more than enough to deal with.  Bali Dogs are very low on the issue and threat scale.

Thankfully there remain to be thousands of Bali Dogs and an equal number of humans who care enough to not eat abuse and or kill them.

​Thankfully the magnificent unique irrepressible Bali Dog continues to be just a part of the rich tapestry that is Bali life.  Low enough on the radar to be celebrated not castigated.  Yet still high enough visually to be beautifully shown to an Island that must continue to deal with so much more than a simple dog that has been with them in all their ups and downs since time began.        
 

If only one child in one village, in one town, in one city, in one country can learn to live, to love, to care and to share, then they will learn to teach others to love, to care, to share.  Then there is a chance.

Bali Dogs are family dogs.  It’s been that way for as long as anyone can remember.  Their protection of their family is unquestionable.  Their connection to all members of their pack is guaranteed.

For generations Bali Dogs were as pure as any unrecognized unregistered breed could ever be.  The rules were simple.  If a dog was not useful or behaved in a manner that saw it step outside of specific boundaries, then it was eliminated.  As unpalatable as elimination may be for some it meant that for thousands of years the Bali Dog became a stable predictable animal that could be relied upon to hand on its genetic surety generation by generation.

One of the major benefits could be observed in how Bali Dogs related and conducted themselves when in the presence of children.  It is of little use having a working dog that’s expected to perform useful and meaningful activities if it’s running around biting children.

For thousands of years Balinese children and Bali Dogs have grown together and in most cases they have unconsciously and collectively handed on to their respective offspring the ancient rules for living together.

​This contract is still very much binding and it is hoped and prayed that it will continue to be rolled over and stamped with a loving caring sharing seal of approval for thousands of years to come.     
 

Something that was enough to grab the attention of a motor bike rider speeding past this small black and white puppy cowering on the side of a busy road.

Something about when he turned around went back and pulled over to make sure she was OK, she wagged her tail.

Something that made him care enough to create a soft bed of sarongs for her to rest on when she arrived at her new home.

Something that made him aware enough to visit his local veterinarian where he purchased anti parasitic treatments to rid her of fleas and ticks and something that gave him motivation to purchase a hot pink collar and lead whilst he was at the clinic.

Something that made him hold her close, nurse her and worry over a wound she had on her elbow.

Something that made him cook fresh tuna and chicken and rice for her, to build up her strength.

That motor bike rider was Wayan, the owner of Amaya Cottage and as he tells it the ‘something’ is luck. 

​That something was his luck, for being on that road at that time on that day and finding Mary.
 
 

Genetic malfunction, cross breeding, natural selection, environmental adaptation.  Whatever the variables or reasons, short legged dogs on Bali appear to be increasing.

There are of course foreign breeds such as the floppy eared stumpy legged Beagle, the distinctive patchwork coloured imported canine that continues to rate right up there among the most favoured for local ‘ownership’.

It’s not until you begin to seriously look, that it also becomes obvious that there are definite ‘pure bred’ short legged (pendek kaki) Bali Dogs.  For any avid follower of the stock standard sized Island dog the sight of a pendek kaki can elicit many more questions than available answers.

If the invasion of foreign dogs continues at current rates the obvious future for the indigenous Bali Dog is a crossbreeding inevitability.  As unpalatable as this is for lovers of the ancient iconic unique Bali Dog, it is already happening.  Bali Dog Combos are  being rolled out with ‘interesting’ results.

It’s highly unlikely that Bali Dog original will disappear in the near future, however their isolated unchanging continuum was shaken with the arrival of Rabies and their balanced world was turned upside down when an open border policy heralded a foreign dog infiltration.

Bali Dog future will most definitely be a born bred Island version and although it may end up looking quite unlike its ancient relative it will still be a Bali Dog. 

But as space becomes a very scarce and much sought after commodity and as calls for more restrictions on free roaming dogs curtails them more and more an inevitable evolution of rampant numbers of short legged Bali Dogs could be a future reality.

​If this future vision becomes a future fact, its cuteness factor could be the short and simple key that unlocks a continuance for a canine that is battling to hold on by the skin of its paws.