Askal

By the mid-late 20th century, dogs commonly seen wandering the streets were called "askal", a Tagalog-derived portmanteau of asong kalye or "street dog". In 2007, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) suggested the alternative term aspin, short for asong Pinoy (Pinoy dog) probably to avoid the stigma associated with the term "askal".[1]

In Cebuano, dogs are called irong Bisaya, which literally means "Visayan dog" or "native dog" (note that the word "Bisaya" doesn't explicitly mean "Visayan" but it is a term pertaining to people and animals native to a specific locale. For example, "manok Bisaya" simply refers to a breed of chicken native to a locality), implying that these are not thought of as a mixed-breed dog so much as unbred mongrels with no purebred ancestors.[2] This is only from a Bisayan point of view since Irong Bisaya do not differ in character or physical appearance from the other Askals found in the entire Philippine archipelago. Physically, the dogs have "all shapes, configurations and sizes."[3]

The coat can be short haired or rough. Coat colors ranges from Black, Brown, White (commonly), Red (rare), Brindle, Gray, and Cream. Spots are commonly found at the base of the tail and at the back in semi-circular fashion. The snout sometimes appears black if the coat color is brown. The tail is usually held high and the ears can be floppy, semi-floppy or fully pointing upwards. The bone structure of a native Askal is on the medium range, never heavy like in Rottweilers.

A stray askal in Metro Manila

Askals is the Filipino word for stray mixed-breed, indigenous dogs. There are over twelve million strays in the Philippines. Many consider it a problem because these dogs can go without much food or shelter their entire lives. The term "askals" can also refer to a domesticated, indigenous mixed-breed dog. They have been raised traditionally as guard dogs. They are naturally suspicious of strangers, independent and protective of family members. They are good to young children as companions, due to their devotion to family members. They are trusted by their owners to roam markets or the neighborhood to socialize with other dogs which is why some domesticated dogs are seen by the Western people as stray dogs when in fact they may not be. They are, however, expected to be home before dusk, especially males who always look for females in heat. Female dogs usually stay home and are excellent watch dogs. askals were allowed to compete in the First Philippine Dog Agility Championships in 2013.[4][5] At the 2015 Pet Express Doggie Run in Pasay City, askals were the featured dog.[6] The dogs featured in an essay by Gilda Cordero-Fernando.[7] Askals have been trained by the Coast Guard to identify bombs and drugs by scent.[8]

• Kabang, an askal who lost its snout while saving two young children[9][10]
• Dagul (won the Lewyt Award for Heroic Compassionate Animals, of the North Shore Animal League of America)[11]
• Buboy, dubbed as the Filipino version of Hachiko for waiting of his owner who had already died, few days before. However, Buboy died after being run over by a vehicle.[12]
• Boonrod (askal Dog), was found paddling near a rig 130 miles (220 kilometers) off the coast of Thailand.[13]
• Saver (The wonder dog), A recipient of multiple awards, this unbelievably smart Aspin could do various tricks. He is a familiar puppy face in TV as he starred in various commercials and films.[14]

The Philippines national football team has been named as "the Azkals", an alternate spelling of "askal".[15]

• List of dog breeds