The Salish Wool Dog or Comox dog is an extinct breed of white, long-haired, Spitz-type dog that was developed and bred by the Coast Salish peoples of what is now Washington state and British Columbia.[1] The small, long-haired wool dog and the coyote-like village dogs were deliberately maintained as separate populations. The dogs were kept in packs of about 12 to 20 animals, and fed primarily raw and cooked salmon. To keep the breed true to type and the preferred white color, Salish Wool Dogs were confined on islands and in gated caves.
Salish Wool Dog
A Salish Wool Dog in a 19th-century painting of Coast Salish weaving
Salish peoples, renowned for their weaving and knitting, did not raise sheep, and while mountain goat fur was also used to create wool textiles, mountain goats were wild, and thus their fur could only be collected from mountain goats leaving fur in the environment, such as from shedding, or collected from skins of hunted goats. The Salish Wool Dog was prized, then, for it being a source of material for wool that was a domesticated animal, and thus a consistent source of high quality material.
The dogs were sheared like sheep in May or June. In an account by George Vancouver, it was said that the sheared fur was so thick that he could pick up a corner and the whole fleece would hold together. The dog hair was frequently mixed with mountain goat wool, feathers, and plant fibers to change the yarn quality and to extend the supply of fiber.
The National Museum of Natural History received a specimen of the Salish Wool Dog in 1859, which remains in their collection after being rediscovered in 2003.[2]
Shoulder height of standing dog: 44 cm (17 in) [3]
Cultural significance of textiles to Coast Salish peoplesedit
Beyond their practical uses, woolen blankets, such as those that were made from fur of the Coast Salish Dog while it was alive, are of significant social, cultural, economic, and spiritual significance to Salish peoples. Traditionally, women were in charge of making the blankets. Young girls were trained by their grandmothers as early as ten years of age, with more intense training at puberty. Weaving blankets required serious commitment and could take long periods of time to complete. Additionally, they were often associated with spiritual tasks or rituals such as abstinence.[4] Blankets represented an individual's wealth and were often given away to members of the community or even other villages to show prosperity, such as during the potlatch ceremony and public gathering, and were also used as a currency for which other goods could be purchased or bartered.
Traditionally, but as well as contemporaneously, certain kinds of ceremonial blankets can identify the wearer as being a civic and religious leader in the community. Honored individuals can be adorned with a blanket to distinguish them, or they would sit or stand upon their blankets so as to raise them in accordance of their honored status.[5]
Referencesedit
^"World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2005". VIN.com. 30 March 2015.
^Crockford, S.J. (1997). "Osteometry of Makah and Coast Salish dogs". Burnaby, British Columbia: Archaeology Press 22, Simon Fraser University.
^Paula Gustafson. Salish Weaving. Douglas and McIntyre: Vancouver, 1980.
^Crisca Bierwert. Weaving in Beauty, Weaving in Time in S'abadeb The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists. ed. Barbara Brotherton. Seattle Art Museum: 2008.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salish Wool Dog.
Native Dog Types in North America
Solazzo, C., S. Heald, M.W. Ballard, D.A. Ashford, P.T. DePriest, R.J. Koestler, and M. Collins. 2011. Proteomics and Coast Salish blankets: A tale of shaggy dogs? Antiquity 85: 1418-1432
Barsh, Russel L., Joan Megan Jones, and Wayne Suttles, 2002. “History, Ethnography, and Archaeology of the Coast Salish Woolly-Dog.” In Snyder, L.M. and E.A. Moore, eds., Dogs and People in Social, Working, Economic or Symbolic Interaction. Proceedings of the 9th Conference of the International Council of Archaeozoolog y 1–11. Oxbow Books, Durham, UK
Traci Watson, Native American Blankets Made With Dog Hair by Science, 23 Nov. 2011
December 15, 2023
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This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Salish Wool Dog or Comox dog is an extinct breed of white long haired Spitz type dog that was developed and bred by the Coast Salish peoples of what is now Washington state and British Columbia 1 The small long haired wool dog and the coyote like village dogs were deliberately maintained as separate populations The dogs were kept in packs of about 12 to 20 animals and fed primarily raw and cooked salmon To keep the breed true to type and the preferred white color Salish Wool Dogs were confined on islands and in gated caves Salish Wool DogA Salish Wool Dog in a 19th century painting of Coast Salish weavingOriginWashington state and British ColumbiaBreed statusExtinctDog domestic dog Salish peoples renowned for their weaving and knitting did not raise sheep and while mountain goat fur was also used to create wool textiles mountain goats were wild and thus their fur could only be collected from mountain goats leaving fur in the environment such as from shedding or collected from skins of hunted goats The Salish Wool Dog was prized then for it being a source of material for wool that was a domesticated animal and thus a consistent source of high quality material The dogs were sheared like sheep in May or June In an account by George Vancouver it was said that the sheared fur was so thick that he could pick up a corner and the whole fleece would hold together The dog hair was frequently mixed with mountain goat wool feathers and plant fibers to change the yarn quality and to extend the supply of fiber The National Museum of Natural History received a specimen of the Salish Wool Dog in 1859 which remains in their collection after being rediscovered in 2003 2 Contents 1 Osteometry 2 Cultural significance of textiles to Coast Salish peoples 3 References 4 External linksOsteometry editSkull total length 162 0 mm 6 38 in Condylobasal skull length 154 6 mm 6 09 in Femur GL 154 3 mm 6 07 in Tibia GL 150 0 mm 5 91 in Humerus GL 143 5 mm 5 65 in Radius GL 136 0 mm 5 35 in Ulna GL 157 5 mm 6 20 in Shoulder height of standing dog 44 cm 17 in 3 Cultural significance of textiles to Coast Salish peoples editBeyond their practical uses woolen blankets such as those that were made from fur of the Coast Salish Dog while it was alive are of significant social cultural economic and spiritual significance to Salish peoples Traditionally women were in charge of making the blankets Young girls were trained by their grandmothers as early as ten years of age with more intense training at puberty Weaving blankets required serious commitment and could take long periods of time to complete Additionally they were often associated with spiritual tasks or rituals such as abstinence 4 Blankets represented an individual s wealth and were often given away to members of the community or even other villages to show prosperity such as during the potlatch ceremony and public gathering and were also used as a currency for which other goods could be purchased or bartered Traditionally but as well as contemporaneously certain kinds of ceremonial blankets can identify the wearer as being a civic and religious leader in the community Honored individuals can be adorned with a blanket to distinguish them or they would sit or stand upon their blankets so as to raise them in accordance of their honored status 5 References edit World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings 2005 VIN com 30 March 2015 Brash Russel June 22 2016 Coast Salish Woolly Dogs HistoryLink Retrieved April 18 2019 Crockford S J 1997 Osteometry of Makah and Coast Salish dogs Burnaby British Columbia Archaeology Press 22 Simon Fraser University Paula Gustafson Salish Weaving Douglas and McIntyre Vancouver 1980 Crisca Bierwert Weaving in Beauty Weaving in Time in S abadeb The Gifts Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists ed Barbara Brotherton Seattle Art Museum 2008 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salish Wool Dog Woolly Dogs at All Fiber Arts Native Dog Types in North America Solazzo C S Heald M W Ballard D A Ashford P T DePriest R J Koestler and M Collins 2011 Proteomics and Coast Salish blankets A tale of shaggy dogs Antiquity 85 1418 1432 Barsh Russel L Joan Megan Jones and Wayne Suttles 2002 History Ethnography and Archaeology of the Coast Salish Woolly Dog In Snyder L M and E A Moore eds Dogs and People in Social Working Economic or Symbolic Interaction Proceedings of the 9th Conference of the International Council of Archaeozoolog y 1 11 Oxbow Books Durham UK Traci Watson Native American Blankets Made With Dog Hair by Science 23 Nov 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Salish Wool Dog amp oldid 1176786424, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
