Kintamani dog

Kintamani dog

sleeping in the sun outside 

his master's dwelling

The dog serenely sleeping in the sun outside his master's dwelling in the Pondok Frog family compound is called Rin Tin. Another dog, Cookie, is from Robin's compound. Rin Tin appears to be a Kintamani, a native Balinese dog that apparently evolved from interbreeding between a Balinese dingo dog and a Chow Chow. There is evidence that a Chinese trader named Lee brought a Chow Chow with him to Bali, where he settled with his family in the Kintamani region sometime between the 12th and 16th centuries. The Kintamani has a long curved or straight tail, perky ears, a long face and short hair, which may be white, black or beige. Unlike most dogs, a Kintamini will climb on top of roofs or walls to sit or sleep. It is a popular pet, affectionate with family members but also a good watchdog. The Kintamani is the only official breed in Bali. Robin tells me that when her family was living here in the 1990s they had a German shepherd, rare on this island where the government killed all dogs who were not Kintamani. They bought the dog from the police in Denpasar, who had confiscated it. Robin made them promise that they wouldn't break her kid's hearts by confiscating it back to resell. In May 1998, anti-Chinese riots broke out in Jakarta, including the rape of Chinese women. The violence did not extend to Hindu Bali, but Robin was afraid for one of her daughters, who is half Chinese, so she fled with her family to the Philippines and they had to leave the dog behind. Robin gave $100 to her neighbor in their compound to feed the dog leftovers, but the woman starved the dog to death. Robin heard later that this woman was a black witch.