Kintamani Dog: Bali's Own Breed, from Sukawana to the FCI

In Brief

The Kintamani dog, officially the Kintamani-Bali Dog, is a medium-sized spitz-type breed from Bali's highlands near Mount Batur. It is native to the village of Sukawana in Kintamani district, Bangli regency. Indonesia's kennel association, PERKIN, recognised it as an Indonesian breed in 2006. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) later accepted it on a provisional basis, in Group 5, spitz and primitive types.

Its standard describes a gentle, loyal and watchful companion dog with a double coat in four accepted colours.

A genetic study led from Udayana University found it almost identical to Bali's free-roaming dogs and closest to the Australian dingo. That does not support the old story of a Chinese Chow Chow ancestor.

Rabies circulates in Bali, so a dog here needs its vaccinations kept current, and visitors should not pet dogs they do not know. To adopt, go through Bali's registered animal welfare groups. For a pedigree dog, go through the breed club and PERKIN.

The Kintamani Dog at a Glance

• Official name: Anjing Kintamani-Bali (Kintamani-Bali Dog), FCI standard no. 362
• Origin: Sukawana village, Kintamani district, Bangli regency, Bali
• Old name: Anjing gembrong or kuluk gembrong, for its long thick coat
• Recognition: PERKIN in 2006, the Asia Kennel Union in 2012 and the FCI, provisionally, on 20 February 2019
• Size: Males 49 to 57 cm at the shoulder and 15 to 18 kg. Females 44 to 52 cm and 13 to 16 kg
• Coat: Double, with a harsh outer coat and a ruff at the neck, in white, black, fawn or brindle
• Temperament, per the standard: Watchful, intelligent, alert, gentle, loyal and easy to train
• Use: Companion dog
• Rabies in Bali: Keep a dog's vaccination current. Any bite or scratch to a person means a same-day vaccine

The Breed Comes from Sukawana, a Village near Mount Batur

The FCI breed standard names one village as the origin: Sukawana, in the district of Kintamani.

It describes the region as mountains, volcanoes and forests, and admits the breed's beginning is unknown. Old Balinese lontar manuscripts mention a kuluk gembrong, a long-coated dog regarded as its ancestor. People in Bali still call the breed anjing gembrong for that coat, Kompas reported when the breed was recognised.

The stair to the temple on Puncak Penulisan, the high ground beside Sukawana. Photo: ronnie.muhadi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sukawana sits about 70 kilometres from Denpasar, between the hill of Penulisan and the Batur valley. This ground kept the village's dogs apart from others for generations, in the theory set out in Kompas's account of the breed's origins. It would explain why they look so alike.

The breed club, Himpunan Trah Anjing Kintamani Bali, suggests the cold of the highlands may explain the thick coat. It also notes that the dog is the fauna mascot of Bangli regency.

Genetic Findings Link the Breed to Bali's Free-Roaming Dogs

A 2005 genetic study found the Kintamani dog identical to the Bali street dog at all but three of 31 markers.

I Ketut Puja of Udayana University's veterinary school and colleagues published a genetic profile of the breed in the Journal of Heredity. They compared the markers across four groups:

• Kintamani dogs
• Bali street dogs
• Australian dingoes
• nine recognised breeds

The Kintamani dog and the street dog were both closest to the dingo. They were only distantly related to the recognised Asian breeds, and unrelated to the European ones. The authors concluded that the Kintamani dog evolved from Bali's own free-living dogs "with little loss of genetic diversity."

The story passed down tells it differently. As Kompas retells it, a Chinese trader settled in Kintamani around 1400 with his Chow Chow, and his dog and the local dogs produced the gembrong. The breed club records it as oral tradition with no firm evidence behind it.

Recognition Ran from a 1985 Dog Show to the FCI in 2019

The breed standard records a first dog show in 1985, held by the Kintamani-Bali Dog Club of Bali with Udayana University's veterinary programme. After that:

• 2006: Perkumpulan Kinologi Indonesia (PERKIN) recognised the Kintamani as an Indonesian breed, the first recognition the breed received.
• 2012: The Asia Kennel Union listed it as an Asian breed.
• 2014: Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture recognised it as a national animal breed (rumpun ternak).
• July 2017: The breed club applied to the FCI.
• 20 February 2019: The FCI accepted the Kintamani-Bali Dog on a provisional basis.

The application needed evidence. Over two years, Indonesia's kennel club collected blood samples from 2,000 Kintamani dogs, its chairman told Kompas. The samples were to show the breed was consistent and free of inherited disease.

The FCI's letter was handed to the Governor of Bali in Denpasar in April 2019.

The Recognition Is Still Provisional

The FCI's own listing shows the breed as recognised on a provisional basis. It sits in Group 5, section 5, Asian spitz and related breeds. Kompas reported that the FCI would keep watching the breed's development before any change of status.

At home, PERKIN is the FCI's full member for Indonesia, as the FCI's list of members shows. On its own site, PERKIN describes itself as the only registry authorised to issue pedigree papers (stamboom) for pure-bred dogs in Indonesia, and as the body that sets the standard for the Kintamani.

The Kintamani Dog's Physical Characteristics

The standard describes a well-balanced dog with a rectangular body. Its other marks:

• Head: wedge-shaped
• Ears: pricked and triangular, with rounded tips
• Eyes: almond-shaped and dark
• Tail: a sickle tail, set low and fully feathered. It is carried moderately upward and never drops below the line of the back

A white Kintamani-Bali Dog at a dog show, with the biscuit ear edges the standard prefers. Photo: Canarian / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

The coat is double, with a short, soft undercoat and a harsh outer coat of medium length. Longer hair forms a ruff around the neck, the badong. It extends over the withers as the bulu gumba, and both are more visible on males.

Four colours are accepted:

• White, ideally with biscuit-coloured edges to the ears
• Black, with a little white on chest, toes or tail tip allowed
• Fawn, from light fawn to deep red, a black mask preferred
• Brindle, a fawn base with dark stripes

A brindle Kintamani-Bali Dog, one of the four accepted colours. Photo: Canarian / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Temperament: Gentle and Loyal at Home, a Guard Toward Strangers

The standard's own words for temperament are "watchful, intelligent, alert, gentle, loyal and easy to train." It lists aggressive or overly shy dogs as a disqualifying fault.

Descriptions from Bali add the guarding side. Kompas describes the breed as:

• brave, agile and alert
• wary of strangers
• a reliable guard, devoted to the person who cares for it
• a dog that may attack dogs or other animals entering its territory

It also digs, and a bitch will make a den in the ground to give birth.

A Kintamani dog at home in Ubud. Photo: Blek from Dompu / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Rabies: Keep a Dog Vaccinated, and Do Not Pet Dogs You Do Not Know

Rabies circulates among Bali's dogs, and the Bali provincial government dates the first outbreak to 2008.

The province runs mass vaccination to reach at least 70 percent of dogs, the level needed to stop transmission. For an owner, that means keeping a dog's rabies vaccinations current.

For a visitor, it means one rule. However friendly a Kintamani dog looks, do not pet dogs you do not know. If one bites or scratches you, wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes. Then get the rabies vaccine the same day.

The full steps, and where to find the vaccine in the north, are in dangerous animals in Bali and healthcare in north Bali.

Taking a Dog off the Island: Check the Quarantine Rule First

Bali was declared a rabies quarantine area in 2008. In 2019 the quarantine post at Gilimanuk told Tribun Bali that dogs were still barred from entering or leaving the island under that decree.

The quarantine agency's general procedure for dogs moving between islands asks for three things: a vaccination book, a rabies antibody titre test and a veterinary certificate.

Rules change. Ask Badan Karantina Indonesia, and your own country, before you commit to a dog you mean to take home.

Buying or Adopting: PERKIN Papers for a Pedigree Dog, a Welfare Group for a Rescue

A pedigree dog. PERKIN describes itself as the only body authorised to issue pedigree papers in Indonesia. Its site lists the breed club, Himpunan Trah Anjing Kintamani Bali, in Denpasar. Start with the club's own website and ask for PERKIN papers.

Adopting a rescued dog. Animal welfare organisations in Bali help rehome dogs, and the genetic study shows how close the Kintamani is to them. Two of them set out adoption on their own sites.

Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA), Lodtunduh, Ubud

In their words: Adoption at BAWA is about "matching the animal to the right family," with pre-adoption interviews and house checks. It also places rescued animals in foster homes while they recover.

Contact: bawabali.com · Map

BAWA on Instagram

Lovina Animal Welfare, Lovina

In their words: A registered charity, also called North Bali Animal Aid, that rescues animals, "mainly dogs." It provides food, medication, shelter, rehabilitation, fostering and adoption. It also sponsors dogs so they can stay with families who are struggling, and runs a neutering programme.

Contact: lovinaanimalwelfare.org (no public address on its site, so contact it there)

Lovina Animal Welfare on Instagram

How to Fit It In

The breed's home ground is the highlands around Batur. The road from Ubud crosses the caldera there and comes down to the north coast near Kubutambahan, as getting to north Bali describes. The same slopes grow Kintamani arabica, covered in the best coffee in Bali.

Palm Living's villas are mostly around Lovina on the north coast, a long drive down from Kintamani. A driver for the day can make Batur a day trip from the coast.

Practical Notes

• Do not pet dogs you do not know, Kintamani or not.
• Any bite or scratch: Wash for 15 minutes and get the rabies vaccine the same day.
• Adopting: Go through an organisation with a website, a process and a way to reach it.
• Buying: Ask for PERKIN pedigree papers, issued by the FCI's member club for Indonesia.
• Taking a dog home: Check Bali's quarantine rules and your own country's import rules first.

FAQ

Is the Kintamani dog a recognised breed? Yes. PERKIN, Indonesia's kennel association, recognised it as an Indonesian breed in 2006. The FCI accepted the Kintamani-Bali Dog on a provisional basis on 20 February 2019. It is breed no. 362, in Group 5, spitz and primitive types.

Where does the Kintamani dog come from? From the village of Sukawana in Kintamani district, Bangli regency, in Bali's central highlands. The FCI standard names Sukawana as the breed's origin. Old Balinese manuscripts mention a long-coated kuluk gembrong, regarded as its ancestor.

Is the Kintamani dog part Chow Chow? Local legend says so. A 2005 genetic study found the Kintamani dog identical to the Bali street dog at all but three of 31 markers. It was closest to the Australian dingo, and only distantly related to the recognised Asian breeds it was compared with.

How big does a Kintamani dog get? The FCI standard gives 49 to 57 cm at the shoulder and 15 to 18 kg for males. For females it gives 44 to 52 cm and 13 to 16 kg.

Is a Kintamani dog a good family pet? The breed standard calls it watchful, intelligent, alert, gentle, loyal and easy to train, and bred as a companion. Bali sources also describe a strong guarding instinct and a territorial streak with unfamiliar dogs, so it needs socialising.

Can I adopt a Kintamani dog in Bali? Yes, through registered welfare groups such as BAWA near Ubud and Lovina Animal Welfare in the north, which rehome rescued dogs. For a pedigree dog, go to the breed club and ask for PERKIN papers.

Can I take a Kintamani dog out of Bali? Not easily. Bali has been a declared rabies quarantine area since 2008. In 2019 the quarantine service said dogs were still barred from leaving or entering the island. Ask Indonesia's quarantine agency, Badan Karantina Indonesia, for the current rule before you commit.

Sources

• Fédération Cynologique Internationale, FCI-Standard N° 362, Anjing Kintamani-Bali, 26 March 2019 (origin, history, temperament, coat, colours, size), and breed listing (provisional acceptance 20 February 2019, group and section), read September 2026 (in English)
• Fédération Cynologique Internationale, member for Indonesia (PERKIN listed as full member), read September and October 2026 (in English)
• Perkumpulan Kinologi Indonesia, PERKIN (its own account of its role as the only registry authorised to issue pedigree papers in Indonesia and the body that sets the Kintamani standard; the breed club listing), read September and October 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Puja I.K., Irion D.N., Schaffer A.L., Pedersen N.C., The Kintamani dog: genetic profile of an emerging breed from Bali, Indonesia, Journal of Heredity 96(7), 2005, abstract read September 2026 (in English)
• Himpunan Trah Anjing Kintamani Bali, History of the Kintamani dog, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Kompas, Kintamani dog recognised as Indonesia's own breed, April 2019 (PERKIN 2006, Asia Kennel Union 2012, Ministry of Agriculture 2014, the 2017 application, the handover), read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Kompas, Kintamani dog recognised as a native breed, 16 April 2019 (the 2,000 blood samples), read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Kompas, The origins of the Kintamani dog, 19 March 2021 (Sukawana, the isolation theory, the Chow Chow legend, temperament), read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Bali Provincial Government, Rabies in Bali, read September 2026 (in English)
• Badan Karantina Indonesia, Quarantine procedure for travelling with pets, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Tribun Bali, Dogs and cats barred from entering or leaving Bali, 31 March 2019, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Bali Animal Welfare Association, Adopt and foster, and Lovina Animal Welfare, home page, read September 2026 (in English)

More for the road north: dangerous animals in Bali, things to do in north Bali and getting to north Bali.