China’s Red Dog

Its proper name is Laizhou Hong, but colloquially, this large, molosser type dog is known as the Chinese Red Dog, or China’s Red Dog.  Information on the breed is scant for those wanting more in-depth information, but it’s known that the breed has its origins in Shandong province in China.

In the 19th century, that province was colonized by Germans after Jiaozhou Bay and Qingdao Peninsula were leased from the Ching Dynasty in 1898. These people arrived in Qingdao Peninsula with their dogs, and after years of breeding their Great Danes and German Shepherd Dogs with local dogs, including the Shandong Xian Hound, the Laizhou Hong was established as its own breed.  Red markings (“Hong” in Chinese means red) are a distinguishing hallmark of the breed. The breed showed up in a show catalog for the 2019 World Dog Show in Shanghai under Group 11 – Non FCI Breeds,  but it’s regarded as a rare breed, especially outside of China.