| Sinhala Hound | |
| Country: | Sri Lanka |
| Notrecognised: | yes |
The Sinhala Hound is a landrace of dog from Sri Lanka.
The Sinhala Hound is a native dog found throughout Sri Lanka, often living in a semi-wild state scavenging for food. According to a native legend, when Prince Vijaya first set foot on Sri Lanka in the 6th century BC, he was greeted by the barking of dogs; the Mahāvaṃsa mentions domestic dogs belonging to the island's Stone Age inhabitants, the Yaksha. The average lifetime of Sinhala Hounds is 10-13 years.
Long overlooked by authorities in favour of imported dog breeds, only recently has the Sri Lankan Kennel Club been encouraged to recognize the landrace as a breed.
The Sinhala Hound can be found in a variety of colors, but brown or dark brown brindle are most common. They are very similar in form to the African Basenji, the New Guinea singing dog, the Carolina Dog and the Australian Dingo.