Aïdi

The Aïdi was never truly a shepherd dog, but rather a defender of encampments and the property of its masters. It is traditionally used to guard the tents, houses and to protect the herds of shepherds nomadic to the Atlas since ancient times. It is also used by hunters in drives (wild boar, foxes and jackals). Its most distant origins are unknown. The first real representations of this dog date from the 19th century, they are the work of orientalist painters and photographers. Its history is very vague, and the same goes for its exact origins. However, specialists estimate that the Aïdi would have links with both the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the Yugoslav Shepherd and the Anatolian Akbash. The breed has been present for centuries in a territory that currently overlaps Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, in which it was widely used by pastoral, nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples, both to guard their farms and tents and to protect their herds of cattle. The breed was officially recognized in 1966 by the International Cynological Federation. Field surveys carried out by the Atlas Dog Club, created in 1985 and placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, and directed by a team of veterinarians and technicians, under the responsibility of Dr Id Sidi Yahia Khadija, greatly contributed to making this breed known and to ensuring its census and health monitoring. In 2004, about forty Berber mountaineers, accompanied by their Aïdi, came from Bekrit, a small town near Timahdite (Central Middle Atlas) to the international dog show, organized at the Hassan-II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, by the Moroccan Central Canine Society (SCCM), under the auspices of the International Cynological Federation (FCI).

The morphology of the Aïdi has never been modified, unlike that of many other breeds. The bear head is strong, wide, generally conical in shape, with a slightly marked stop. The coat is very varied: sand, fawn, white, red, brindle, black and white. It has a life expectancy of about sixteen years. Rustic, adapted to the harshest climates, its medium-length and thick coat (approximately 6 cm) protects it from both heat, cold and bites from predators. There are also short-haired varieties. Its sense of smell is highly developed, making it a very good hunter. It is sometimes still used in pairs with the Sloughi to hunt wild boar, foxes and jackals.