Vel'dur Mountain Dog

The Vel'dur Mountain Dog is a large breed of dog, hailing from the snow covered mountains in the far north of Aversia. They are around 2 - 2.5 feet tall, and weigh in at around 80 - 110 pounds. They tend to look larger than they really are due to the long fur that they have, but they are far from being considering a medium sized dog; when on their back legs, they are nearly as tall as the average human man. They live to be around 10 - 12 years.

These Mountain Dogs are a heavy coated breed, and their colors do not vary much. Wolf grey, iron grey, fawn, and even black are the colors that are most commonly found, with little variety beyond that in pure bred animals. This allows them to blend in a little better with their surroundings. Their tails are often held up and curled over their backs, and their ears can either be standing up, or flopping over, or half bent, or a mix of two, though floppy is the most common.

Their forelegs are nearly the same length as their back legs, which is partially why they are so large in the first place, but it also gives them extra climbing ability. They were bred to traverse the mountains alongside their masters, or follow the trail of lost stock, and climbing was a necessity for the breed. Their claws are also a little longer and a little sharper, allowing them to grip the rocky slopes easier and make travelling through the mountains less of a chore.

They are loners in their work, due to often being dog aggressive. They work to protect a herd or group of people alone, though they can be raised along side other dogs to prevent the aggression. They are often raised alongside the animals that they will guard in adulthood to make them see them as their family, and therefore, be driven to protect them, rather than trained to do so. The same goes for people; if they are raised with certain people, they will guard them to their dying day.

There are two variations of this breed: the Northern Type, and the Western Type. There is little difference between these two types beyond their coats. The Northern Type has a much longer, thicker coat, while the Western Type has a much shorter coat, more suited to the warm weather near deserts and savannahs. Their temperaments and the rest of their appearance, however, are no different from one another.

Distribution

They are found mostly in the settlements that are hidden away in the ice covered mountains of the north, as well as with Snow Elf tribes. They are mostly kept in settlements, however, especially those that have livestock so that they can be protected from the various wild animals. In the south, they are largely found roaming about closer to the savannah and rocky plateau region, usually kept as companion animals by nobles, due to their regal appearance.

Uses

The primary use of the Vel'dur Mountain Dog is as a livestock guard dog. They commonly protect horse herds owned by northern settlements, or by Snow Elves. They will also guard the people of the settlements or tribes, often acting as an early warning system if predatory animals approach. Due to their size and drive to protect, it is said that a pack of these dogs are able to down even a Matekai, though no one has actually tested this rumor.

Relations

These dogs are highly loyal to the herds that they protect and their masters. They are not particularly wary of strangers, but they will watch them closely when they are in their domain. If alerted to danger, the dogs will begin to bark, and their barks are loud and designed to echo in the mountains, often making them sound like more than one dog, and even larger than they actually are. This is used to scare off wild animals, or unsettle strangers with ill intentions.

When not working, Vel'dur Mountain Dogs are very lazy animals, and will happily sleep the day away at their master's feet. Dogs that are kept as companions are close with their owners, and offer constant companionship and love, making them ideal pets. They are also very patient with children, even young ones that will pull on their ears and tails.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier