The Alopekis (Greek: Αλωπεκίς) is a small, foxlike dog from Greece with pricked ears, a sickle-shaped tail, and a smooth short coat.
The dog is found in the Serres region of Greece and dates before 1922. The alopekis is believed to be a landrace which descended from a type of small dog common to the Baltic peninsular, although some claim it descends from eastern pye dogs. Alopekis numbers have declined to the point of near extinction in the last half-century, a situation further exacerbated by the mass sterilisation of dogs in some regions to reduce the number of stray dogs, although it still survives in small populations in Northern Greece. Recent efforts have been made to identify surviving populations and save the type.
The name Alopekis means “small fox” or “fox-like” in the Greek language. The breed is mentioned by several ancient Greek and classical writers such as Aristotle, Xenophon, and Aristophanes, and is depicted in many archaeological finds such as pottery, carvings, statuettes, sculpture, and tomb monuments.
Another name used for the breed in ancient times was Κυναλώπηξ [Cynalopex, from the Greek cyn (short for kyon) = dog and alopex = fox] as the ancient Greeks believed It was created from matings between dogs and foxes. Newer traditional local names recorded include Alepouditsa (little fox), Bobis and Bouboudi (from Serres), Moropa / Venetaki (used in Crete), Zacharoskylo (sugar – dog, referring to the spotless white colour of some specimen, as well as their sweet nature, used in Skiathos)
Origin: Greece mainly in the Serres region.