The Malaysian Telomian Dog aka Anjing Kampung which means Village dog in Malay was originally bred by the Orang Asli people in the jungles of Malaysia. The Orang Asli people are the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia and used the Telomian to control vermin, hunt small game, guard the family and herding duties.

The Telomian is the only known dog breed from Malaysia but is not officially recognised by any Kennel Club. The breed is considered by many as one of the rarest dog breeds in the world and its believed that the Telomian is closely related to the Basenji from Africa and the Dingo from Australia.

The western world only discovered the breed in 1963 when anthropologist Dr Orville Elliot first saw the breed by the Telom River and named the breed after the river. A pair of Telomians were imported into America and an official breed club was established in 1970. In 1973 a second pair of Telomians was imported into America. Most if not all Telomians in the western world descend from these four dogs imported into America.

The Telomian weighs between 20 – 30 lbs and measures between 16-2o inches to the shoulder. The breed is renown for being very agile and great climbers as the Orang Asli people built their homes on stilts to keep dangerous animals away and the Telomian had to learn to climb tall ladders in order to get home.