Are there really tiger-striped dogs or have humans decided to paint normally-colored dogs with stripes for sport? Brindled dogs like boxers are often used in fighting, but this is an entirely different kind of dog.

Remarks that these fighting dogs have something to do with Thylacines, who display different striping patterns and are not canids, are off-the-mark.

But what is going on here?

Here is the caption found with the above photograph:

Dogs fight during a dog-fighting match in Kabul. Dog fighting is one of the most popular hobbies among Afghans, but was banned during the fundamentalist regime of the Taliban. Dog fighting generally takes place during the winter season and draws several thousand men and boys to a patch of land on a hill outside the capital. They form a large circle around more than two dozen big, barking dogs, who strain against ropes and harnesses for a shot at the big time.

Here’s another photo from the internet, circa 2009, San Rosa, California.

Painted dogs?

Thanks to the tip from Don Lab.