The name “askal” is a Tagalog-derived word of asong kalye or “street dog” in english, these dogs are commonly seen wandering or sometimes living in the streets. The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has suggested the alternative term aspin, short for asong Pinoy (Pinoy dog) probably to avoid the discrimination with the term “askal“.
In Cebuano, mongrel dogs are called irong Bisaya, which literally means “Visayan dog” or “native dog” (note that the word “Bisaya” doesn’t explicitly mean “Visayan” but it is a term pertaining people and animals native to a specific locale. For example, “manok bisaya” simply means a breed of chicken native to a locality), implying that these are not thought of as a mixed-breed dog so much as unbred mongrels with no purebred ancestors.
This is only from a Bisayan point of view since Irong Bisaya don’t differ in character or physical appearance from the other Askals found in the entire Philippine archipelago. Physically, the dogs have “all shapes, configurations and sizes.”
Take Note: Aspins are no more than an askal that can’t be on the same league as purebred dogs like Golden Retrievers or Rottweilers. There are Aspins that have proven that they aren’t just street dogs or watch dogs.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also acknowledged Aspins as a better choice for K-9 duty than imported dogs because of their endurance and weather tolerance.
Meet Kimchi,this Aspin stood out in the purebred and pedigree-dominated Philippine Dog Athletics Association (PDAA) Iron Dog Challenge held in 2015. A survivor of animal cruelty, Kimchi placed second in the Dog Agility and Disc Dog (Frisbee) contests.
Reference: http://primer.com.ph/tips-guides/2017/09/03/expats-guide-to-aspins/
ASPIN 