I was hoping someone could answer my question.

In Egyptian paintings and some similar things I have seen pictures of what people called "jackals", monstrous black canids with jaws like crocodiles.

In the real world, all of the jackals I have seen are cute little things with brown and gold fur that look nothing like these depictions.

What exactly were the Egyptians drawing? Is there really a jackal like that? I have only seen the small, fuzzy ones.

Thats a good question, I know what pictures you mean and no, no jackal looks anything like that.
Is it certain that they referred to that animal in the drawings as a jackal? Could it be a misinterpretation of hyroglyphics?
I believe the egyptians had domestic dogs that looked quite similar to the pictures you are talking about.
The surviving descendent being the pharoah hound, but you can imagine over the years the pharoah hound has been softened and shrunken, as with most domestic dog breeds.
The pharoah hound of ancient egypt was probably a much more formiddable creature, more akin to the "jackals" in those ancient paintings.

i see some similarities

Hmm, no.

Pharoah hound;

I can definately see some similarities there.
I think they were drawing their dogs.

I'll agree to the similarities there. Question is what did they breed them from? I would assume jackals, but i could be wrong. I'll do some looking into it and see what i come up with.

From:
http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/kaydurr/#HISTORY

so far the best i have on the species mentioned are that Canis aureus lupaster is a subspecies of Canis aureus or the common or golden jackal, and nothing on the doerdelini. I am assuming that is it another subspecies of jackal or perhaps a wild dog that has since gone extinct.

also:
from:
http://members.tripod.com/~ancient_egypt/doae.html



Ibizan hound
the similarities are striking to the pharoh hound.
definitely common ancestory.

They also talk about the Basenji, but there isn't much similarity between them and our subject.

when was the pharaoh dog bred?

edit - added a 'g'

It may well be a reconstruction as many breeds are(or it might not, to be honest I don't know), but that is not to say the ancient egyptians didn't have a dog that looked extremely similar.