Know about Indian Dog

Know about Indian Dog 

Are you proud to be an Indian? Why aren't you proud, if your dog is also an Indian? This blog is to bring awareness about the Indian dogs and also helping our precious dog breed from extinction. Let’s look at the ancient history about the dogs. The 1st reference of Indian dog we find in these Vedas. The mythology says that “Indra " the King of God was having a bitch called "Sarama" and when all cows of these divined bodies were stolen by their bad counterparts Asuras the Sarama was entrusted a job of finding the cows. On search Sarama went to Patallok [nether world] where she found the cows and at that time Asura�s offered bribe to Sarama & tried to corrupt Sarama.When Sarama rejected all the offerings and gave a true test of Indian canine loyalty towards her master. Sarama the divine bitch has two daughters called Shama (means black) and Shalala (means dotted).These bitches also appeared in various mythological stories. i.e. In Mahabharata, when Raja Janmejaya was carrying out sarpayadyna [forcing all snakes by mantravidya to jump into a fire) Shabala entered the pendal & she was driven away as dogs were not permitted to entered in sacrificial place. But before this also in Ramayana it is said that Bharata brother of Rama was gifted with dogs from his uncle.

The domesticated dog was present in India from Vedic times. Even his loyalty for his master is also recognized by the ancient Indians. It is said that in Mahabharata when Yudhishthira & other Pandavas travelled to their final destination in Himalays, one by one fell down as they committed some sins in their life and last was Yudhishthira with his dog. When they reached their final destination i.e. heaven, at the doors of heaven, Indra told them, Yudhishthira alone can enter the heaven without his dog, Yudhishthira refused saying that it would be great sin if he desert his loyal follower. At the end Dharma (Hindu deity of Principals of life) appeared who was in disguise of dog and they both entered the heaven.

It’s apparent from all above mentioned evidences of togetherness of ancient Indians. However dogs as pet concepts are not present in India in general. Dog should live and stay outside the house only. But then this rendered the Indian dog’s very hardy composition. They are fit to survive in Indian climate and thrive on any food. It is said that Indian dogs is a products of crossing between canine familiaries and canis dhukuminius but this is question of research as Indian dogs has got 5000 years strong history. We do not know whether they intermingled 5000 years ago, but we can definitely say that these dogs (distinctive breeds) hunted& guarded this land for time immemorial.

India as said invaded by may people in these 5000 years. Aryans, Shak, Kasushan, Hune, Greek, Muslims and finally Britishers. This culture digested all of them beyond recognition. Out of all these invaders none of them was able to retain its different identity in this land and become part and parcel .except Muslims. However, other domesticated animals which were accompanying their masters also lost their identity in this land and became part and parcel of this culture .Also we cannot segregate these animals from Indian dogs .There is another reason also for various types of dogs found in this land, as from times immemorial. India has got strong trade routes for all over the world. We use to import horses from Arabia and export spices to Western world .Now there are four regions if we want to study Indian breeds Dog domestication. Conrad Lorenz, Nobel-prize winning ethologist, points out in his book The Man Meets Dog that it was possibly in India, in the Mesolithic period that the dog was first domesticated. The Indian wolf is said to be the ancestor of the domestic dog. Some prehistoric rock paintings discovered recently in Tamil Nadu depict men hunting with dogs. Are you a proud owner to have an Indian dog now?

Let’s adopt an Indian dog and prevent them from extinction. I kindly ask all the reader's to do word of mouth about this site to your friends, also you could add it Orkut, Myspace and other social networking sites. I also ask the readers to share your valuable information about our breeds. Please kindly look for updates in this blog as, I am going to post some information about our breeds and also going to start a section for adoption, where people could post their ads. Thanks & Regards, Diwakar Note: History, Man meets dog are all the valuable data collection of mine (not my sole content) belonging to unknown person. All Credits goes to these people.

Regards,

Diwakar

List of Indian Breeds

Alangu Mastiff
The Alangu Mastiff is a rare dog breed from Southern India, from the Thanjavur and Tiruchi districts.

Alaunt
A number of modern breeds are believed directly descended from the Alaunt. The original alaunt is thought to have resembled a Caucasian Ovcharka. They were large, short coated mountain dogs of varying type. The Alaunt was bred and formed by the Alani tribes, the nomads of Indo-European Sarmatian ancestry who were related to the Sarmatians and spoke an Indo-Iranian language. The Alans were known as superb warriors, herdsmen, and breeders of horses and dogs. The Alans bred their dogs for work and had developed different strains within the breed for specific duties.

Bakharwal Dog
The Bakharwal Dog is an ancient working breed of dog found in the Pir Panjal mountain range of the Kashmir Himalayas, where it has been bred for many centuries by the Gujjar nomadic tribes as a livestock guardian dog and settlement protector. A recent study says that this species of shephared Dog is in danger.

Bisben Sheepdog
The ancient Bisben Sheepdog is related to other Himalayan breeds and is sometimes mistakenly seen as a type of the Tibetan Mastiff. One of the key distinguishing features of the Bisben dog is its lupoid head, which is nothing like the common mastiff head type associated with its regional cousins.

Mudhol Hound
The Mudhol Hound is an Indian breed of dog of the sight hound type. The breed is also known as Caravan Hound and the feathered variety is commonly referred to as a Pashmi. In the villages he is known as the Karwani. It is a common companion amongst village folk in India's Deccan Plateau, who use the dog for hunting and guarding.

The Kennel Club of India (KCI) and Indian National Kennel Club (INKC) recognize the breed under different breed names. The KCI registers it as a Caravan Hound while the INKC goes with the name Mudhol Hound.


Chippiparai
The Chippiparai is a sight hound breed of dog from the south of India. Thought to be a descendant of the Saluki, today it is found in the area around Periyar Lake. It is used primarily for hunting wild boar, deer and hare. It is said to be an excellent hunter, and is also used for guarding the home.

Combai
The Combai is a bear hound found in the south of India. This breed of dog is slightly shorter than the Rajapalayam, but appears heavier because of its powerful build.

Gaddi Kutta
Gaddi Kutta is a mastiff-type mountain dog found in northern India, preferably the Himalayas region. They are also called the Indian Panther Hound, as well as Mahidant Mastiff, the former pointing to the breed’s skills and the latter to its origins. Though initially bred for hunting purposes, the multi-talented Gaddi Kutta is widely used by local shepherds, mostly Gaddis (from the tribe of the same name) and are reputed to be strong enough to repulse attacks by snow leopards, and to have the intelligence to herd stray sheep and goats back to their pens.


Himalayan Sheepdog
The Himalayan Sheepdog is an nepali breed of dog that has become a very rare breed. Often called the Bhote kukur. They are similar in appearance to the Newfoundland (dog) and the Tibetan Mastiff. They have a large body and have been known to have a loud bark.

Jonangi
The Jonangi is a native dog breed of India, found all along the east coast of India, from Bengal to Kanyakumari. The east coast of India has a long history of trade relations with South-East Asia. Therefore, it is thought that the ancestors of the Jonangi arrived near Lake Kolleru from South-East Asia in ancient times. He is used for hunting small game, as a watchdog, and for herding ducks. This is a spunky, primitive-type dog that is wary with strangers. It does not usually bark but makes a yodelling sound similar to that of a Basenji. The female comes into heat once per year

Kaikadi
The Kaikadi is a terrier dog breed named after a nomadic tribe in Maharashtra, India. They make excellent watchdogs. They can hunt hare and vermin. The Kaikadi is very similar to the whippet dogs.

Kanni
The Kanni, which means maiden, is a rare indigenous South Indian dog breed found in the state of Tamil Nadu. The breed is a further extension of the Caravan or Mudhol Hound, and is also a descendant of the Saluki. However, the Kanni does not possess the grand features of these breeds. It is used mainly for hunting.

Kinnaur sheepdog
Kinnaur sheepdog, also called the Apso Do-Kyi (tied-dog), is a large Apso. Apso is, in Tibetan, short for "Ara" meaning "moustache" and "sog-sog" meaning "hairy". These are profusely hairy dogs having an elongated body with front legs shorter than the hind ones, dropping ears and curly tails. They are related to the smaller Lhasa Apso, as well as the intermediate size Tibetan Terrier.

Rajapalayam
The Rajapalayam is an Indian Sighthound. It was the companion of the royalty and aristocracy in Southern India, particularly in the town Rajapalayam from where it gets its name.

Rampur Greyhound
The Rampur Greyhound is native to the Rampur region of Northern India, which lies between Delhi and Bareilly. The Rampur hound is a member of the big sighthound family. In North West of India it is often described as a smooth haired sighthound, substantially built. It was the favored hound of the Maharajahs for jackal control, but was also used to hunt lions, tigers, leopards, and panthers. It was considered a test of courage for a single hound to take down a jackal. The Rampur is built to cover great distances at high speed; thus capable of great endurance.

Source: Wikipedia. Please visit wiki for more information and if you any other breeds, let us know.

Adoption Corner

Hi Friends,

If you want to give away your loved ones, please send a mail to saju_diwakar@gmx.com with pic if possible. I will post the ad once in a week and hope your loved ones will find a good home.

Regards,

Diwakar