India has a long and proud tradition of native breeds—that most of us know little about. In part one, we offered a colourful historical guide to the place of dogs in Indian culture—and why Indian breeds fell from favour. In part two, we introduce you to these native breeds and the attempts to save them from extinction. Many are staging a serious comeback—and help has come from the most unexpected quarters.
Researched by: Nirmal Bhansali
The great debate: ‘Indies’ vs foreign breeds
The battle over dogs in India is focused on an opposition between purebred foreign breeds (bad) and mixed breed ‘Indies’ (good). And for good reason. The preference for vilayati dogs—rooted in colonial disdain for Indian breeds—has become a dangerous and tragic obsession.
The canine status symbol: Dogs—like much else—have become ‘aspirational’ in Rising India. Exotic foreign breeds are a must-have for people with disposable income—and the great desire to flaunt it:
Incomes in the cities and towns have increased, leading to more spending – people in these financial brackets have begun to see dogs as a status symbol. The way they buy cars or property, they buy foreign breeds of dogs, treating them like objects.
This is turn has spawned a vast black market eager to cash in on high demand:
The wide market for exotic dogs has resulted in illegal mass breeding and heavy imports. St. Bernards are sold at around Rs 25,000 per puppy, while huskies and Malamutes are more expensive—selling at about Rs 40,000 per puppy.
The purebred horror: Sadly, the most popular trophy breeds are those least suited to life in India. For example: St Bernards and Siberian Huskies. When the health or behavioural issues kick in, many of them are abandoned—unable to fend for themselves—unlike the Indian streetie. The number of purebred dogs being abandoned has increased exponentially in recent years. Yes, one reason is that many of these breeds are not suited to Indian weather. The other reason: Phoren breeds have become easier to acquire.
The case of the Labrador: It is the most popular foreign breed in India—prized as an easygoing, affectionate family dog. But it is also among the most easily abandoned. The high demand has become a curse for the breed:
The high demand for Labradors and the greed to make a quick buck has led to the mushrooming of inexperienced and unethical backyard breeders and puppy mills that churn out pups for profit without care and with little consideration to the health of the mother and pups or the gene pool. Consequently it has immense health and behavioural consequences for the puppies
The proliferation of horrific puppy mills have also made labs more “affordable”:
With little care for ethical and intelligent breeding, puppy mills have flooded the country with unhealthy dogs available for as low as between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000, Friendicoes says. This cheap price could also explain why close to 60% of the abandoned dogs in Chennai, for instance, are Labradors, according to Shravan Krishnan, an animal rights activist in the city. “That’s why people find it easier to dump them, because there is no value attached to them,” Krishnan said. “These breeds are like commodities now.”
But, but, but: In the brawl over whether people should adopt streeties or foreign breeds, the term ‘Indie’ has now come to mean mixed breed street dogs. The other Indian dogs have become near-invisible.
Meet the Indian purebred
As we noted in part one, in the nineteenth century, there were 50 native Indian breeds. That number has halved to 25. But no one really talks about them. One set of Indians is busy hankering for foreign breeds. The other has focused on fiercely advocating for street dogs. Lost in the shuffle: The Indian breeds. Neither side is invested in promoting them—including street dog advocates who are reluctant to champion any kind of purebred.
So for starters, let’s look at the most popular recognised Indian breeds. In 2023, the Mudhol became the latest Indian breed to be recognised by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. Only two others share that honour—Chippiparayi, and Rajaplayam.
Meet the Mudhol: It is native to the Deccan Plateau—and is a royal sighthound. Its remarkable eyesight made it an excellent hunting companion. It is likely a descendant of the Saluki—the oldest known hound brought to the subcontinent by the Persians. The British called it the Caravan hound (and locals, Karwani) because it usually travelled with caravans—over long distances. As for their temperament:
With features similar to that of the Chippiparai, the Mudhol hounds are gifted with sight that is twice that of the human capacity. They are also intelligent and devoted dogs, with the ability to imprint on their masters. Ironic to their regal characterisation, these dogs are actually quite shy upon the first meeting.
Watch it frolicking in the dust below:
Saving the Mudhol: They almost went extinct in the 1990s but were saved by the strenuous efforts of the Karnataka government. Today, the Canine Research and Information Centre breeds puppies that it supplies to almost every security agency across the country—including the elite Special Protection Group that protects VIPs including the Prime Minister. The centre sells around 150 puppies with tracker chips and genealogy certificates every year. The government fixed price is Rs 12,500.
A happy point to note: A Mudhol—attached to the Border Security Force K9—won an all India police dog competition in February—beating out 116 other dogs. It was the first time an Indian breed took the top honour.
Meet the Chippiparai: It is also a royal hunting dog native to Tamil Nadu near the Madurai region—and it looks a lot like the greyhound:
The Chippiparai were bred predominantly for the purpose of hunting, where the hounds were used to find and kill prey such as deer, wild boar, and hare. Interestingly enough, it’s the position of their eyes that gives them a predatory advantage. With a 270-degree scope vision, which is far more than most breeds, these dogs are gifted with extremely keen eyesight.
Its other names include Kanni (virgin) or vettainaai (hunting dog). You can see the resemblance to a greyhound below:
Sad point to note: The Chippiparai is on the verge of extinction—perhaps because it doesn’t lend itself to urban living. They are “very active game hounds and require a large amount of space to play”—and need stimulation to avoid boredom. This is also true of the other hound breeds in South India—including the Jonangi and Pandikona:
Today’s urban lifestyle does not require such dogs and people these days are looking for cute-looking cuddle bugs and couch potatoes for companionship. While most exotic dogs are unsuited for our climate… our Indian breeds require an insane amount of exercise.
The Rajapalayam: is the other South Indian star from Tamil Nadu—best known as a guard dog:
Bred in the Nayak dynasty of Tamil Nadu, scholars believed that the Rajapalayam were used in the Carnatic and Polygar Wars. Since the time of origin, they were extensively used as guards for rice estates, farms and have their fair share of legends associated with their lineage. One story goes along the lines of four of these ferocious dogs killing a tiger to protect their master’s life.
Unlike other breeds, the Rajapalayam comes in only one near-albino colour: white with a pink snout. You can see the pooch on a postage stamp released to raise awareness about the breed:
Saving the Rajapalayam: These dogs are also on the brink of extinction—despite the best efforts of the Tamil Nadu government. The state’s Animal Husbandry Department has sponsored dog shows and breeding centres. Surprising point to note: The Rajapalayam has found a home in the coldest reaches of the Himalayas—as guard dogs for the Indian Army in Kashmir.
The North Indian counterpart: to these royal beasts from the south is the Rampur greyhound—bred by nawabs to hunt big game:
Beyond the hounds: There are a number of other breeds such as the Bully Kutta—the desi version of the bulldog breed. They are usually used as guard dogs or for fighting. And they have all the same concerns as aggressive pitbull-type breeds.
Similar in appearance, but far more rare is the Alangu Mastiff—which was commemorated in this Thanjavur temple dating back to the Chola dynasty:
The furrier versions: Not all Indian breeds are lean and made for speed. The Bakharwal sheep dogs are common among the nomadic Gujjars up in the Himalayas. They are also known as Bhote, Bangara or Gaddi Kutta. Their main job is to guard livestock and herd sheep.
Saving Indian breeds: Rays of hope
Security forces: have made the most significant effort to raise and foster Indian breeds—especially in recent years. In 2023, the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)—which includes the BSF and CRPF—announced plans to recruit Indian breeds—rather than the usual line up of German Shepherds and Labs. As we noted, the Mudhol is one of them—as are Bakharwal and the Tibetan Mastiff. Really helping matters: A big personal push from PM Modi—who has often spoken of the need to promote Indian breeds.
Data point to note: The CAPFs deploy 4,000 dogs—and acquire 300 pups each year.
Dog showstoppers: Indian dog shows are also doing their bit to encourage visibility of Indian breeds:
Various dog shows are now allowing free entry of native Indian dogs. The Kennel Club of India has slashed the entry fees for native Indian breeds to half the price charged for foreign breeds. Many pet shows are having a separate category for the native breeds to promote their adoption,” says [Pune-based Ramachandra Raju]. He adds that if everything goes according to the plan, the city might soon have a dogs club dedicated to native breeds.
At the Bangalore dog show last year, 60 of the registered 500 pure-breed dogs were Indian. At an international dog show earlier this year, 130 Indian purebreds entered the race—though the top awards went to foreign breeds.
The bottomline: Our personal view is that dogs of any kind are worthy of our love—Indian or not, purebred or not. We entirely agree with Charles De Gaulle who famously said: “The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.”
Reading list
Scroll and Quint are best on the neglect of Indian breeds—and our obsession with foreign varieties. Quartz specifically focuses on the Labrador. The Hindu has more on the efforts to preserve native breeds—and specifically the Mudhol. Economic Times offers an encouraging report on changing views among Indian families. HomeGrown put together a brilliant round-up of the various breeds—accompanied by cool illustrations. News18 focuses on the Rajapalayam. Mint offers a useful guide for folks planning to adopt an Indie. We didn’t get into Indian wild dogs—so we recommend checking Nature In Focus’ feature on the dhole.
