If oceans are the last frontier on earth, the dog breeds of India may be among the last in the world to be appreciated.

In some measure, this is because of indifference of Indians to their own indigenous breeds for some time. Dogs were principally valued for the work they performed—as guards, hunting dogs, livestock dogs, and village companions—rather than as standardized breeds with written pedigrees, formal records, or show-ring recognition. This was not, however, the whole story. Native dogs, especially specialized hounds, were also valued by hunters, pastoralists, farmers, nobles, and rulers.

Dogs occupied an ambivalent place in Indian culture. They did have religious and cultural associations, and they appeared in mythology, literature, regional traditions, and art, but not generally with the prominence accorded elephants, horses, or lions. The dog accompanying Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata, for example, is one of the best-known canine figures in Indian literature. Depending upon the region and period, dogs appeared in art, but usually less frequently and less ceremonially than animals such as elephants, horses, and lions.

Add to this that imported, “exotic” dog breeds captured the interest of Indians over their own home-grown breeds, and it was difficult for native breeds to, as they say colloquially, “feel the love.” Bloodlines of native breeds were diluted by crossbreeding, while changing patterns of work and land use reduced the roles for which many regional dogs had traditionally been kept. The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 was a landmark conservation measure that prohibited hunting of protected wild animals, subject to stated exceptions. For some hounds, the changing legal and social status of hunting likely diminished one of their historic functions, but it was one factor among several that affected native breeds.

Interestingly, historical writers recorded Indian hounds being exported to Rome and Egypt in antiquity, suggesting that Indian dogs attracted interest beyond the subcontinent. The assertion that Indian dogs have been directly linked to Australian dingoes through DNA testing should be omitted. Modern genetic research instead indicates that dingoes descended principally from a small founding population of domestic dogs originating in East Asia and Island Southeast Asia; recent ancient-DNA research has clarified the history of dingo populations but does not establish a specific origin in Indian dogs.

Credit line: Mudhol Hound at the Bombay Presidency Kennel Club Dog Show. Photo by Rudolphfurtado, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Happily, the situation for indigenous breeds is changing for the better. British interest in native dogs, followed by the growth of the modern dog fancy in India, helped stimulate the recording, exhibition, and standardization of regional breeds. The Kennel Club of India began allowing Indian breeds into the show ring and required them to meet standards, although the existing body of standards and classification has not always been as methodical or uniform as breeders might wish.

A noteworthy step occurred in 1981, when forty Caravan Hounds were reportedly exhibited at the Kolhapur Canine Dog Show. By 1984, standards had been established and at least ten indigenous breeds—including the Rampur Hound, Caravan Hound, Rajapalayam, and Himalayan Mastiff—had been accorded recognition in India.

Fast forward to the twenty-first century, when a huge boost was given to the Mudhol Hound, named after the small town of Mudhol in Karnataka’s Bagalkot District. In 2009, the Government of Karnataka established the Canine Research and Information Centre for the Mudhol Hound at Thimmapur, near Mudhol. The centre was created to conserve, develop, and propagate the breed, and the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University identifies its work as including research, breeding, training, and breeder support.

What a huge difference can be made by some interest and support. The Mudhol Hound was the first indigenous Indian breed selected for training by the Indian Army. In 2016, the Army began training Mudhol Hounds through its Remount Veterinary Corps centre in Meerut, and by 2017 reports indicated that some were ready for assignment in Jammu and Kashmir while additional puppies were being requested for training.

It is important to note that many reference guides describe the Mudhol Hound as also being known as the Caravan Hound. This is not a universally accepted view. Author S. Theodore Baskaran treats Mudhol Hounds and Caravan Hounds—also called Karuvanis—as separate entries in The Book of Indian Dogs. That reflects the view held by some Indian breeders and dog authorities that they are distinct regional breeds or populations. Other references use the names interchangeably, so it is more accurate to say that the terminology remains contested rather than definitively settled.

You can read more about the Mudhol Hound’s recruitment into the Indian Army in this article.

Top photo: Mudhol Hound at the Bombay Presidency Kennel Club Dog Show. Photo by Rudolphfurtado, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.