It’s enough to make a guy want to get married.

Meet the “Kanni,” a gentle, shy, graceful creature given as a gift to an Indian bridegroom before his wedding, or as part of his bride’s dowry – hence, the breed’s name which means “maiden” or “virgin girl” in the Tamil language. These very rare dogs indigenous to Tamil Nadu, India are prized by families who give them only as gifts, never to be bought or sold.  It’s said that they are raised as pets, and never allowed to roam on the streets.

Our knowledge of the breed isn’t robust since very little information has been recorded of the breed and its history. It’s said to be a probable relative of the Caravan or Mudhol Hound, and was used mainly for hunting when not being the family pet. It’s also written that the Kanni’s diet is milk in the morning, corn porridge in the afternoon, and a “Ragi” porridge in the evening. Meat is given once a week or once a month only. We’ve noticed that this diet is similar to the Azawakh’s.

Sadly, the breed is so rare that it’s on the verge of extinction, and attempts to resurrect the the Kanni seem to be non-existent.

Image of a Kanni from Wikicommons