Dog Breeds such as the German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, and Labrador are all popular breeds that you can find in so many households around the world. However, there are less popular breeds such as the Chippiparai, Jonangi, and Kombai.
You may wonder what breeds these are since you’ve most likely not heard of them before. Well, they are Indian dog breeds!
Are you shocked? Don’t be! These dogs are among the sturdiest and most skilled dog breeds you can find in the world.
Over hundreds of years, they have adapted well to India’s tropical climate and they are very hard workers as well as great friends to their owners.
The sad truth is, these dogs are slowly disappearing and their breeds are becoming harder to find with each passing year.
About half of the popular Indian dog breeds have gone into extinction, while the others face a great threat to their existence.
It’s funny how such tenacious and loyal dog breeds could be so neglected and unappreciated in that region. In the past few decades, foreign breeds have been the most accepted in India, while their local breeds remain shunned.
It wasn’t always so though. There was a time in India’s history when their local breeds were held in high value and were in demand in countries all over the world.
One of the reasons Indian dog breeds we’re so prized was their hunting ability. People from Rome, Babylon, and Egypt all bought Indian dogs, and they did so for many years down the line.
Thanks to the high international demand for Indian dog breeds and their undiluted gene pool, their survival was guaranteed, at least for the time being.
According to Baskaran, there were more than 50 distinct Indian dog breeds in the 18th century. One of which was called the “Lut”. This particular breed was said to have a unique shade of blue, although it has been extinct ever since.
As of today, there are about 25 dog breeds native to India.
There are several reasons for the decline in the number of Indian dog breeds. One of which is the British colonial period, where foreign breeds were imported and crossed with the local breeds.
Not much effort was made to preserve the indigenous breeds and that was how they slowly fizzled away.
The only significant efforts made to preserve the Indian dog breeds were by British dog enthusiasts, who were intrigued by the local breeds.