Commonly seen Domestic Dog breeds in India

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Topics covered:

  • Exotic breeds found in India
  • Few local breeds found in India

Alsatian (GSD):

  • Origin : Germany
  • Because of their strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training they are employed as police dogs and war dogs, around the world.
  • GSD is the world’s leading police, guard and military dog.
  • Body weight : 25-35 Kg.

Beagle:

  • They have a keen sense of smell and tracking instinct that seems them employed as detection dogs for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world.
  • Dog of choice for animal testing.

Boxer:

  • Origin : Germany
  • Medium-sized sturdy dog with broad head, short nose and strong jaws.
  • Muscular body
  • Tail placed high and docked leaving behind 4-5cm stump.
  • Body Height : 45-60 cm

Bull Dog:

  • Origin : England
  • A low statured animal, broad and compact body.
  • Head characteristically heavy and face wrinkled.
  • Nose short, wide and black.
  • Jaws broad and square.
  • Short tail thick at the root and tapering at the tip.
  • Body weight : Average 20-25 kg.

Collie

Dachshund:

  • Origin : – Germany
  • Low set, short limbed animal with compact long body.
  • Two recognized strains ( viz. Dachshund and Miniature Dachshand)
  • Each strain has 3 varieties (viz. smooth haired, long haired and wire haired).
  • Ears long and thick, large & drooping with rounded tip.
  • Body weight : 3-5 kg.

Dalmatian:

  • Origin : Dalmatia (Austria)
  • Strong dog having muscular body.
  • Ears set high and gradually tapering to a round point and covered with spotted hair.
  • Tail short, fine and straight.
  • Smooth and white colour with black spots or liver spots which may vary in size but never form patches.
  • Body weight : 22-25 kg.

Dobermann Pinscher:

  • Origin : Germany
  • An alert dog has smooth, compact and muscular body.
  • Ears small and erect, but slightly droped forward.
  • Tail docked in early life leaving behind 2-3 cm long stump.
  • Body weight : 25-35 kg.

Great Dane:

  • Origin : Germany
  • Large-sized, muscular and strong animal of active disposition.
  • Ears small and erect with falling tip.
  • Face long and narrow.
  • Tail thick at the root and tapering to the termination below the hock joint.
  • Body weight : More than 55 kg

Greyhound:

  • Origin : Egypt
  • Large-limbed, slender, thin animal.
  • Broad chest and narrow waist.
  • Face long and narrow with blunt pointer nose.
  • Tail is low set, long, tapering and strong
  • Body weight : 25-35 kg;

Lhasa Apso:

  • Origin : Tibet
  • Small active house dog.
  • Ears drooping and  eyes dark
  • Body weight : 6-7 kg

Pointer

Pomeranian:

  • Origin : Poland
  • Pomeranian (often known as a Pom) is Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe (today part of eastern Germany and northern Poland).
  • Small size body
  • Ears are small and erect.
  • Tail hairy and carried on the back.
  • Pomeranian comes in the widest variety of colors, including white, black, brown, red, orange, cream, blue, sable, black and tan, brown and tan, spotted, brindle, plus combinations of those colors. The most common colors are orange, black or cream/white.
  • Body weight : 1.5-3.9 kg

Poodle:

  • Small animal of majestic look.
  • Ears long, wide and drooping.
  • Various strains are standard Poodle, miniature Poodle, blue Poodle and toy Poodle.
  • Toys are smallest followed by miniature and standard strains.
  • Tail docked and held high.
  • Body weight : 3-25 kg, depending upon the strain.

Pug:

  • Origin : China
  • Small breed
  • Short back and rounded ribs
  • Ears are rose or button shaped
  • Tail tightly curled and often double curled.
  • Body weight : 6-8 kg

Labrador:

  • Origin : New Foundland
  • They have webbed paws for swimming, useful when they retrieve their prey, hence the name retriever.
  • Active dog of strong body.
  • Ears large and hanging close to head.
  • Tail thick at the root and tapering toward the tip.
  • Body weight : 25-35 kg

Golden Retriever:

  • Origin : Scotland
  • Active and powerful animal
  • Ears moderate in size
  • Tail long, straight and feathered
  • Body weight : 30-35 kg

Saint Bernard:

  • Origin : Switzerland
  • One of the heaviest dogs with a massive and broad forehead, straight back, deep chest and heavy legs.
  • Thighs and tail well feathered in long-haired dogs
  • Tail set high, long and slightly curved, and always
  • Body weight : 75-90 kg, occasionally 90 to 100 kg.

Cocker Spaniel:

  • Origin : England
  • Small sporting dog of compact body
  • Head round with deep and broad muzzle
  • Ears long, drooping and covered with fine hair.
  • The tail docked in early life and remains in line with the back.
  • Body weight : 11-13 kg

Rottweiler:

  • Origin : Germany
  • Medium to large size, stalwart dog.
  • The skull is of medium length, broad between the ears.
  • The forehead line is moderately arched as seen from the side.
  • They as worked as draught dogs, pulling carts to carry livestock to slaughter, meat and other products to market.
  • Previously they may have also been used for hunting although the modern Rottweiler has a relatively low hunting instinct.

Border Collie:

  • Origin :  Britain
  • Collie is a distinctive type of herding dog.
  • Common use of the name “collie” in some areas is limited largely to certain breeds – such as to the Rough Collie in parts of the United States, or to the Border Collie in many rural parts of Great Britain.

Pointer:

  • Origin : Spain
  • Compact and muscular body with broad chest.
  • Ears set fairly high, medium sized and lying close to the head.
  • Tail fairly long, smooth, tapering and carried straight in line with back.
  • Body weight : 25-30 kg

Indian Breed of Dogs

  • Rampur Hound
  • Gaddi
  • Bhutia
  • Banjara / Sanehta
  • Rajapalayam

Rajapalayam:

  • Native of Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu.
  • A hunting dog in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
  • It is a hound, and therefore should be kept in optimum working condition.
  • Rajapalayam has a gait similar to the trotting of a thoroughbred horse.
  • As with many fully white dogs, there is a high incidence of deafness in this breed.Puppies born with whitish or blue eyes are deaf.

Gaddi:

  • The Gaddi is thought to have been developed by the Asur King Mahidant of Meerut by crossing the wild dingo like hounds.
  • Heavy and muscular strong animal of active habits; considered to be developed from the wild dog of Yamuna riverine of Meerut region.
  • Ears small and curved.
  • Tail hairy, extends up to hock.
  • Body weight :  25-50 kg

Rampur Hound:

  • Rampur Greyhound is native to the Rampur region of Northern India, which lies between Delhi and Bareilly.
  • Body weight : 25-40 kg

Mudhol Hound :

  • Sight hound type.
  • They are 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.
  • Common companion among village folk in India’s Deccan Plateau, who use the dog for hunting and guarding.
  • Head is long and narrow, broad between the ears with a tapering muzzle.
  • Nose is large, and may be black, liver, or flesh coloured.
  • The chest is strong and deep with well sprung ribs.
  • Abdomen is tucked in and hind quarters appear wide and well-muscled.
  • The tail is strong at the base, not too long, set low and carried in a natural curve.

Himalayan Sheepdog :

  • An Nepali breed of dog that has become a very rare breed.
  • Large breed  often called the Bhote kukur.
  • They are similar in appearance to the Newfoundland (dog) and the Tibetan Mastiff.
  • Large body and known to have a loud bark.
  • All dogs of this breed have long, round and hairy tail.
  • Body weight:  28 to 38 kg

Combai:

  • Combai is a bear hound found in the south of India.
  • This breed evolved naturally many centuries ago, is more immune to most diseases compared to the man-designed breeds.
  • Slightly shorter than the Rajapalayam, but appears heavier because of its powerful build.
  • Combai has more powerful jaws than Rajapalayam, often with a black mouth, much more pendent ears, rich red colour and a savage temper.

Chippiparai:

  • They are sight hound breed of dog from the south of India.
  • They are thought to be a descendant of the Saluki.
  • Now a days they are 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.
  • This is a handsome dog, tall and powerful

Kanni Dog :

  • It is a watch dog for the sheep farming in the grazing land.
  • Found among the flock of Vembur sheep and Kanni goat.
  • Kanni is found in and around Tirunelveli, Kovilpatti, Kazhugumalai, Kileral, Kodangipatti, Sivakasi, and Madurai.
  • It is said that the name Kanni comes from the fact that the dog used to be given as a gift to the bridegroom just before the marriage.
  • The Kanni is kept by families who do not sell them but may gift them if a promise is made to look after them well.
  • They are not allowed to roam on the streets and brought up as pet animals.
  • They are given a diet of 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.
  • The breed is now extremely rare, and on the verge of extinction.
  • Efforts to revive the breed have not been taken up, as specimens are few, and there exists little information about them.