Karnataka budget gives Mudhol hound ₹5 crore. What is special about this dog breed?

Breeders and the canine research centre in Mudhol are happy, The Mudhol hound was also recently inducted into the prime minister's security.

ByChetana Belagere

Published Feb 18, 2023 | 12:21 AMUpdatedFeb 19, 2023 | 6:29 PM

A Mudhol hound

After Narendra Modi inducted Karnataka’s native dog breed — the Mudhol hound — into the prime minister’s security, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in his budget speech, announced ₹5 crore to develop it.

He also encouraged dog enthusiasts to adopt them. Needless to say, breeders are happy.

“The Mudhol hound dog breed has been recognised as an Indian native dog breed by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). In order to develop this breed, a grant of ₹5 crore will be provided,” said Bommai in his budget speech.

This particular hound has become the only source of livelihood for several farmers, mainly from the Dalit and tribal communities of the Bagalkot district in Karnataka.

There are at least 700 families who breed the Mudhol hound in the state.

Native to Karnataka

The Mudhol hound, which is an Indian pariah dog, is the native dog breed of Karnataka.

The dogs have lean bodies, slender and muscular legs, and long snouts. Their coat is smooth and they are often white, black, brown, fawn, and brindle.

Their long and narrow head with ears that are thin and droopy, razor-sharp teeth, and narrow hips make them good hunters and guard dogs.

Dog Guru Amrut with the Mudhol Hound at his training center in Bengaluru.

Amrut with a Mudhol hound at his training centre in Bengaluru. (Supplied)

According to canine experts, the predecessors of these dogs were brought to India when foreign invaders and traders from Afghanistan, Persia, and Turkey arrived.

These dogs were used in hunting and also guarding caravans. It is also known as a caravan hound and, in the village, it is often called Karwani.

Certified and noted canine psychologist Amrut S Hiranya, popularly known as the “Dog Guru”, said that this breed got its name from the kingdom of Mudhol, which is presently known as Bagalkot.

They are known for their hunting and guarding skills, and are believed to have first been bred by Raja Malojirao Ghorpade of the Deccan Kingdom of Mudhol.

In Karnataka, this breed is mostly available in Bidar, Mudhol, Halagali, and Lokapur villages.

Why is this hound in demand?

This breed is the favourite of most central and state security agencies and they have been inducted as part of the agencies for their surveillance duties.

The Dog Guru explained that this breed is very similar to the greyhound, which is a racing dog. He said that the Mudhol hound was bred for several centuries for hunting.

These hounds have excellent gait, are slim, and can run very fast, even through long grass.

Mudhol Hound pups are now in high demand.

Mudhol pups are now in high demand. (Supplied)

Mudhol dogs have a unique quality.

“Their eyes can rotate up to 240 degrees. The utility of this dog will give us proper results where eyes are used as the primary objective. For instance, it can be a great hunting or patrolling dog, where the primary task is to hunt down something. However, these dogs will not serve well as sniffer dogs where the primary usage is the nose of the animal, like in bomb or drug detections,” Amrut explained.

Considering some of these elements, the Mudhol hound has been used by the Indian security forces.

They were first introduced in the Indian Army’s Inventory in 2017, after rigorous training at the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps Centre (RVC) in Meerut.

In 2021, the Indian Air Force decided to induct the hound to keep flightless birds and animals at bay on runways to prevent animal-related accidents at airports.

Also, in August last year, the Mudhol hound was included in the Special Protection Group (SPG) squad that is responsible for offering security cover to Prime Minister Modi.

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The three drives 

Amrut explained that it is a good move by the Karnataka government to invest in the development of this indigenous breed. However, he said that there are a few limitations of this breed and the government needs to identify the role for which the hounds are being chosen.

He said that for every dog to be part of the security patrolling team, there are three important drives in the animal which are looked at — play drive, game drive, and prey drive.

“Labradors and golden retrievers have the ability to retrieve and also have the play drive and the game drive. These dogs love to involve the handler in the game of retrieving — for instance, when trained to retrieve the ball, they go and bring it back to the handler. Their intelligence and ability to retrieve things are why they are used in bomb and drug detection squads.”

Mudhol Hounds are being sent to various parts of the world. The demand for the breed has gone up in the country.

Mudhol hounds are being sent across the world. The demand for the breed has shot up nationally. (Supplied)

However, for Mudhols, the instinct is to hunt and prey. The prey drive in this breed is extremely high. Their sharp vision and agile bodies make them great hunters.

Hence, these dogs are involved in government projects involving security patrolling, explained Amrut.

This breed’s skin makes them more suited for dry climatic conditions and they find it difficult to adjust to wet weather and cold weather conditions. Amrut said that Mudhol hounds may develop bacterial and fungal skin infections easily when in such conditions.

Also, these dogs have long and strong legs and so, they need a large area, making it difficult for apartment-dwelling and ideal for farmhouses and large spaces only.

The veg vs non-veg debate

Since the Mudhol hound is a hunting breed, the dogs are naturally carnivores. They are scavengers and they like to tear and eat meat.

Hence, non-vegetarian breeders would be the right people to breed the dog, said Amrut.

However, Assistant Professor and Head of the Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC) in Mudhol, Dr Sushant Handage, said that the dogs at the centre are fed carbohydrate-rich food like rice, wheat, green gram, horse gram, milk, and eggs. However, meat is not served at CRIC.

Most breeders give home-cooked food, including jowar rotis and non-vegetarian food too.

Dalit and tribal livelihood

Breeder Basavaraj with a Mudhol pup. (Supplied)

Breeder Basavaraj with a Mudhol pup. (Supplied)

The Indian Army’s interest in Mudhol hounds and the prime minister’s decision to induct this breed into his security regime has upped the value for this breed and the breeders of Mudhol from Bagalkot are happy about it.

Speaking to South First, breeder Basavaraj Ullagaddi,  said that most of the breeders of Mudhol dogs are landless Dalits or tribal families. They have been breeding these dogs for generations.

He said, “In 2009, we all got two pups (one male and one female) for free. Since then, we have been living on breeding these hounds. There are at least 700 families who are dependent on this. The pups fetch us anywhere between ₹13,000 and ₹1 lakh. The attention the Mudhol hound is finally getting is appreciable.”

The government’s effort in bringing attention to these hounds is being appreciated by these farmers.

Canine Research and Information Centre

A survey done by Bidar-based Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU)’s Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC), that exclusively studies the Mudhol hound in Thimmapur village near Mudhol village, found that the majority of the farmers — at least 600-700 families — are from SC/ST communities.

Farmers who breed Mudhol Hounds are mostly from Dalit and tribal families in Bagalkot.

Farmers who breed Mudhols are mostly from Dalit and tribal families in Bagalkot. (Wikimedia Commons)

Dr Handage, who trains farmers in good breeding practices to avoid any kind of cross-breeding or crossing between blood relatives said, “This training will help keep the litter pure and also helps in getting good money to the breeders,” he said.

He explained that the Centre has been getting a lot of demand with several government agencies inducting them into their services.

“As of now, we have about 40 dogs in the centre. It is from here that we sent two pups to the prime minister’s security also. As of now, the demand for pups is more and the supply is less. So, we intend to expand our centre and also train farmers,” Dr Handage said.

So, with funds being allocated by the Karnataka government, it will be an even more welcoming move, he added.

From Mudhol, with love!

Meanwhile, breeder Basavaraj said that farmers are selling the pups at ₹13,000 each. He presently has about 45 dogs. He said that the pups are also being sent to countries like Bangladesh, all the way from Mudhol.

“I recently sent one to Bangladesh. I sent four pups to Kolkata and four to Delhi too. There is a lot of demand coming in. We ensure that they are pure and provide the vaccination certificate. The pup is usually 45 days old when we send it,” he said.

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