#Furholics – Meet The Army’s Choice, The Mudhol Hound

The breed is known for its speed, hunting prowess and as sight hounds. Sleek, slim, beautiful, graceful, the adjectives are many.

Needless to say that the Mudhol Hound is a class apart.

Recognising this super class, the Indian army is now ready with their Mudhol hounds to work alongside German Shepherds and Malinois in Jammu ad Kashmir. Lets take a quick look at the breed, the history and more.

The Dogs:

Curved stomachs, long legged, pointed muzzles, and a long head are typical looks of the Mudhols. They are largely tan, but we find black and white ones too. Long slim necks, terrific bite and a piercing gaze are peculiar to this breed.

They are basically working dogs so they need to run and to work. If you are thinking of getting one and keeping him/her cooped up in an apartment, don’t!

They need regular exercise, lots of room to run and good handling. They are loyal, courageous and will be protective of their flock.

The Indian Postal Department has issued stamps with Indian breeds including the Mudhol, Rajapalayam, Rampur Hound, Himalayan sheep dog.

In The Book of Indian Dogs, Author S Theodore Baskaran says about the Mudhol hounds: in a small town in north Karnataka, called Mudhol, the Mudhol hounds found patronage under Raja Maloji RaoVenkatrao Ghorpade who was fond of hunting. Later Bhairav Singh Maharaj of Mudhol also took steps to stabilise the breed.

Dogs were often used in ceremonial hunts organised as a part of festivals to honour local deities in rural areas in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The Ethnic Indica Canine Society at Hyderabad has recorded the proceedings of one such hunt near Bijapur that took place as part of Ugadi (Telugu NewYear’s Day) celebrations at a Durga temple in 2003.

Groups of men with their dogs, mostly Pashmis and Caravan hounds, set out at the crack of dawn to hunt hares. When a dog caught a hare, it would not let it go, and the hunters would have to yank it from its mouth.

Its chasing prowess is said to be phenomenal, and it is reputed to be able to turn in mid-leap and change course in a split second.

With that kind of form, they are an asset for sure!