Are you a Primitive Dog fan?: May 2009

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Pups for adoption in Delhi

Just look at this lot! These are Moti (fat), Kali (black), Safedu (white) and nameless-so-far-puppy. They are all females, about four weeks old, and will probably grow up to be big dogs, judging by their parents' large size. They are being looked after by Brahmesh Srivastav.

Brahmesh adopted two dogs some months ago, so he has to put these four fat cuddly little things up for adoption. If you would like to take one home, please contact him on bramhesh@gmail.com

Photos: Brahmesh Srivastav
Noida (near Delhi)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Shalini

Another lucky puppy saved from a grim fate. And another lucky person who got an INDog.

I have to admit, the best thing about this blog is that I get to interact with absolutely the nicest, kindest members of what I have come to believe is a degraded race. I mean us humans. (Go back to my post about the bloody-minded citizens of Meerut and you'll understand what I'm talking about).

The other wonderful thing about this blog is that I get emailed the cutest pictures. They keep me smiling. I don't have to put in the slightest effort to make the blog beautiful, with photos like this regularly coming in.

So, this little dog is Shalini and her rescuer is Nicole Poyyayil, who had earlier adopted Deepa. Deepa lives with Nicole's parents in Switzerland now.

Shalini was a healthy and playful pup when Nicole first saw her on a street in Navi Mumbai. Nicole started feeding her treats whenever they met.

But then she had to make a short trip out of town. When she returned and went to look for her, she found to her horror that the pup had become skeletal, so weak she could hardly stand, with lots of small wounds in her paws. The cause of her sudden illness remains a mystery.

Of course it was impossible to leave her on the street in that condition. From her vet Nicole heard about some people who looked after street dogs in their home, and she arranged to keep Shalini with them. But all the dogs there seemed to be chained all the time and Nicole wasn't very comfortable with the place.

She and her husband were about to shift to Ahmedabad, but they made a decision to adopt Shalini and take her with them.

With her life changed so dramatically for the better, Shalini started recovering.

They are all in Ahmedabad now, just settled into their new home.

One more great INDog story has just begun...

Photos: Nicole Poyyayil
Ahmedabad

Picolo needs a blood test done in Denmark for his immigration - please help if you can

I am posting a message from June Basar, who adopted beautiful INDog pup Picolo a few months ago. June is getting married and will have to shift to Denmark soon. But taking a dog into Denmark is extremely difficult, thanks to conditions for a blood test which are almost impossible to comply with in India. Please read June's message below for the details. Picolo's only chance may be if someone going to Denmark could carry his blood sample there for testing. If you know anyone going there, please contact June urgently.

If this doesn't work, Picolo will need a new home.

From June:

I need help, fast

If you are going to Denmark soon, can you please carry Picolo’s blood or enzyme sample? It is completely legit and I will provide permission papers from the vet in India, the lab in Denmark and the Danish border control.
Does anyone want to adopt the most handsome and loving dog in this whole wide world?

I have put up an appeal in my blog too:

We found a very nice apartment in Copenhagen, but no pets allowed. We gave up the lease and hope to find another one that allows dogs. The real estate agent was very helpful, “Good Luck! Wait for 2 years”, is what has been offered so far.
The Danish government needs a blood/enzyme sample test report which is at least 3 months old. We postponed our wedding so I could bring him with me to DK after 3 months of the test.
Then I got a mail from the Danish border control saying the blood/ enzyme test has to be done only in a European Union approved lab, NONE of which are in India.
Big problem, but we decided to ship his blood sample to the lab in Denmark. I was happy. Life was going as planned.
Picolo needs a microchip identification implanted. It needs to be done on the SAME DAY as his rabies vaccination. His vaccination 2 months ago. But we can always give him another rabies shot and implant the microchip.
There is only ONE courier company that agreed to ship his blood sample. It will cost me a minimum of 15000 Rupees (1650 DKK) Life is expensive, but life is still good.
The courier company called again to say they do not take blood samples sent by an individual. It has be from a certified laboratory that does routine business with them. But there are no EU certified pet laboratories in India, which is why I need to send the sample to Denmark in the first place.
Without the blood report, Picolo wont be allowed to enter Denmark.

June Basar
Mumbai

Friday, May 15, 2009

From Scott's India album

For a dog lover, I guess an India album inevitably becomes an INDog album...

Canadian photographer Scott Budgell and his wife lived in India for four years. He took these beautiful pictures on their travels around the country.

They now live in Toronto, with their pretty INDog-mix Durga and her pups.

Scott, thanks for this visual feast. You've made even the trash bins look wonderful!

Above and below: Wild in Hampi

Above and below: Varanasi

Above: Jaisalmer

Above: Gokarna

Above: Durga and Kanni
Below: Palolem gang

Photos: Scott Budgell
Toronto, Canada

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Durga

These lovely pictures were sent by Canadian photographer Scott Budgell, who adopted INDog-mix Durga and took her to Toronto a year ago.

Durga was one of a litter of six. Their parents were semi-strays looked after by Scott and his wife when they were living in Kodaikanal three years ago. Their mother was a German Shepherd mix. Durga's four brothers all got good homes, but Scott decided to adopt the two girls, Durga and Lakshmi. He and his wife had to leave India for ten months, and they had to make the tough decision of leaving the pups in the paid care of a guesthouse in Gokarna. Sadly, Lakshmi died while they were away.

After a year with Durga in Kodaikanal, the couple returned to Toronto taking her with them. Scott writes that she doesn't much care for the snow, but she likes all the people and friendly dogs there. She just had a beautiful litter of six pups.

Above: Durga and Lakshmi with their mother

Above: Durga with her father

Above: Durga and Lakshmi

Above: Durga with her caretaker in Gokarna

Above: Durga with her father, Kodaikanal

Above: Toronto winter

Below: Durga with her pups

Photos: Scott Budgell
Toronto

Baloo

Baloo is not only gorgeous, he's mastered the art of posing perfectly for portraits! Don't you love the expression in the second photo?

Click here for more of his photos.

Photos: Pradipta Kumar Pal
Kolkata

Pups in Kapurthala need homes

Kiran Anand sent these pictures of an absolutely adorable litter delivered by a street dog in Kapurthala, Punjab. If anyone would like to adopt them, please write to Kiran on ohye.tu.hain@gmail.com or activa.scooty@yahoo.com

Photos: Kiran Anand
Kapurthala, Punjab

Friday, May 8, 2009

Danny and Mickey need good homes

An appeal from Aarti Pamnani and Charu Shah:

Aarti had rescued three pups, who had wandered into her building, giving them food, love and care. She managed to get a home for one of the pups, but as usual, the other two still have not managed to get good homes.

Mickey and Danny are now five months old, and stay in the building compound, but the building residents are extremely cruel and keep hitting them. Aarti has got all their vaccinations done, and is also taking them for obedience training.

We are looking for homes for both these guys and if they can be adopted together, that will be great!

Anyone interested in adopting them, please contact Aarti on aarti_pamnani@hotmail.com or email me at shahcharu76@yahoo.com.

Please forward this mail to as many people as possible and help in getting these guys a home, the building may not allow them to stay for more than a few weeks!

Charu Shah, Aarti Pamnani
Mumbai

INDog pup for adoption, Mumbai

This adorable male pup was rescued by Disha Sharan. He is about six weeks old, very intelligent and a bundle of energy.

If you would like to adopt him, please email Disha on disharan@gmail.com

Do spread the word among all the dog-lovers you know.

Photo: Disha Sharan
Powai, Mumbai

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Indy and the cat, Part 4

Another of my poorly-disguised attempts to sneak cats into this blog. (To see my former attempts, enter "The Indi and the cat" in the search box, top left).

This is my beautiful Tabbyrani with my nutty little INDog-mix Kimaya.

After a rocky start, the two have struck up a strange friendship, possibly because Kimaya was so persistent and Tabby got tired of slapping her.

The truth is, Tabbyrani is a very affectionate little thing, although she puts on that typically feline aloof act (funny how many humans get fooled by that...real cat people never buy it, and neither did Kimaya). She's always happy to be petted and cuddled, or in this case licked. Kimaya nibbles her a lot, searching for ticks and fleas I suppose.

Sometimes Tabbyrani gets annoyed and slaps her. This dog thing of sniffing behinds is NOT allowed.

Because of her resemblance to that largest of tabby cats, Tabbyrani's second name is "Vaghachi moushi," which in Marathi means "tiger's aunt." An explanation of this term is a little beyond my linguistic skills. It's just a folksy sort of tradition about cats. There is an equivalent in Bengali and probably other Indian languages as well.

They wander around the garden on strange secret missions, some of which possibly involve mice...I stay out of these things.

Nagaon

The Indy and the cat, Part 3

This is Nicole Poyyayil's Deepa, who now lives in Doerflingen, Switzerland, on Nicole's parents' farm (you can see more pictures here). The cute tabby cat is Mikesch.

Nicole's mother reports that Deepa uses Mikesch as a pillow and the cat doesn't seem to mind. But outdoors they behave like Tom and Jerry, and it isn't always clear who is who.

Click here for The Indy and the cat Part 1, and here for The Indy and the cat Part 2.

Photos: Nicole Poyyayil
Doerflingen,
Switzerland

This is an informal, unofficial group of INDog enthusiasts, linked to my awareness campaign the INDog Project. "INDog" is what we call the Indian native dog, (earlier known as the Indian Pariah Dog). The INDog belongs to a group of dogs known as aboriginal and primitive dogs, or indigenous village dogs. See also padsociety.org

Indian dogs, including INDogs, were sampled a few years ago for a genetic study by Cornell University. Read about their distinct genetic profile in this early post, and in the published paper 'Genetic structure in village dogs reveals a Central Asian domestication origin.'

Click here for our record of unmixed INDog populations around the country.

This is not a welfare or animal rights blog, though health and welfare are discussed sometimes. It is not about any organization. It is not about the "stray dog issue." There are many other sites dealing with such topics. Moreover, primitive and stray are NOT the same thing (see the glossary below, and also the INDog website).

This blog celebrates the INDog as an aboriginal race of domestic dog - its origins, characteristics, appearance, temperament, behaviour, and the sheer fun of keeping it as a pet. If, like many of us, you are captivated by our indigenous village dog, read on.

Click here for some articles on INDogs, one written by me and the others about the INDog Project.

Quoting from this blog or the INDog site: I have noticed that while most people follow the normal etiquette and credit my blog or site if they use content, there are a few who have copied text and pictures or quoted copiously without any acknowledgment. Please do not use any content from here or from the INDog site without permission and acknowledgment.

Dogs featured in this blog: I only feature INDogs adopted as house-pets. I also feature INDog-mixes who are house pets. In fact, if you live in an Indian city, your dog is possibly of mixed lineage and not a 100% indigenous native dog. I call these dogs INDog-mix or Indies. This is a point of difference but NOT a point of superiority or inferiority. INDogs, INDog-mixes, and in fact all dogs are equally wonderful as pets!

If you'd like me to post your dog's story in this blog, please write to me at rajashree DOT khalap AT gmail DOT com, along with photographs.

I also have a page on Facebook called The INDog Club. Please join if you find this topic interesting.

Why I created the INDog Project and INDog Club: I had the idea of setting up this forum after adopting my own dog, Lalee. I was disturbed by the general confusion and misconceptions about our native dogs. My pet project is to get this ancient race the respect and recognition that is its due.

The Indian public is not particularly dog-literate, and the common third world mindset affects perceptions about dogs. As in many countries of Asia and Africa, pets are still selected according to an outdated colonial-era ranking order which perceives anything foreign as superior to anything native. The growing middle class also seeks to display its spending power by purchasing expensive European breeds.

If you believe that artificially developed modern breeds are superior to landrace indigenous ones, read no further. This blog is not for you.

In a slide presentation on stray dogs I created for a Mumbai NGO in 1994, and in their website, I pointed out that the INDog is NOT a mongrel but a primitive breed in its own right, evolved by natural selection over many centuries. This is based on the theories of canine biologists and experts worldwide. True primitive dog populations have suffered minimal or no genetic admixture with modern breeds. To read more about this, click here .

Major W V Soman pointed out the difference between 'pariah dogs' and mongrels way back in 1963, in his book 'The Indian Dog'. (You can download the book from our blog!) Even earlier, the famous naturalist, environmentalist and Tamil scholar M. Krishnan wrote in praise of these dogs in his essay "The Pariah" (read about his essay here).

The INDog is a beautiful early version of our best friend Canis lupus familiaris. It’s probably what Nature intended dogs to be.

Why I created this blog: This is the informal side of my project. It's a place for us besotted INDog and INDog-mix owners to show off our beloved pets.

INDog owners, please use this space to share your experiences, dog photos and videos, useful information for other dog-owners. Owners of mix-breeds (Indies) are also welcome, as long as the dog is at least part INDog. Mail your dog stories and dog images to me at rajashree DOT khalap AT gmail DOT com. They will be moderated but everything relevant to this topic will appear here.

Must-know stuff

Primitive/aboriginal dog: A type of domestic village dog which evolved a distinct appearance and character without human intervention. This appearance was earlier called the "long-term pariah morphotype" by some scientists - click here to see photos of the type. The modern and preferred term is 'primitive type' or 'dingo type.'

Primitive-type dogs across continents have the same basic physical characteristics. These naturally evolved dogs are not only extremely hardy, they are also very alert and have the high-order intelligence required for a free-roaming life under circumstances that are often difficult and hostile. In biological terms, the aboriginal dogs of Asia and Africa are of the highest value for the study of genetics, behaviour and the origin of the dog.

Dogs were never studied in India till recently, and in the early days there were no Indian experts in this area, so terms coined by western scholars tended to stick. I believe the term "Indian Pariah Dog" is very generic (apart from having negative social connotations) and that our aboriginal dogs should have a name of their own, like the Canaan Dog of Israel and other landraces. The name INDog, coined by Col. Gautam Das, is perfect for this native landrace. I have been using and promoting it since 2007.

Aboriginal dogs in some parts of the world have now been officially recognised by canine registries, including the UKC, which has a 'Pariah and Sighthound' group. The FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) refers to this category as "Primitive Types." In some countries such dogs are being selectively bred. The best-known are the Canaan Dog of Israel and the African Basenji.

It is now accepted that many of the free-roaming dogs in Indian cities and towns are actually mix-breeds, though some certainly look more "mixed" than others. Pure INDogs are more common in remote rural areas where there are no Eurobreeds or other types of dog to interbreed with, and minimal or no admixture has occurred.

INDog: An aboriginal dog which perfectly conforms to the true primitive-type and is not mixed with any other breed. This is the name we use for the 'Indian Pariah Dog.'

How would you identify an INDog? By both type and location. Read the criteria in this post.

Indy, INDog-mix: A mix-breed dog descended from INDogs. I prefer these terms to 'mongrel', for our urban street dogs and other mix-breeds with INDog ancestry (see 'Mongrel', below). Since our mix-breeds are almost descended from INDogs, they are different from mixes of only Eurobreed dogs.

Mongrel: (called mutt in the US) Defined as a dog of mixed but indeterminate breed, whose lineage is not known. Primitive dogs were once considered to be mongrels, but for the last few decades it has been recognised that they are unmixed, natural types of dog in their own right. In India almost all mongrels have INDog mixed in their lineage. I prefer to call such mix-breeds 'Indies' or INDog-mix.

Mongrels exist thanks to irresponsible dog-owners who let their pets mate with street dogs. This practice not only exposes the pet to serious health risks (including venereal disease), it also increases the already huge street dog population, and lessens the number of indigenous dogs.

(Let me clarify that I love mongrels - in fact, I think they are adorable, and I have adopted four over the years - but the reason for their existence is poor pet ownership, which is regrettable to say the least. It would be a pity to lose the unique character of our ancient aboriginal race because substandard dog owners let their pets roam and breed on the street.)

Pi-dog, pye-dog: A term used by the British. It also means street dog.

Stray: There is a lot of confusion about this word and it is frequently used incorrectly. “Stray” does NOT refer to breed but to the legal status of the dog. In India it seems to mean an ownerless, unlicensed free-roaming dog. Since most "strays" in India happen to be INDogs or mix-breeds, all these terms are often used interchangeably. This is wrong. Purebreeds abandoned by their owners become strays. INDogs and mix-breeds adopted into homes are no longer strays but pets.

I find this word very vague and don't use it much. I prefer the terms "free-roaming" or "free-ranging" dog.

Purebreed: A dog of only one breed, born of selected parents. Most of the commercially recognised 'pure' breeds have only been created in the last two centuries, as strict breeding norms were not followed earlier. In actual fact, almost all modern 'pure' breeds have been created by mixing two or more breeds.

We use the word 'pure' to describe landraces as well. In this case it means a dog of only one landrace/type.

Pedigree: A recorded line of descent.

Also read the glossary in the INDog site http://www.indog.co.in

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