I'm a landrace dog fancier. Founder of the INDog Project (www.indog.co.in) and the INDog Club. Before that, I worked with urban free-ranging dogs of Mumbai from 1993-2007. Also a spider enthusiast and amateur arachnologist.
This blog is for primitive dog enthusiasts. It is part of the INDog Project www.indog.co.in. Only INDogs (India's primitive indigenous village dogs) and INDog-mixes (Indies) are featured here. The two are NOT the same, do please read the text on the right to understand the difference. Our aim: to create awareness about the primitive landrace village dog of the Indian subcontinent. I sometimes feature other landrace breeds too. Also see padsociety.org
Don Basko, a pub friend in England nearly thirty-five years ago, was a Pyrenean Mountain Dog. He was named after the Basque region where his ancestors were bred (the arguably better known Don Bosco was Piedmontese). Basko was large, and owing to youth and insufficient training was given to jumping on his human friends and placing his front paws on their shoulders. He never knocked me down, but a swipe of his tongue across my face often had me washing my glasses.
I was reminded of this old friend last week, when an adolescent St. Bernard named Chaplin jumped on me as Basko had done. Chaplin's owner was profusely apologetic, no doubt worried that his pet might have damaged the grey old coot who was silly enough to play with big dogs.
Chaplin's nervous owner also refused, initially, to permit him to play with my Pappu, who is fourteen weeks old and is what I describe as a Pedigreed Mongrelus Gangeticus. Pappu is a quarter the size of Chaplin, and the man was concerned that Chaplin might sit on him and so cause what is known in the trade as Sad and Untimely Demise.
The youngsters are now good friends, and they play together when their walking times coincide. It took strenuous persuasion, but in the end the argument prevailed that puppies know a damn sight more about romping and tumbling than adult humans do.
Alas, Pappu cannot play with another fellow puppy, Boxer, which is a confusing name for an Alsatian. Boxer is walked by a woman whose nose is elevated because of the price she paid for her possession. She speaks of it far more often than she does of Boxer's destructive achievements, as ordinary owners of ordinary puppies do. Boxer is her possession rather than a pet, in the same class as her motor car and her jewels and her chiffons.
A group of small girls plays with Boxer every evening. They had taken to playing with Pappu too, but that stopped abruptly. I could not understand why children who had once come rushing to us began running the other way when they saw us.
Then the littlest little girl, my special friend Sam, let slip the truth. They had been told by Aunty, she said, that Pappu was a stray; he was not from a respectable family. I tried to argue that Pappu was not a stray but a pet, and held up the leash in my hand as evidence. I added that he and Boxer were children just as she and her friends were children.
Sam would have none of it: "His mummy was a stray, so he is a stray. He mixes with other strays. Boxer is a German Shepherd Dog and can't play with dirty strays."
Racism, as the human world practises it, is thrust upon the canine world; and the foul notion of ritual pollution embodied in the word "dirty" - Hindu India's most notable contribution to the planet's bilge - creates castes and untouchability among the furry.
Pappu is a pariah, in every sense of that word. For that I hold him a bit closer when he sleeps with his head in the crook of my arm.
Amit Parmar's young Indi Lucky recently foiled a burglary attempt! Read Amit's story below:
My family and I adopted Lucky, an INDog-mix, around six and a half months ago when he was just a three-month old pup. I adopted him from Malika in Dadar, with the help of Charu Shah, who is a friend as both of us work for animal welfare.
Lucky is a pampered pup and extremely smart. He is very good with kids and every day plays with the building children and has never harmed anyone. When he goes out for walks with me or any family member, he is very friendly with everyone on the road and doesn't bite anyone. But at the same time, if a stranger comes home, he becomes alert and barks a lot. At times he also gets aggressive if he sees a new face outside our house.
Even the vet, who came for his vaccinations, is a little scared of him and has suggested to us that since he is a very alert pup he will be a good watch dog, better than a German Shepherd or a Labrador. He had advised us to keep him at an office or factory, as Lucky would be a very good security dog, but we refused as he had already become a family member and we loved him a lot.
Lucky proved his guard dog skills this Sunday, 20 February, 2011. All our family members had gone to attend a wedding and I had gone out on some work. My younger brother Piyush had stayed back because his board exams are approaching and he was studying. He had Lucky with him.
Piyush had been studying since early morning so he was drowsy around 3 p.m., and he lay on the sofa with Lucky beside him. Just before lying down Piyush had taken Lucky for a walk and after coming back had given him a chew stick, which he was busy nibbling on.
After some time Piyush heard a hammering sound, but he ignored it thinking that some work was going on in the neighbour's house or in the neighbouring building. But Lucky went into the living room and started barking loudly at the front door. Since Piyush was sleepy, he didn't realize what was happening and he went to open the front door. As soon as he opened it, Lucky ran out and started chasing the man outside. He bolted after him and also bit him on his hand. The man had an accomplice waiting on a motorbike outside the gate. They finally managed to get away with Lucky chasing behind them. After running behind them for almost 300 feet or so, Piyush called Lucky and he came back. Only after he went back home did he realize that these men were professional thieves, and they had managed to open both the locks! They were about to enter the house when Lucky's barks woke Piyush up.
Lucky has not been trained as a guard dog, but he had powerful instinct which saved our house from burglary, and probably my brother's life as well!
We went to the police station and registered a complaint. Two policemen came to inspect my house and they confirmed that someone had managed to break the locks and open the door. When the policemen came home Lucky was a good boy and greeted them warmly.
One of the policemen offered to adopt Lucky from us, saying that he woud take him along for patrolling at night, but of course we had to refuse them.
As you can see, INDogs are the best and superior to any "pure" breed. At the age of 9.5 months Lucky did all this even without any sort of training. He has become the hero of our house now!!
Photos and story: Amit Parmar Vile Parle Mumbai Read more incidents about Indis as security dogs here.
These lovely pictures were taken by Lindsay McFarlane and Su on their trip to Goa in December. I met Lindsay and Su because they had made an absolutely beautiful and award-winning short film on tiger conservationfor us at Satpuda Foundation. Of course I was delighted to find they are dog lovers as well!
"Su and I fell in love with some puppies on the beach where we were staying," Lindsay writes. These were in Palolem. They were due to be taken to an animal rescue shelter after being weaned, so let's hope they have good homes by now. As Lindsay said, Indian dogs are beautiful animals and in the UK would seem quite exotic as they are different to most of the breeds there.
I mentioned in the last post that most INDog pups are born in winter because of the synchronized seasonal mating in the late monsoon. Here's another example.I believe that free-ranging females observed to be in oestrus at any other season would probably be mix-breeds.
Not a very good picture, but the pup was very cute.
I was sitting in a house in Sawra village, where I had gone on work. The village is near Pench Tiger Reserve in Central India and the inhabitants are mostly, or perhaps solely Gond tribals. I saw two little boys passing along the main street of the village, one of them carrying this sweet puppy.
Of course I immediately went out and asked if I could click them. That was a mistake because they became self-conscious and stiff. Unlike our city kids, village children do not get photographed much. Worse, two men immediately stepped forward and asked if they could also be in the photograph. I politely declined and took this picture quickly before any more unwanted models turned up.
This is "puppy season" for native dogs by the way. As mentioned in the INDog site in the article by Gautam Das, aboriginal dogs usually have seasonal breeding which in India is during the late monsoon.Also see the paper by Dr S K Pal on reproduction behaviour of free-ranging rural dogs (link in the same site).
This adorable INDog-mix needs a home soon. Appeal from Shonit Biswas below:
"I stay in Noida and have adopted two Indian dogs.
Since everyone is aware of the brutal winters of Delhi, one can imagine how harsh and painful it is for the desi canines to stay out in such conditions. I happened to come across a cute, white, furry mongrel and picked it up from the ground where it was roaming alone. His mother was nowhere in sight and I could not stand his plight and decided to take him home to save him from the severe winter in January.
However, since he came home my other dogs have become very jealous and are sulking all the time, so much so that I can't let the pup roam alone in the house or else he will be bitten and killed by my other dogs. So given the circumstances I cannot keep the pup despite my wish.
I request all dog lovers to spread the word about Scooby. I'm sure there are kind-hearted dog lovers out there who will give him a new home. His details are:
Beautiful Sam belongs to Mansi Yalamalli Jaysal and her family. Another lucky pampered Indi whose owner realizes her worth and is proud of her origins.
"I love her to bits," writes Mansi. "I have never ever missed having a purebred dog and I am as proud of her as my neighbour is of his rottweiler. "
Sam shifted with the family from Bangalore to Chandigarh, and is now ten years old.
Aptly-named Haseena ("beautiful girl") belongs to Shafique and Zeisha and has just joined the Club.
This lovely Mumbai INDog-mix joined the growing ranks of pampered pet Indies in March 2009, when this kind couplestumbled upon her in a car junkyard-cum-garage.
"We found her as a 4-week old puppy sitting in a junk car's body in Kurla," writes Shafique. "I think her sibling was run over and she was abandoned by her mother maybe."
Haseena now lives like a princess, as she and all Indies deserve. "Very loyal, loving, possessive, jealous and extremely naughty...Hangs out with our cats and loves going for long drives and to the beach."
Looking forward to more pictures of this lovely girl, and many more happy-ever-after stories like this one!
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
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.
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.
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 -clickhereto seephotos 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 aboriginaldogs 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 butindeterminate 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.
