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
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The red dog and the sea
Lalee HATES the sea. She likes the beach and the sand, and marking spots where other dogs have peed, and she specially likes rolling in places where the sand smells horrible (rotting fish is a favourite fragrance).
What a funny story! I've "met" so many dogs in blogs lately that don't swim or hate water, even supposedly water-loving dogs like labs. I thought Georgia was bad at swimming, but now I see I have nothing to complain about! Lalee and Georgia have something in common...stinky dead stuff. Dogs are dogs, wherever they live :)
Thanks so much for your message. It's really helping not to blog, feels much better now. Strangely enough, housework seems good for it. Gah!
Thanks Juhee and Georgia's human! Poor Lalee, I don't think I'll do this to her again :-)
The worst thing about those stinky dead smells is they are soooo hard to get rid of, even with lots of soap. I often find Essence of Dead Rodent on Kimaya, in fact I've sometimes found dead rodents in her bed, placed carefully among her toys!
I got myself a hideous contoured office type of chair and it's done wonders for my back. It's the ugliest thing I've ever bought but you should probably get one! That and physio help me survive blogging :-)
Nana is exactly like Lalee, the absolute limit is when the water touches her stomach. If there are stones sticking from the water she steps on the stones and makes her way as far as she can, taking of course a huge risk because the stones are slippery and she could end up in the sea! But she is very skilled at balancing on the stones - just makes me wonder how come she is afraid of descending stairs but not walking on slippery and uneven stones above water...
Kimaya used to be scared of stairs too, when we first shifted her to Mumbai. She spent her first two years in our Nagaon bungalow where she didn't have to deal with stairs, so I think it was just unfamiliarity. Perhaps it's the same thing with Nana? I found the best trick with Kimaya was to just lead the way down the stairs without looking back at her. She had to follow me because of the leash, and over time she just got used to it.
Nana became nervous in stairs after she once fell in them. She is afraid only inside buildings, when the material is such that it's easy to slip. Stairs that are covered with carpet are okay. However, she does get used to stairs after a little bit of practise but she has to get used to all stairs individually. She goes up and down three flights of stairs at the place where I work (she is usually with me) quite fluently but she has to go next to the wall to feel safe. But it might be a problem if we go to a new house with new stairs.
Yes I remember you wrote about her fall. Poor thing, I would react the same way, in fact I am nervous of heights myself. Perhaps with time she'll get over the fear.
what is it with pooches and dead stinky stuff.. esp. something fishy!!! my Ponky goes bonkers, and if a chance comes by, she would probly rub the stink all over!!
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.
8 comments:
Lovely and so entertaining. Poor Lalee, her dislike is so evident, the last pic is so cute!
What a funny story! I've "met" so many dogs in blogs lately that don't swim or hate water, even supposedly water-loving dogs like labs. I thought Georgia was bad at swimming, but now I see I have nothing to complain about! Lalee and Georgia have something in common...stinky dead stuff. Dogs are dogs, wherever they live :)
Thanks so much for your message. It's really helping not to blog, feels much better now. Strangely enough, housework seems good for it. Gah!
Thanks Juhee and Georgia's human! Poor Lalee, I don't think I'll do this to her again :-)
The worst thing about those stinky dead smells is they are soooo hard to get rid of, even with lots of soap. I often find Essence of Dead Rodent on Kimaya, in fact I've sometimes found dead rodents in her bed, placed carefully among her toys!
I got myself a hideous contoured office type of chair and it's done wonders for my back. It's the ugliest thing I've ever bought but you should probably get one! That and physio help me survive blogging :-)
Nana is exactly like Lalee, the absolute limit is when the water touches her stomach. If there are stones sticking from the water she steps on the stones and makes her way as far as she can, taking of course a huge risk because the stones are slippery and she could end up in the sea! But she is very skilled at balancing on the stones - just makes me wonder how come she is afraid of descending stairs but not walking on slippery and uneven stones above water...
Kimaya used to be scared of stairs too, when we first shifted her to Mumbai. She spent her first two years in our Nagaon bungalow where she didn't have to deal with stairs, so I think it was just unfamiliarity. Perhaps it's the same thing with Nana? I found the best trick with Kimaya was to just lead the way down the stairs without looking back at her. She had to follow me because of the leash, and over time she just got used to it.
Nana became nervous in stairs after she once fell in them. She is afraid only inside buildings, when the material is such that it's easy to slip. Stairs that are covered with carpet are okay. However, she does get used to stairs after a little bit of practise but she has to get used to all stairs individually. She goes up and down three flights of stairs at the place where I work (she is usually with me) quite fluently but she has to go next to the wall to feel safe. But it might be a problem if we go to a new house with new stairs.
Yes I remember you wrote about her fall. Poor thing, I would react the same way, in fact I am nervous of heights myself. Perhaps with time she'll get over the fear.
what is it with pooches and dead stinky stuff.. esp. something fishy!!! my Ponky goes bonkers, and if a chance comes by, she would probly rub the stink all over!!
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