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
Recent photos of Manik Godbole's Chinky! In the second one, she's with Manik's one-year old nephew Advait.
After unsuccessful attempts to find her a home, Manik decided to adopt this beautiful dog herself. Her wonderful erect ears have dropped after one of them was notched (ear-notching is routinely done by welfare organizations after neutering). But she's still a very good-looking dog!
On my last visit to her home, Manik pointed out that Chinky's coat is extremely smooth and short-haired; in fact the length of the hair is shorter than is normal for Indian Pariahs. I wonder whether this is a sign of hybridization, or whether such short coats do occur in INDogs sometimes. Something I have to look out for on my rural travels.
A very sad piece of news is that her lovely Blacky passed away recently after a brave struggle with cancer. I'd met Blacky a few times, and I can imagine what a harrowing experience it was for the Godbole family and how much they feel his loss. It's good to look at his photos and remember what a fantastic life he had, full of love and fun and good friends. Things that all dogs deserve, but very few get.
I posted an appeal from Charu Shah earlier for this lovely puppy. Click here for the appeal and photos. Charu takes her to her apartment for a while every day, and she made these videos so we can all see what a cute, healthy and playful pup Romeo is. Come on, dog lovers - spread the word and let's find this smart little dog the great home she deserves!It'll take just a few minutes of your time to forward this appeal. Imagine the difference you could make to her life.
This stunning set of pictures comes from photographer/designer Sarah O'Neill, who adopted little Hugo Boss from Ahmedabad (click here and here for earlier posts on Hugo). No need to write about the great life he's having with Sarah and Ryan in Canada - you can see that from the images.
The pale beautiful Canaan Dog is Jorja, his "sibling." Canaan Dogs are the aboriginal dogs of Israel and were officially recognized long ago. Wonder when that will happen for the INDog.
After our trip to Tanzania, we spent a few lovely days in sunny and windy Cape Town, visiting Yvonne and her two Indis, Leela and Rishi. Click here for my earlier Africa post.
I had last met Leela in NYC last October, and Rishi in Mumbai last December - he's my Kimaya's brother, remember?
These two dogs are extremely well-travelled and have now lived in three continents. No prizes for guessing which one they love most. Like their owner, they are enjoying every minute of their outdoorsy life in Africa - a garden of their own, long walks on the nearby golf links and runs on the beach. This is no ordinary beach either: this is Cape Town after all, and African penguins, seals and even Southern Right Whales can be spotted here.
Below: Rishi rubs his face on redbait - my dogs do the same thing with strong-smelling things like dead rodents and other nasty objects
Above, below: Leela's favourite spot: she basks in the sun here, and watches the Cape Francolins who come to feed in the garden. Below: With my husband Kiran, who also enjoys basking in the sun, specially after a walk in the strong south-easterly gale!
Below: Rishi has grown into a very pretty dog. Not as naughty as Kimaya (thankfully!), but just as affectionate.
Below: He looks very like Kimaya here
Below: Leela in her day bed
Click here for some earlier posts on Leela and Rishi.
This is a happy or a rather sad story, whichever way you want to look at it.
It happened one Diwali a few years ago. We were at our seaside house in Nagaon. We spend Diwali there every year, though it's hardly a quiet refuge from the explosions of Mumbai. Nagaon is full of tourists who think it's a good idea to ruin the beach in any way they can. At this time of year, they turn it into something like a war zone.
That weekend we were woken up early one morning by the most blood-curdling howls and shrieks, coming from somewhere in the lane outside our house. They were so loud they must have been heard by everyone in the lane - but it was absolutely impossible to identify what kind of animal was making the sounds. We rushed out to check the hedges and ditch outside, and we found this tiny pup, just over a month old, cowering and howling, out of his mind with fright as so many dogs are during Diwali.
He was so scared he wouldn't let us touch him, but we managed to lure him into our garden by showing him a bowl of milk, and once inside he started wagging his little tail and letting us pick him up. Of course in a very short while we were all in love with him - or rather, my husband and I were in love with him, and our servant Gharat liked him too. I can't say the same for Lalee or Lucy though they were well-behaved and tolerant as always. We decided to keep him as our Nagaon pup.
I named him Muscadel: not after the grape, but after a character in an unusual fairy story I read as a child (I think it was by E. Nesbit.) It was to be shortened to "Muska," which means "butter" in Marathi.
A day or two later we returned to Mumbai, leaving Muscadel in Nagaon. The first thing I did was go to a pet accessories store and buy him a pretty collar and leash. They were blue, with a pattern of stars. I also got him a feeding bowl and brush and toys. I planned to return the next day to put him in his collar.
So much for all my plans! Gharat called in the morning to say that a young man from the village had come to the house, claiming that the pup was his. He had been looking for him all over, and our neighbours told him we had just taken in a new pup that had appeared in the area. Apparently the man had recently adopted the pup, and he had then gone out of the house, asking his sister to take care of him for a while. His sister had obviously not been very attentive and the pup had run off in panic when he heard firecrackers.
Gharat asked the man to wait for a day and come and meet me, so I could satisfy myself that he was indeed Muscadel's owner. But the man refused to wait: who were we to prevent him from taking his own puppy home? (Never mind that his puppy had been rescued by us!)
The good thing is that Muscadel recognized the man and was apparently ecstatic to see him - so he really was his puppy as he claimed.
I never saw Muscadel again, but I do hope he is living happily ever after. I remembered him yesterday because I was cleaning out my dressing table drawers, and there was his star-patterned blue leash, still brand new and unworn.
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.
