During the Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, one of the highlights were Indian breeds of dogs. Narendra Modi shed light on how dogs have been helping the country in defending it and helping us stay safe.
A proud dog owner also won a mention from Prime Minister Modi for his picture with his very own Mudhol Hound. This Indian native dog breed has been particularly helpful in surveillance and border protection.
PM Modi's mention of native Indian breeds of dogs
Today, the Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat took a turn towards dogs. On the monthly programme, Narendra Modi mentioned two dogs — Sophia and Vida who were awarded the Chief of Army Staff commendation cards.
Speaking about how dogs have helped serve the nation in Defence and rescue, the Prime Minister touched upon different dogs who've made the nation proud with their service. Modi said, "Dogs play an important role in disaster management and rescue missions. In India, NDRF has trained dozens of such dogs. These dogs are experts in detecting people trapped under the debris in an earthquake or building collapse."
Moreover, the Prime Minister Modi spoke about Indian breeds of dogs like the Mudhol Hound, Himachali Hound, Rajapalyam, Kanni, Chippiparai and Combai, "The cost of their upkeep is also quite less, and they are also accustomed to Indian conditions. Our security forces have also inducted and trained Indian breed dogs in their dog squads."
After the Mann Ki Baat session, the Prime Minister came across a post of a proud dog owner with his very own Mudhol Hound. Prime Minister fondly shared the photograph calling it, "beautiful."
Mudhol Hound: The breed from Karnataka and Maharashtra helping protect India
PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat said about the Mudhol Hound, "In recent times, Army, CISF and NSG have trained and enrolled Mudhol Hound dogs on the Dog Squad."
The Mudhol Hound is often referred to as the Maratha Hound, Pashmi or Kathewar Hound according to Wikipedia. Found primarily in Mudhol taluk of Karnataka. The breed is native to Karnataka and Maharashtra and is traced back to a caravan from Western India from Central Asia and is often seen as the direct descendant of the Saluki.
These dogs have a life span of 13 to 14 years. The Mudhol hound while perfectly acclimated to the Indian weather, can be temperamental and are often described as 'one-man dogs' if someone is looking to own them. They don't require much grooming and are one of the healthiest breeds of dogs.
Mudhol puppies are often bred and sold in the Mudhol taluk, even today. These hounds were used by tribes in the forests of Karnataka for hunting 18 and 1900s. The Indian Army in 2015 expressed interest in procuring 6 Mudhol hounds after for border protection and surveillance. These dogs were bred on selection at the Canine Research and Information Centre in Karnataka.
