Mudhol Hound: The Sighthound That Joined the Army

Other names: Caravan Hound, Kathewar Dog, Pashmi Hound | Native to: Mudhol, Bagalkot district, Karnataka

Quick facts

• Registered as the Mudhol Hound by the Indian National Kennel Club and as the Caravan Hound by the Kennel Club of India
• Capable of running at 32 to 38 miles per hour, among the fastest of India's native breeds
• Comes in a smooth coated form and a longer haired Pashmi variety
• The first indigenous Indian breed formally inducted into the Indian Army, in 2017

The story

The Mudhol Hound's revival is one of the genuine success stories among India's native breeds. Long associated with caravans of traders moving between the subcontinent, Persia and Arabia, the breed nearly vanished in the early 20th century until Raja Malojirao Ghorpade of the princely state of Mudhol took a personal interest in restoring it, working with tribes in and around present day north Karnataka who had continued to breed and hunt with the dogs. During a visit to England in the early 1900s, the Maharaja of Mudhol presented a pair of these hounds to King George V, an early moment that helped popularise the breed beyond its home region.

That revival paid off. In 2017, six Mudhol Hounds trained at the Army's Remount and Veterinary Corps Centre in Meerut became the first native Indian breed ever inducted into the Indian Army, tasked with surveillance and border protection duties in demanding terrain including the Himalayas. The breed has since also been used by the Indian Air Force to manage wildlife on airport runways, and it has been floated as a possible addition to the elite Special Protection Group.

Around 750 families in and near Mudhol town continue to raise the breed today, and it has become a genuine point of regional pride, further boosted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi referenced it in a 2020 Mann Ki Baat address. The dog itself is lean, athletic and built for endurance rather than short bursts, tolerant of children and other dogs but naturally reserved with strangers.

Build and appearance

Historians trace part of the Mudhol Hound's lineage to Arabian and Afghan hunting dogs used by traders who travelled in caravans between the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Arabia and the Chinese empire, interbreeding with local hounds along the way to produce what were once called Caravani or Karavani Hounds. During the Maratha era, the same type became known as the Maratha Hound after Chhatrapati Shivaji is said to have used them in his army.

Two coat types exist within the breed: the standard smooth coated Mudhol Hound, and the Pashmi variety, which carries noticeably more hair on the ears, tail and underside. Both share the same lean, deep chested silhouette and long legs built for sustained speed, and both are capable of running at 32 to 38 miles per hour, considerably faster than the dhole, or Indian wild dog, that once roamed the same terrain.

Where things stand today

As a companion animal, the Mudhol Hound needs serious daily exercise and space to run, and its strong prey drive means it should stay leashed in unsecured areas. Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Science University has highlighted the breed's ability to perform in extreme weather, including the cold of the Himalayas, as a key reason for its adoption by the armed forces, state police, paramilitary units and the DRDO.

For active households in Karnataka and beyond, it offers something rare: an indigenous breed with royal history and working credentials, and a population that, unlike many other native Indian breeds, is now actually growing thanks to sustained institutional support and its high profile role in national service.

Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.