Army to induct first Indian canine breed into its ranks
Six Mudhol hounds, which have undergone intensive training in Meerut, will now face tests in operational areas like Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Army is all set to induct an Indian canine breed for the first time into its ranks, The Hindu reported.
The six Mudhol hounds, which were given to the Army by the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, have undergone intensive training over the past year at the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps Centre in Meerut, The Times of India reported. The dogs will now face tests in operational areas such as Jammu and Kashmir, and may be drafted into the armed forces by the end of the year.
“It will be the first Indian breed to serve the nation,” Mahesh Dodmani, director of the university’s Canine Research and Information Centre, was quoted as saying by The Hindu. “All these years, the armed forces used Labrador, German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds,”
The RVC has now requested the veterinary university to send them another batch of eight Mudhol puppies.
The breed is sharp, quick
The Mudhol hounds were initially bred by Ghorpade kings of the erstwhile kingdom of Mudhol – in present day north Karnataka district of Bagelkot – in the 1920s by crossing Persian and Turkish breeds with local dogs. The breed is known for its endurance, stamina, sharpness, speed and agility. It is also known to live through harsh tropical conditions and is disease-resistant. Mudhols also have very good vision.