Indigenous Mudhol, Rampur Hounds steal show at Unity Day parade

In a marked transition from depending on imported dogs for combat-training of Indian breeds, two indigenous dog breeds, Mudhol Hound and Rampur Hound, marked their debut at the Ekta Divas parade in Kevadia on Friday, stealing the show in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The initiative to promote these breeds gained momentum after Modi’s visit in January 2018 to the BSF National Dog Training Centre (NTCD) at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior. He had then emphasised the need to promote Indian breeds in security forces, leading to focussed efforts on recognising, training and deploying indigenous dogs operationally.

On his advice, the BSF inducted Indian breeds Rampur Hound and Mudhol Hound. Known for their agility, endurance, adaptability and resilience, these breeds are well-suited to India’s diverse geo-climatic conditions. Their natural disease resistance and low maintenance needs make them particularly effective in demanding field environments, said BSF officials.

Rampur Hounds, originating from the princely state of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, were historically bred by the Nawabs for hunting jackals. The breed is known for its speed, stamina and fearlessness.

The Mudhol Hound, native to the Deccan Plateau, is traditionally associated with guarding and hunting. Local accounts link similar hounds to the Maratha forces, valued for their alertness and loyalty. The breed was later revived and refined by Raja Malojirao Ghorpade of Mudhol, who introduced it to the British as the “Caravan Hound”.

The BSF has not only been training these indigenous breeds at NTCD Tekanpur but has also taken the lead in breeding and propagation both at NTCD and across various field formations. This initiative has since expanded to subsidiary K9 training centres, ensuring the large-scale development and deployment of Indian breed dogs across the Force.

Today, over 150 Indian breed dogs have been deployed across multiple operational theatres, including the Western and Eastern borders and in anti-Naxalite operations by the BSF, where they have delivered good results. Their commendable performance had validated the decision to integrate Indian breeds into critical security and operational roles, said BSF officials.

A landmark moment in this journey came during the All India Police Duty Meet-2024, held in Lucknow, where BSF’s “Riya”, a Mudhol Hound, created history by becoming the first Indian breed dog to win both the Best in Tracker Trade and Best Dog of the Meet title, outperforming 116 foreign breed competitors.