Context

• News reports on Thursday (August 18) said Mudhol hounds, a breed of hunting dogs native to north Karnataka, could be inducted into the Special Protection Group (SPG), the elite force protecting the Prime Minister of India.

• The dogs already serve with the Indian armed forces and some paramilitary forces and could become the first indigenous breed to be part of the SPG.

About Mudhol hound

• In his Mann ki Baat address in August 2020, the Prime Minister mentioned by name several Army and disaster mission dogs, and added words of praise for “very good and capable” Indian breeds.

  

• Among the Indian breeds, Mudhol hound and Himachali hound are of excellent pedigree.
• Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai, and Kombai are fabulous Indian breeds.
• They cost less to raise and are better adapted to the Indian environment and surroundings.
• In the recent past, Mudhol hound dogs have been trained and inducted in the dog squad of the Army, CISF and NSG; Kombai dogs have been included by the CRPF.
• Known for their hunting and guarding skills, the characteristically lanky Mudhol hounds get their name from the erstwhile kingdom of Mudhol (in present-day Bagalkot), whose rulers first began to breed them.
• The dogs are fast runners, with excellent stamina and agility, and have a sharp vision and a keen sense of smell.
• The Mudhol hounds are believed to have been bred first by Raja Malojirao Ghorpade of the erstwhile Deccan kingdom of Mudhol who, after seeing the qualities of the dogs that the tribals of his territory kept, decided to breed them selectively.

Concerns with using the Mudhol hounds

• There aren’t too many drawbacks of using Mudhol hounds in security duties.
• One issue that has been observed, however, is that the performance of the hounds appears to dip in cold environments
• The species is native to an area with a warmer climate. There is a possibility that this may impinge on their future deployment in certain areas.

Reference: IE

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