Mudhol Hound – The Indian Sight Hound Dog

Mudhol Hound is an Indian dog breed that has served as a hunter, loyal companion, and guard dog for both royalty and peasants. Throughout existence, this breed has been known by a variety of names like Caravan Hound, Mudhol Hound, Karwani, Lahori, Pashmi and the Pisuri Hound. If you want to own this breed of dog, it’s better to know all the information related to this breed that will help you in proper caring of these dogs. This article comprises all important information related to this breed. Let’s begin.

Basic Breed Information

Origin

The Mudhol Hound is an ancient breed, native to the Deccan Plateau of India. Deccan Plateau region covers parts of the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and to a lesser degree, Andhra Pradesh. The breed was first introduced into India by mercenaries and traders from various parts of Asia, who traveled in caravans. When the local people saw the dogs running alongside the caravan, they began referring them as “karwani,” which means “of the caravans.” The name was Anglicized to Caravan Hound when the Kennel Club of India recognized this breed.

Description

The Caravan Hound has well-defined characteristics. Their head is narrow and long and broad between the ears with a tapering muzzle. Their jaws are powerful and long, but deceptively weak looking. The nose of this breed is large and may be liver or black colored. Their moderate size ears hang close to the skull. Their large and oval size eyes are dark hazel to amber in color. The neck of this dog is long, clean and muscular and fits well into the shoulders, which are well-laid back.

Forelegs of this breed are long, straight and well-boned and their back is long, broad and well-muscled with a slight curve over the loin. Their chest is strong and deep with well sprung ribs. The abdomen of this breed is tucked in and the hindquarters appear well-muscled and wide. The tail is not too long, strong at the base, set low and carried in a natural curve. It should never be carried curled over the back. Their gait is high-footed, flexing all four legs. The coat of this breed may be smooth and short or of a silky texture, sporting fringes on the legs, ears, backs of thighs and tail. Some other appearance characteristics are:

Temperament

Mudhol Hounds or Carvan Hounds are a working breed; they are sensitive, intelligent, reserved, loyal, and courageous. They are independent and aloof but highly intelligent and a keen hunter, reserved with strangers. This breed requires a tremendous amount of daily physical exercise and these dogs must be treated with gentleness and respect. If these requirements are not fulfilled, this wonderful companion can turn into difficult and even dangerous dog.

This breed does not like to be handled or touched by anyone other than its master. Mudhol Hounds need a great deal of socialization starting from a young age. Their owners need to be calm, with an air of gentle, but firm authority over them.

Living Environment

The best thing about the Mudhol Hound is that it was bred in India, therefore, it adaptable to all weather conditions. This breed is not suited to apartment living, as they require a great deal of exercise in large open spaces. They are suitable for those homes, which have a large, enclosed yard, and better living environments. These dogs are most happy when they are outdoors (but not living outside, apart from their family). They do not like wet or cold climates and fares best in tropical environments. In cold weather, these dogs need doggie coats and possibly boots for their protection.

Health Problems

These dogs are a rugged breed, and for many centuries they have been expected to live and to work hard in harsh environments. In this environment, only the strongest have survived and the result is that Carvan Hounds are hardy dogs, suffering from very few breed specific health issues. They have a lifespan of approximately 10 to 15 years.

The most common disease in this breed is issues related to the skin. Mudhol Hound do not have fat layer in the body, which makes them vulnerable to cold and rain. They can develop chilly bites easily. In addition to this, harsh sun rays can give them sunburn so a sunscreen will not be a bad option if you are taking your dog outside in sunny days.

The other problem that can be seen in this breed is of “marasmus”. In this disease the liver malfunctions and the food is not absorbed in the body. In that case, your pet might eat a lot but it will not gain weight in fact, on the contrary, it might just look malnourished.

Exercise

The Caravan Hounds need a tremendous amount of daily exercise so as to remain mentally and physically sound. They require daily long walks, coupled with long, weekly or bi-weekly running sessions in a large, enclosed, safe area. You should never allow a Mudhol Hound off leash on unfenced ground as they have the ability to become selectively deaf to its master’s calls. Exercise is one of the key ingredients to a well-adjusted Mudhol Hound; therefore, if you cannot provide enough of it, please do not think of owning this breed of dogs.

Grooming

The Caravan Hound is a low maintenance dog breed in terms of grooming. They shed an average amount, so brushing their short coat once a week will suffice to remove most of the dead hair. The weekly brushing of these dogs keeps their coats and skin healthy by distributing the natural oils. Weekly brushing also imparts a lustrous sheen to the hair of these dogs. Bathe these dogs only as needed and while bathing use mild soap. Bathing too frequently or using harsh shampoos for this breed can remove its protective oils from skin and coat.

In addition to this, you need to follow regular grooming regime with your Mudhol Hound that is brushing their teeth, this should be done at-least once on weekly basis as this will help to remove the tartar buildup and ensure a fresh breath at all times. This will also prevent gum diseases in your dog.

Training & Intelligence

The Mudhol Hound needs consistent training with a firm trainer. You should remember that this breed has a nervous temperament inherently, hence, they will not respond well to harsh treatment.  In fact, if their nervous temperament is not curbed, it can escalate when they grow a little older. This breed of dogs has to be trained to socialize with other animals, especially smaller animals. They were developed to chase and might either scare the small animals away or might just think them their prey.

Unique Aspects

One of the most unique aspects about Carvan or Mudhol Hound is the various names by which this dog breed is known across the country. There is no other dog that has such a varied and vast nomenclature. This sight-hound is called Caravan hound by the British as they accompanied people in caravans; it is called Mudhol in the south and Karwaani by the local villagers who owned the dog.

The other thing that makes this dog different is their amazing sight that helps them to chase away rabbits or any other small animals. All this is because of the position of their eyes, as they have a long elongated skull with a tapering muzzle, which helps to have a 270 degree field of vision. This is almost twice of what human being can see. It would not be wrong to say that this dog breed is able to see behind its head also.

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