Mudhol Hound

The Mudhol Hound, also known as Caravan Hound is an Indian dog breed of the sighthound type. The feathered variety is commonly referred to as a Pashmi. It is also called Karwani. It is a common pet amongst villagers in India’s Karnataka state, who use it for hunting and guarding.The Caravan was introduced to the Deccan Plateau of western India from Central Asia and Arabia, and can thus be considered a direct descendant of the Saluki or Tāzī. This region covers parts of the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and, to a lesser degree, Telangana. The breed is popular in and around Mudhol Taluk of Karnatakaand thus the breed got the name Mudhol hound.

Shrimant Rajesaheb Malojirao Ghorpade of Mudhol (1884-1937) of the Mudhol State is credited with reviving the Mudhol hound. He noticed local tribal people called Bedar (Fearless) also called Berad (not – crying) using these Mudhol hounds for hunting. Using selective breeding, he was able to restore the royal Mudhol hound. On a visit to England in the early 1900s, the Maharaja of Mudhol State presented King George V a pair of hounds, which popularized the Mudhol hound breed.

The Indian Army has expressed its desire to use the Mudhol sighthound for surveillance and border protection duties. It has obtained six Mudhol dogs for testing at the Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps at Meerut. The dogs were bred after selection, at the Canine Research and Information Centre in Thimmapur near Mudhol in Bagalkot district of Karnataka.

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