Explained: Mudhol Hounds, The Sharp-Sighted ‘Desi’ Dog Breed, Who Joined SPG Squad For PM Modi’s Security

Mudhol Hounds are fast runners, with excellent stamina and agility, and have a sharp vision and a keen sense of smell. They are said to be extremely brave and loyal.

Written by: India.com News Desk Edited by: Analiza Pathak

Published: August 20, 2022, 12:31 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/explainer/what-are-mudhol-hounds-sharp-sighted-agile-desi-karnataka-dog-breed-who-joined-spg-squad-for-pm-modi-security-explained-mudhol-hounds-5582926/ Copy

Mudhol Hounds explained: Mudhol hounds, a ‘desi’ (indigenous) breed of dogs have been inducted into the Special Protection Group (SPG) squad, which provides security cover to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Mudhol hound, named after the erstwhile princely state of Mudhol, is the first Indian dog to be drafted into the Army. It could also become the first indigenous breed to be part of the SPG. According to media reports, SPG officials visited the Canine Research and Information Centre (Mudhol hound) at Thimmapur in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district in April and took two male puppies. The selection of Mudhol hounds was done by PM’s security team after considering the Rajapalayam dog breed from Tamil Nadu and Rampur greyhound from Uttar Pradesh.

Explained: Mudhol Hounds, The Sharp-Sighted ‘Desi’ Dog Breed, Who Joined SPG Squad For PM Modi’s Security (Pixabay)

Mudhol hound history and characteristic

• 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.
• Recognised by the Indian National Kennel Club, a registry of purebred dogs in the country, they are said to be extremely brave and loyal.
• 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.
• The Raja is said to have presented a couple of these dogs to King George V on a visit to England, whereafter the breed got the name of Mudhol hound.

Role Mudhol Hounds can play in security forces

Mudhol Hounds are similar looking to Greyhounds with a slim built and a smaller head but a tall legs and body overall. They are very well suited for tropical climates, however, they are not very well adept at handling cold weather conditions.

The RVC has also trained the hounds to sniff out explosives. Apart from the Army, the National Security Guard (NSG) also have taken in the hounds and are training them to track enemy movements along the border, search and rescue and infantry patrolling among others.

Also recently, the Central Reserve Police Force had also said that they will be inducting local dog breeds including the Mudhol hounds in the canine force to strengthen their squads.

Explained: Mudhol Hounds, The Sharp-Sighted ‘Desi’ Dog Breed, Who Joined SPG Squad For PM Modi’s Security (AFP)

Mudhol Hounds serving the army and other forces

• In February 2016, the Indian Army took a batch of Mudhol hound puppies into its Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) training centre. Here is where army dogs – the foreign breeds such as Labrador and German Shepherd — are trained before being inducted into service.
• Of the eight dogs, six were selected for field evaluation and suitability trials with the Srinagar-based HQ 15 Corps and Nagrota-based HQ 16 Corps. They were trained to detect explosive devices and not guard duties and search and rescue operations, according to a report in The Indian Express.
• The hounds could play a key role in the detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in counter-insurgency operations, an army officer told the newspaper in 2018.
• The dogs also serve the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Police Force and police departments of a few states.
• They were also inducted by the Indian Air Force in 2021 to scare birds on the runway.
• The hounds were also included in the dog squad of the Special Tiger Protection Force of the forest department at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.

What PM Modi said about Mudhul hounds

The Mudhol hounds was first mentioned May 6, 2018, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Jamkhandi in Bagalkot district, advised the Congress, “who fall sick at even the mention of nationalism”, to learn, if not from anyone else including Mahatma Gandhi, “at least from Bagalkot’s Mudhol dogs”, which he said were “going out to protect the nation with a new battalion”.

A couple of years later, 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,” he said. “Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai, and Kombai are fabulous Indian breeds. They cost less to raise and are better adapted to the Indian environment and surroundings.”