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Indian Dog Breeds Are Dying Out Because Western Pups Are More Popular

Indian Dog Breeds Are Dying Out Because Western Pups Are More Popular

The country's public has fallen out of love with them in preference for the breeds they see in movies and on TV

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

We all love dogs, right? Mine is kipping on the sofa right now, like the lucky, lazy fella that he is. We might dispute which is the cutest breed of all - my Bobby is a German Pinscher, so they're the best and you're all wrong if you think otherwise - but we can all agree that the furry, faithful friends are unbelievably cute and adorable.

Given that dogs are cute and cuddly and just about the most popular animals on the planet to keep as a pet, it seems silly to think of them as dying out, but believe it or not, there are dog breeds that have become so unpopular that they might well soon be no more.

Chippiparai
Chippiparai

Chippiparai. Credit: Richie2089 (Creative Commons)

There are far more dog breeds than one might expect: the ones that we have running around our houses and sniffing each others' arses are the European breeds, but in Asia and Africa, there are plenty of others that are just as lovable.

The Chippiparai, Jonangi and Kombai, for example, are breeds native to India that are perfectly adapted to the warmer climate and provide everyone one could want from a pup.

kombai
kombai

Kombai. Credit: Richie2089 (Creative Commons)

These canine companions are under threat, however, as the Indian public has fallen out of love with them in preference for the Western breeds that they see in movies and on TV. India is a country which has never really bought into the idea of pet dogs as enthusiastically as others, and while there is a growing trend towards dog ownership, it is concentrated on non-native breeds.

Almost half of all Indian dog breeds are thought to have died out over the last three or four decades, according to Indian dog expert S. Theodore Baskaran, the author of The Book of Indian Dogs, a comprehensive review of canine life in the subcontinent.

dog
dog

Jonangi. Credit:

Venkata Ramana Pasila (Creative Commons)

He concludes that there are just 25 native Indian breeds left, down from the 50 or so listed in his book, a decline that he dates back to colonial times, when the British arrived with their favoured pooches. The local leaders aped the British colonialists and got themselves dogs from the West as well - like in plenty of other places around the world, doggos have become an Instagrammable status symbol.

Let's hope for the future of doggy kind that the indigenous canines don't die out.

Source: Quartz

Featured Image Credit: Richie2089 (Creative Commons) / PA

Topics: World News, Animals, Dogs, India