Two of the dogs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security ring are not German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois. They are Mudhol Hounds, a lean desi sighthound from a small town in Karnataka, and they are there on merit. In 2016 the Mudhol became the first Indian breed ever drafted into the Indian Army, and it has since earned a posting beside the country’s most protected man.
For a dog that once ran alongside trading caravans across the Deccan, that is quite a promotion. Here is the full story of India’s home-grown hunting hound: where it came from, what it is actually like to live with, and why it is finally getting the respect it spent a century waiting for.
Where the Mudhol Hound comes from
The breed is named after Mudhol, a town in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, out on the dry Deccan plateau. Its modern story owes a lot to one man: Shrimant Rajesaheb Maloji Rao Ghorpade, who ruled the princely state of Mudhol until 1937. He watched the local Bedar hunters course game with their fast, rangy dogs and used careful breeding to bring the type back to its best.
On a visit to England in the early 1900s, the ruler of Mudhol gifted a pair to King George V, who is said to have given the breed its English name. That is also why it answers to so many: the Kennel Club of India registers it as the Caravan Hound, because the dogs travelled with trade caravans; local villagers call it Karwani; and the longer-coated, feathered variety is the Pashmi.
What a Mudhol Hound looks like
This is a classic sighthound, cut from the same cloth as the Saluki and the Afghan: tall and narrow, with a deep chest, a long muzzle, a slight Roman curve to the nose and a frame built for speed and stamina over open ground. Males stand around 68 to 72 cm. Most Mudhols carry a short, smooth coat, while the Pashmi variety adds light feathering on the ears, tail and legs. Colours run across fawn, cream, red, black and brindle.
Mudhol Hound facts at a glance
- Origin: Mudhol, Bagalkot district, Karnataka
- Also called: Caravan Hound, Karwani, Pashmi (the feathered variety)
- Type: sighthound, built for speed and stamina
- Height: about 68–72 cm (males)
- Coat: usually short and smooth; the Pashmi is lightly feathered
- Temperament: loyal to its person, aloof with strangers, high prey drive
- Claim to fame: the first Indian breed inducted into the Indian Army (2016)
- Best suited to: active homes with space, not small flats
India’s first military dog
This is the part that put the Mudhol on the map. In February 2016 it became the first indigenous Indian breed taken into the Indian Army, after the Remount Veterinary Corps trialled it against the usual imported working dogs and found it sharp, hardy and cheap to keep in Indian conditions. Since then the Army, paramilitary forces and police have inducted dozens of them.
In 2022, two Mudhol pups from the Canine Research and Information Centre at Thimmapur, near Mudhol, joined the Special Protection Group that guards the Prime Minister. Modi himself name-checked India’s native breeds, the Mudhol among them, in a 2020 Mann Ki Baat broadcast, urging Indians to consider a desi dog over an imported one. For a breed that nearly faded out, official backing like this has been a lifeline.
What the Mudhol Hound is like to live with
Do not let the military CV fool you into expecting a cuddly all-rounder. The Mudhol is a sighthound first: devoted to its own person, reserved bordering on suspicious with strangers, and independent enough to make obedience a negotiation rather than a given. That aloofness is exactly what makes it a sharp watchdog.
The prey drive is serious. Anything small and fast that moves, a cat, a squirrel, a chicken, will trip the chase instinct it was bred for, so a secure space and a solid recall matter. Give it real exercise, a long daily run or a chance to sprint, and it settles into a calm, clean, low-fuss housemate. Skimp on that, and you get a frustrated athlete bouncing off your walls.
Living with a Mudhol Hound, and the price question
The good news is that this is a genuinely low-maintenance dog. The short coat barely sheds and needs little grooming, the breed is hardy and largely free of the inherited problems that plague many pedigrees, and it copes well with Indian heat. What it needs is space and exercise, which rules out a cramped flat with no daily outlet.
On price, the most reliable source is the government’s own Canine Research and Information Centre at Mudhol, which breeds and sells registered pups, rather than a random online seller where poor breeding hides. And if you love the idea of a fast, loyal desi dog but cannot give a working sighthound the running it needs, do consider an Indie instead, or browse our adoption directory first.
Where the Mudhol fits among India’s breeds
The Mudhol is Karnataka’s most celebrated dog, but it belongs to a wider family of Indian sighthounds and guardians, from the Rajapalayam and Kombai of Tamil Nadu to the Rampur Greyhound of the north. Our guide to India’s native dog breeds maps out the whole group.
The Mudhol was also one of four native breeds India honoured on a set of 2005 postage stamps.
In 2005, @IndiaPostOffice released four commemorative postage stamps celebrating the canine heritage of the country – Himalayan Sheepdog, Rampur Greyhound, Mudhol Hound and Rajapalayam.
— Abhishek Joshi (@kaalicharan) July 17, 2020
It took a place in the Army and a posting beside the Prime Minister for India to notice the dog that had been running across the Deccan all along. The Mudhol did not change. The country’s taste finally did.
Mudhol Hound FAQs
Is the Mudhol Hound a good pet? For an active home with space, yes. It is loyal, clean and low-maintenance, but it is a reserved sighthound with a strong chase instinct, not a cuddly first dog for a small flat.
Why is the Mudhol Hound in the Indian Army? In 2016 it became the first indigenous breed inducted, because it is hardy, sharp-sighted, suited to Indian conditions and cheaper to maintain than imported working dogs. It now also serves in the SPG that guards the Prime Minister.
Is the Mudhol Hound the same as the Caravan Hound? Yes. They are one breed with different names: the KCI registers it as the Caravan Hound, the INKC as the Mudhol Hound, and locals call it Karwani. The Pashmi is its feathered variety.
How big and fast is a Mudhol Hound? It is a tall sighthound, roughly 68 to 72 cm at the shoulder, built for speed and endurance. It needs a daily run, not just a walk.
Where can I get a Mudhol Hound? The government’s Canine Research and Information Centre at Mudhol is the most reliable source for registered pups. Be wary of cheap online listings, and consider adoption first.