The Book of Indian Dogs

The book of Indian Dogs is the comprehensive book on Indian dog breads in over fifty years. It features the twenty –five breeds that most breeders and dog fanciers agree constitute the country's canine heritage. Divided into three grouping –working dogs, companion dogs and hounds –the book provides detailed background notes to each breed, along with information on physical characterstics, behaiour, uses, origins and history. In addition to popular breeds like caravan hounds (or karuvanis), chippiparis, mudhol hounds, pashims, rajapalayams and rampur hounds, the book features lesser known breeds such as the alaknoori and the jonangi. The fruit of several years of travel and research into India's dog breeds, as well as s. Theodore bashkaran's hands –on experience of raising various dogs, this celebration of our dogs is a book that no dog Lover can do without.

Avoiding the freindship of those who resemble elephants,

Seek the companionship of those who are like dogs;

For an elephant will kill his mahout whom it has known for a long time,

But a dog will wag its tail even as the spear thrown at it is still in its body.

In 1968 at small wayside railway staition in the extreme south of india. Near Tirunelveli in TamilNadu. I noticed a man waiting for the train. With him here two exquistic white dogs. They lay curled up on the floor of the platform, resting their muzzles on their forepaws and looking listessly at passers –by. Improvised aloerope leashes were tied around their necks, the other ends held by the owner who sat on his haunches, draggings at a bidi with great determination. They were Rajapalayam dogs, he told me, and they were on their way to estates in the Anaimalais in the Western Ghats for guard duty. He pointed to the many scars on the pale white coats of the dogs and said that they had encountered quite a few boars in the hills near Rajapalayam. Sensing my scepticism, he said 'watch this and clicked his tonuge twice. The dogs were electrified into action. They were on their feet in a flash and stood pulsating with anticipation for th next command. That is how the dogs are put on alert when a boar is located. The man said. It was a magnificient display and I was fascinated. Would it be possible for him to procure a pup for me? By the time the train arrived, it was agreed that he would bring me one. I gave him my address and forget about it.

Five month later, early one morning, he arrived at my Tiruchi home and handed over a small bundle. I removed the grimy towel covering it, and Madhu entered our lives. Almost immediately he began to look upon our house as his new home and soon assumed the role of guardian with all seriousness. My engagement with Indian dogs had begun in right earnest.

A lifelong dog lover, S.Theodore Bhaskaran has been including two Indian breeds. He has been associated with the kennel club of India, chennai, and was a member of the show commitee. He was instrumental in bringing out a set of four postage stamps on indigenous breads of dogs.

Baskaran is a well –known naturalist and conservationist. He served two terms as a trustee of WWF Indian and has been an honorary wildlife warden in chennai. His book, The Dance of the sarus: Essays of a wandering naturalist, was published in 1999. He edited a book on Indian wildlife, The sprint of the Blackbuck. He writes frequently on conservation for the Hindu and Frontline. He has also contributed to important anthologies such as an Anthology of Indian wildlife, Waterlines: Rivers of India and voices in the wilderness. He writes on conservation in tamil in magazines like vyirmai and Kalachuvadu and also has three books on conservation in Tamil to his credit. He beleives that to make conservation a people's movement the discourse has to be in Local languages. Baskaran's other scholarly interests include film studies and art history, areas in which he has published books and articles. His book, the eye of the serpant, won the National Award for Best writing on cinema, 1997. He was awarded the Iyal Virudhu for Lifetime Acheivement in Tamil writing by the canada based Literary Garden. He is a graduate of the National defence college. He is a graduate of the National defence college. He retired as cheif postmaster general of Tamil Nadu. He lives with his wife in Banglore.