The Great Rajapalayam

By Dr Gautam Unny

This breed is one of the most popular native breeds of South India. Rajapalayam is a district in Tamil Nadu, located south of Madurai. It is here that one of our countries’ premier hounds was developed. This dog is a sleek and elegant animal, and an excellent hunter. On the whole they are good guards capable of defending their territory with grace and elan.

I first came across this breed when I was studying in Chennai. I was working as an apprentice in one of the clinics. The doctor once had to go for a house call and graciously took me along. We travelled a great distance and finally reached a farmhouse, on the outskirts of the city. Tied to the gate were four exquisite hounds, the likes of which I had never seen before. They were pure white and very alert. They broke into a cacophony of barks the moment our car approached the gate. They were rather vicious and hard to treat, and it became rather obvious as to why the owner had left just one old caretaker and four of these hounds to look after the huge farm. It would have taken a rather brave or foolhardy person to attempt to enter these well-guarded premises! What enchanted me the most was the no nonsense look on their faces and the ability to make our hearts beat faster. They were obviously easy to train, for the old caretaker had no problem commanding them to obey.

These dogs are heavily built and appear to be smaller versions of Great Danes. They are around 24-26 inches tall at the withers. The females are a couple of inches shorter and both weigh around 25-30 kg on the average. The head is dome shaped and carried high. The eyes are dark and medium sized. The ears are pendant shaped and soft to touch. They have powerful jaws, capable of holding on to their object of prey for long periods.

They are pure white in colour with occasional black or brown spots. But the hair is not overtly coloured. The coat is short and coarse and generally softer on the head. Their tail is another unique feature in that, it is very thin and whip like. Their legs are long, straight and compact. They have a very alert appearance, and while running, they look graceful. This breed is not a very fast runner but has admirable stamina.

The original Rajapalayam was very steady in temperament. The problem began long ago when the feudal landlords did not part with their prized animals. This led to a great deal of inbreeding that has diluted their overall health and temperament. Dog lovers and Kennel Clubs have tried to rectify this aberration but to get the original nature back will be a challenge. The inbreeding has also taken a toll on the health of this once robust animal. My clinical experience in Chennai showed that this animal does become prone to skin disorders. A proper breeding schedule needs to be drawn out to get the best adults of the breed from various regions and to cross them. The resultant progeny will be of a superior stock and can be used for the revival of the breed.

The Rajapalayam has excellent eyesight and smelling sense. They are therefore good hunters and guards. They can live on simple diets and the normal diet offered to these animals is of boiled and crushed millets. However, they need lots of exercise and should not exist in confined quarters. Among the Indian hounds, this breed has always done the best in shows, and loves the show ring and the accompanying adulation.