In dog pedigree, traces of human effort can be followed, as herds of dogs follow groups of people into new lands. A similar pattern has had some surprising results in a dry corner of the Deccan Plateau where a specific breed of dog has brought to life a struggling rural economy. A keen gaze formed by a narrow muzzle, a proud, tall bearing, backed by spindly, strong legs, a belly that curves inward into an ‘S’, and a secret ferocity which is a great pleasure to display – You just can’t miss a Pashmi. In its alarming development, owners read an iron foundry’s guarantee.
Sacks of soybean and jowar are kept in the stone walled house of farmer Tanaji Pawar in Janwal village of Latur district of Maharashtra. The sowing of Kharif season will begin with the first round of rains. But with farmers across India worried that inflation may not drive up the prices of fertilizers and pesticides, Pawar is not worried about his “cash in hand” for such farming necessities. His pet dog ‘Malhar’ of Pashmi breed took care of him.
Pawar takes Rs 5,000 from the villagers who bring his female Pashmi to breed with Malhar. As a purebred, Malhar contributes Rs 2-2.5 lakh annually to Pawar’s family. The breeding season starts from Dussehra and lasts till Diwali. “The money I make from breeding covers about 25 per cent of the farming expenses, such as labor charges. It has reduced my dependence on bank loans,” said Pawar, who is in his 40s, heads a family of four and owns 45 acres of agricultural land.
Similar stories of dog-breeding entrepreneurship among about 50 families in Janwal and the nearby village of Mhalangi are rewriting Latur’s reputation as a dry district—in 2016, it came into the national limelight when railway wagons from Sangli I had to carry drinking water. , more than 300 kilometers away. (However, the water-starved sugarcane has made a comeback on the strength of two normal monsoons.)
Janwal and its surrounding areas are known for the breeding of Pashmi and Caravan dogs. The latter largely resembles the Pashmi – the same long muzzle, wavy muscles in the same lean body, but without the Pashmi’s light feathery coat. Born hunters and guard dogs, both are ‘sight hunters’ – dogs that hunt by sight rather than by smell. Caravans, they say, are as fast as light. The spectacular spectacle of these charred creatures moving through the narrow rural landscape now attracts dog lovers from across the country. It has changed the financial dynamics of this dusty village of 10,000 souls.
Yet the form of trade, now that it is moving beyond the few villages where it was formerly confined, has raised concerns over the well-being of the breeds—always at risk of compromising their purity and quality. As the rest of India pays attention and longs for a prized puppy, it is time for the government and local people to do more.
good bark for business
“The Pashmi is an all-weather dog,” says Pawar, whose family has been keeping the breed for more than 80 years. “Since it has fur, it can survive all three seasons.” Pawar’s ducks and hens roam freely, and whenever he goes out he does not lock the house, as Malhar does not let anyone in. “Pashmi prefers to be handled only by their masters. Its bark is so sharp and its posture is so aggressive that it would be frightened if a stranger was around.
A puppy is born 62 days after mating; Breeders keep a puppy for two months before selling it. “People come to us for advance booking of papi. Every year, there is a waiting period,” says Pawar. A puppy sells for anywhere from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000. Most of the buyers are from Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Some bureaucrats and politicians are regular buyers. They spend an average of Rs 50,000 a puppy, which includes price and transportation costs. “I sold a puppy to a US resident two years ago. When someone told her about the Pashmi breed, she came to Janwal. Tejas, the younger son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, also bought a black pashmi from Janwal eight months ago for Rs 23,000. Often Pawar has not taken money for breeding. Instead, he takes a puppy to sell or gift it.
Farmer Ranjit Patil, owner of three Pashmi dogs, two males and one female, says that its simple diet and clean nature are the reasons for this breed’s demand. His favorite among the three is Shera. “These dogs eat bread, eggs, and drink milk just like us,” he says. “They will never defecate in the house.” Patil, also does not charge for breeding, only accepts a puppy from those who seek the services of his stud. “Pashmi does not suffer from dehydration. They also do not require vaccination as they have strong natural immunity,” he says, adding to its list of virtues.
Kirana shop owner Jagannath Pawar is also very proud of his caravan, which he calls Johnson. “Once it tracks its prey, it will hunt it no matter what,” says a proud Jagannath. Rabbits and deer are its favorite mines. “The caravan is more intelligent than a Labrador. It catches a rabbit in its fangs and retrieves it without affecting the game,” he says. Charges range between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000. “A Caravan puppy is sold on an average for Rs 15-20,000. I use this money to run the shop. I don’t need to take a loan,” he adds.
(from left) Dolly, a Pashmi, and Leo, Jackie and Johnson, all with their owners in the caravan, Janwal; Photo by Banddeep Singh
Pashmi past and present
Pashmi is an Afghan breed. Many Pashtuns and Rohillas associated with Pashtun, who came to India to work with the British, brought these dogs with them in the late 19th century. The villagers of Janwal tell stories about how dogs first came to their village when the British were building a railway line between Parli (about 60 km away) and Hyderabad. Before independence, Latur was a part of Hyderabad State. As the Pashtuns left for Hyderabad to serve with the Nizam, they left the dogs behind. Since then the villagers have accepted him as their own.
The caravan was brought to India from America in the early 1900s by Nanasaheb Ghorpade, the ruler of the then Mudhol State. He is also known as Mudhol Hound. The breed of caravan found in Janwal is also known as the Bangadi caravan, because its sleek head can pass through a bangle—or so the story goes.
In those days, dogs were mainly used for hunting and protection from wild animals. Latur district was once a haven for wildlife with a large population of tigers, which was essentially considered as a threat by the local pastoralists. The Pashmi and the caravan were clearly regarded as one deity by the villagers at that time. Legend has it that his unbridled aggression could keep even tigers away.
But it was all local lore and practice. The Pashmi and the Caravan caught the eye of dog lovers in 2002 at a rural dog show organized by the Hyderabad-based Ethnic Indica Canine Society, which promotes Indian breeds, in Janwal. Pashmi was the star of the show. Since then, Pashmi has been a firm favourite.
Threats to rare breeds
However, ominous dark clouds hover over the scene. Experts say that the apathy of the government and the villagers’ quest for more money has put the breed in danger of extinction. Pramod Salunkhe, a dog breeder and former president of Latur Canine Club, says that inbreeding—over reliance on some of the prized studs like Pawar’s Malhar—has reduced the quality of these dogs. “Caravans are known for hunting. However, villagers promote Punjab Greyhounds (often bred for racing) over caravans because they are fast,” he says. “If not taken care of, the Pashmi and Caravan breeds will soon become extinct.”
Villagers also do not keep records of who bought their dogs, so there is no reliable database on which to establish pedigree. The Kennel Club of India (KCI) based in Chennai maintains the records of each of the indigenous breeds. The KCI panel judges several breeds of dogs and issues certificates certifying their genuineness and importance. “We are trying for a certificate from KCI for Pashmi and Caravan. This will help us in branding them in a more efficient manner,” says Salunkhe.
Under the leadership of then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who represented Latur in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the government allotted a two-acre plot on the outskirts of Latur city in 2008 to set up a breeding center for Pashmi and caravans. It never came. “There is a need for scientific research and adoption of methods to preserve these rare breeds. Their dwindling numbers are our collective failure,” says Salunkhe.
Finally, wisdom came in 2020, when the Maharashtra government began genetic studies of native species of cattle and domesticated animals in the Marathwada region, which includes Latur. The idea was to study the genetic traits of Pashmi and Caravan, Osmanabad goats, Red Kandhari cows and Deoni bulls. Unfortunately, the project is now being set up due to insufficient funding.
Maintaining the ‘quality’ of the Pashmi breed worries Tanaji Pawar as well, but only to the extent of his immediate needs. After Malhar grows up, Pawar must identify a good male Pashmi so that he can continue his profitable breeding business. “It’s been nine years now, but I need to plan for the future. There are very few male Pashmis left in the village,” he says. This would free the dogs of war of a different kind.