In a first, Indian Army to recruit dogs of a desi breed
The Indian Army has used foreign breeds such as German Shepherds, Great Swiss Mountain Dogs, and Labradors for years now. However, in a first, an Indian breed is being trained for induction into the Army.
The Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) centre in Meerut has almost completed the training of six Mudhol hounds, who are likely to be posted in Jammu and Kashmir by this year’s end.
According to The Hindu, an RVC official said,
We started their training at several levels: obedience, periphery guarding, explosives and mine detection, risk perception, and assault. They have surprised us with their performance.
While speaking with The Times Of India, another RVC official said,
This was a novel initiative since we had absolutely no research or documentation or past experiences on how to train the hounds.
First, the dogs were kept in quarantine to ensure that they were not suffering from any diseases. This was followed by basic obedience training, battle inoculation, and finally by specialised training. One of the integral aspects of the training was to create a bond between trainer and dog so as to understand the behaviour as well as the ability of the animal.
While speaking on whether the Mudhol breed will be inducted again, the official told The Times Of India,
This is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Instead, a lot of scientific thought has gone behind it.
Endurance, sharpness, stamina, and agility are a few of the qualities that have been attributed to Mudhol hounds. They are also disease-resistant and possess the ability to survive harsh tropical conditions.
Known to have scissor-sharp bites and keen vision, the dogs presently being trained will be sent to areas of operation like Jammu and Kashmir for testing and validation. If they display satisfactory performance, they will be inducted into the Army.
Director of Karnataka Veterinary, Animal, and Fisheries Sciences University's Canine Research and Information Centre, Mahesh Dodmani, talked about how the 54 Mudhols in their care are outperforming their exotic counterparts.
According to The Hindu, Mahesh said,
Mudhol hounds can complete a task in 40 seconds, which takes a Labrador or Shepherd 90 seconds. RVC has trained Mudhols to sniff out research and development explosive (RDX).
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