The Caravan Hound
An ancient breed, but very rare, a native of India
(With the permission of the Kennel Club of India)
Its history goes back into the mists of time. Today it is found in the Deccan and especially in the Osmanabad district. When the Emperor Aurangzeb invaded the Deccan in the 16th century and had to confront the Marathas, specialist guerilla fighters, he understood that his army would not be able to contain them, so he established a series of villages along his borders
which he populated with warrior tribes from the North-West Frontier and Afghanistan. They brought their hounds which are still to be found in the same village.
The smooth Saluki should be among its ancestors, if not in a straight line at least directly. Perhaps it is even quite simply a variant of this breed which is after all found from Afghanistan to the Sahara, via Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Anatolia and Persia. Of course the types differ more or less from one region to another.
The Caravan Hound of today has well defined characteristics. Nature itself has brought about selection not on the basis of scientific reasoning but by choosing subjects which answer best the criteria required for carrying out their allotted task. The Caravan Hound is not spoilt, its life is hard and it is essentially a question of the survival of the fittest. It does not
know veterinary care and the food supply is meagre. The hound is charged with hunting but it receives only very little of what it brings back. Its usual diet is dry millet bread. Yet it is strong and resistant.
The Caravan Hound is above all a working hound, capable of bearing without harm the rigours of an Indian winter. the heat of summer and the difficult terrain on which it works. These qualities are extremely important when it comes to judging at shows.
How is it judged? First it is a matter of "proportions". The best are not necessarily the most perfect specimens but always those which possess the characteristics of the breed to such a point that neither great fault nor great merit is shown. These specimens invariable have an air of distinction and of quality, immediately recognised by the experts and yet impossible to
define. We should note however among other qualities that it concerns here symmetry, balance, gracefulness, health and the absence of coarseness.
The Caravan Hound is therefore elegant, graceful, and courageous. Its physical strength combines with great speed and lots of stamina to allow it to catch and kill the game. Its expression must be dignified, even cold, and its eyes piercing.
Its height is 69-74 cms for dogs and 61-69 for bitches. Its colour should preferably blend with that of its hunting territory: beige, fawn, red, cream or any of these colours mixed with white.
Breeder's List
Karben's Kennels, quality pure-bred Caravan Hounds. Compete in many shows through the Mumbai Canine Club, as well as Kennel Club of India. Please contact: Mr. Prasad Mayekar (Vice-President Mumbai Canine Club), c/o Darya Vihar, Chowpatty, next to Copa Cabana, Mumbai, India, 3680274. Tel #.: 91-22-2050850.
Caravan Kennels, Has been breeding quality Caravan Hounds for the past 10 years, we have competed in many shows through the Kennel Club of India, which is affiliated with the FCI and Kennel Club of London. We sell our puppies only to well educated, loving homes where they will have wide open spaces to run! Please contact:Ashutosh Sarnaik, 53 Girish Co-op Hsg Soc Warje, Pune, Maharashtra, India, 411030. Tel #.: 91-212-536314. Email: ashutoshsarnaik@hotmail.com
If you are a breeder of Caravan Hounds ... please contact us to get listed for free! today.
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