Rajapalayam dog Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Rajapalayam Dog is originated from the Nayak dynasty of Tamil Nadu in India, whereas other experts suggest that the dog was brought to this region by the Nayakars in the time of the Vijayanagara king’s reign. The Rajapalayam was developed to be a vivacious hunter who had a huge drive to please his owner. Originally the breed was bred to hunt wild boar and other small prey.

According to a well-known local legend, when Rajapalayam puppies were born, they were thrown in a dark pit in order for them to grow up on their own and were only taken out once when they were fully grown, making them temperamental towards humans. According to this ancient method, only the strongest would have survived. Moreover, in one local story, it is stated that a Rajapalayam was capable to kill a tiger in order to protect his owner from getting devoured by the animal. The Rajapalayam is also called Poligar Hound. The dogs were given this name because of the Poligar clans. Poligar clans were said to have owned this breed back in ancient Southern India. They received a reputation for being fierce, aggressive, and harmful due to how they were trained. Poligar clans were known for robbing people while on the road and often used their dogs as attack dogs. Yet, in reality, the Rajapalayam breed got its name because it was derived from Southern India, especially from the region Rajapalayam.

As guard dogs, they were known to protect rice fields, houses, and farms in India. They also were known to guard the border of Kashmir along with the Indian army. Taking advantage of the dogs’ size and already aggressive reputation, they were used in the Carnatic and Poligar wars. As war dogs, they were known to fight in the Poligar and Carnatic wars against the British from around 1799–1805. They were fast, aggressive, and dedicated to their task which made them a great fit for the war.

Aside from their past serving in wars, the dogs make excellent guard dogs and loyal companions for the family, that was the reason why the breed was fancied among royal households in the East. The Rajapalayam is one of the few Indian bred pedigree dogs that has been developed in the country. Nowadays the breed is almost on the verge of extinction; there are just a few pockets at present in Tamil Nadu that have the presence of this breed. In recent times there has been a lot of effort being made to encourage the breeding and to popularize the breed in the country. In one such effort, the Animal Husbandry Department of the Tamil Nadu government has sponsored the dog shows and has even set up breeding complexes in the state in order to prevent total extinction. In fact, this breed even adorned the postage stamps to create awareness for the dog breed. This breed still lives today in rural villages in Tamil Nadu in India, even though they are slightly different from the original Rajapalayams. Some experts suggested that the Rajapalayam was used to breed the modern-day Dalmatian although it has not been proven. There are current efforts to revive this breed and save it from complete extinction.