When dogs did the catwalk in Madurai

Dog show in Madurai draws large crowd; breeds range from native to foreign. Passionate breeders Raja Rajan & Arun Vijay discuss challenges of breeding Indian dogs. Judges amazed by stamina & fitness of native breeds; club awards trophies to promote next generation.

Muffled barks, deep throated growls and excited yelps were all overwhelmed by the excited ‘oohs and aahs’ of the crowd that had gathered at the dog show organised by the Madurai Canine Club at the Thamkukam Convention Centre on Sunday.

10-month-old Ammavasi, a champion Rajapalayam, had come all the way from Pollachi. For his owner Raja Rajan, an engineer working for Bosch, dog breeding is a passion. He has native breeds and also foreign breeds like Great Danes. 

Talking about the interest being generated among the public regarding Indian breeds, he says it’s a very welcome sign. Earlier, tracing the lineage and getting the Kennel Club of India (KCI) certificate was limited only for foreign breeds but once the KCI recognised the Indian breeds it was proving to be helpful. “Till recently there has been a lot of inbreeding among native breeds’‘, Mr. Rajan says and adds that it had resulted in genetically inherited health problems. “It was due to this that Rajapalayam dogs began showing signs of deafness and blindness. There were also issues of hip dysplasia among some native breeds. But now with the KCI certificate we can retain the purity of the particular breed by diversifying its mating by checking the lineage,” he says.

Arun Vijay, a textile businessman from Coimbatore, whose family has been into dog breeding for 40 years says breeding Indian dogs is a tricky affair. The native breeds need more time to get refined. He now specialises in breeding boxers and talks of his two and a half year Boxer that has just bagged a certificate.

Rave is a 3-month-old, Italian Mastiff, otherwise known as Cane Corso, who is waiting in the wings of the arena. His owner Chairman, a breeder, has reared many dogs, but this is the first time he has brought this dog to the show. Imported from Romania, Rave gets a fair share of curious glances from the visitors.

And then there were the toy pomeranians, the Shih Tzus and the pugs some strutting on the ramp, some preening as they were getting groomed and some like Alan, a 3-year-old Afghan Hound, from Chennai, lying imperiously on a table barely acknowledging the milling crowd taking pictures of him.

The annual show has garnered a large following among the local residents. Sai, a 10-year-old, had come with his family. “I love dogs and though I have been asking my parents they won’t buy me one,” he says hoping that the visit today may make his parents change their mind.