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Breed profile

Indian Pariah Dog (INDog)

The ancient village dog of South Asia: alert, hardy and clever, shaped by natural selection rather than breeders.

Fawn Indian pariah dog with a curled tail standing in a village yard in Punjab
An INDog in a Punjab village.Photo: Sarbjit Bahga / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Weight
15–30 kg33–66 lb
Height
46–64 cm18–25 in
Lifespan
12–15 yrs
Group
Landrace (primitive type)
Origin
Indian subcontinent
Popularity
—Not ranked in UK ·

Known for: Warm climatesLow groomingWatchdogs

Energy
Shedding
Trainability
Barking
Good with kids
Flat-friendly

Temperament

Alert, Social, Territorial, Intelligent.

Health problems to know about

  • Few inherited conditions documented
  • Road-traffic injuries in free-roaming dogs
  • Tumours
  • Snakebite in rural areas

Ask breeders for the parents' health test results, and check what your national breed club recommends screening for.

Daily care

Daily walks and games; they bore quickly with repetition. Minimal grooming. Early socialisation, and secure fencing because they are skilled escape artists.

A good fit for

Families, warm climates, adopters looking for a hardy, easy-care dog.

Probably not ideal for

Owners wanting a dog that welcomes strangers, homes without secure boundaries.

Sources

  1. INDog Project: Breed Standard of the Indian Native Dog
  2. INDog Project: The Indian Native Dog (INDog) by Gautam Das
  3. Wikipedia: Indian pariah dog

Popularity: AKC 2025 registration rankings (US); Royal Kennel Club 2025 registrations (UK, ranked by us). Breed traits are tendencies, not guarantees. Individual dogs vary, and mixed breeds and rescues can be wonderful fits too.

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