I decided to look into other dog breeds that are rare and unknown outside their areas of origin. I'll start with this beautiful dog breed.
RAJAPALAYAM
My breed of the day is the Rajapalayam dog breed. The Rajapalayam is an Indian dog breed that originated in the south of India, specifically, the Tamil Nadu region. It is named after Rajapalayam city in Virudhunagar district.
The breed is quite striking in appearance, mostly having a pure white coat, with a pink nose and long legs. It stands about 25 – 30 inches at the shoulder and it carries this height with athletic elegance and grace. Its gait is said to resemble that of a thoroughbred horse! Although the Rajapalayam is a sighthound par excellence, Its
muzzle is not quite as long as other sighthounds and it has the appearance of being more muscular.
It is naturally protective and puppies should be socialized at a young age to prevent issues later on. Their suspicious nature makes them excellent guard dogs, a role that they have been employed in from their early days guarding royal palaces to the modern-day home guard dog.
Care should be taken with other household pets because of their hunting instinct. Although they make a good family pet, small children should not be left with the Rajapalayam, as with other breeds.
They are generally healthy and live long lives although they may be prone to skin conditions like other hounds. They also may suffer from big-dog problems like hip dysplasia and gastric torsion.
Other names for the Rajapalayam are Poligar hound and Indian hound.
