BSF deploys indigenous Mudhol hounds, triggers debate over Indian dog breeds versus nationalist pride

The Border Security Force (BSF) has begun deploying the Mudhol hound, an Indian breed also known as the Caravan Hound, for security and surveillance duties, calling hailing the move as a testament to indigenous capability and agility.

In a statement shared on X [formerly Twitter], the official BSF handle stated, “Did you know the Mudhol Hound, also called the Caravan Hound, is an elegant breed from Karnataka, so agile and intelligent that it has been inducted into the BSF for security and surveillance duties. The Indian Postal Department even issued a commemorative stamp in their honour in the year 2005.”

The induction marks a milestone for one of India’s oldest native breeds, long valued for its speed, endurance, and sharp instincts. Traditionally bred by royalty and pastoral communities in Karnataka, the Mudhol hound’s sleek frame and quick reflexes make it ideal for patrolling and detection work in difficult terrain.

The BSF’s decision aligns with the Centre’s broader push toward ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India), which includes promoting indigenous dog breeds in national service. Over the past few years, Indian breeds such as the Rajapalayam, Rampur, and Chippiparai have been trained for military and police deployment, reducing reliance on imported breeds like Labradors and German Shepherds.

Indigenous canine nationalism?

However, the move has also ignited a social and ideological debate after a widely shared post by a senior journalist questioned the political narrative surrounding “indigenous canine nationalism.”

“Foreign, local, desi, indie, caste, class — no, this isn’t about people. It’s about dogs. Which, in a way, says everything about who we’ve become,” the journalist wrote, criticising attempts to turn Indian dog breeds into symbols of patriotic pride.

Referring to recent editorials that celebrated the BSF’s decision as a rediscovery of Indian strength, the post argued that such framing extends “deeply ingrained human divisions” of caste and class into the canine world.

“What we have long done to ourselves, we are now doing to man’s best friend,” the post read. “It is one thing to take pride in Indian breeds, and quite another to turn them into emblems of nationalism... Must even dogs now carry the burden of our national pride?”

The journalist noted that dogs like the Mudhol hound and Rajapalayam have a long and honourable martial history — from the Polygar Wars to service in the Indian Army — but cautioned against “enlisting them into ideological battles.”

“Dogs have no concept of foreign or local, of caste or class,” the post concluded. “They simply give loyalty without judgement. We, clearly, do not.”

While the BSF’s initiative has been lauded for promoting indigenous capability and reducing costs, the public conversation around it underscores a deeper tension between nationalist symbolism and animal welfare ethics — revealing how even well-meaning efforts to reclaim Indian heritage can, at times, be weighed down by politics.