Chippiparai
Encyclopedia
The Chippiparai is a sight hound breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

 of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 from the south of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Thought to be a descendant of the Saluki, today it is found in the area around Periyar Lake. It is used primarily for hunting wild boar, deer and hare. It is also used for guarding the home. Bred by royal families in Chippiparai near Madurai district Tamil Nadu, it was kept as a symbol of royalty and dignity in tirunelveli and madurai rulers.

Description

Appearance

The typical color is a fawn, reddish brown, slight black tinged coat, silver-grey, with very limited or no white markings and long curved tail. Other colors, particularly variations of grey and fawn, also occur. This is a medium dog, around 25 inches at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...

. It has a short coat that is very close; on the whole the coat if kept groomed has a shine on it. A shining, shell-like appearance is greatly desired. This kind of coat makes it ideal for hot climates. This hound is also less prone to tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...

s and flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...

s, with their short coat providing easy detection. The overall appearance is very similar to that of the Sloughi
Sloughi
The Sloughi is a North African breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. It is found in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Sloughis are likely closely related to the Azawakh, but not to the Saluki .-Appearance:...

, or the Rampur Greyhound
Rampur Greyhound
The Rampur Greyhound is native to the Rampur region of Northern India, which lies between Delhi and Bareilly. The Rampur hound is a member of the big sighthound family. In North West of India it is often described as a smooth haired sighthound, substantially built...

.

Temperament

The Chippiparai is a robust animal needing little or no veterinary care. It does need lots of exercise, as it was and is a breed meant to hunt. Chippiparai is an intelligent breed and a wonderful watch dog. Contrary to the belief that it is a one -man dog, Chippiparai gets along well with people if it is properly socialized. Chippiparai loves human companionship and it hates to be in isolation. It is capable of great speed and can overtake a hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...

 with ease.

The Chippiparai is a treat to watch and, when seen running, it is a breathtaking spectacle, almost floating through air. It is not a fussy eater, and eats to live and not vice versa. It is easy to groom and does not shed much due to its short coat length.

Future of the breed

The breed is rare in dog show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...

circles and the blood line may be lost soon if steps are not taken to ensure its survival. It does not cost much in its native regions and with some attention and breeding programs the breed can be revived.

External links

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