Army Is Training Native Ladakhi Dogs For Operational Roles To To Boost LAC Defence

08 September, 2020

Native breeds in Ladakh include the Bakharwal, colloquially called the Gaddi Kutta, local feral dogs and the rarer Tibetan Mastiff. A Bakharwal dog, one of the breeds that is being trained | Wikimedia commons

New Delhi: The Army is training multiple native dogs of Ladakh for various operational roles as the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh continues to remain tense amid the ongoing stand-off with China, ThePrint has learnt.

The native breeds in Ladakh predominantly include the Bakharwal dog, colloquially called the Gaddi Kutta, the Tibetan Mastiff, mostly found in border areas, and even local feral dogs. The Bakharwal is descended from the Tibetan Mastiff.

“Native dogs of Ladakh are being locally trained and will used on a required basis for various functions,” an Army source told ThePrint.

A senior Army officer told ThePrint that when trained, the local Bakharwal dogs can act as good guard dogs at military posts to alert sentries and others in case of any intrusion.

“Once trained, they can also be employed as sled dogs at the icy heights of Ladakh for casualty evacuation,” the officer said, adding that a few dogs are being trained for the purpose.

The officer added that the local feral dogs could be used for mine detection on training as they have “very good sniffing powers”.

Native dog breeds are in focus as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address, had urged people to adopt Indian breeds if they planned to keep them as pets and had said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research is also conducting research on such dgs.

“I have been told that Indian breed dogs are very good and competent. Among the Indian breeds, Mudhol hound and Himachali hound are high pedigree dogs. Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai and Combai are also very good Indian breeds,” he had said.

He specifically had mentioned Sophie, a Cocker Spaniel, and Vida, a Labrador, who were involved in counter-infiltration and counter-terrorism operations, and were awarded with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) commendations during Independence Day celebrations this year.

Courtesy: ThePrint