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Kanni Dog Breed, Facts, Information, Characteristics and History

The kanni is an Indian dog breed found in the southern parts of the country.

The word ‘kanni’ means maiden in the local language of Tamil Nadu, the Indian state where the dog is found the most. Though an indigenous dog, the kanni dog is almost extinct and is hardly ever seen in a family. The kanni dog breeds are an extension of the famous Mudhol hound, which was mainly used in hunting.

Like its ancestors, the kanni dog is also used mainly for hunting purposes.

The kanni dog was once very popular in the state, but has remained limited to the households in the rural parts of Tamil Nadu. It appears a lot like the Dobermanpinscher dogs, but has a natural tail and ears, setting it apart from the Doberman.

Like the Doberman, the kanni dog also has an overall appearance of black and tan. There may be a limited amount of white on the dog’s chest as well. Though rarer still, there is a cream colored variety of the dog available as well. This variety of the dog is known as the paalakanni.

Kanni dog information is a little sketchy due to poor recording of the breed history and characteristics. The most known of all kanni dog facts is the dog is very slim and agile, perfect for hunting small and burrowing animals. The slim appearance of the dog also lends a lot of grace to it. The dog is built moderately and has a deep chest, which allows it to follow burrowing animals in a high speed chase. The male dogs of the kanni breed are slightly larger than the female dogs. There are some dogs that are much larger than the breed average.

It is believed that in some of the rural parts of the state of Tamil Nadu, the kanni dog was given to a newly wedded woman as a gift for the bridegroom. In the long standing tradition of dowry in India, the kanni dog was one of the most important items of exchange between the girl’s and the boy’s families.

There have not been many efforts to revive this dog breed, and so it has become extremely rare. Since the kanni dog history has also not been very well recorded, not much is known about the breed apart from the basic facts that have been passed in the form of stories from one generation to another.

Submitted on September 5, 2011