Chippiparai

Chippiparai, the grey – hound of the South. His depth of chest is phenomenal. With all that, his body streamlined and while running, he appears to float through space. Thus who ever wanted to hear the story of the Rajapalayam has heard it.

Chippiparai is a medium sized animal around 25 inches tall. They come in varying shades from grey, grey white to darker shades. The head is domed, fine and long. The ears are small, semi erect often resembling a rose petal. The ears are dark and very alert. The jaws are slim and deceptively weak looking. The bony tail is carried below the body. The legs are straight and very long and bony. The chest however is very deep and carries lots of lung and heart space that is needed for its exercise. The belly is as of all greyhounds very tucked up and gives the animal a sleek appearance. Their weight is not officially documented and the animals appeared to be between 20-25 kg.

The most impressive feature of this breed is that it is a robust animal needing little or no care. They are not finicky eaters and eat to live and not vice versa. They are easy to groom and do not shed much due to their short coat length. They do need lots of exercise as they were and are a breed meant to hunt. They are excellent guards and can be trained well. With some sensible breeding programs they will soon find favour of the Indian dog lover. These animals are capable of great speed and can overtake a hare with ease.

Appearance

The typical colour is a silver-grey, with very limited or no white markings.He is pearl grey or grey and white. Other colours, particularly variations of grey and fawn, also occur. This is a handsome dog, tall (24-28 inches at the withers) and powerful. These animals have a very short coat that is very close on the whole the coat if kept groomed has a shine on it. This kind of coat makes it ideal for hot climate and they can take Delhi summers with aplomb 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 ticks and fleas, with their short coat providing easy detection. The overall appearance is very similar to that of the Sloughi, or the Rampur Hound.

Temperament

The Chippiparai is a sight hound breed of dog from the south of India. Thought to be a descendant of the Saluki. It is used primarily for hunting wild boar, deer and hare. It is said to be an excellent hunter, and is also used for guarding the home.

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. It is generally a one-man dog. It is capable of great speed and can overtake a hare 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.

History

This breed is native to Tamil Nadu. It is commonly seen Madurai,Virudhunagar and Tirunalveli districts.Not so long ago India was covered by dense forests. These areas were inhabited by all kinds of wild animals. This age was witness to lots of hunting as this sport was a passion of both the local Maharajas and the British monarchs. To help in the hunt were sleek hounds found in almost all parts of India. The Northern regions of India had the Rampur hound while the South had the Rajapalayam, Poligar and the Chippiparai. All these breeds along with other breeds like the Afghan hound are collectively called the Eastern Greyhounds. While some breeds like the Poligar nearly went extinct due to lack of patronage others withstood the test of time bravely. The breed to be discussed today the Chippiparai is known in India as the greyhound of the South.