Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds in India

The dog lovers world over know that dog is the best pet to be adopted. Dogs are the most loyal, affectionate and intelligent animals to be taken as a personal companion. They love their owners unconditionally. No wonder they are called ’man’s best friend’. Most of the dogs popular with people in India are imported. Some of the most popular dog breeds in India, which can be kept as a pet or guard/watch dogs are:

1. Beagles– Beagles are extremely friendly and intelligent dogs. It’s the most adorable and preferred dog breed, worldwide. It is a small to medium sized compact dog used as a sniffer dog in airports because of its strong sense of smell. It weighs around 20-25 kgs and has a height of 33-41 inches. It has a life span of around12-15 years.It is tricolor or white in combination with black and tan or brown. It has short haired, hard coat of medium length.

2. Bullmastiff– It is a very strong built dog with immense intelligence. It is a very active and agile dog and is good at tracking, carting and therapy work. It weighs around 50-59 kgs and is around 27 inches tall. It has a lifespan of around 8-10 years. The color of this dog breed can be tabby, grayish brown and red.

3. Great Dane– It is a very obedient guard dog which can be trained easily because of its intelligence. It is very friendly and loves children, people and other dogs. It has a lifespan of around 6-12 years and weighs around 45-90 kgs.It is a large dog and can have a height of around 28-34 inches. It is available in black,blue, fawn, mantle, harlequin and brindle colors.

4. Boxer– It is a very intelligent, sporty dog which is very easy to train. Also, it is one of the best guard dogs to keep. It has a large body and head, a square muzzle and strong jaws. It is gentle, friendly, quiet and protective by nature and is used as guide for blind people. It can be found in brindle, fawn and white color. It weighs about 23- 34 kgs.

5. Lhasa Apso- The Lhasa Apso is a Tibetan non- sporting dog. It weighs about 5.4- 8.2 kgs and is about 10.75 inches tall. It has a double coat and the texture of its coat is straight, hard and very dense which requires regular grooming. The average age, for it is 12-14 years. The colors it comes in are black, white, red and gold with shadings. It is very loyal to its owner, but wary of strangers.

6. Chihuahua– It is a tiny toy sized dog with large round eyes and erect ears. Its coat is either long, short and wavy or flat and does not require much grooming. The colors it is available in are chestnut, fawn, black, silver, steel blue, tan, sable and white. Its body is longer than its tail, head well rounded apple shaped and short pointed muzzle. The tail is sickle shaped. It is a lively, adventurous dog, good as a companion. It weighs around 1-3 kgs and is 6-9 inches tall.

7. Pitbull Terrier– Pit Bull Terrier is a medium sized, sturdy dog with short hair. It’s a strong willed and intelligent dog which is very obedient and loyal to its owner. Its most positive traits are its strength and confidence. It is an athletic dog which excels in many dog sports and dog shows because it can be trained very well. Its life span is around 8-15 years. It has a height of around 18-19 inches and weight around 16-30 kgs.

8. Golden Retriever– They are very popular with people as pets because of their loving and obedient nature. They are very intelligent, can be trained well and excel in competitions. They make good watch dogs. They are sturdy, good looking, medium sized dogs weighing about 27-32 kgs and about 22-24 inches in height. They have a water resistant coat, dense with straight or wavy outer coat requiring regular grooming. They come in cream and rich golden colors and have a life span of 10-12 years.

9. Cocker Spaniel– It is a medium sized dog with dark almond shaped eyes. Its height is around 15 inches and weight around 7-14 kgs and it has a life span of 12-15 years. It has a litter size of average 5 puppies. It is a fairly active dog suitable to live in an apartment. It has a silky coat of medium length, which is flat or slightly wavy. The colors it is available in are black with tan points, merle, parti-color (white with black, white with black and tan etc.)