Bakharwal

The Bakharwal is an ancient breed that was developed in the area of the Himalayan mountains. The full history of the breed is lost to time, but most experts believe that the Bakharwal originated somewhere around three hundred years ago, with the Gujjar people, a nomadic tribe. The Bakharwal dogs were livestock guardian dogs, most often utilized to protect the sheep or cows as the tribe traveled from place to place and they still play that role today, although there is less travel these days. This breed has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years and is one of the rarest herding dogs in existence, and becoming rarer. While they are believed to be related to the Tibetan Mastiff dog breed as well as a descendant of some of the older molosser breeds, such as the Hyrcanian Mastiff, the Saih Sag, and the Tuvan Sheepdog. The Bakharwal dog breed is almost unknown outside of India and is not yet recognized by any official breed registries like the American Kennel Club or the Federation Cynologique Internationale so there is little to no demand for this canine outside of its native mountains in India. This, coupled with a less nomadic lifestyle requiring fewer dogs has reduced the overall demand for these large canines. During the 1857 uprising in India, many Bakharwal dogs were pressed into service, often on the front lines, and this meant heavy casualties for the breed. Unfortunately, this breed of dog is particularly slow to breed and produces smaller litters so that a female Bakharwal is only likely to produce one to three offspring each year.