Combai

An ancient breed, the Combai is believed to have a lineage traceable back to the 15th century or even earlier. This dog, with their rich red coat and black mask, was a popular breed in ancient times. People valued their strength and eagerness to please and employed them to hunt wild boar, deer, and even bears. Some people believe that this dog was used by the army of the Marudhu brothers, who were also known as the Marudhu Pandiars. They headed the revolt against the British subjugation of the Kalaiar Koil of the Sivakasi Kingdom at the beginning of the 19th Century. The Combai does not take kindly to strangers so they make ideal guard dogs and will fight to the death to defend their owners, to whom they have total loyalty and devotion. One can imagine how fierce in battle these loyal dogs were. Throughout the centuries they have been kept primarily by the nobility of Southern India who used them mostly for hunting. The breed was extremely skilled at bear hunting and was commonly called the Bear Dog or Bear Hound. Apart from bears, this athletic dog hunted all major game species native to the area, including lions, tigers, and leopards. The dog's success at hunting these dangerous creatures earned them great acclaim and respect. As the centuries passed and the Indian nobility slowly lost a great deal of its power, the Combai became popular as a guard dog for rural farmers. As time passed and the battle for survival in India changed, a population explosion resulted that spread out over the land and pushed the remaining prey to their limits. Suddenly the Combai had no purpose; there was nothing left to hunt, so they became a guard dog. During this time of change, the numbers of this magnificent dog began to fall and they have never recovered. Pure bred Combai are now so rare that most dog experts agree that extinction is looming fast for this creature, unless something is done soon to save them.