By Paojel Chaoba
IMPHAL, March 24: Every dog has its day and it may well turn out to be the shining moment for the ‘Tangkhul Hui’ as the breed may be awarded accreditation as a pure breed which is indigenous to the State.
Talking to IFP at the culmination of the 3rd All Breed Dog show organized by the United Kennel Club of Manipur at Thangmeiband Thau ground today, Partha Sekhar Chatterjee , who is a licensed international all breed judge of the Kennel Club of India voiced interest and appreciation for the Tangkhul dog. Chatterjee, who is on his maiden trip to Manipur said, “Hunting dogs still exist here and I am very curious about the breed as I have never come across such a breed so far. I will do my best to promote it as a breed indigenous to Manipur and as an Indian one.” He further mentioned on urging the Kennel Club of India to grant recognition for the Tangkhul dog as an original breed internationally.
The Sangai deer and the Manipuri Pony are indigenous animals. If the Tangkhul dog is accredited as a pure breed, dog breeders of the State would be benifitted and Manipur would introduce to the world one more animal after the Manipuri pony, experts observed.
It may be mentioned that there are about 300 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. Chatterjee said further that there is no proper ‘standardization’ of a Tangkhul dog. “Some are said to be big and others smaller. They should be bred according to size, color etc. The Manipur Kennel Club is still in a fledgling stage but there are many enthusiasts. We hope breeding will be specified and the dog may be termed as a real Indian indigenous breed,” he said while adding that it is a good beginning. “If the United Kennel Club of Manipur is granted affiliation to the Kennel Club of India, then there can be dog shows hosted here at the national level”, he went on to say.
“The Tanghul dog breed is found in Ukhrul district and is used extensively for hunting purposes. It is a courageous breed which corners bears, wild hogs and other dangerous wild animals in hunting trips. It has unique tracking abilities. We send it off to locate an animal and later corner it. It is an indespensible hunting companion,” Shimray, a Tangkhul dog claimed.
The Tangkhul dog is well built with short legs, blackish-blue in colour and has a pointed nose. All the important dogs are no match for Tangkhul Hui as it will die first protecting its owner.
The dog show held today witnessed dog owners exhibiting various breeds like German Shepherds, Rotweilers , Spaniels, Doberman, Great Danes, Dalmatians, Pugs, Boxers etc. Some unique breeds like Alaskan Huskies, Chihuahua , New Found land and English Mastiff were also exhibited. The dogs were categorized today by the Kennel Club of India judges.
There are at least four dog training centres in Imphal area, namely Holland Dog Training Centre, Tangkham centre, Dilip centre and Hemanta centre. The centres also exhibited their trained dogs today and many were judged as best breeds.
Soso from Nagaram, owner of three Great Danes exclaimed that the show was a success as dog lovers could get together and learn more about dog handling and their care. Her dog was adjudged as the best breed for Great Danes.
Herojit, owner of a Tangkhul dog told IFP that his dog was a virtual hunting machine. “It even kills cockroaches with its paw. My dog even intimidates German Shepherds and Dobermans but never harms humans,” he added comically, saying that his dog has ‘hunted’ down chickens, birds and ducks from his residential area.