Combai

The Combai is a South Indian hunting dog from Tamil Nadu — a stocky, brindled boar hound rather than a sighthound, unlike most of the region's breeds.

History

It was used to hunt boar and to guard cattle in the hills of southern India, and tradition connects it with the armies of local rulers. It is heavier and more mastiff-like than the Tamil sighthounds it is often grouped with, and it survives in small numbers with rural keepers.

Temperament

The breed is known for being courageous, territorial and closely bonded to its household — a guarding and hunting dog with a high tolerance for pain and a low tolerance for strangers.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise, secure boundaries and early socialising, and an owner who understands guarding breeds. The short coat suits heat and needs little.

Health

Generally hardy from generations of working selection; nothing is widely documented as breed-specific. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.