Bakharwal Dog

The Bakharwal is a large livestock guardian from the Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, kept by the nomadic Bakarwal and Gujjar herders it is named for.

History

It has moved with the herders and their flocks between summer and winter pasture for centuries, guarding sheep and goats against leopard, bear and wolf. The breed is in decline as the herding life it belongs to contracts.

Temperament

The breed is known for being alert, courageous and highly territorial, deeply attached to its herd and household, and wary of everything else. Like other flock guardians it works on its own judgement.

Care and training

It needs space, secure boundaries and early socialising, and it is unsuited to town life. The dense coat suits mountain cold and sheds heavily.

Health

Shaped by hard country rather than by a standard, it is generally robust; 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.