Prasad Raghu Mayekar, in other words, the Godfather of Caravan Hounds or Karwanis. Though he doesn't prefer being called by the latter name, Prasad, stands tall as a lone crusader.For 26 long years he has nurtured over 16 generations of Karwanis. Not just that, also bred innumerable show winners & champions. Not to forget, his rare distinction of breeding 'DOG OF THE YEAR BEST BRED IN INDIA' for the very first time(Indian Breed).
At the age of 13 he had his first brush with Karwanis and since then his passion has done the talking. A pioneer in saving the breed from disappearing over the oblivion, no amount of words or praise does justice to what this incredibly magnanimous & passionate personality has laid down for the future generations. Hats off to you Prasad!
Picture courtesy : Dr. Yajnesh Shetty & Prasad Mayekar
All images here come under COPYRIGHT laws. Do not copy.
15 comments:
Hello Debashish,
I visited your blog on Caravan Hound accidently when I was surfing the net to get information about this breed. I must say that I am very impressed with your blog. And above all I love the karwanis that you have as your pet. They are elegant.
I never knew about this breed an year ago. I love dogs and want one as my pet and so I started surfing the net to know about the various dog breeds so that I can select one. I always wanted a 'Toy Breed' as I wanted a small cute doggy. Then I came to know about the Indian dog breeds and found out the beautiful 'Caravan Hound' breed.
I want to keep one. And thanks to you that I got the phone number of Mr. Mayekar.
Your blog tells about your love and passion for the caravans. Before I take a caravan hound puppy as my pet, I want some information from you which will be of great help, as you have this breed as your pet and so you know the best.
I live in a one-bed room apartment with my husband and so there is not enough space in my house. Will this be a problem for a caravan hound? As in less space? I will take him out for daily walks but I do not think I will be able to manage to take him out to run around and play in open field. Will daily walks be sufficient exercise for this breed?
How good are they with small children? And with strangers? How good are they if left alone at home?
I will be very grateful to you if you provide me with some guidance.
Mahua hi,
Thanks for all the praise & appreciation. Ya, Karwanis are elegant. Their beauty is ethereal, difficult to put down in words and this is a breed not for everyone. It is a breed only for those who can appreciate a 'FREE SPIRIT'. You can not expect a Karwani to come to you everytime you call him or her. They have a mind of their own. And, can just shoot out of your hands/leash if they see a prey(so, one has to be very careful till it attains adulthood, that is 2 yrs of age).
I really appreciate your willingness to keep a Karwani, but i'd advice you to think hundred times before having or keeping one. Coming to your queries,
# They can live in a one room apartment provided they get their share of exercise, which would be at least 5-6 kms of walk daily, if you can't let them loose in open area. Once a week run in open areas would do them a world of good.
# They are extremely loving towards children and very protective about their family. But no, not all Karwanis are friendly towards strangers. Most of them take a lot of time to accept anybody other than immediate family. In fact they might seem rather shy & reserved in company of strangers or new environment.
# No they are not a breed who can survive without company. DO NOT THINK OF GETTING A KARWANI IF HE/SHE HAS TO BE LEFT ALONE AT HOME EVEN FOR AN HOUR. They are extremely attached to their family, so much so that after living a while, with them, you would think they actually were as sensitive or maybe even more than us.Loud/harsh voice or scolding would compel your Karwani to sulk & turning their eyes moist. They are very clean animals and spend some dedicated time everyday in licking & cleaning themselves up.
Having said that, let me put few things in perspective, no number of rooms or space matter to them, what really matters is how much space & room you have in your heart for them. But biologically the are so constituted as to hunt, run & survive, so their share of exercise is a must. And so is company. If these points are not taken care of, they might turn destructive. And, any dog is a reflection of the food he/she eats & the environment he/she is brought up in. Karwani is no exception to this rule. Hope this answers your queries for now.
Warm regards,
Debashish
Hi Debashish,
I love your caravans,beautiful dogs both of them.I too have a caravan pashmi male pup from Mr.Mayekar.he is sand brindle in colour and is named Karmic and we - my husband and me - adore him.he is one of our dozen dogs.I wanted to know where you got the lovely collars your two are wearing,the ornate ones and the leather ones?Thanks a lot and absolutely love your blog.
Regards,
Ayushi
Ayushi,
Thanks for the compliments. Please mail me pics of Karmic. That's my favourite colour. I'd love to see his pics. how old is he? My email id in case you can't locate it here is: lateralthinker23@gmail.com
Those collars are my designs. Both my wife and me are in creative fields. If you want i can get a few done up for you. But for that i'll need Karmic's neck measurements.
The ornate ones would cost you in between Rs. 750/- to Rs.1800/- (depending on the design)and the leather ones are available for Rs. 750/- for Black & Rs. 900/- for Tan & Cherry colours. Also one can get a rare green colour for Rs. 1200/-; but that might just take some time.
Thanks for writing in. Will await Karmic's pics eagerly.
Hi Debashis,
Hope you are having a nice time with boudi and your Caravans.
My Tubri is developing a tendency of biting my Goldens at the legs.Is this normal ? Waiting for your advice
Dipankar ( Kolkata )
Dipankar hi, so nice to see you here..we are doing fine...hope you & your extended family too are great...well, coming to your query, you don't need to worry, as that's how Karwans play..they have some playing techniques which are very typical of a hunting breed...this is one of them...you would also see the young cat family(tigers, lions, leopards, etc) playing this way in the wild...and am sure, if your Goldens get bothered, they'd know how to keep out of it or return the favour...if ever you find it venturing the wilder side you can just ask Tubri to keep a check...basically making her understand where to draw the line..hope this answers your query...hey am waiting for Tubri's pics and your experience
in a writeup...
Hello Debashish,
Thank you for providing such knowledge about indian breed.
I am from kolkata.I like dogs. This is the 1st time iam thinking to adopt a dog.Specifically a indian breed. Is this will be a perfect choice for me or which one?.What is the cos for caravans?
Waiting for your suggetions.
Please mail me - mullick_subhamay@rediffmail.com
Hi, I am looking to buy a caravan puppy, Please let me know how I can get one in Goa. My mail is kinkindele@gmail.com
Thanks
Michelle
Michelle,
please get in touch with Prasad either on his mobile no or email id mentioned in this post above...
cheers,
debashish
woh... thanx. Have written to Prasad, will let you know how it goes. Thanx once again
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What a wonderful, lovely breed. Maybe once I can own one..
For now I keep whippets, lovely creatures with a strong passion for hunting. My first nest is due at the end of the year.
But these dogs also have something very special, I fell in love the moment I saw the first pictures. Good luck with these beauties!
good to know about your passion Annemarie...am sure one day you'll have one...yes they are special in more ways than one...thank you for the wishes..
oh..wish you all the luck with your 1st nest...
My roots are from Mudhol from where these breed got its name. I have a keen interest in this breed and I wish to own one soon. Its a shame that such a breed dose'nt have a recognition in India. Mr Mayekar I really appreciate your efforts.
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