Rampur Greyhound

The Rampur Greyhound was developed by the Nawab of Rampur, Ahmad Ali Khan at some point during the tail end of the 18^th century or in the early 19^th century and he combined two sighthounds to create his new hunting dog. The Tazi, from Central Asia, were prized for their ability to hunt and kill wolves, but they were extremely independent-minded and could become aggressive on occasion. English Greyhounds are slightly calmer dogs who tend to be rather affectionate as well as being much easier to train. The resulting hounds were even more exceptional hunters than the Nawab had expected them to be, stalwart, strong, and fast enough to run down any animal but relatively tractable and obedient as well. They were frequently retained by Maharajas, the Royalty of India, and along with assisting on wild boar hunts, the Rampur Greyhound was utilized to run down wild animals like boar and jackals, as well as all sorts of wild cats, including leopards, panthers, lions, and tigers. When India won independence from Britain in 1947 both the Maharajas and the practice of hunting these animals lost popularity and so did the Rampur Greyhound. Lack of demand for a hunting dog in India created a precipitous decline in the Rampur Greyhound population  and the breed is currently on the verge of extinction, although their population has very recently started to rise. They are not recognized as a breed by any major kennel club and the majority of the remaining Rampur Greyhounds are working animals. They are practically unheard of outside of India, but there are a few that have been reported in the United States.