Keran Sector/LoC, Sep 8: Unskilled and untrained but sharp like pro, the local canines known as Gaddi’ dogs are a soldier’s best friends and the first responders along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir as they do a fantastic job of detecting any suspicious activity and alerting the troops of possible infiltration attempts.
Named after the nomadic Gaddi’ shepherds who rear them as guard dogs accompanying flocks of sheep and goats, this canine breed is a Himalayan sheepdog, also known by various other names including Bhotia’ or Bangara’ and sometimes called the Himalayan mastiff.
This local canine is native to the Himalayan foothills in eastern Nepal and Kashmir. The breed is primarily used as a livestock guardian, protecting flocks from various predators and as a property guard. They are also used to assist while hunting.
These are local, but not stray dogs, an army official said at one of the forward posts on the mighty Shamsabari range in Keran sector in Jammu and Kashmir’s northern district of Kupwara, as a black canine kept pacing along the fence, the first tier of the anti-infiltration obstacle system (AIOS).