Gaddi Kutta Dog Breed - Facts and Information

Appearance
The Gaddi Kutta is often times confused with similarly looking breed – the Tibetan Mastiff, but they are quite different. They are less bulky and they have big mane, like a lion. I just said that they are less bulky than the Tibetan Mastiff, but this is still very large, huge and incredibly strong dog breed.

The average height of Gaddi Kutta is between 26-34 inches, which is 66-86 cm. The average female weighs around 90 pounds which is 40 kgs and males around 100 pounds, which is 45 kgs. But the alrgest Gaddi Kuttas can weigh up to incredible 80 kgs, which is 175 pounds. As you can see, this is really a giant and robust dog breed. But even with body this big, this is very athletic dog with amazing speed and stamina.

The Gaddi Kutta has large head and skull, straight back and deep chest. The tail is typically curled over their tail. And then we have the beautiful dense coat. They have wooly thick undercoat and medium length outercoat, which helps them to live in harsh mountainous climate. The coat is longer on the chest, legs, and tail. The most common color is dark brown or black overcoat and lighter tan or brown patches on their face and underside.


Personality
Thanks to their size, this dog can easily scare many people away, even when they are trying to be affectionate. And indeed, this is easy going, calm and affectionate breed. On the other hand, they are also very protective over their owners, and territorial over their home.

They were initially bred for hunting purposes, but they are more used by shepherds to guard the goats and sheeps.. Gaddi Kuttas are especially known for being strong enough to protect the cattle from larger predatros, like snow leopards. And they are not only guarding the sheeps, they have high intelligence and they are capable of herd the lost sheeps or goats back to their pens.

Just like other intelligent working dogs, even the Gaddi Kutta needs daily stimulation of their bodies and minds. They are much more active than the similar Tibetan Mastiff. They will love if they have access to a big yard or garden, because they were bred as outdoor dogs and they still love it this way.

I said that this is very gentle and affectionate dog towards its owners and family. And if they are well socialized, they can make good companions for children. But i would always supervise them with younger kids, because they can eventually harm them without even realizing it.


Intereting Fact
The Gaddi Kutta is known under many other names. You can know them as Indian Panther Hound, Himalayan Sheepdog, Mahidan Mastiff or Bhutia. So the correct answer to our quiz is A) Alangu Mastiff, which is a name for another well known Indian dog breed – the Bully Kutta.


History
We dont know much about the origin of the Gaddi Kutta, but it is believed that they have ancient history in the North India regions. The legend say, that they were developed when Indian king Mahidant of Meerut crossed local wild Mastiffs with Tibetan Mastiffs that were already an established hunting breed at the time.

We can not say if this story is even partially true. They were definitely used by local Northern Indian tribes as guard and herding dogs and they were amazing at this job. You can hardly find any better flock or cattle protector.

Another legend say, that they were developed by crossing local mastiff dogs with tigers. Today, we know that this would be impossible, but i am not surprised that people believe this legend, when they saw the Gaddi Kutta for the first time.



Health and Grooming
Just look at the Gaddi Kutta coat. They shed a lot. Especially during the autumn and spring, they will leave long dark hairs all over the place. If you want to keep their coat in best shape and minimize the shedding, daily brushing is recommended.

They also need a lot of space, as i already said, they were bred as outdoor dogs and they like it this way. I mean they are adaptable and they can live happily indoors if you will provide, but still, you must provide them with a lot of outdoor activity and exercise. Otherwise, they will be bored and unhappy.

The health of the Gaddi Kutta is relatively healthy. The lifespan is around 10 years, which is pretty average for dog of this size. If they live actively and have good diet, they dont suffer from any major health concerns, but just like all dogs, there can be some problems. The most common are hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation and arthritis.

This dog was never the victim of overbreeding, which is the main reason of their good health. It is because only the strongest dogs can survive in the harsh himalayan climate. And the Gaddi Kutta is definitely a strong dog.