The Combai is a bear hound that resembles the Rajapalayam, another Indian dog, used for guarding purposes. The main differences between this dog and the Rajapalayam lie in the strength of their jaws, temperament and the color of their mouths. The first one has much more powerful jaws, a more savage temperament, and an entirely black mouth.
Origins
This dog originates from South India, being named after the town Kombai - this is the reason for which some readers probably know the Combai as "Kombai". It is also known as the Indian bear hound or the Indian beardog. At the beginning, this type of dog was used for hunting boar, bison and deer, nowadays being appreciated for its guarding abilities.
Physical features
This breed presents a brown or red coat, with a ridge of fur on its back; it has a black mouth and pendent ears and features a dark line along the back. This is a medium-sized dog, just like many other guard dogs. Combais are athletic and very intelligent.
Temperament
Regarding the temperament of a dog like this, we have to say that it can be the best family dog, if it is raised by the same family since birth, but it can also transform into a ferocious animal (much like Rottweilers), protecting its masters from intruders. Its savage temperament can be easily managed by a determined person.
Dogs like this were used in the past to protect people's cattle from wild animals, such as leopards or tigers. Today, this is no longer necessary, as there are so many modern security measures available. A dog of this breed, when seeing an intruder, can fight it to death, if not stopped by its master; this includes humans or other animals.
Training and Living Conditions
A dog like this does very well in the outdoors, because it is designed for guarding and also due to the fact that this is a dog that likes exercises and needs to be exercised, so an apartment is not suitable in this case. The training involved in case of Combais refers to commands used for guard dogs: how to protect its home and human friends, how to stop from attacking an intruder if its master says so, how to react around children and so on.
This dog is capable of noticing if its master is happy or not about someone coming to their home, and if it realizes that its master is not pleased to see someone, it can attack that person; so, in case its owner does not want their dog to attack a certain person, he/she needs to train it very well to be able to control it, when the situation requires it.
Health Issues
This breed is prone to skin disorders, fungal and yeast infections, but not that much as the Rajapalayam. It has been noticed that naturally-bred Combais suffer from less diseases than their brothers, the human-bred Combais.
Life expectancy
It is not exactly clear what the life span of this breed is, but it most probably resembles the Rajapalayam in this regard as well, so we can say that Combais can reach around 12 years of age.
Conclusion
This ancient breed was and still is appreciated as an ideal companion, and also as a very good guard, so, if you think you are able to properly train and control it, choosing a Combai can be a great choice.
