To most of us in the Western World, if we refer to someone as a "Pariah" we are calling them an outcast, shunned by society in general. It is used as a pejorative term to describe someone whose very presence offends; an untouchable in fact. It is one of the many words that have come into the English language as a result of Britain’s long association with India. Its common usage in English stems from an imperfect understanding of the ancient caste system of India.

When applied to the dogs which run freely in the streets of Indian cities many westerners mistakenly assume the name to mean that they are stray, unwanted mongrels, carrying disease and parasites. In fact the Pariah dog is a specific breed of dog. It is the native dog of the sub-continent which today comprises of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. In the case of the dogs, there is nothing derogatory about the name and many of them do actually belong to someone.

The breed is also known by other names, "Pye dog or Pi dog or sometimes Pie dog". In modern times, enthusiasts for the breed refer to it as the INDog, an abbreviation of "Indian Native Dog".

The Pariah dog is the dominant breed of dog in India and the streets appear to be its natural habitat. However many Indians keep these dogs as pets or companions so, although they may roam the streets, they frequently do have homes to go to.

The origins of the breed are somewhat obscure. Some believe that the dogs are descended from dogs brought into India from China many centuries ago. That has yet to be proved and tracing their evolution remains a work in progress.

The European presence in South Asia over the last few hundred years, most notably the British Raj, led to some interbreeding between the Pariah dogs and European breeds imported by the in-comers. The humans didn’t have all the fun! However, there are still plenty of examples of the original, undiluted breed still to be found all over the sub-continent.

One clue to identifying the pure Pariah or INDogs wherever they are, in South Asia, is their marked similarity in appearance. Mostly free living, they have lived alongside the human population for centuries and the breed has evolved naturally with no human interference in the form of selective breeding, unlike most European breeds.

The physical features of these animals have been found to match those of fossilised dog remains found all over the world dating from the earliest times. If you want to see living examples of mankind’s original domestic dogs, go to India and look out for the true pariah dogs.

This article was provided by Freelance Copywriter UK, Pete Hopper.