Adopting an indie dog: from the street or a shelter to your home

The INDog Project, an independent research initiative on the Indian native dog, says the INDog has evolved through natural selection without deliberate human breeding. A 2015 study of village dogs from 38 countries found Indian village dogs among the populations with the least European admixture. Its breed standard describes a medium dog: males 20 to 25 inches at the shoulder and 20 to 30 kg, females 18 to 23 inches and 15 to 25 kg, with a short double coat that needs very little grooming. Many city indies are mixes and will not match the standard exactly.

Temperament is what decides whether an indie suits you. The standard describes an extremely alert, very social dog that is territorial and protective of its family, wary of strangers and quick to bark at the slightest doubt. It thrives on very long walks several times a day and bores easily. In a flat that means an indie will guard the door and needs an owner who enjoys walking. Socialised young, the standard says, indies do well with families and children.

Think about the years too. The standard puts average life expectancy at over 15 years under good care, which is longer than many pedigree breeds. The same dog may move cities with you, meet your children and grow old in your home.

The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 define community animals as animals born in a community for which no person or organisation has claimed ownership, and pet animals as dogs owned and kept by individuals. Rule 8(1) makes the owner of a pet dog responsible for its deworming, vaccination and sterilisation. Nothing in the rules stops you giving a community dog a home, but adopting is different from relocating: under rule 11(19), dogs sterilised under the city's programme are released where they were caught, and AWBI's July 2025 guidance to residents' associations warns that relocating dogs tends to create a vacuum that new, unsterilised dogs fill.

Once the dog is yours, your city's pet licence rules and your housing society's pet rules apply as they would to any dog. AWBI's 2015 guidelines say societies cannot ban pets or fix breed or size limits through bylaws, and owners must keep pets leashed in common areas and clean up after them. If the adoption does not work out, never put the dog back on a different street: abandonment that causes suffering is cruelty under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Contact a shelter instead.

Neighbours sometimes object when a street dog moves indoors, often about barking. AWBI's 2015 guidelines say barking cannot justify a ban or restriction on a pet, and that bylaws cannot override the law. In February 2025 Maharashtra's cooperatives department was reported to have told housing societies to frame a pet policy at their annual meeting and not to impose fines or special charges over pets. The practical route is still a calm one: tell the managing committee before the dog moves in, show the vaccination card once it exists, keep the dog leashed and clean in common areas, and work on barking with exercise and training rather than waiting for a complaint. Petym's pages on pets in housing societies and barking complaints explain what each side can and cannot do.

A community dog may be used to biscuits, roti and leftovers from many kitchens. At home, WSAVA advises a food labelled complete and balanced for its life stage, chosen with your vet. Change from what it has been eating gradually, over several days, because a sudden change can cause diarrhoea, and keep treats and extras under about 10% of the day's calories. Feed measured meals at set times: a dog that has had to compete for food may wolf it down at first, and regular meals help it relax.

Leftover dal, sabzi and gravy are not safe just because the dog ate them on the street. Onion and garlic in any form can damage a dog's red blood cells, grapes, raisins and tamarind can cause kidney failure, and chocolate and sugar-free sweets containing xylitol are dangerous. Milk can cause diarrhoea because dogs lack enough lactase. If your indie eats something risky, call your vet. Some street dogs guard food; ASPCA says punishing guarding makes it worse, so feed it in a quiet place and leave it alone while it eats.

An indie's short coat needs little more than a weekly brush, more when it sheds. Do not shave it for summer: a double coat insulates, and Texas A&M's veterinary college says shaving can make some dogs less tolerant of heat. Walk in the early morning and after sunset, keep water in stable bowls and a cool room for the afternoon. In the monsoon, dry the paws and belly after every walk, check between the toes, in the armpits and ears for ticks, and keep tick prevention going all year as tropical guidelines advise.

A watchful, territorial indie often copes better in its own home than in a new place full of strangers. When Petym opens in your city, a sitter can stay in your home or walk your dog on long days, after a free meet and greet so the dog meets them with you there. The sitter follows your plan for meals, walks and medicines, logs it, and sends a daily photo update.