Furry Diary

Kanni

Also called Maiden's Beastmaster

Rare breedShort profile

From Southern Tamil Nadu, India, mainly the Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi districts.1

At a glance the quick version

Weight16 to 22 kg1
Height64 to 74 cm1
Lifespan14 to 16 years1
Sizelarge

Wikipedia gives 16-22 kg for the breed, not split by sex.

Wikipedia gives 64-74 cm for the breed.

extremely loyal
easy to train
very fast
1

Coat and looks how to spot one

short, smooth coat

A tall, lean sighthound with a flexible back built for a fast double-suspension gallop, dressed in a short, sleek coat.1

Coloursblack and tanblack and fawnfawnredcreamwhitegreybrown with black1

Personality what they are like

Often shy and quiet, but faithful to the core and ready to stand up for its home and people. It is easy to train and works independently when hunting.1

Daily activity how busy a day looks

A coursing hound built for speed; it enjoys regular chances to sprint in a safe, fenced space.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

The short coat needs only minimal care.1

Company who they like around

Bonds closely with its owner and family.1

The story where it all began

The Kanni is an old hunting sighthound of southern Tamil Nadu, used to course hares. Its name is linked to purity and loyalty, and these dogs were traditionally given to brides as guardians for their new life.1

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    Kanni dogs were traditionally gifted to newly married brides as protectors.1

  2. 2

    It can reach speeds of up to about 60 km/h.1

  3. 3

    Hunters train Kannis to respond to hand signals in the field.1

Recognised by the official bits

Kennel Club of India
Registers black-and-tan dogs as Kanni and solid-coloured dogs as Chippiparai (per Wikipedia).1

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Kanni. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.

  1. Kanni, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for all fields

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.