Although the Jonangi has not been awarded the recognition of an individual breed by any major kennel club, they’re agile, energetic, and are just the kind of pets you’d want to welcome into your family. Today, we’re here to familiarize you with this unique breed and learn more about its physical traits, personality, and maintenance needs. Let’s get started!
Height: 18-22 inches in both sexes.
Weight: 25-39 kilograms in males; 20-29 kilograms in females.
Lifespan: about 10-14 years
Coat type: short and dense
Colors: white (occasionally with black spots), grey, black, brindle
The Appearance of Jonangi Dogs
Colloquially known as “Kolleti Jagilam,” Jonangi shows a striking resemblance to Bull Terriers with their pricked, upward-facing ears and can grow to be just as muscular. With their medium height, the Jonangis possess a rather stocky face with a short muzzle and a wrinkled forehead. Another remarkable trait of this breed is that they cannot bark but make yodeling sounds instead.
Jonangis have a somewhat long tail falling down their back, with a slight curve at its pointy edge. Being native to India, this breed has a short but dense fur coat that’s smooth and glossy and doesn’t overheat their body.
The Personality of Jonangi Dogs
The first thing you need to know about the Jonangi is that they’re a one-master or one-family dog.
They’re also not suited for apartment life. This energetic breed enjoys brisk, playful activities and is, therefore, ideal for houses with a yard.
Caring for your Jonangi
Now, let’s talk about the kind of environment that’s ideal for bringing up a Jonangi.
Diet
Jonangis are omnivores that can thrive on a balanced diet of meat and greens fed thrice a day. However, you will need to change the quantity according to their age and energy levels.
High-quality dry kibbles with a high nutritional value are a great choice for these dogs, as long as you throw in raw chicken meat once or twice a week. Alternatively, if you want to feed them home-cooked food, go for chapatis instead of rice, alongside greens like spinach, broccoli, and so on.
Grooming and maintenance
Being a short-haired breed, the Jonangi needs very little in the name of grooming. They’re a breed that enjoys being clean and will only need brushing and nail clipping once a week to stay in good shape. You won’t need to bathe them too frequently, either; once a month should be enough.
Because they’ve been bred in the tropical climate of India, this breed can easily adjust in any part of the country. In terms of health, they’re already a robust breed; years of cross-breeding have helped fortify their immunity to fend off almost all canine-related health issues.
For these reasons, you won’t have to worry about too many vet appointments for your pet Jonangi either. However, since this breed is more suited to a warmer environment, you will need to keep them warm with doggie jackets and boots during winters.
Training and exercise
Judging a Jonangi’s stamina by looking at its size is the biggest mistake you could make. While this breed isn’t remarkably large or small, they are incredibly agile and are little balls of fire.
As a pet parent to a Jonangi, you need to match their liveliness, take them on walks twice a day (when they’re adults), in addition to their own play-time in your yard/lawn. If they are not engaged enough, they can start digging up holes in your yard obsessively to release all that pent-up energy.
As far as training is concerned, the Jonangi isn’t the most intelligent breed out there. But they do have sharp instincts and are loyal to a fault.
Socialization
Because Jonangis have a history of working as guard dogs, they’re not great with strangers. When exposed to a group of people they can potentially behave in a protective and aggressive manner.
Even if you socialize these dogs early, you still cannot expect them to mingle with strangers easily as adults. So, if you have guests over frequently, it could be problematic for you to own a Jonangi. On the bright side, they get along quite well with other pets and animals.
If you’re looking for a size-friendly, sprightly, and loyal pet and happen to have a small social circle, Jonangis can be the pet of your dreams.
