India · prices in rupees, weights in kilograms
International siteGaddi Dog
The Gaddi is the flock-guarding dog of the Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh and the western Himalaya, registered by the national breed bureau in 2025. A 2022 characterization study puts adult males at 32 to 40 kg and about 61 cm at the withers, and females at 28 to 35 kg and about 56 cm.
- where it is from
- Himachal Pradesh and the western Himalayawhere it is from
- adult weight on our sources
- 28–40 kgadult weight on our sources
- with the ICAR breed bureau
- Registeredwith the ICAR breed bureau
In short
Key takeaways
- The Gaddi comes from Himachal Pradesh and the western Himalaya. Large flock guardian, thick coat.
- Adult size on our sources is 28 to 40 kg and 56 to 61 cm at the shoulder, stated as Adult male 32-40 kg; adult female 28-35 kg..
- Registered with the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. We did not find a Kennel Club of India listing we would cite.
- Struggles in Indian heat. This is a mountain dog from the western Himalaya, with the coat that implies.
- Thick double coat, which our data rates as medium grooming effort.
- We found no three dated Indian price sources for this breed, so this page gives no price.
- The 2022 study was explicitly aimed at documenting the breed so it could be recognised, which is what happened in 2025.
Key facts
Gaddi: size, coat and recognition
Every figure in this card is quoted from a named source, and the sources are listed at the foot of the page. Where a figure is missing, the card says it is missing rather than filling the gap.
- adult weight
- 28 to 40 kgadult weight
- height at the shoulder
- 56 to 61 cmheight at the shoulder
- lifespan
- Not publishedlifespan
- Origin
- Himachal Pradesh and the western Himalaya
- Also called
- Gaddi Kutta, Mahidant Mastiff, Himalayan Mastiff
- Weight, as our source states it
- Adult male 32-40 kg; adult female 28-35 kg.
- Height, as our source states it
- Mean height at withers 24.03±0.27 inches (male) and 22.04±0.29 inches (female), which is about 61 cm and 56 cm.
- Coat
- Thick double coat
- ICAR-NBAGR
- Registered with ICAR-NBAGR
- Kennel Club of India
- We did not find a Kennel Club of India listing we would cite.
- Space it needs
- Land. Not a flat.
| Weight | Height at the shoulder | |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 32 to 40 kg | 60 to 62 cm |
| Female | 28 to 35 kg | 55 to 57 cm |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
The study reports heights in inches. The centimetre figures here are converted from them, which is why they are given as narrow bands around the mean rather than as breed-wide ranges.
Growth
How a Gaddi grows
The band below is our own calculation: we take the adult weight range from the source above and scale a published veterinary growth curve for the giant size class to it. Nobody has weighed a cohort of Gaddi puppies month by month, so this is an estimate of the shape of the curve rather than a measurement of this breed.
| Age | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 4.2 kg | 6.1 kg |
| 3 months | 7.3 kg | 10.4 kg |
| 4 months | 11.1 kg | 15.9 kg |
| 5 months | 14.8 kg | 21.1 kg |
| 6 months | 17.9 kg | 25.5 kg |
| 7 months | 20.4 kg | 29.1 kg |
| 8 months | 22.4 kg | 32 kg |
| 9 months | 23.9 kg | 34.2 kg |
| 10 months | 24.8 kg | 35.5 kg |
| 11 months | 25.4 kg | 36.2 kg |
| 12 months | 25.9 kg | 37 kg |
| 15 months | 26.7 kg | 38.2 kg |
| 18 months | 27.9 kg | 39.8 kg |
Estimated from the adult weight range and the growth curve for the giant size class. Weekly weight gain drops to almost nothing by about 13 months.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
The same growth engine drives our puppy weight calculator, which works in pounds, and the method is set out on the how we calculate page.
Origin
Where the Gaddi comes from
The Gaddi takes its name from the Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh, who use the dogs on migratory grazing routes in the western Himalaya. The 2022 characterization study was carried out by Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University at Palampur and included the economics of migratory shepherding alongside the dog measurements.
It was registered by ICAR-NBAGR in 2025, after the first three southern breeds.
What it was kept for
The Gaddi's working role
A livestock guardian working with migratory flocks. The study notes that shepherds do not usually follow a strict vaccination schedule, which tells you something about how these dogs live: they are working animals in a working system, not pets that happen to be outdoors.
The study records 8 to 12 litters in a lifetime with 4 to 8 pups per whelping.
A note on temperament
This section says what our sources say this breed was kept for, and stops there. We do not rank breeds by temperament and we do not describe any breed as aggressive. A breed bureau descriptor records what a dog looks like and what it is used for; it does not record what it is like to live with, and we are not going to supply the difference out of our own heads.
Indian climate
Struggles in Indian heat
This is a mountain dog from the western Himalaya, with the coat that implies. It is the one native breed on these pages that the Indian plains are genuinely hard on, for the same reason a Tibetan Mastiff is: the coat was built for a cold place.
A flock guardian needs work and space. This is not an apartment dog and our sources do not describe it as a companion breed.
The coat is the Indian plains problem. In the hills it is the point of the dog.
A heavy mountain coat. The characterization study records ear length and width and tail length but does not give a grooming regime, so neither do we.
Price
What a Gaddi costs in India
We found no three dated Indian price sources for the Gaddi, so this page gives no price. The Supertails price list gives ₹10,000 to ₹35,000 for the breed. One source is not three, and in any case these dogs mostly change hands within shepherding communities rather than being sold.
That is not a coy way of saying the breed is expensive. Most native Indian breeds are not sold through the channels that publish prices at all: they change hands within a region, through shepherding and farming households and through state-run breeding centres, and no Indian pet publisher prices them. A shelter or rescue fee of ₹0 to ₹2,000 is the only dependably sourced figure we can offer you for a dog of this kind.
If you have seen this breed advertised at a particular price, treat the advertisement as the source it is. The price calculator covers the imported breeds that are priced by three or more Indian publishers.
Population
Conservation and population status
The 2022 study was explicitly aimed at documenting the breed so it could be recognised, which is what happened in 2025. The paper notes how far and wide efforts to recognise India’s dog populations as distinct breeds had been.
Running cost
What a dog this size costs to keep
Our food and grooming figures are sourced breed by breed for the imported breeds, not for the native ones. The calculator below is the imported-breed calculator; set it to a breed of roughly the same size as a Gaddi and the food, vaccination and accessory lines are a fair guide, because those costs follow the dog's weight rather than its pedigree. The purchase price is not transferable and we would not pretend otherwise.
Dog price calculator for India
Labrador Retriever puppy, kci-registered breeder
₹25,000 to ₹60,000 and up
The range our sources give for a KCI-registered Labrador Retriever.
Supertails gives ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 for a KCI-registered Labrador and Inside Scroller ₹30,000 to ₹60,000 and up. Mr n Mrs Pet states ₹30,000 to ₹1,20,000 and up.
In Delhi NCR
₹10,000 to ₹70,000
Delhi NCR is a metro. Across the metro cities our sources name, a Labrador Retriever runs ₹10,000 to ₹70,000. That is the general market across seller types, not the figure for one seller.
Inside Scroller’s metro rows run ₹10,000 in Kolkata to ₹58,000 in Mumbai. Supertails is higher, giving Delhi NCR ₹25,000 to ₹70,000 and Chennai ₹20,000 to ₹61,000, and adds that flight-nanny transport costs ₹3,000 to ₹8,000 on top.
The other ways to buy one
- Unregistered home breeder
- ₹8,000 to ₹45,000
First year of running costs
₹45,020 to ₹1,02,100
That is ₹3,752 to ₹8,508 a month. The puppy price above is not in this figure.
- Food₹2,500 to ₹5,000 a month₹30,000 to ₹60,000
- Puppy vaccinationsthe full first-year course₹3,000 to ₹8,000
- Dewormingfour to six doses in the first year (working estimate)₹320 to ₹1,500
- Vet visitsthree to five consultations, vaccinations counted separately (working estimate)₹900 to ₹4,000
- Grooming13 to 13 grooms a year₹7,800 to ₹15,600
- Starter accessoriesbed, crate, bowls, collar, leash, toys₹3,000 to ₹13,000
Working estimates included. The number of deworming doses and vet visits in a first year is ours, not a figure from a source. The prices per dose and per visit are sourced.
Indian climate
Suits the Indian climate
Inside Scroller writes that in India’s climate the Labrador’s short coat handles heat better than double-coated breeds, while noting that a black coat absorbs more solar radiation than a lighter one, so midday outdoor exercise is best avoided in peak summer.
The Labrador Retriever was not on the list in the 2024 central advisory.
The 11 sources behind this result
Labrador Retriever price in India
Supertails — dated 2026-07-13 — read 2026-10-14
supertails.comBlack Labrador dog price in India 2026
Inside Scroller — dated 2026-04-11 — read 2026-10-14
insidescroller.comLabrador Retriever puppies for sale in India
Mr n Mrs Pet — no publication date shown — read 2026-10-14
mrnmrspet.comTamil Nadu bans 23 'ferocious' dog breeds including Pitbull terrier, Tosa Inu
India TV — dated 2024-05-09 — read 2026-10-14
indiatvnews.comLabrador Retriever breed standard
American Kennel Club — no publication date shown — read 2026-10-14
akc.orgDog Price List in India 2026: Top 40 Breeds, City-wise Costs & Monthly Budget
Supertails — dated 2026-03-09 — read 2026-10-14
supertails.comPuppy and dog vaccination schedule in India: chart and cost (2026)
Dog with Blog — dated 2026-10-12 — read 2026-10-14
dogwithblog.inDog vaccination schedule in India (2026): age-by-age chart, costs and rabies rules
Supertails — dated 2026-08-21 — read 2026-10-14
supertails.comComplete new puppy checklist for India (2026)
Supertails — dated 2026-05-30 — read 2026-10-14
supertails.comHow to adopt a street dog in India (2026 adoption guide)
Dog with Blog — dated 2026-10-09 — read 2026-10-14
dogwithblog.inDog breeds in India with price (2026 guide)
Aruani Pet Stop — dated 2026-07-25 — read 2026-10-14
aruanipetstop.in
Every figure here comes from a published Indian source named above, read on 14 October 2026. Puppy prices move with demand and are negotiated one dog at a time, so treat these as the range to expect rather than a quote.
FAQ
Gaddi: the questions people ask
- How big is a Gaddi dog?
- The 2022 characterization study gives adult males 32 to 40 kg and a mean height at withers of 24.03 inches, about 61 cm, and females 28 to 35 kg and 22.04 inches, about 56 cm.
- Is the Gaddi a recognised breed?
- Yes. ICAR-NBAGR registered it in 2025, the fourth Indian dog breed to be registered. We did not find its accession number published, so we do not state one.
- Is a Gaddi the same as a Himalayan Mastiff?
- Himalayan Mastiff and Gaddi Kutta are both used for this dog, but the naming in the Himalaya is loose and several mountain dogs get called mastiffs. The characterization study uses Gaddi dog, and so do we.
- Can a Gaddi live in an Indian city?
- Our sources describe a flock guardian working migratory grazing routes in the western Himalaya, with a heavy mountain coat. Nothing about that suggests a plains city, and we would not encourage it.
- What is a Gaddi dog used for?
- Guarding flocks on migratory grazing routes. The study that documented the breed also recorded the income from migratory farming, which is the system these dogs are part of.
- How big does a Gaddi get?
- Adult male 32-40 kg; adult female 28-35 kg. and Mean height at withers 24.03±0.27 inches (male) and 22.04±0.29 inches (female), which is about 61 cm and 56 cm., as our sources state it, which is 28 to 40 kg. Most of the weight gain is done by about 13 months for a dog in the giant size class, on our own growth calculation rather than any measurement of this breed.
Method
Every source behind this page
Breed facts here come from the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, from peer-reviewed characterization studies, and from veterinary and state publications. Wikipedia is not a source on these pages: where it pointed us at a study or a registry entry we went and read that instead and cited it. No figure on this page comes from a page that sells dogs.
Sources
4 sources behind the figures on this page.
Phenotypic characterization and documentation of Gaddi dog of western Himalayan region of India
Sankhyan V, Thakur R, Dogra P K, Thakur A. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 92(10):1189-1193 - dated 2022 - read 2026-10-15
Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University. Heights are reported in inches in the paper; the centimetre figures on our pages are converted from them.
doi.orgGaddi dog of the Himalayas officially recognised by ICAR-NBAGR
Down To Earth - read 2026-10-15
downtoearth.org.inRegistered dog breeds
ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources - read 2026-10-15
The register of Indian dog breeds and their accession numbers. Read through the Internet Archive snapshot of 14 October 2024, which lists Rajapalayam, Chippiparai and Mudhol Hound. Later registrations are sourced separately.
nbagr.icar.gov.inHow to adopt a street dog in India (2026 adoption guide)
Dog with Blog - dated 2026-10-09 - read 2026-10-14
dogwithblog.in
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Breed facts and recognition status last checked . Prices move, so treat anything older than a few months as a guide rather than a quote. Estimate only. For health questions, ask your vet.