India · prices in rupees, weights in kilograms
International siteKombai Dog
The Kombai is a powerfully built hound of Tamil Nadu and the sixth Indian dog breed registered by the national breed bureau. A 2024 characterization study puts adult males at 22.42 kg and 60.38 cm at the withers and females at 21.73 kg and 55.66 cm, placing it in the mid-sized hound category.
- where it is from
- Tamil Naduwhere it is from
- adult weight on our sources
- 20–26 kgadult weight on our sources
- with the ICAR breed bureau
- Registeredwith the ICAR breed bureau
In short
Key takeaways
- The Kombai comes from Tamil Nadu. Medium, powerful guarding hound.
- Adult size on our sources is 20 to 26 kg and 55 to 61 cm at the shoulder, stated as Body weight of adult Kombai dogs 22.42±1.14 kg (male) and 21.73±2.14 kg (female)..
- Registered with the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. We did not find a Kennel Club of India listing we would cite.
- Suits the Indian climate. A working hound from Tamil Nadu, kept in the districts it comes from.
- Short coat, which our data rates as low grooming effort.
- We found no three dated Indian price sources for this breed, so this page gives no price.
- The 2024 study is framed around characterisation, conservation and sustainable use, which is the language used for a breed whose numbers are a concern.
Key facts
Kombai: 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
- 20 to 26 kgadult weight
- height at the shoulder
- 55 to 61 cmheight at the shoulder
- lifespan
- Not publishedlifespan
- Origin
- Tamil Nadu
- Also called
- Combai, Indian Bear Hound
- Weight, as our source states it
- Body weight of adult Kombai dogs 22.42±1.14 kg (male) and 21.73±2.14 kg (female).
- Height, as our source states it
- Height at withers 60.38±0.35 cm in adult males and 55.66±0.37 cm in females.
- Coat
- Short 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
- A house with a yard
| Weight | Height at the shoulder | |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 21 to 24 kg | 60 to 61 cm |
| Female | 20 to 24 kg | 55 to 56 cm |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
The study places the Kombai in the mid-sized hound category, which it defines as 51 to 70 cm in height and 20 to 40 kg in weight. The ranges here are the reported means plus and minus their standard errors, rounded, because the study reports means rather than breed-wide ranges.
Growth
How a Kombai 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 large size class to it. Nobody has weighed a cohort of Kombai 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 | 3.9 kg | 5 kg |
| 3 months | 6.3 kg | 8.2 kg |
| 4 months | 9.1 kg | 11.8 kg |
| 5 months | 11.7 kg | 15.2 kg |
| 6 months | 14 kg | 18.1 kg |
| 7 months | 15.6 kg | 20.3 kg |
| 8 months | 16.8 kg | 21.9 kg |
| 9 months | 17.6 kg | 22.9 kg |
| 10 months | 18.1 kg | 23.6 kg |
| 11 months | 18.5 kg | 24 kg |
| 12 months | 18.7 kg | 24.3 kg |
| 15 months | 19.3 kg | 25 kg |
| 18 months | 19.9 kg | 25.9 kg |
Estimated from the adult weight range and the growth curve for the large size class. Weekly weight gain drops to almost nothing by about 11 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 Kombai comes from
The Kombai is one of the hunting and guarding hounds of Tamil Nadu, long discussed alongside the Rajapalayam, Chippiparai and Kanni in the Indian literature on native breeds, and often written as Combai.
In August 2026 it became the sixth indigenous dog breed registered through ICAR-NBAGR, after Rajapalayam, Chippiparai and Mudhol Hound in 2020 and Gaddi and Changkhi in 2025.
What it was kept for
The Kombai's working role
The characterization study treats it as a working hound and frames its conservation around that role. We are keeping the description of temperament to what the study supports, which is less than the breed’s popular reputation would suggest.
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
Suits the Indian climate
A working hound from Tamil Nadu, kept in the districts it comes from. As with the other southern hounds, the Indian climate is the one it was shaped in.
A short coat and a powerful, athletic dog: the requirement is space and work rather than grooming.
As a recently registered breed with a small population, finding one means going through its home region rather than a city market.
A short working coat that needs very little.
Price
What a Kombai costs in India
We found no three dated Indian price sources for the Kombai, so this page gives no price. The Supertails price list gives ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 for the breed, but one source is not three.
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 2024 study is framed around characterisation, conservation and sustainable use, which is the language used for a breed whose numbers are a concern.
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 Kombai 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
Kombai: the questions people ask
- How big is a Kombai?
- A 2024 characterization study gives adult males a mean height at withers of 60.38 cm and a mean weight of 22.42 kg, and females 55.66 cm and 21.73 kg. The study classes the breed as a mid-sized hound, which it defines as 51 to 70 cm and 20 to 40 kg.
- Is the Kombai a registered breed?
- Yes. In August 2026 it became the sixth indigenous dog breed registered through ICAR-NBAGR. We did not find its accession number published, so this page does not give one.
- Is Kombai the same as Combai?
- Yes, two spellings of the same breed name. The Indian literature uses both, and the national breed bureau’s own earlier listings use Combai.
- What does a Kombai cost in India?
- We are not giving a figure, because we found one dated Indian source and our rule is three. This is not a breed sold through the city puppy market.
- What is the Kombai used for?
- It is one of the hunting and guarding hounds of Tamil Nadu. We are deliberately not repeating the stronger claims made about the breed’s fighting history, because the sources we could read do not support them.
- How big does a Kombai get?
- Body weight of adult Kombai dogs 22.42±1.14 kg (male) and 21.73±2.14 kg (female). and Height at withers 60.38±0.35 cm in adult males and 55.66±0.37 cm in females., as our sources state it, which is 20 to 26 kg. Most of the weight gain is done by about 11 months for a dog in the large size class, on our own growth calculation rather than any measurement of this breed.
- Is the Kombai a recognised breed?
- Registered with ICAR-NBAGR. Registered by NBAGR in 2026, the sixth Indian dog breed to be registered. The bureau’s announcement of the registration round names the Kombai; we did not find its accession number published, so this page does not state one. We did not find a Kennel Club of India listing we would cite.
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
3 sources behind the figures on this page.
Characterisation, conservation and sustainable utilization of Kombai dog breed: a unique genetic resource of India
Journal of Scientific Research and Reports 30(5) - dated 2024 - read 2026-10-15
doi.orgICAR registers 16 new indigenous livestock and dog breeds
ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources - read 2026-10-15
NBAGR's own announcement of the registration round that included the Kombai dog.
nbagr.res.inHow to adopt a street dog in India (2026 adoption guide)
Dog with Blog - dated 2026-10-09 - read 2026-10-14
dogwithblog.in
Nearby
Similar breeds
- RajapalayamTamil NaduMedium to large sighthound, white coat
- ChippiparaiTamil NaduMedium to large sighthound
- KanniTamil NaduMedium sighthound
Or put two of them side by side in the comparison tool, or answer ten questions about your home in the breed finder.
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.