In general, the dog is seen as a filthy and disgusting creature.
In India, keeping dogs as pets is becoming more popular.
Indian dogs, on the other hand, used to prowl the streets as scavengers, devouring whatever they could find, even each other.
Even apart from the vermin and illness that they often carry, notably rabies, their promiscuous feeding habits make them ritually unclean.
Aside from its usefulness as scavengers, the dog is also the animal vehicle of Bhairava, Shiva's wrathful manifestation.
Bhairava's symbolic association with an unclean animal demonstrates his pantheon's fringe status—he is strong, but also feared, since he is not governed by regular standards.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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