So far, dogs were only considered to be man's best friends. But the best breeds among dogs are also becoming pet owners' latest status symbols. Lucknowites are now spending astronomical amounts on procuring dogs of rare breeds.
Easy to import dogs
The trend is corroborated by KK Trivedi, secretary of the Oudh Kennel Club and a member of the committee of the Kennel Club of India. Giving his reason for the increase in popularity of exotic and rare breeds of mutts as the ease in their import now, Trivedi says, "It has now become very easy to import unique foreign breeds of dogs in India, as people are willing to spend any amount of money required to get the most coveted dogs." He adds, "I am a licensed dog show judge and I can confirm that in the last couple of years, there has been an increase in the number of breeds shown at the shows. And one major reason for this is that more than a pet, canines today have become a status symbol. People take pride in showing off their dogs."
SK Agarwal, a veterinary and secretary of the Lucknow Canine Practitioner's Club also says the trend has picked up in the last couple of years. "We organise a dog show every year and around 300 dogs from in and around the city are registered for the show. Last year, we had 33-35 different breeds of dogs at the show, which was a surprise. Pitbulls, Belgium Shepherds, Chihuahua and Mastiffs were some among them," he shares, adding, "Another thing that I have noticed is that people are more inclined towards ferocious breeds now. Friendly and family mutts like Labradors and Retrievers are not so popular these days."
Rare is in
The experts are spot on, as Kamran Beg's example illustrates. Beg, a resident of Phoolbagh has several dogs of exotic breeds. "I have a Beagle, a Whippet and three Rottweilers. I also had a Bull Mastiff but he died a month back. All my dogs are imported and registered with the Kennel Club of India," says Kamran.
Shahbaz, a resident of Kakori near Lucknow, shares why he chose to get a Tibetan Mastiff, "Tibetan Mastiffs are known for their ferocious nature, and I always wanted a ferocious dog. I got mine through a friend from Punjab."
Money no bar
On the other hand, Akash Yadav, a student prides himself on his pair of Pitbulls. Says Akash, "The first time I saw a Pitbull, I got this urge to get one for myself, though it was not very easy to get a good dog of this breed here in Lucknow. But with the help of friend I imported Freddie ifrom Poland. He cost us about a lakh, including all the import charges, but it was worth it. My other dog Bella is an Indian born puppy with an imported pedigree. I got her from Delhi but she too came at a steep price of `30,000."
With an increase in demand for canines, especially rare breeds, it's boom time for professional dog breeders who have made dog breeding a flourishing business. Anand Upadhyay is one such breeder, who says that people these days are ready to spend any amount of money to get a good dog.
"I usually deal in Rottweilers, Dobermans and Labradors. Last year I spent `1 lakh 65 thousand just to get my female Doberman mated with a male, which had been adjudged the Dog of the Year in several shows. The second time I paid `3 lakh 50 thousand to get her mated and when she littered, two of her puppies were sent to Hyderabad and Rajkot. The male puppy was sold for `2 lakh 25 thousand, and the female for `2 lakh 5 thousand. My monthly expenditure on these dogs is nearly `70-80,000."
For most canine lovers in the city, the money spent on the pooches and their uniqueness makes them their owner's pride. Take for instance Kundan, a businessman from Lucknow, who tells us, "My Rottweiler Marcus is 26 months old and he has won 10 titles in 10 months in dog shows across the country. His grandfather was a world champion and we got him for `60,000 from Delhi. Marcus' puppies were sold for `25,000 each."
Prize catch
Indeed, while the money splurged on acquiring exotic breeds has flaunt value, the prizes these pets bring home is an impetus for dog owners like Vishal Yadav. Owner of a German Shepherd called Zola, Vishal says, "She is the most graceful bitch I ever had or seen. Zola has won many titles at the state as well as national level dog shows. She has been adjudged Best in Class, Best in Breed and Best in Show several times and she is known for her poise and obedience. She was imported from Germany costing us a bomb but then she gave birth to real high quality puppies, some of which were also exported."
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