How dogs have turned into cash cows

The practice remains popular among the rich especially in Kampala, but a number of people upcountry have also started engaging in the business and set up puppy mills/farms in their compounds. 

In Soroti Town, Mr Simon Peter Ongareno, the director of Kanis Dog Centre in Soroti West Division, says he has been raising exotic dogs since 2016. 

“We started with two German Shepherds in 2016 and now have a parent stock of 20 dogs of different breeds including the German Shepherds, Boreboels, Labrados, Retrievers and Maltase,” Mr Ongareno says.

He says dogs are bread for security, company, home beauty, showcasing, and competitions.
He adds it is all possible through the training which the pets go through.

“At Kanis Centre, we train the dogs to serve the interest of customers. If one wants to buy a pet for security reasons, we take it through security drills, and by the time one picks it up, it is as dangerous as a guard aiming a gun at a thief,” he said.

He says puppies are sold when they are between two and three months before or after they have attained basic formal training.

Mr Ongareno said each untrained puppy of 2-3 months is sold at Shs250,000 to Shs500,000 depending on the breed while a trained dog goes between Shs500,000 to Shs1m depending on the level of the training it has attained.

“Dogs are friendly animals with the ability to communicate to their masters through signals of either non-verbal or verbal methods. A dog has a unique sense of intelligence better than humans. It detects danger faster than humans,” he said.

Mr Charles Oiro, the chief dog trainer at Kanis Dog Centre, says he left the private security firm where he was working, and is now raising and training dogs among other things.

Management
At Kanis Dog Centre, under normal and favourable management conditions, each puppy drinks a litre of milk while mature animals feed on a half kilogramme of food each per day.

Mr Oiro says a well-trained dog is capable of providing adequate security to its master compared to an armed security guard.

“Well trained dogs can detect an armed person from a distance of 250m away, alerts the master and prepares to intercept or fight to protect its master from harm. It does not eat food from strangers thus reducing chances of poisoning,” Mr Oiro said.

In training, Mr Oiro says he looks at five major training contents. One of these is general obedience training part one and two syllabuses which introduces the dogs to the first initial stages of learning on and off a leash as the trainers command and give guidance to them.

On leash is when the dog restrained by rope of chain around its neck as the trainer instils discipline in an animal.
The second training exercise, according to Mr Oiro, is sense of tracking. Here a trainer uses signals to communicate with the dog.

Track laying and tracking is another level of training where the dog is shown how to detect hidden items and reveal them to the master or handler.

Search training is another exercise which, however, is not authorised by the government.
Mr Oiro says says one has to part with Shs200m per dog to have this exercise under taken. 
It also requires going abroad and highly populated areas which may cause harm to unsuspecting individuals.

The last training exercise is criminal work drill or aggression and is aimed at equipping the dog to understand, make emergency interceptions, attack and fight the enemy.

Mr Oiro explains that dogs require good housing, proper feeding and health care for it to perform its duties effectively.

Mr Oiro says at Kanis Dog Centre, the management prefers exotic breeds to local ones due to their ability to absorb shock and adjust to training disciplines.

In Masaka City, Mr Alex Bakuku, a dog dealer, says the business is very lucrative.
Mr Bakuku says the project calls for patience from both the project owner and the customers intending to buy the exotic dog breeds.

“People place their orders in advance when the dogs are pregnant and when they give birth we avail them with puppies,” he said.

Mr Bakuku says, cross breeds at his puppy mill cost Shs300,000 and Shs350,000 while a German Shepherd costs between Shs500,000 and Shs700,000. Local dogs cost between Shs80,000 and Shs200,000.
He adds that his clientele are wealthy people in Masaka City and emerging urban centres like Kyotera and Rakai.

Unlike Kanis Dog Centre in Soroti that also has an expert who trains dogs on parameters of security, Mr Bakuku just raises his for sale.

He says to be a good dog breeder, one must have a number of kennels for breeding and safety of dogs especially for whelps (new-born puppies).

He explains that there are four methods of breeding dogs which include inbreeding and involves breeding closely related animals, out-crossing involves breeding two animals of unrelated strains, which gives birth to many healthy breeds, while line  breeding is another way to help set desirable traits. Outcrossing involves breeding of unrelated dogs.

In Kabale, the district veterinary officer, Dr Bernard Kabagambe, says he registered 10 people involved in rearing dogs for sell.

Dr Kabagambe, however, said they do not have doctors trained in taking care of dog’s health since many veterinary officers prefer working on livestock.

“I try to extend veterinary services to these people involved in rearing dogs for business. German shepherd aged two months costs Shs300,000. A puppy Retraia costs Shs500,000. We have one person that is involved in cross breeding the local and exotic dogs and he sells a one month old puppy between Shs100,000 and Shs1m depending on the sharpness and size,”  Dr Kabagambe said.

In Mbarara, city clerk John Matama Behangana says they have not yet licensed or seen anybody interested in dog training or breeding.

He adds: “What I know, we can only license dog training and not rearing. Dog rearing is not a licensable business but dog training where someone gets puppies and starts training them is acceptable.”

Issue
Mr Oiro says dogs are often attacked by parasites especially ticks, lice, and intestinal worms which can be prevented by showering with water mixed with dog shampoo, pesticides but also ensure frequent deworming.
He adds that puppies are attacked by the Parvo virus which can sometimes be fatal and is highly contagious.

“It causes loss of appetite, vomiting, emaciation with sunken eyes and coincidentally death,” he said.
Mr Oiro, however advised that vaccination of the animals at an early stage of growth will help prevent the disease.

He said during the lockdown period the vaccine went out of stock, and as result they lost 18 puppies in July.
He says besides the disease burden, the clientele is limited to rich people, while the other humble homes are still glued to indigenous species of dogs. 

Compiled by Simon Peter Emwamu, George Muron, Wilson Katamba, Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa ,Robert Muhereza & Felix Ainebyoona