Myrepublica.com presents a few of the most popular and expensive pooches available in Kathmandu.
So what do Kathmanduites like the most. Bull Dogs, Pugs, Pekinese, St Bernards, Boxers and Dalmatians are among the most desired canine breeds. But in terms of number count and what people end up owning, other pooches outnumber most of the other breeds taken together. According to pet store owners, Japanese Spitzs and German Shepherds (or Alsatians as they are also known) are the two most popular dog breeds in town.
"The price factor and wider availability makes these two breeds most popular among Kathmanduites," Kishor Singh KC, owner Royal Kennel, explains. The Spitz are cuddly little white dogs which most people prefer sleeping in their bedrooms while the German Shepard, the big master-friendly pointy eared, roams around the compound making their masters feel safe.
Most pet stores sell Japanese Spitz for around Rs 5,000 while most German Shepard costs between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000. More expensive German Shepherds are also sold in Nepali pet stores. The puppies of German Shepards, who have won big contests for their elegance and stance among other things, are called the pups of champion pedigrees or simply champion dogs and go for around Rs 35,000 and above. Puppies of magnificent Champion German Shepherds can even cost as high as Rs 100,000, according to KC.
Pups of other breeds like Doberman, Dalmatian, Boxer, and other larger dogs with ´Champion´ lineage are also priced at about Rs 35,000. Half the puppies sold in Kathmandu are bred locally while India makes up most of the remaining half. Most of the expensive breeds are imported from Thailand. But pups are also brought from as far as England, Russia and other parts of Europe.
One of the popular breeds in demand in Nepal is also the Tibetan Mastiff or Bhote as it is locally known. "The pure blood Bhote has become and endangered breed now and is also not advised to be kept in Kathmandu," according to KC.
These breeds, mostly bred in the lower mountain region, are sold only by a few pet stores and cost from Rs 3,500 to as high as Rs 60,000 or Rs 70,000. "It´s very difficult to track the lineage of Bhotes. Some might even turn out to be mongrels so we don´t sell them," Suresh Shah, managing director, Mt Everest Kennel Club, told myrepublica.com.
What should a family think about before welcoming a new pup? "Dogs have personalities and these are developed according to the environment they are brought up. People should first think very carefully if they are up to the responsibility and then see which dogs fits their families´ personality," Shah says. Most pet stores also provide counseling before and after a puppy is brought into the family. "Not only the pup needs to be trained but also the family and master who will take care of it. If a puppy is brought up wrong, life will be miserable for the family and terrible for the dog," Shah adds.
"All he asks from me is the food to give him strength. All he ever needs is love and that he knows hell get," Cat Stevens said in his song ´I love my dog´. Puppies need to be cared like human infants. Pet stores provide families with a list of vaccines and other supplements and medicines that need to be given to them that starts from when the puppy is a month old. Families should be very careful to strictly follow these regimes.
Shah also advises owners against feeding dogs with whatever the family is eating. "While they need spices and oil like us, families should prepare separate food for their dogs. We have found that most families have not been doing this and this spoils the dogs´ diet and affect everything from behavior, heath and even their coat."
Pet stores report that there are a few cases when people have not been able to handle this and asked the store owners to find a new family for them. But these few cases should not be a deterrent. All things said, no matter how hard it is to raise a pup, the joy they give you when they turn out right is indescribable.
Most popular dogs
Japanese Spitz - Rs 4,500~Rs 5,000
German Shepherd - Rs 10,000~Rs 12,000
Lhasa Apso - Rs 6,000~Rs 7,000
Labrador - Rs 12,000~Rs 13,000
Doberman - Rs 10,000~Rs 12,000
Boxer - Rs 16,000~Rs 18,000
Dalmatian - Rs 16,000~Rs 18,000
Golden Retriever - Rs 16,000~Rs 17,000
Cocker Spaniel - Rs 10,000~Rs 12,000
Dachshund - Rs 10,000
Most Expensive Pups
Bull Dog - Rs 90,000~Rs 150,000
Mastiff (English/Napoleon) - Rs 90,000~Rs 120,000
Chihuahua - Rs 80,000~Rs 90,000
Chow Chow - Rs 70,000
Newfoundland - Rs 60,000
Great Dane - Rs 35,000~Rs 70,000
St Bernard - Rs 40,000~Rs 50,000
Pug - Rs 35,000~Rs 40,000
Pomeranian - Rs 30,000~Rs 40,000
Pekinese - Rs 35,000~Rs 40,000
Rottweiler - Rs 25,000~Rs 40,000
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