FURRY FRIENDS WITH A PRICE TAG
Dog lovers are waking up to some fancy new four-legged best friends
Once upon a time, if you
wanted a pet dog at home, you probably owned a Labrador or a
Doberman or a Spitz. The breeds were quite lowmaintenance -all they
needed were regular health check-ups, some exercise and an uncomplicated
diet. Well, not anymore. More and more dog lovers are going for rare
and exotic breeds and are ready to fork out thousands for the prized
companion. In vogue are breeds like Newfoundland, Shih Tzu, French
Mastiff and St Bernard. The best part is, it's not just the cities,
but also small towns that are waking up to the wonders of these
in-demand breeds. Our research led a discovery of Newfoundland and a
French Mastiff in small pockets.This tells you that geography is no
barrier when it comes to owning an exotic breed.
Dog breeder Rathin Karmakar feels that since breeding is not yet a regular activity in the city, it's taking time for people know of these breeds.“The word is spreading gradually and people are getting interested in buying these rare dogs. But we arrange for them once the order is placed,“ Rathin said. He further added that it's a demand-and-supply mechanism and the price too depends on the availability of the pups. One might have to shell out an average of `20-35,000 for these dogs.
However, the price is not the beall and end-all, one needs to be a genuine dog lover to handle such rare breeds. Pet shop owner Subhajit Saha said, “Rare dogs are in demand but the price and their maintenance is a challenge, which is why a lot of people may not be able to afford it. But those really interested are walking the extra mile to fulfil their wish.“ For example, a Newfoundland or a St Bernard has to be kept in an airconditioned environment from 9 am to 5 pm.
Tracking these breeds is simple.Dog shows in the city can help you understand the wide variety of breeds available in the city . “People mostly get in touch after a show.However, one should know how to care for these animals before thinking of buying them,“ said Narendranath Saha, dog show organiser. He also added that there are experts b r e e d i n g St Bernard, French Mastiff, English Mastiff and N ew fo u n d l a n d .Check out some of the rare breeds that we managed to track down :
WHITE GERMAN SHEPHERD: ALBI Albi, the one-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd, was bought for `20,000. “She is an albino and does not qualify for shows. The Germans had disqualified her breed as a guard dog because of the colour as they can be easily spotted. In fact, she is too rare to even compete in a show,“ owner Snehashis Sawoo informed.
LONGHAIRED DACHSHUND:
JONY He has been a celeb in dog shows for over six years. “We brought Jony when he was four for a whopping `80,000 as he was a winning dog.But in general, a Longhaired Dachshund puppy will cost around `20,000-25,000. This is a very rare breed in India,“ owner Aniruddha Basu informed. He added that maintaining the coat of this breed is the toughest task.
HAVANESE: RASTA AND CUBA
“We got Rasta from the US. We got Cuba later from a breeder in Delhi. While Rasta is three years old, Cuba is one-and-half. They are very rare in India,“ said Nandita Thirani, a fashion designer. Rasta apparently loves pizza and theplas and is a thorough gentle man. Adorable, we say!
BICHON: GUCCI
Siddhimaa Thacker, who is into her family business of food manufacturing, is an avid dog lover and got Gucci, the bichon, as a gift from a family friend. “They had two Bichons and soon after they had a litter of pups, they were looking for a good home. That is how Gucci came to me,“ Siddhimaa remem bered. She added that this rare dog is actually a French breed.
“Gucci is seven years old now and she and her pups have brought good luck for our fami ly,“ she added.
HARLEQUIN GREAT DANE:
BACHCHA Eight-month-old Bachcha was the only Harlequin among his siblings. “A Harlequin Great Dane is a rarity and he was bought for `18,000. There is a high demand for this breed. I always wanted to have a giant breed and Bachcha is my prized possession,“ said dog breeder and seller Dibyendu Mitra.
CHIHUAHUA: MIA
“My son wanted a pet and my friend had Mia up for adoption. She is small and easy to main tain. We take her along with us almost every where we go. Mia is nine months old and is my third kid,“ said homemaker, Madhuri Venkatesh.
FRENCH MASTIFF:
LALMONI Swarupa Chowdhury is a practicing vet and her big house has five dogs.However, her favourite one is a fourmonth-old French mastiff -Lalmoni.“I am fond of rare breeds and had a St Bernard and a blue-eyed Harlequin Great Dane. I saw the picture of a French mastiff on the internet and that is when I brought Lalmoni from Punjab,“ Swarupa said. She had to shell out `40,000 for her favourite pup. Well, we were informed that the fierce bitch loves to nibble on dates.Sooooo cute!
ENGLISH MASTIFF: ROMEO
The three-and-a-half-year-old giant was bought by Tapu Saha from Delhi for nearly `90,000. “I met a breeder during a show and had ordered an English mastiff pup. Romeo was 32 days old when he came to me,“ Tapu remembered. He also added that Romeo is a show dog and is the best in class.Well, the picture tells the story. “Maintaining him is a tough task. I have to spend around `15,000 a month on him,“ said the BBA student.
NEWFOUNDLAND:
NEVIL, TWEETY AND FUNNY
Subrata Chattopadhyay, a marketing professional bought Nevil from Slovakia, Tweety from the US and Funny from Hungary.“Newfoundland is a rare sight in India. On an average a Newfoundland pup costs around `75,000-1 lakh.They need to be kept in the AC from morning 9 to 5 in the evening but their food habit is simple. A balanced protein diet is all that they need. And yes a good grooming,“ Subrata informed. He added that Newfoundland is a water rescue dog and falls under the working class breed.
BULLMASTIFF: ELINA
The four-year-old mastiff was brought for `22,000 by Jhunu Goswami. He told us that Elina descends from the original bloodline of the breed. “When we bought Elina, it was hard to find a bullmastiff in town, but now people are gradually getting interested in these rare breeds and many come to me asking for a bullmastiff pup,“ Jhunu added.
IRISH SETTER: GUNDA
This one-and-a-half-year-old Irish Setter was bought for `30,000.His daily care includes home-cooked food and a good grooming session to maintain his fur. Setter is a breed of gundog and is known for its good nature. “Gunda is naughty but gets along well with children and other dogs in the family,“ informed Dibyendu Mitra.
ST BERNARD: KRISTIE ARORA
is kept in the AC as it is tough on them to adjust to the humid weather. “She is naughty, but at the same time is a very responsible family member,“ Kashika added.
Dog breeder Rathin Karmakar feels that since breeding is not yet a regular activity in the city, it's taking time for people know of these breeds.“The word is spreading gradually and people are getting interested in buying these rare dogs. But we arrange for them once the order is placed,“ Rathin said. He further added that it's a demand-and-supply mechanism and the price too depends on the availability of the pups. One might have to shell out an average of `20-35,000 for these dogs.
However, the price is not the beall and end-all, one needs to be a genuine dog lover to handle such rare breeds. Pet shop owner Subhajit Saha said, “Rare dogs are in demand but the price and their maintenance is a challenge, which is why a lot of people may not be able to afford it. But those really interested are walking the extra mile to fulfil their wish.“ For example, a Newfoundland or a St Bernard has to be kept in an airconditioned environment from 9 am to 5 pm.
Tracking these breeds is simple.Dog shows in the city can help you understand the wide variety of breeds available in the city . “People mostly get in touch after a show.However, one should know how to care for these animals before thinking of buying them,“ said Narendranath Saha, dog show organiser. He also added that there are experts b r e e d i n g St Bernard, French Mastiff, English Mastiff and N ew fo u n d l a n d .Check out some of the rare breeds that we managed to track down :
WHITE GERMAN SHEPHERD: ALBI Albi, the one-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd, was bought for `20,000. “She is an albino and does not qualify for shows. The Germans had disqualified her breed as a guard dog because of the colour as they can be easily spotted. In fact, she is too rare to even compete in a show,“ owner Snehashis Sawoo informed.
LONGHAIRED DACHSHUND:
JONY He has been a celeb in dog shows for over six years. “We brought Jony when he was four for a whopping `80,000 as he was a winning dog.But in general, a Longhaired Dachshund puppy will cost around `20,000-25,000. This is a very rare breed in India,“ owner Aniruddha Basu informed. He added that maintaining the coat of this breed is the toughest task.
HAVANESE: RASTA AND CUBA
“We got Rasta from the US. We got Cuba later from a breeder in Delhi. While Rasta is three years old, Cuba is one-and-half. They are very rare in India,“ said Nandita Thirani, a fashion designer. Rasta apparently loves pizza and theplas and is a thorough gentle man. Adorable, we say!
BICHON: GUCCI
Siddhimaa Thacker, who is into her family business of food manufacturing, is an avid dog lover and got Gucci, the bichon, as a gift from a family friend. “They had two Bichons and soon after they had a litter of pups, they were looking for a good home. That is how Gucci came to me,“ Siddhimaa remem bered. She added that this rare dog is actually a French breed.
“Gucci is seven years old now and she and her pups have brought good luck for our fami ly,“ she added.
 |
| HARLEQUIN GREAT DANE: |
HARLEQUIN GREAT DANE:
BACHCHA Eight-month-old Bachcha was the only Harlequin among his siblings. “A Harlequin Great Dane is a rarity and he was bought for `18,000. There is a high demand for this breed. I always wanted to have a giant breed and Bachcha is my prized possession,“ said dog breeder and seller Dibyendu Mitra.
 |
| CHIHUAHUA: MIA |
CHIHUAHUA: MIA
“My son wanted a pet and my friend had Mia up for adoption. She is small and easy to main tain. We take her along with us almost every where we go. Mia is nine months old and is my third kid,“ said homemaker, Madhuri Venkatesh.
 |
| FRENCH MASTIFF: |
FRENCH MASTIFF:
LALMONI Swarupa Chowdhury is a practicing vet and her big house has five dogs.However, her favourite one is a fourmonth-old French mastiff -Lalmoni.“I am fond of rare breeds and had a St Bernard and a blue-eyed Harlequin Great Dane. I saw the picture of a French mastiff on the internet and that is when I brought Lalmoni from Punjab,“ Swarupa said. She had to shell out `40,000 for her favourite pup. Well, we were informed that the fierce bitch loves to nibble on dates.Sooooo cute!
 |
| ENGLISH MASTIFF: ROMEO |
ENGLISH MASTIFF: ROMEO
The three-and-a-half-year-old giant was bought by Tapu Saha from Delhi for nearly `90,000. “I met a breeder during a show and had ordered an English mastiff pup. Romeo was 32 days old when he came to me,“ Tapu remembered. He also added that Romeo is a show dog and is the best in class.Well, the picture tells the story. “Maintaining him is a tough task. I have to spend around `15,000 a month on him,“ said the BBA student.
 |
|
NEWFOUNDLAND: NEVIL, TWEETY AND FUNNY |
NEWFOUNDLAND:
NEVIL, TWEETY AND FUNNY
Subrata Chattopadhyay, a marketing professional bought Nevil from Slovakia, Tweety from the US and Funny from Hungary.“Newfoundland is a rare sight in India. On an average a Newfoundland pup costs around `75,000-1 lakh.They need to be kept in the AC from morning 9 to 5 in the evening but their food habit is simple. A balanced protein diet is all that they need. And yes a good grooming,“ Subrata informed. He added that Newfoundland is a water rescue dog and falls under the working class breed.
 |
| BULLMASTIFF: ELINA |
BULLMASTIFF: ELINA
The four-year-old mastiff was brought for `22,000 by Jhunu Goswami. He told us that Elina descends from the original bloodline of the breed. “When we bought Elina, it was hard to find a bullmastiff in town, but now people are gradually getting interested in these rare breeds and many come to me asking for a bullmastiff pup,“ Jhunu added.
 |
| IRISH SETTER: GUNDA |
IRISH SETTER: GUNDA
This one-and-a-half-year-old Irish Setter was bought for `30,000.His daily care includes home-cooked food and a good grooming session to maintain his fur. Setter is a breed of gundog and is known for its good nature. “Gunda is naughty but gets along well with children and other dogs in the family,“ informed Dibyendu Mitra.
 |
| ST BERNARD: KRISTIE ARORA |
ST BERNARD: KRISTIE ARORA
is kept in the AC as it is tough on them to adjust to the humid weather. “She is naughty, but at the same time is a very responsible family member,“ Kashika added.
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