It's a dog

It's a dogWhen it comes to purchasing pets, Mumbaikars look to popular culture icons like Odie and Scooby Doo for inspiration

MUMBAI: If you’re under the impression there's no such thing as a free lunch, think again. And dog breeders in the city concur. “Business is thriving thanks to advertisements, television serials, films and even comic strips featuring dogs. And now that almost all pedigrees are available in the city, there’s nothing stopping Mumbaikars from shelling out huge amounts for their favourite pets.

“What’s funny is that none of these ads are trying to sell you dogs — they merely feature them,” says  Prashant Kamble,  with a wry smile. The Thane-based dog breeder recently ‘arranged’ for four Pugs last month — all in the range of Rs35,000 to Rs40,000.

While some breeds, like Pugs and Labradors owe their popularity to ads, others like the Great Dane are highly coveted thanks to Scooby Do, that bumbling but endearing cartoon character. Dalmatians were all the rage a few years ago when 101 Dalmatians hit the big screen. Not to be left behind, Mumbai's celebrities, too, have jumped onto the bandwagon, or rather the dog wagon. Their role model? Paris Hilton and her bite-sized Chihuahua. Even the goofy Odie from the cartoon strip Garfield has made the Jack Russell Terrier popular. “The Terrier is very popular in the city,” says Ratty Javeri, joint secretary, Indian National Kennel Club. “But the Pug, is the cynosure of all eyes right now, for obvious reasons.”

Ask seven-year-old Ritika Gulati who pestered her parents for a Pug for almost a year. “Every time she would see the ad, she would throw a tantrum,” says her father Arvind, who finally gave in and bought a pug for Rs 40,000 a few months ago. “She has promised to take care of the pup,” says Gulati.

“Pugs are very tender and need constant attention,” says Nandu Sonavane, who owns a black Pug and three Labradors. “They will do anything to grab your attention,” he adds.

This, says Javeri, is exactly why gifting a child a dog is a bad idea. “Never gift a pet to a child unless you know the entire family wants it and is ready to accept the responsibility for 15 years,” she warns. But the Pug is not unique in its demands for attention. “The Golden Retriever, which comes a close second to the Pug in the popularity contest, also  demands a lot of care and attention,” says Javeri.

Dog lovers and vets are quick to caution eager Mumbaikars. “It is not a toy. Bring a dog home only if you really have the time to groom and exercise him,” says dog-lover Sujata Tiwari, 47, who received a Golden Retriever pup from her family as a birthday gift this year. “I had always wanted a dog, but my children were apprehensive about bringing home a pet. Now that they are grown up, they feel ready to take on the additional responsibility,” she says.

The pup, Husky, is four months old and boasts of a good lineage. “His father is a champion who takes part in dog shows,” says Tiwari with a hint of pride. They purchased Husky for Rs22,000 from a Kolhapur-based breeder.

“That's not so expensive in a market where the dog's ancestry, breed, registration papers, vaccination and general health, are crucial factors that decide the price,” says Javeri. In fact, the demand is so great and the prices so high, that there are a lot of fake suppliers in the market. warns Javeri. 

But regardless of the pedigree, pet owners in Mumbai are head over heels in love with their expensive, high-maintenance pets. Like Vijay Ahuja who owns two Cocker spaniels — Star and Mischief. “Star will not sleep in a non-air-conditioned room, and Mischief demands vanilla ice-cream with every meal,” says Ahuja. Now that's what we call a dog's life.

s_deepa@dnaindia.net