BOERBOELS IN NIGERIA

The Ignorant Puppy Buyer...
Otolorin Daniels - April 2008. (First appeared in Dogs World Magazine)

In this issue, I have decided to deal directly on another topical issue that plagues the dog community in Nigeria. It appears that it is safe to conclude that dog purchases or puppy purchases are being made every day by people of all cadres of the society. And the outlets for these purchases are increasing, from the ever increasing veterinary outlets, to the Road-side kiosk-like centres and the fast growing street puppy hawking which is now a common sight in the city of Lagos. And I actually find that last part quite intriguing. Why would anybody buy a puppy in traffic? I think it shows our disposition to the doggy culture. This disposition is actually at the heart of the dog culture in this country.

For different reasons, Nigerians want dogs and they kind of want it anyhow. It doesn’t matter what the dog can do or cannot do, as long as they know or have heard of anyone who has that kind of dog, they want it and they go for it wherever even if it is in traffic!

As I write this, I recall my personal experiences when I had tried to buy my different dogs. One experience readily came to mind in which I had seen this huge and handsome what you will call a sable coloured German shepherd Dog (GSD) and I immediately fell in love and as luck would have it, there was a puppy from the same dog. To me at the time, the dam of the pup doesn’t matter and before I could say “woof”, I had gone home on a weekend and scrapped all cash that I could lay my hands on and bought this black beauty that we named “Princess”. It took 3 months for us to realise that what we bought wasn’t exactly what we bargained for. Our darling “princess GSD” has now turned “princess mutt”. This prompted a search and our findings was that the dam of our princess was a local bingo... and that was the beginning of the end for our princess then as we were so pained that she lost her pride of place in our heart and eventually our life. And you will expect that that experience would have taught us some lessons but we didn’t learn any as I then went on to buy Foxy, Scooby and Samantha (Rottweiler) following the same pattern of buying from the Backyard breeders and all the experience left me and the dogs with sad experiences that caused both the dogs and myself untold pain and sorrow.

And today, when my phone rings and people call to ask or enquire about any of our litters, I see the same pattern. Even attempts on our parts as conscientious breeders to guide these prospective puppy/dog buyers in the right directions by asking them questions to ensure that they probably will fit our breed of choice, the boerboel are often interpreted to mean that we are proud or being discriminative. You begin to hear comments like “whatever the amount, I can pay”; “I have been a dog lover all my life...” and I wonder whether love is enough in this matter?

So where is all these going? I think a collective effort is required of all stakeholders in the dog community in Nigeria to begin a systematic education of the dog/puppy buying community and this is another area where the breed clubs and groups that I called for in the last issue of Dog World Magazine will also provide immense benefits. I have also attempted to summarise a few of the factors that the buying public should take into consideration for them to move away from the ignorant status to making informed decisions about their dog purchases.

Why do you want a dog? As simple as this question may sound, the answers are often not easy. I have found out that many people don’t really have a reason for getting a dog. However, most answers fall under security/guard and social considerations. It is important that you as a prospective buyer is fully aware of the reason why you want a dog as your honest answer will help guide you through other decisions that you will have to make during the acquisition process. It will generally determine what type of dog you will get and where you will get the dog from. Your answers will also help you prepare for the responsibilities that go with the type of dog that you will get.

The type of Dog to buy? Of course, honest and sincere answers to the questions above will certainly answer this question too. You will be able to determine if toy breeds or large breeds, etc. You will also be considering your own personal constraints in terms of space and time to determine what type of dog is most suitable for you. It is also expected that you will at this stage have researched the type of dog that you have chosen to understand issues relating to their temperaments and health. I particularly have found out that Nigerians pay little or no attention to the health issues related to the breed of their choice. All they are preoccupied with is their desire to have the dog. So it doesn’t matter if the Sire and the Dam of their puppy have been tested for any of the predisposed genetic health issues. When I tell buyers that our breeding stock have been tested for Hips Dysplasia (HD), Elbow Dysplasia (ED) and Vaginal Hyperplasia (VH) in the first instance, they are just not interested and it doesn’t make any difference to their buying interests. And it is attitude like this that give those unscrupulous breeders the leeway to continue to produce puppies knowing fully well that there is a gullible market that will buy.

Where to buy the Dog? When you know why you want a dog and the type of dog you want to buy, then I’m sure you will begin to seek out appropriate sources for that dog that will be your family companion for the next 6-15years. I cannot over emphasize that there are very few breeders in this country for different kinds of dogs that exist. Make no mistake, many people are having puppies but that doesn’t make them breeders. I dare say for many, puppy production is a way out of ‘recouping’ their investments in their dogs. There is no thought whatsoever that goes into the mating of the dogs. All that happens is that you look for a male and female and when the female is in season, you put them together and there goes another litter of troubles that goes on to cause the unsuspecting future owners untold pain and hardship just because they wanted to ‘breed’. There is absolutely nothing wrong in breeding but people should just follow the rules and do the right thing. It is time that we put Nigeria in the respectable dog communities of the world through our various involvements; breeding, training and ownership

Questions to ask the Breeder? So you have made up your mind, why you want the dog and what type of dog to buy. You have also taken the pain to search out the ethical breeders and now you are about to make the contact/s. It is advisable that you have a list of questions ready to ascertain that the dog you are buying is the right dog for you and your family and more importantly that you are buying from the right stock and the right breeder. Below are some of the useful questions??

Are you a registered breeder? If yes with what association? Ask for credentials and registration number that you can verify?
Who are the parents of the puppy? Are they registered/registrable and please demand proofs? Demand to know the Grandparents at the least as this will likely show you how far back the ‘breeder’ is aware of the combinations that he has put together
Ask to see the parents of your puppy and see what health condition they are in and of course their temperaments. You should bear in mind that your puppy will possibly grow into being like of the parents or both of them
Ask what health issues your chosen breed are susceptible to and how the breeders is mitigating against those in his breeding stock and the litter you wish to buy from
Ask if the breeder will sell the puppies with Sales Agreement which spells out the right of the dog, your right and breeder’s right concerning the sale. You will find out that most backyard breeders will avoid the responsibility that goes with selling a puppy as that wasn’t part of their ‘business plan’ as all they want to do is just sell the puppy and get your cash while you go to worry with the troubles if and when there is any.
Ask if your puppy will be registered by any of the recognised breed registries of your chosen breed?

Remember that there are really no bad dogs but bad owners and the first step towards being the good owner of your dog that will in turn make the dog a good one is if you take the first right step in the right direction and that step is by choosing to stop being an ignorant dog/puppy buyer today.