A Maltese or a fake?

How often do you see a feisty little dog with a furry coat being peddled by the roadside and you think to yourself ‘‘aww it is too cute’’ and you cannot help but want to nuzzle up against it?

Dog enthusiasts and breeders at the East Africa Kennel Club warn of an explosion of puppy mills where profit counts more than the dog’s or the buyer’s well-being.

Some of the dogs you are buying are psychotic and not well socialised to be perfect canine companions.

Angi Yoder Maina, the chairperson of the kennel club says that there has been an explosion of puppy mills and backyard breeders as the pet industry grows and most dog buyers do not know what they are getting.

“Certain dogs (especially the toy breeds) which have become suddenly popular and have triggered some kind of market are being sold for what they are not,” Angi says.

“Just because someone has a furry tiny dog and thinks he has a Maltese, he will market it as such, but in the real sense that is not a Maltese. You see the sellers on Facebook and other online marketplaces claiming a dog is one thing but it really is not the breed they allege.”

In an industry that is thriving with no inspections or standard of care rules, Angi says it is better to buy a pet from a reputable breeder.

“Some [breeders] rear dogs just for the sake of selling and not for the sake of breeding a proper dog to go to a proper home. The problem is those breeders don’t care about the health of the dog or the standards that they maintain,” says Grace Wahome who deputises Angi at the kennel club.

“Simple things like deworming, vaccinations and general health checks are barely heeded to. The dogs are not well socialised and they eventually end up giving their owners many problems most of them psychotic.’’

Grace, a renowned Kenyan breeder of guard dogs, advises buyers to get pets that have been registered and whose pedigree is known.

“You’ll hear someone say she wants a Japanese Spitz. What makes you think that you are buying a 100 per cent Japanese Spitz if you do not have its registration? How do you know what the traits of this dog are or whether it is ideal for your home?” she says.

The kennel club official says the growing market is being supported by buyers who don’t know that they are being conned because even the sellers have no idea what breed or cross-breed their dogs are.

She adds that when breeders are breeding a dog whose history they do not have, then they do not know the parents or grandparents of this dog, do not know its temperamental history, and that is where the danger often is.

“If you have a dog that has a bad temperament you should avoid breeding that dog because at the end of the day you are propagating that bad trait,” she says.

Visit the mother

As a rule, Angi who is also a breeder, says buyers should insist on visiting the mother and place where the puppies have been bred.

“People are buying dogs without going to see the homes in which they have been bred. Nobody gets a puppy from me unless I am sending it out of the country, without them coming to my house and I visiting theirs — if I am doubtful — to see where the puppy is going to live,’’ she says.

‘‘I have an application form and it’ll surprise you to know I turn down more people that I accept. I have a waiting list. If I got a litter of puppies today they would be gone to good homes,” says the breeder who has imported dogs for as much as Sh500,000 to improve her line.

She maintains that responsible breeders do not breed their dogs more than once every one and a half years, to preserve the standards and health of the dogs.

Instead of buying pets off the streets, you would rather adopt from Kenya Society for the Protection and Care for Animals (KSPCA) where a puppy would typically go for Sh8,000.

The best part about getting a dog from an animal shelter, is it has gotten all its health care needs taken care of and knowing you have saved its life.

The East Africa Kennel Club officials say it is best to buy pure breeds as it hard to know the real traits of crossbreeds. “A purebred is good because then one knows the traits of the dog he is about to bring into his home,” says Grace.

What dog is ideal for your home

In choosing the best dogs, Neeltje Rosenstok, an official at the kennel club says analyse its character and how it fits with the family or your lifestyle. A pet should never be thought of as a toy but as a member of the family.

While there are breeds that are good with children like beagles, poodles, bull terriers, bull dogs, Labradors, golden retrievers, maltese among others, there are others that are rather aggressive.  

“The dog you get for your home depends very much on its character and how you live as a family. Some dogs are happy to sleep all day long and don’t need a lot of exercises like Labradors and pugs,” says Neeltje.

Grace adds that not picking a well socialised and trained dog can be a recipe for disaster.

For instance, Rottweilers walk a fine line between protectiveness and aggressiveness. Being natural guard dogs with a mellow disposition as a family friend, they can be ferocious in their defence and it is therefore essential to channel their power and protectiveness by training them early.

“They are not temperamentally unsound or inherently vicious. Well-bred, well-socialised, they can be great with kids and are playful, gentle, and loving to their families,” she says.

“When this doesn’t happen—and this is true for any other breed—Rottweilers can become dangerous bullies rather than the companionable guardians they’re meant to be.”

Because of this, Rottweilers, and other such breeds are not the dogs for everyone; unless one is dedicated to training and socialising it.

Tiny dogs

Also, Grace warns that tiny breeds which have become quite popular with city dwellers, while being adorable and embodying sheer delight, or making ideal apartment dogs, should not be thought of as being good with children.

“Let not their tiny stature and winsome expression fool you, they can bark as angrily as any dog, or be snippier than large ones,” she says.

“Small dogs are very delicate. I find small dogs harder to train than larger breeds. These dogs are being abandoned because the buyers cannot cope with them.’’