Participants at the Pet Pal Party hosted by Tollygunge Club. Picture by Amit Datta

The powerful German Shepherd or the massive Great Dane might be the ultimate pet for Calcuttans but small flats and hectic lives are making many settle for smaller breeds like Poms and Pugs.

The 146th and 147th dog shows organised by Calcutta Kennel Club and the Pet Pal Party hosted by Tollygunge Club recently highlighted the changing trends in choice of pets.

“I have always wanted a German Shepherd but there’s only room for a toy dog in my flat,” said T. Banerjee, a visitor at the Calcutta Kennel Club show.

In the “toy dog” category, Pug wins paws down. “Fifteen years ago I had to plead with people to buy my Pug puppies for Rs 5,000. Yesterday, I sold another Pug puppy for Rs 25,000,” said Somnath Dutta, a participant at the show. “What was ugly then is the cutest thing around, thanks to the Vodafone ads.”

The telecom company, for the first time, sponsored the Pug round of the Calcutta Kennel Club’s show, in which 42 dogs took part. The total number of entrants was 488, covering 42 breeds.

The shift to small dogs has a lot to do with maintenance. “A big, muscular dog like my Rottweiler needs to run 5km every day. How many people have the time to take their dog for a 5km run?” asked Himadri Adhya of Tarakeshwar.

Some of those aiming to adopt large dogs are testing waters with smaller ones like Dachshund.

Mehul Mohanka of New Alipore got a Great Dane after raising several Spitzs and Lhasa Apsos. “Keeping a big dog is no joke. Our Maximus eats 2 kg of rice for lunch and has to be fed four times a day,” he said.

Those who can accommodate medium-sized dogs, are mainly sticking to the old favourite, Labrador.

“That’s because they are playful and friendly, especially with children. They’re a great dog for the family,” said S. Raman, the secretary of the club.

Small or large, dogs with thick coats are losing out since they shed fur. “I wanted a Cocker Spaniel but keeping their coat clean is a major hassle. Also, I am allergic to dog fur,” said 12-year-old Tanya Malik, who now has a short-coated and compact Basset Hound.

The most hassle-free companions seem to be rabbits. “My rabbit only needs to be fed. He licks himself clean like cats, so we hardly have to bathe him. And while dogs and cats are known to make a ruckus, my Snowy is absolutely silent,” said Anshuman Sanganeria at Tolly Club.

Likewise for Sucheta Dey, who said her African grey parrot and Australian Sulphur-crested Cockatoo sit on their stand the whole day without disturbing anyone.