The cute little pug walking down in the advertisement of a leading telecom network aroused great curiosity among pet lovers in the country. Almost overnight the pug was the most sought after breed in the country with people willing to pay a fortune to possess this tiny little thing.

As is oft repeated, dogs can be a man?s best friend and can even risk their lives to ensure its master?s safety. There are many tales of the dog?s loyalty. Everything being said and done, though the city has some dog lovers, it is quite a difficult task to get the desired breed of pedigree dog in the city.

The city of Jamshedpur boasts of many dog lovers but they get their preferred breed from outside. For those, however, who do not wish to travel alarming distances to possess a pet, a few city-based breeders are present as well.While some can get you your pet within a week, others take a little more time and bring it for you in a fortnight.

Pet dreams

Inderjeet Das of ?The Pet Stop? gets most of his supply of pedigreed dogs from Calcutta and Bangalore. Interested people can get their favourite pets by ordering a week in advance. The Labrador comes at a price, between Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, while the Golden Retriever would cost around Rs 6,000. The Alsation is available for a price about Rs 5,000 and the German Spitz is priced the lowest at Rs 1,500. The Dalmatian comes for around Rs 7,000.

Contact Inderjeet at The Pet Stop, 428, Sanjay Market, Sakchi, Jamshedpur or one may call at 2440868.

Shamsher Khan specialises in the Great Dane breed and if the payment is done in advance, people can get their pets within a day or two. At present, he has around five dogs all brought from Hyderabad. This pedigree of the Great Dane can be yours at Rs 15,000. People are increasingly getting interested in this hitherto unfamiliar breed. Khan may be contacted at, Quarter No. 5, Karim Colony, Golmuri.

S.B. Joshi, owner of Swarnarekha Kennel in Sundernagar, has a collection of German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Labradors. People can get their preferred dogs by placing their orders with him. The German Shepherd with both Indian parents are priced at the Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 mark, while others with either of the parents from international breed would be priced above Rs 10,000. The Labrador can be bought within the Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 mark whereas the Rottweiler is priced at Rs 25,000. Joshi can be contacted at Ram Tekari Road, Jugsalai.

Rakesh Prasad of Shyam Pet Centre has been a dog trainer for the last 10 years. He also works as a mediator and can get you any desired breed within 10 days. The German Shepherd would cost you around Rs 6,000. According to him, there will always be a steady demand for Alsatians. He can be contacted at Shyam Pet Centre, Shop no. 108, Shalini Market, Sakchi, Jamshedpur.

All those who buy their dogs through dealers are usually given registration papers through the local Kennel Club. The club has a list of breeders in the city, who have to report each time a puppy is born. The club representatives then inspect the puppies and the mother. After verification, the papers are sent to the Kennel Club at Chennai. The papers usually get ready within two months time and are handed over to the owner.

FIRST- AID

Making the right choices

As a breeder, S.B. Joshi is into this business for over three years.
He is one person who can supply the rarest of breeds.
He is also the owner of Swarnarekha Kennel, one of the private kennels in the steel city. Joshi says
“The people of the steel city are quite passionatly fond of dogs and prefers different breeds. This becomes evident during the annual dog shows in the city.'
He, however, points out that 'Puppies are eligible for sale only after they are two months old. And one should always go to an experienced dealer to buy the puppies.”

Saswati Mukherjee