THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dogs like Neapolitan Mastiff, St. Bernard, Siberian Husky, Bull Mastiff and Shih Tzu are widely seen in tropical Kerala. But veterinarians say over the last several years due to harsh climatic conditions and the import license restrictions imposed by the Union government, the numbers of these exotic breeds have drastically come down. Thiruvananthapuram city is often rated as the puppy capital of India by leading veterinarians. Even high-rise apartments have started relaxing their rules enabling the pet lovers to have trophy dogs like a Chihuahua and smaller breeds like Pug, Dachshund, Lhasa Apso and Pomeranian. But a majority of the pet lovers has a fancy towards exotic dog breeds.
From the name ‘Siberian Husky’ itself, it is evident that this thickly furred double coat sporting exotic breed originally belongs to north-eastern Siberia in Russia. But these days Siberian Huskies have become ubiquitous to the state, where the temperature reaches almost 37 degrees and sometimes more during the peak summer season. S. Sathish Kumar, a leading dog breeder at Ooruttambalam, in the suburbs of the capital city has got 30 breeds ranging from Rottweiler, Doberman, French Bulldog, Miniature Pinscher, German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, to Pug and more.
“Rearing exotic dog breeds is always difficult. Initially, I had to put them in air-conditioned rooms full time. Later on, they were put in air-conditioned rooms only from 11 am to 4 pm when it is mostly warm. By six months, they got acclimatised,” said Mr Kumar, who is also the former secretary of Kennel Club of India's Thiruvananthapuram chapter He is helped in the business by his wife Tushara who quit her state government job to take care of the vast breeds they keep. The St. Bernard is a breed of a very large working dog from the western Alps in France, Switzerland and Italy often considered as rescue dogs in hilly terrains. A young city techie currently based in Chennai who wish to remain anonymous as he is awaiting his breeder license has almost all the leading exotic dog breeds. He told Deccan Chronicle that it is easy to rear a child compared to bringing up a St. Bernard.
“St. Bernard requires airy kennel so that it can breathe easy. It should be allowed to move freely in its kennel and should not be restricted. They are sweaty and sensitive about their hygiene. So it is always easy to keep them on the free surface,” said the breeder who has over 15 years of experience rearing exotic dog breeds. He owns three St. Bernard dogs, and from his experience, he says that the female dog will not be in a correct heat because of the tropical climate here. When he says that St. Bernard dogs get highly sensitive if the food drips from their mouths and not washed or brushed properly actually shows their predicament they are in, while living in a tropical climate. He warns that breeds like St. Bernard and Siberian husky should not be given chicken as it is usually not considered lean meat and is mostly warm. At the same time, he says, beef gives them allergies.
“So, ideally it is better to give them mutton. If these exotic breeds do not get proper food intake, it will experience skin ailments and the coating will not be correct. Always use bathing soap which has a high content in glycerine or dog shampoo as prescribed by the veterinarian. Oil massage with either coconut oil or gingelly oil should be given to them once a week,” he added.Recently, another breeder in the capital, B. S. Amal Raj, acquired Diana, a three-year-old St. Bernard from Bengaluru for '80, 000 after its first owner could not care for it the way it should have been. He says that during the summer season, he strives hard to see Diana chirpy and agile.
“Or else, Diana will have discharge from eyes, and I make her stay cooler. At the same time, she should not be feeling wet, or else skin rashes will occur,” said Mr Raj. Dr M. Ramesh Kumar, a retired additional director at animal husbandry directorate and Kennel Club of India’s Thiruvananthapuram chapter president, told DC that it is always challenging to maintain exotic breed dogs with lots of restrictions. “Most of the exotic breed dogs are not coming from within the state. They mostly come from neighbouring states in air-conditioned carriages and only during show timings, they are brought to the venue,” said Dr Kumar.
There are pet lovers like Vipin Nair who owns Leah, a Great Dane and Laddoo, a boxer at his home at Vattapara in Thiruvananthapuram, who is peeved with the mushrooming of breeders. He recalled to Deccan Chronicle about a Bull Mastiff which was given a shoddy treatment with no proper care. “I wanted to get a Bullmastiff and was directed to a puppy mill in the interiors of Vembayam in Thiruvananthapuram district. The poor dog had not been to outdoors for ages and just fed and allowed to breed. It is an apology to a real dog for not allowing it to be in its real self,” said Mr Nair. Not many exotic dog breeders can provide air-conditioners to them 24X7.
Dr E. K. Easwaran, former president, Indian Veterinary Association, advises pet owners against going for exotic breed dogs if they do not have time to groom them every day. “Nothing comes cheap these days including labour. Most of these exotic breed dogs should be put in air-conditioned kennels which would result in less life span for them. But how many pet owners can provide them with air conditioners 24x7?" said Dr Easwaran.With pet dogs being considered as stress busters, it relaxes the family members and the pets alike. But at any time, a breed which suits the tropical climate of Kerala would make the pet dog and its owner a happy and a life without hassles.
Pat for pets made him quit cushy job
The first thing that you notice when you enter ‘Green Park’ at Thaliyil near Karamana here is the Vechur calf named Nandini. But that is not the only domestic animal Aravind Kurup has at his home. There are not only yellow-bibbed lories, cockatiels, exotic finches and more than ten pet dogs in his collection. They include hunting dog Weimaraner, Labradors, Dachshunds, Smooth Fox Terrier, Indian breed Caravan Hound et al. The 47-year-old is an instrumentation engineer by profession previously based in Iran, Brazil and Germany with Siemens, a German conglomerate. But his love towards pets made him chuck away his cushy job and ended up in his native city a few years ago. Several days in a month, Mr Kurup is travelling across the country taking his pet dogs to shows.
His sitting room is cramped with trophies and mementoes his furry pets have won him from almost all the major pet shows in India. His around five-year-old Labrador, Steel Rock, has been adjudged the best Labrador of 2016 -17 in the country. “Steel Rock has been directly qualified to contest in Crufts, the world’s largest dog show held during March 8-11, 2018, in Birmingham, UK. It is basically a beauty show where the judges would be looking for the best stud dog which should be moving freely. They will check whether the bites are organised, ears and eyes placement and so forth,” he said. Son of the late K. H. Sivankutty Kurup, a former ISRO employee, and homemaker Radha Kumari Amma, he fondly remembers his maternal grandmother Late Devaki Amma who instilled in him the love for all creatures. He is keen on importing American Akita or Great Japanese Dog, a powerful Spitz type hound originating from Japan, not USA as the name suggests. What is interesting about him is that he is not interested in breeding commercially, so all his dogs look healthier and happy in their big kennels where all live in utter camaraderie.
Their handler is Vishwanathan Mallaya, and the kennel manager is Egmel Berry aka Bipin, a Vettucaud native. Two of his exotic breeds are based in Bengaluru - Chill, a British Shetland Sheepdog who is a champion dog and Kerry, a Kerry blue terrier which recently passed away. He has reasons to accommodate them in Bengaluru. Obviously, the colder climate. “Once in awhile, I take all my dogs to our property near Aruvikkara dam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram where they have a rollicking time running around. I do not bring them up as guard dogs. They are happy here, and that is what matters most,” added Mr Kurup who is the nephew of the late critic-actor Narendra Prasad.
It looks like Mr Kurup is also following his maternal uncle’s footsteps as he recently launched Cytrus Production House and he is all set to produce a Malayalam film by a leading hitmaker. His wife, S. Sindhu, and school going children, Malavika and Mekha, keep asking him, “Who do you love most, us or your pets?" Cleverly, he evades their prodding and pets his dogs instead, with a twinkle in his eyes.
