Dog farms - Do they make Business Sense?

By Kodichukwu Okonkwo, DVM | June 11th, 2018




It’s a very popular thing now in Nigeria especially here in Abuja but mostly in Jos for people to think about investing in dog farms. So many investors has been convinced to invest in it considering the kind of prices dogs go for everywhere in the world. I have been approached by investors receiving this kind of advice to inquire further into the business side of it and the prospects of the business. They try to find out the prices of these dog breeds and how fast they can be sold. I try to give them my candid advice.

Dog business has made some people millionaires here in Abuja. Some of these guys started selling on the streets to buyers who most times just falls in love with these puppies and buy from them and also exchange phone numbers and get repeat purchases from their previous buyers or their buyers’ friends. I mention these guys because they have direct contact with these dogs and know when these dogs or puppies fall sick or feel stressed while trying to sell them and do something immediately.

I was trying to source a puppy for a client of ours once and stumbled into a dog farm. At first I thought it was a dog boarding facility but by the time the owner of the farm came around he tried to explain to me how they breed any type of dog breed there. The farm is relatively small and you can hear the dogs barking from all sides locked in separate cells in the huge enclosure fenced with wire fence. 

I went round the to see each of the dogs and as a doctor I could see dogs suffering from poor feeding and very poor health care. I asked the guy about the puppy that brought me there and was very disappointed to see Rottweilers with face like German shepherd or better still call it a cross of both. He tried to insist that they were pure breeds which I ignored him knowing fully well they were not. I lost interest in making further inquires to buy because I could not trust their products but went further to praise him for having such a huge place only for dogs. 

He started to explain to me how he actually started the business which was similar to the one I explained above - selling in the streets. He further boasted that he fends for his family with the dog business. He also told me that he can source any dog for me within and outside the country. 

From my assessment of the kennel the owner tries to keep the place very clean that he was removing the dog poops right in front of me. I guess that he learnt the lesson from his years of selling the puppies.

I have also heard about a military man popularly called General who also owners a dog farm somewhere in Kaduna State. The General from the stories I heard has a very controlled environment with different breeds of dogs but very known for breeding German shepherds and most of his parent stock are imported directly from the breed’s country of origin. I have not been to his farm but from the stories I heard he has very good plans for his numerous dogs. The dogs are fed with freshly cooked beef and all kinds of foods including commercially made dry and can dog food. I have been able to see some of the puppies sourced from his farm and I was very impressed but the prices were sky high.

Keeping dogs for business is so many times not seen as a lucrative business because the rate at which they give birth, the success of mating, conception and the ability of the bitch to nurse her puppies properly are mostly out of the breeders control which they try to conquer after years of breeding. These breeders won’t give out their secrets easily to people so going into the business without prior knowledge of this might waste your money during the learning process which lasts so many years.  

Breeding dogs is one thing and selling the dogs or puppies is another. The later can be said to be purely business which is controlled by the popularity of the breeder, the price of his puppies, the state of the economy and the ability of people to spend on dogs at the moment. During the recession in Nigeria people scarcely bought puppies or dogs but during Boko haram attacks many dogs and puppies were sold for security. Many dog sellers were out of stock.

There is a sentiment going on internationally about the dog farm where dogs are mostly maltreated and bred like chicken. Having seen some dog farms it’s hard to distinguish them from dog owners with up to 20 dogs or more than 8 dogs. The scene is the same just the name - Dog Farm which makes it sound unethical. I think it creates a scene of dogs bred mainly for slaughter which is not really true. I can say that they are bred for money. Again that might annoy some people but it’s some people’s only means of livelihood. They don’t know how to do any other thing to make money but to breed and sell dogs and puppies.

Dog farm can only make business sense when you, the breeder are ready to monitor your dogs to make sure they are properly taken care of both hygienically and medically. Your dogs must be fed properly to keep them in good shape because that is what appeals to the buyers. You must also have a mechanism to market your dogs or puppies to prospective buyers. Having a target market will play a huge role. It is important that you produce pure breeds with their pedigree properly established and credible.

You must note that like chicken, dogs kept in dog farms could be wiped out by a deadly disease because they are kept in the same environment. The speed of spread of such diseases will be rapid especially if they are airborne. Hygiene is the most important aspect to attach utmost importance to. You have to adhere to the strictest hygiene standards.


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    Kodichukwu Okonkwo, DVM

    Founder of Fairvet Animal Clinic Ltd since 2011, studied at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. He is well experienced in small animal, large animal & poultry medicine, and also skilled at zoo medicine. He loves animals and builds both professional and personal relationship with pet owners in order to sustain a good interaction with pet and animal owners, coupled with His great skills in programming; he brought about www.fairvet.com which he personally built from scratch.



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