Demand for various breeds of pet dogs has been increasing gradually in the Kathmandu Valley, thanks to a growing trend of keeping pets.

Nepali kennel clubs house around 30,000 local and imported breeds of dogs. According to kennel operators, their business is seeing a 20 percent growth annually. 

Breeds like the Pug, German Shepherd, Labrador, Japanese Spitz, Boxer, British Bulldog and Tibetan Mastiff are popular among customers, pet shop owners said. 

According to Govinda Bastakoti, owner of Annapurna Kennel, the market is worth Rs72 million annually. 

“People used to prefer outdoor breeds before, but these days 90 percent of the customers ask for indoor breeds that are suitable for their home and apartment. The price of a popular pet falls in the range of Rs6,000 to Rs200,000 depending on the quality of the breed,” said Bastakoti.

Raju Ghising, chairman of ABC Kennel, said that prices of Pug and Japanese Spitz puppies fluctuate frequently due to production and management costs. 

A decade ago, a Pug used to cost around Rs40,000. Nowadays, due to growing demand and a favourable environment, kennel clubs and major breeders in the country have been able to bring down the price to Rs20,000. 

On the other hand, imported breeds like the British Bulldog cost around Rs200,000 because they are rare and not produced in Nepal. 

Some kennel club operators say that despite a craving to adopt pet dogs, owners are careless when it comes to feeding them and providing proper and timely medical care. 

According to Naomie Gurung, manager of K9 Dog Training and Care, a dog should be separated from its mother only after 45 days and should not be given all the three necessary vaccines at once after three months. She said, “There is a proper time for vaccines.” 

Prompted by the increasing fascination for adopting pet dogs, a Grand Dog Show was held at the Satdobato Swimming Complex, in Satdobato, Lalitpur, two months ago by kennel owners. The aim of the event was to bring all the dogs together and introduce them to each other. 

Gurung said, “This approach helped to reinforce a positive behaviour in pets besides raising awareness among dog owners.” 

According to Gurung, the mental health of pet dogs depends on the opportunities that encourage socialization among various breeds, and the event was a move aimed towards that end.