“The smaller dogs eat and poop less than their larger canine counterparts. So saying, they are relatively easy to groom and friendlier on the pocket,” said visitor Ngurah Gustra, while looking for a pug and a beagle at a pet shop in Jl. Setiabudi in Denpasar on Thursday.
The shop’s grooming and spa services, for instance, are all based on the size of their furry clientele. The prices for grooming treatments, which include bath, blow dry and nail cutting, range from Rp 50,000 (US$5.4) for petite dogs to Rp 150,000 for extra large ones. Meanwhile, canine spa and massage treatments vary from Rp 150,000 to Rp 500,000 according to size.
Coming from a family of animal enthusiasts with a love for reptiles and larger dogs, Gustra, who already owns a mini pinscher and Pekingese, said he was thinking of opening a pet shop of his own that would specialize in selling small pedigree dogs. He estimated that start-up capital of Rp 50 million would be enough to begin his small-dog shop. “The start-up investment is affordable, while the selling prices are promising,” he said.
A dog’s small size does not necessarily indicate a small selling price.
At the shop, a shar-pei costs Rp 8 million, a shih tzu Rp 6.5 million, a cocker spaniel Rp 12 million, a Chihuahua Rp 8 million, while a toy poodle can be up to Rp 15 million. The larger canines are just as expensive, a Labrador costs Rp 5 million, with a rottweiler Rp 7.5 million, the same prices as an imported breed of golden retriever, while locally bred ones are about Rp 4 million.
Pet vendor War, whose tiny shop on Jl. Hayam Wuruk offers Pomeranians, mini pinschers and pugs, to name a few, highlighted some of the qualities of the smaller breeds. “Although they are small, some of them are noisy enough. They can serve as good house guards too,” said the former trader of larger breeds, including German shepherds, pit bulls and golden retrievers, who prefers to go by his one syllable name, War, while pointing at his continuously barking mini pinscher.
A senior member of staff at a pet shop-cum-kennel with 32 air-conditioned rooms on Jl. Teuku Umar, Komang Suryani, acknowledged that the fad for small-sized dogs in Denpasar has grown over the past year or two. “Since six years ago, large purebred dogs, like golden retrievers, Labradors and rottweilers, have been warmly welcomed here, and they still are. The smaller breeds are now following suit over this last year,” said Suryani.
Today, apparently, it’s not only the large and small pooches that are capturing the hearts of animal enthusiasts throughout the capital, as the cuddly rodent pet known as the golden hamster is also stealing some of the spotlight among the youngsters.
Hamster pet owner, Wayan Riska, whose parents have a Kintamani dog at home, said, “My dog only looked cute when he was still a puppy. I like my hamsters more because they stay small and are cute forever.”
The 17-year-old teenage girl has apparently already sniffed out some business opportunities from her rodent pets as they have been breeding; she initially had three, but now has 15. “They breed so fast. Sometimes I give away the pups for free, other times I sell them from Rp 25,000 to Rp 250,000, according to their type,” giggled Riska.
By Agnes Winarti
Photo by Anggara Mahendra
Published in Bali Daily/The Jakarta Post, Friday, May 25 2012
Dog’s day: A member of staff at a pet grooming service trims a dog’s fur. BD/Anggara Mahendra
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