Dogs put food on Kasule’s table 

Edward Kasule, a graduate of International Business, is one of the few Ugandans making a fortune from dog breeding. After his graduation in 2011, Kasule joined Kikuubo, a major business hub in Kampala, where he majored in selling men’s trousers.

However, three years down the road, he thought it wise to have a side hustle, a business he would manage from his home compound. And at the look of things, dog breeding is what came into his mind. But, he owes this to the fact that he loves dogs and growing up, his parents kept them for security. He recalls being in charge of their wellbeing. 

Starting 
Now that he was looking forward to breeding them for money and on a large scale, Kasule needed to widen his knowledge in the field of breeding dogs. He made research on the different breeds and their demand on the Ugandan market.

“When I was starting out, I had to first study the market and get to know some of the preferred breeds. Not all dog breeds are on demand, people are particular when it comes to buying dogs. Besides you are dealing with elites that know what they want. It is not a matter of persuading someone into buying what they do not want or have a second thought about.”

Kasule started with one Maltese, which he bought at Shs300,000 in 2015. He says this type of breed is small, short with white hair, friendly and playful. And because of its character traits, many clients buy the Maltese as a pet for their children or house play. 

Kasule reveals that after six months of acquiring his Maltese, it gave birth to five puppies, which he sold off, each at Shs250,000 and earned Shs1.25m.  Something he says motivated him into investing more in his childhood hobby.

Expanding the business 
However, it was not long before clients started asking him for the German Shepherd. “I used my profits to buy a female German Shepherd at Shs1m. After a few months of breeding, I took it for mating services which, cost me Shs100,000,” he says.

Noting that the gestation period of a dog is 63 days, in a period of two months and a few days, his dog had given birth to 12 puppies.

He sold off the six and retained six which he bred into adults. These kept giving birth as he kept selling off puppies and some adults as well. However, he made sure to retain the females so they would keep giving birth. 

Five years down the road, Kasule has 32 dogs, 15 adults and 22 puppies. He also employs two people with whom he manages the business. Of the 32 dogs, two are males, one German Shepherd and a Caucasian Mountain which he bought at Shs2m.  
“Caucasian dogs are larger than the German Shepherds with lots of fur. Unlike the German Shepherds, the ears of a Caucasian lie downward. If I may say these have a wolf appearance.”

Maintenance
Kasule says the maintenance of more than three dogs does not come easy, especially for someone running it as a business. Yet the care you give them determines your price and your type of clients. Expenses incurred include those of feeding, vaccination, among other medical requirements.
“No client can buy a two months German Shepherd at Shs500,000 that is poorly fed and not vaccinated,” he says.

Revealing that care is the number one priority in this kind of business. If you think of starting a dog business when you are not passionate about dogs, then you are bound to make losses.

Leaving the business to be managed by employees without your supervision might lead you into losses, especially when the dogs are still young.  
 
 “The dog breeding business needs passion, a lot of patience and sacrifice. When they give birth, we frequently wake up at night to check up on the puppies and assist them to breastfeed. If not monitored, a mother can sleep on them, killing them,” he said.

“Dogs usually give birth to five or 11 puppies. Some are good mothers, yet others are terrible mothers. For mothers, that cannot look after their puppies you need to separate them, but make sure you supervise their feeding.

 For example when a dog gives birth to 11 puppies, leave it with five and keep the seven away because it cannot feed all of them at once and at times the mother can sleep over them thus killing them,” says Kasule.

He also says dogs are prone to many diseases that may ruin your business. And the most deadly disease is the canine parvovirus. This attacks the dog’s cells thus affecting the intestinal tract. And when not treated, the virus can be passed on to other dogs.

Feeding is another thing to take care of.  Puppies are fed four times a day and the adults once a day. The adults are fed on posho, chicken legs, heads and cow remains. Puppies are fed on milk and imported dog food. Kasule spends about Shs40,000 daily on feeds.

Marketing 
“I do online marketing and the other sales are recommendations from my clients I have dealt with before.”

Kasule says the demand is high in the months of January and December. The other months, you can have four to 10 clients and at times none. That is why he advises that when starting a dog venture, one has to have a good understanding of various breeds that are highly demanded. 

Kasule sells a Maltese puppy that is about two to three months at Shs350,000.  A German shepherd of two months at Shs500, 000 and four months at Shs800, 000. He says the older the dog, the higher the price. He also reveals that the price can as well be determined by the dog’s appearance. For example, when a puppy is more beautiful than the rest, it will be charged highly. For mating services he charges Shs200,000.

He mentions that unlike humans, a dog can mate with two males and have puppies for both the males. However, this depends on the type of breed a client wants his or her dog to give birth to.

He says there is need to ensure you have a file of the veterinary records of your dogs and the different sales. “Have documents showing each of your dog’s birth, weight and medical history. This gives your client proof of what you are selling to them,” says Kasule.

Challenges
Kasule says all businesses come with particular challenges and running a dog business is no exception. 
Looking after puppies is not an easy job, that is why you and your employees need to be committed or else they might end up all dying.

Clients want good dogs at a low price, forgetting you are feeding and treating them. When one puppy falls sick that means the rest are most likely to fall sick. That is why I was forced to construct a kennel for each puppy, because when each puppy is alone you can easily identify the sick one.

The cost of online marketing is high because I spend $10 (Shs37,000) to $15 (Shs55,000) every day on advertising.

Advice
Kasule says for those interested in venturing into dog breeding, you cannot rely on dogs only, because you are not sure of making sales every single day.  
Have a dog business as your side hustle, because when you are disparate for money, clients will buy your dogs at a cheaper price.  “Consider having another source of income,” he cautions.