Dogs, long anointed man's best friends are about to get yet another laurel: they are good for business. More appropriately, they make for good business, a point substantiated by the emergence of an industry that revolves around canines and does an estimated turnover of Rs 2,000 crore annually.

Though pet food is perhaps the most prominent elements of this industry, the business generated by burgeoning number of breeders who breed dogs in their backyards – making this a cottage industry with a difference – is another vital cog in the wheel. The price for a single pup can range from Rs 5,000 for a toy breed to Rs 1,00,000 for a rare breed.

To boot there is an army of service providers who have stepped in: veterinarians, trainers, ‘beauticians', pet shop owners, dog-hostel owners, toys and accessories makers, and even dog walkers who, one hears, can earn up to Rs 60,000 a month in one of Mumbai's elite quarters.

“Dogs are not only effective stress busters, in single-child nuclear families, they often play the role of a companion,” observes Shailesh Omkar, a professional dog breeder and trainer for over two decades. There's also a growing need for sniffer dogs and dog for security.

In Pune alone, around 300-400 pedigree pups are sold every month, Sanjay Devare, a distributor for pet food in Pune and Mumbai estimates. The interest has spread even to smaller towns, says Shailesh, recalling that there was a near stampede for tickets to a dog-show organised in Kolhapur not so long ago. Typically, owners spend anything from Rs 3000 to Rs 10,000 a month on each of their pets. Special needs could include hospitalisation for surgery at a private pet hospital and care during pregnancy.

The ultimate ode to this developing business is the instance of a lady, who specialises in making desserts and confectionary, confessing that her next big order is for making dog biscuits and other goodies for furry guests at a dog birthday party!

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