Now I'm not talking about professional dog breeders who specializes in just one breed, and probably has all his dog registered with pedigree records.

I'm talking about the average hustling dog breeder in Nigeria, they make some crucial mistakes in their business, and it's important I point this out as it also affect other breeders that are doing things right.

1)Not knowing the worth of the dog they are selling. Most breeders don't know shit about the dog breed they are selling, so they don't know the value of the dog, and thereby sell for ridiculous prices. You would find a magnificent dog breed like the Caucasian ovchaka being sold for 50k Only an ignorant person would sell such for a low price like that, because he doesn't even know the value of the dogs he is selling. Try and educate yourself a bit about the dog breed by reading on them on reliable websites like AKC. When you know a lot about the breed, you won't be willing to sell Caucasian for 40k.

2)Not knowing about presentation. Even if you are a broke person, that doesn't mean you should let the world know you are broke. If you present yourself as a broke person, people will treat you like a broke person and depreciate the product you are selling by asking you to sell that boerboel for 45k. Don't just snap pictures anywhere anyhow, it won't cost you anything to get a good phone with a good camera(borrow one if you don't have) if you cannot afford a Professional photoshoot. Don't just snap the dog in front of your unplastered building, or in the midst of that dirty compound you are staying.... For goodness sake, nobody will ask you to pay chinchin if you take those dogs to a beautiful garden to snap them. Or look for a field covered with carpet grass to snap, or look for a completed and painted building that is beautiful just to snap, nobody will stop you from doing that or fine you. You think presentation is not important? Think again!!!!

3)Not knowing the right market to target. Most of these guys don't understand the first thing about marketing. They are ready to sell their puppies to any Dick and Harry. What do you expect when you are trying to sell your dog to people who don't love dogs and are just businessmen? Or when you are trying to sell to fellow broke guys like you? Ofcos they won't be able to buy at a reasonable price, and that will make you sell a Rottweiler for 40k... Learn to target people who are really interested in your product and not just money oriented people. So if your target market is whatsapp groups filled with fellow dog peddlers, now you know you are doing it wrong. There are lots of platforms with real dog lovers and well to do individuals who can afford to buy dogs in a good price that the seller would smile. We have instagram pages for dog lovers with lots of followers, we have celebrities that love dogs and can advertise your dog for you if you approach them sensibly, we have general Instagram pages with millions of followers that won't charge you much to advertise on their platforms. We also have physical advertisement... You can go to physical places with the target market you are looking for, like in Lagos places like lekki, VI, Maryland, Festac etc with people of high caliber, that would be asking you if you want to sell your pups, real dog lovers. Don't limit yourself.

4)Being too desperate to sell. We are all struggling to make ends meet in life I know. But if you really want to break the bondage of poverty, you have to start acting like a rich person. When you start to think yourself as a rich person, you will begin to feel like a rich person and then you automatically starts acting like a rich person, it's a simple psychological principles of cognitive behavioral therapy. A rich person won't devalue his own dogs by giving a cheap price to start with. A rich person won't beg people to buy his dog, but would make people see why his dog stands out from the rest. A rich person would take the extra mile to distinguish his products from the rest. Don't devalue your own product by yourself by saying Eskimo 30k, doing so would let people know that even you, you are not confident about your own product, why will anyone be confident about your product when you are offering it at a stupid price.

You are the only person standing at your way to success. Whatever you do with genuine passion and love, you would eventually breakthrough.

Great insights I must say.

I may add that there is a subtle dilemma which who I may call authentic breeders, face. That thin line between taking breeding as a business and giving it the required detail. In the midst of the loving pet feeling there are iKYssues of financial record keeping, business strategy, risk management, marketing, branding, scaling/ appropriate growth models, strategic partnerships and the works. Some persons who have the know how having run other businesses are surprised at the way so called breeders in the show. Some have felt it can't be better but coming from a background of being thought to question all assumptions we have to raise our head above water. There is a huge potential, though dependent on other factors,for this informal economy in Nigeria. We must run it in a manner that it commands the respect it deserves. I have seen some movements in terms regularising the industry. We are even behind our neighbors Ghana not to talk of South Africa. We must however not loose hope but begin to start doing things right. Brick by brick. Line by line.

I disagree with you,selling a dog very expensive is a Nigerian thing,I priced a chow chow in Nigeria,I was told 450,I ordered from China and the total landing cost was 150...pay please explain...

Benz4pimp:
I disagree with you,selling a dog very expensive is a Nigerian thing,I priced a chow chow in Nigeria,I was told 450,I ordered from China and the total landing cost was 150...pay please explain...

I'd like to learn the relativity of expensive. I don't know which breed you got into Nigeria at 150. € ¥ £ N or $. I'd like to learn too.

However I do know, from experience particularly with GSD, that I've spent up-to N1.3M on two different occasions to import them here. I have 5 dogs and all except one are imported from outside Nigeria. My aim was to get the best quality in the line I choose to play in. With an investment of over N4M I will not sell cheap. So it's not a Nigerian thing. If you have a scarce commodity you might as well max out. There's an opportunity responve whose curve is constantly heading down. Especially without innovation or new strategy.

Benz4pimp:
I disagree with you,selling a dog very expensive is a Nigerian thing,I priced a chow chow in Nigeria,I was told 450,I ordered from China and the total landing cost was 150...pay please explain...

both landing cost and purchase 150k?


bros I want to be your friend

The jeff lover of good tidings

Benz4pimp:
I disagree with you,selling a dog very expensive is a Nigerian thing,I priced a chow chow in Nigeria,I was told 450,I ordered from China and the total landing cost was 150...pay please explain...

Haba bro, pls let's see the kind chowchow you bought for that price from china by uploading it's pictures here if you wouldn't mind sir