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 Literature › I Wrote A Story About The Nigerian Dog We Call “ekuke” — Here's Why by Ekukestory(op): 9:52pm On Aug 31 |
I've been thinking about something for a long time. Why do we Nigerians treat some dogs as precious and others as if their lives have little value? You can see someone proudly walking a foreign breed and everybody wants to know: “How much you buy am?” "Na which breed be this?" But let that dog be the ordinary Nigerian local dog and suddenly it's just: “Na Ekuke.” That question stayed with me. What exactly makes one dog more valuable than another? Is it the breed? The appearance? The money we paid for it? Or simply the way we've been taught to see it? That question eventually led me to write a story. EKUKE — A NIGERIAN DOG TALE Ekuke is not a book about a perfect dog living in a perfect world. It is a Nigerian story. A story about a dog born into our environment and exposed to the realities of Nigerian society — companionship, loyalty, neglect, cruelty, survival and the complicated relationship between humans and animals. But there's something else. Ekuke is also a story about us. About the way we decide what deserves love. About the things we consider worthless simply because they are common. About what happens to those who have no voice to defend themselves. I didn't want to write another story where the dog is simply a cute character in the background. I wanted Ekuke to have a story. A beginning. A struggle. People he trusts. People who hurt him. And a journey that forces the reader to look at the Nigerian local dog differently. Why Ekuke? For many Nigerians, Ekuke is just a word. But behind that word are thousands of dogs living around Nigerian homes, streets and communities. Some protect our homes. Some become beloved family companions. Some are abandoned. Some are abused. And some end up in places no animal should have to experience. So I decided to give one of them a voice. His name is Ekuke. 🐕🇳🇬 This isn't just a book I'm trying to sell. I'm hoping it starts a conversation. I'd genuinely like to hear from Nairalanders: What does “Ekuke” mean to you? Did you grow up with one? Have you ever owned one? Do you think Nigerians treat local dogs differently from foreign breeds? And most importantly... If a Nigerian dog could tell you its entire life story, would you be willing to listen? I'll be sharing more about Ekuke, including some excerpts from the story, as the project develops. This is his story. This is Ekuke.
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| Pets › Re: Help! What To Know About Ekuke by Ekukestory: 9:46pm On Aug 31 |
I'm actually glad I came across this thread. The line that caught my attention was: "It's a local dog doesn't mean it should be treated poorly." That is such a simple statement, but I think there's a much bigger conversation behind it. Why do we sometimes assume that because a dog is local, it needs less care, less attention or somehow has less value than imported breeds? I've been researching and writing about this very subject for a literary project called EKUKE — A Nigerian Dog Tale. The story is fictional, but one of the questions behind it is very real: Does being a local Nigerian dog make an animal less deserving of love and protection? Reading through this thread and seeing people discuss feeding, caring for and raising their Ekuke actually reminded me that there are many Nigerians who genuinely value these dogs. I'd love to hear from people here who have raised an Ekuke from puppyhood: What made you choose an Ekuke instead of a foreign breed? And would you choose one again? 1 Like |
| Pets › Re: All About The Nigerian Shepherd Dog (Ekuke, Nkita) by Ekukestory: 9:44pm On Aug 31 |
I've been reading through this thread and I'm honestly surprised by how much passion there is around Ekuke. Some people here have talked about their childhood dogs, some about how intelligent and loyal they are, and others about how poorly they're sometimes treated. One comment that particularly caught my attention was the idea that these dogs remain loyal even when people don't necessarily treat them well. That actually got me thinking. What if we looked at the Nigerian local dog from the dog's point of view? Not just as a guard dog. Not as "ordinary dog." Not as something to compare with a GSD or other foreign breed. But as a living creature with its own story. I've been exploring that idea through a fictional literary project I'm writing called EKUKE — A Nigerian Dog Tale. The more I researched and read people's experiences with Ekuke, the more I realised that there is a much bigger story around this dog than we usually acknowledge. I'm particularly interested in the personal experiences people have had with their Ekuke. For those who have owned one: What was the most memorable thing your Ekuke ever did? I'd genuinely love to hear the stories. |
| Pets › Re: EKUKE- The Canine Outcaste by Ekukestory: 9:37pm On Aug 31 |
I stumbled across this thread recently while working on a literary project about the Nigerian local dog, and I was honestly surprised to see that this conversation about Ekuke has been going on for years. The discussion here actually made me think more deeply about how Nigerians perceive the local dog — as a guard dog, a stray, a cheap dog, a companion, and in some communities, even as food. That reflection eventually became the inspiration for a story I've been working on called “EKUKE — A Nigerian Dog Tale.” It's a fictional story, but it explores some very real issues around how we treat dogs in Nigeria, especially the difference between how we value foreign breeds and our indigenous/local dogs. I'm not dropping an advert here because I genuinely found the old discussion interesting. I just thought it was worth adding that the conversation eventually inspired someone to tell a full Nigerian story around the subject. I'll probably share the story/project in a separate thread for anyone interested. And to everyone who contributed to this discussion years ago — you may have unknowingly helped inspire a book. 😂🐕
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