Well it all started from loving to owning. I probably am not a very good writer, so there will be mistakes. I also don’t know much about breeding yet. Just in case you are a professional and you are seeing this, kindly pardon my baby steps and possible mistakes. I am doing my best to get to where you are.

Now the social media is not my thing. I have had what I will be posting written down somewhere but just for my eye. A friend encouraged me to start up a thread here and somehow I feel it’s okay.

He actually told me some days ago tho… I was a bit reluctant because doing this will require some sort of consistency and like I earlier said, I don’t spend so much time on social media. Since change is constant, I suppose this can work.

Let me share my story, do a little encouraging for those that might need some, assist and be assisted.

Will be back shortly…

Rolling…

So, I have always loved dogs but had none before now. My big bro loved them too so he went ahead to get one in the university back on 2011. Her name was Afeni beauty.

He sent pictures to me who at the time was in Lagos and damn I was sooo happy. It was an Alsatian dog, very beautiful. I dreamt of the dog almost everyday

My day was going well until I received a call from my brother few months after, telling me that Afeni died. I felt really bad and I remember vividly that news ruined the day for me

I always admire people who own and breed of dog, especially the foreign breeds. Did some research on dog breeds and which will be best for me when I eventually am ready.

Meanwhile a friend of my brother got him a mongrel to somehow make him feel a little better after the pain of loosing a pet.

He loved the mongrel still and made sure he trained her. Booboo was an obedient dog, neat and lovely too. This time, I actually saw this one.
He later got another Alsatian. This one grew big but refused to come on heat. After a while he sold them both because he was done with school and will be relocating soon.

I had to go back to 2011 because I feel having a family own a dog made me feel like a dog owner too. I have known about dogs before that time but it felt different seeing my brother own one.

You see I did my best to cater for any dog I feel wasn’t getting much love from the owners around, even the mongrel. I loved them and took my time to understand them.

It got to a time when I felt I needed a dog so I resumed my search.

Everything I intend sharing here is real. Not just stories from the head, so some part might sound boring but there is a process and there are stages to every step in life.

This part is basically the first step for me.

Rolling…

Fast forward… So I got a job here in Lagos with an I.T company. The pay was okay for me at the time. The first thing on my mind was to save up for my dog.

Oh yeah, after my research I settled for a Rottweiler because yo! I love the breed. The fact that there are so many misconceptions about them made me feel like owning one.
Meanwhile, I am not sure even with the research I did back then that I did fully grasp the true meaning of who a breeder is.

The plan was to get a dog, love and cater for it, mate or cross it in time, get puppies and sell.

So, I saved up and then started my search for a dog.
I used Jiji for that.

Another thing I will like to say is being a middle man is not a bad thing, but I think most middlemen in the country have this notion that honesty kills their business, because wtf!

I didn’t know about pedigree, I only understood box head Rottweiler and then, if you are showing me one, you are doing very well
(Made me wonder what I was checking online all the while).

Well, I saw a guy from Ijebu Ode who posted a nice ad of a Rottweiler and tagged it “solid box head Rottweiler for sale”
The puppies were so cute and I didn’t mind the distance from Lagos to Ijebu ode, a place that I have been to only once in my lifetime.

I immediately reached out and we made meeting arrangements. Initially I wanted him to bring the dog to the park for my own safety but he said kennel policy restricts him from doing that.

Ps: at the time, I didn’t know the guy was a middleman and amount on the ad was over 100k

I was exited I was getting a “solid box head Rottweiler” so I felt the amount was worth it.

I almost couldn’t sleep the night before I went for the dog out too much anxiety I suppose….

To be continued…

Rolling…

So, first thing I did was to prepare for Ijebu Ode. When I got there, I called the seller and he directed me to a certain location. I took a bike and when I got there, I called the seller and he pleaded that I give him some time.

Since the plan was to travel back to Lagos the same day, I wasn’t so comfortable waiting around but what to do?? Na me wan buy dog.

After waiting for almost an hour, my guy finally highlighted from a bike. We met and exchanged greetings. He then led me to a compound where he called his kennel. That was when I realized that i was dealing with a middle man.

First, the compound was different from the one posted on the ad. He also had someone else with him (who was the actual breeder). The breeder had the key to the room where the the puppies were.

Now, I was more disappointed when I saw the puppies…. Entirely different from the quality I saw online.
They were lovely tho but I felt deceived. I immediately told him my observations and his excuse was that the other set got sold out.

Tbh I wanted to head back to Lagos without any dog. I was completely disappointed. It felt like I wasted my time traveling down there.

At the same time, I didn’t want to go back to searching for another dog so I just decided to check the puppies out.

I decided to get one and soon after choosing, I became one of the happiest persons that day.

It felt like we bounded immediately, then we went home.

..

Rolling..

It’s been a very busy week…

Well it was stressful getting home but few minutes after we got home, I gave her golden morn and water. Of course she didn’t eat well but I was patient… it’s her first time being in the environment afterall. The breeder gave me a tip on what to feed her. He mentioned that it will make her grow real quick and told me that I will have to vaccinate her 2weeks later, so I decided to source for a good vet around.

Fortunately for me, the day I stepped out to get noodles waste and other pet items, I realized that the owner of the shop is also a vet. Her reception was great. We exchanged contact and she agreed to come check my dog.

Just so you know, I decided to name my puppy Lyon.

Now, it is one thing to be a responsible dog owner or breeder and it’s another to have a good Vet to help look after your dog’s health when necessary (for those that don’t do it themselves). If you are fortunate enough to have a good one who is always available, do well to appreciate them.

Now I understand that there are vet clinics and all, but not everyone or newbie have the finance to go visit them. Also, transporting dogs can also be an issue especially when they become bigger. I have had cases when even bolt drivers refuse your request because you have a pet with you.

One time a driver actually got to my location and immediately he saw me and the dog, baba didn’t bother parking… he just drove off � (Well…. This is me going ahead of time sha).

The vet visited my crib when it was time to vaccinate Lyon. She checked her and told me it was a good buy. To an extent yeah, that made me feel a little better.

Lyon was the only dog in the house at the time. Other neighbors loved her and when I can be around to monitor her movements, I let her play around…within the compound tho.

So the thing is we had a vacant flat in the apartment and another young man came for it. I was seated outside with Lyon when he walked in with his friends and a dog too. “Wow another dog” I said quietly within. I was happy for Lyon because somehow I felt she will have a playmate, one that will at least understand her better.

I carefully watched the dog as she hopped into the compound with her master. We exchanged pleasantries, he tried touching Lyon but of course she ran inside she was not interested in him touching her.

Soon after the new neighbor moved in, both dogs became playmate. They would run round the house during the weekends and every evening when I get back from work. Lyon grew so well and it gave me real joy

Oh did I forget to mention that the new dog is actually a local dog??

…

Rolling…

So I said I was going to upload an image of Lyon. Had to search for an old one.

OsazeDee:
Rolling…

So I said I was going to upload an image of Lyon. Had to search for an old one.

can't wait for a recent one

Rolling…

So Lyon and my neighbor’s dog will play so much that they will both sleep for long after.

I was informed that it’s important to vaccinate 3 times. Now, because of ignorance I didn’t even get a pet card from the seller and they both didn’t mention it. I was shown a card tho with stickers on it. At the time, I didn’t understand that it was for vaccination and other important information neither did I know that I was meant to go with it since the breeder claimed to has administered the first shot to the dog.

I made sure I followed up with vaccination and all necessary things. It was my first time, so I definitely would get some things wrong but I did my best.

Work schedule changed so I had lesser time to spend with Lyon. I made sure I prepared food for her tho all the time before leaving or at least that arrangements are made if I can’t meet I up with cooking.

I had a relative with me who assists with her when I am away. Lyon appetite was perfect and she was everything a Rottweiler should be growing up.

So one day I left for work only to get a call that she wasn’t eating so well. I remember feeling like leaving immediately but I couldn’t. Still had a lot to attend to.

I decided to put a call through to my vet to help check on her.
Later that evening, I was told that the vet visited and gave her some injections. Lyon was so happy seeing me and we were together till it was late.

Rolling…

I took Lyon in as I prepared to rest. I was a bit relieved seeing her play because tbh I was worried at work.

I contacted my vet the next day when I got to the office, since it would have been too early to call a family woman when I got up in the morning. I asked some questions about what happened and she said I shouldn’t bother much that it can be handled and Lyon will be fine. Hearing that was soothing I will be honest because I heard a dog’s sickness can be very bad and life threatening if not properly handled immediately. I wasn’t ready to face that because dealing with that and work will be stressful plus before now, alot have been spent.

Let me digress a little…. See ehn, it is one thing to have a dog and it is another to fend for your dog. Like their feeding can be expensive ehn It’s not easy I must confess. The stress of cleaning up after your dog too is something else and I know someone might say it can be managed but you see I don’t own where I stay, I have neighbors that are not comfortable having a dog around so I made a routine for her. Morning and evening for easing herself but I do have to pack and clean with water just so I don’t offend anybody. I also have to be around whenever she is out playing or I get my 3rd cousin to do that. There are times I feed Lyon before considering myself it was like she was a part of me tho and seeing her happy makes me happy.
She was friendly to most people till she was about 4 months old when she will bark at a strange face.

I made sure I deworm her when due and omo she chop o I will go very far to help get her special food meanwhile I don’t know what to eat yet o. ;
I didn’t count it as too much because her growth was proportional.

My little relative can’t do much since she was still pretty young to handle issues of such so I told her to put me on speed dial should anything come up.

Rolling…

I didn’t get a distress call so I felt relieved at work. After work, I quickly left for the house and when I got home this time, Lyon didn’t look so good. I quickly had to ask my cousin why she didn’t call and she gave an excuse that didn’t measure up to me. Just like the saying, nothings can handle what belongs to you better than you.

My mom was around and she loves Lyon too, so she suggested that I call the vet so she can come check on her. I immediately placed a call through to the vet and she promised to come around as early as possible.

Lyon wasn’t eating so well and that got me worried because I know my dog. There are times I even get tired of how much she eats.

… It was morning so I left for work as usual, even though I did that reluctantly, I didn’t have much of a choice. I wished I could stay back but then there is an adult around now and things can be handled better. I kept calling to be sure if the vet was around.

I received a call when she got to the house and I had them get the phone across to her, lo and behold, she said Lyon had parvo virus and that I need to commence treatment immediately.

I kept wondering how since I was very careful about her environment and all but the vet mentioned that I shouldn't have allowed her mingle so much with the mongrel (local dog) in the compound. Mehn I was devastated.

Rolling…

First of all, the last few days have been hectic. I barely had time to come online which is why I didn’t keep up with daily update.

Now back to the parvovirus issue, I told the doctor to commence treatment which she did. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the virus, so I decided to search online.
One thought I always had was that the local dog brought the virus to the compound and since they have stronger immune system, it caused more damage for my Rottweiler.

One thing I can say about parvovirus is that it is stressful handling it. Very stressful at that, trust me. I noticed her appetite dropped drastically, she looses interest in everything. I had to tell those helping me look after her to please get her to take something at least. The vet also tried force feeding her most of the time with pap mixed with sugar. The vet said the sugar will serve as some sort of strength.

The vet placed Lyon on drip and injection and since I could not get a break from work, I left Lyon in the care of my folks.
We made use of a lot of hypo for the cleaning. Lyon did not stop throwing up even during the treatment process. It went like that for days and she was beginning to loose weight.

Everyday was the same with no sort of improvement in Lyon’s health. I paid a lot for treatment and I wasn’t getting the desired result.
It got to a time she started excreting a liquid substance and…. I think I will leave the detail because it really wasn’t a good time for me to the extent that everyone at work noticed I wasn’t fine.

Now, I remember saying as a breeder or dog owner, should you get a good vet, you have to be grateful always.
Little did I know that all that was being administered to Lyon was just antibiotics and nothing. Lady just kept playing the try and error game with my dog and for one day, she could not mention that the situation was beyond her control.

When I noticed that there was no much progress, I had to check online for a vet clinic around my location and I got one not so far from my place.

One a Saturday that I was off duty, I decided to visit the clinic. I we went with Lyon this time and immediately we got there, the vet was surprised she was even still alive.
He asked if I ran a test on her to be sure and since I didn’t, I was sincere to him, then I was told to make payment as usual for test.

All this time, all I wanted was for my dog to get better so I paid and a colleague of the vet went for the test kit. It took a while tho but his assistant came around and the test was done.

To my surprise, it came out negative for parvovirus.
Immediately the vet doctor decided to call the other lady who stated the treatment just to be sure of what she has been giving the dog all the while, and she had nothing tangible to say…

Rolling…

Over the phone, we kept asking for the medications she used prior to that time and she kept mentioning just antibiotics. So far, I could remember that she gave Lyon over 5 drips and several injections.

Meanwhile, I was not happy with the situation neither was I happy with myself for allowing Lyon mingle so well with the local dog in the compound.

I looked down at the vet clinic and Lyon was there lying helpless… she kept her gaze on me and immediately it felt like someone diced an onion straight at my eyes. The vet started treatment immediately since I made part payment already and he assured me that Lyon will be fine.

She was a part of the family already and everyone was praying for a quick recovery for her. We didn’t leave the clinic on time but yeah, we finally could leave.

I got home and I could feel the emptiness. No dog to wag her tail at me and it felt odd. I did however know that she will be coming back home sooner or later since the vet assured me that he will do his best.
Meanwhile, since the test came out negative we could not atm ascertain what exactly was wrong but the vet promised to get back to me.

I got a call from the vet later that evening that she is responding to treatment already and I must confess, it was a relief.
On Sunday, on getting ready to attend service, I also planned to stop by the clinic to check up on Lyon later in the day. I almost could not wait to see her, so immediately after the service I decided to stop by the market first just to get a few things.

I decided to take a bike and I was almost at the market when I received a call from the vet telling me that they did all they could, but she didn’t make it.

It was a terrible feeling at that moment and one might ask if it was because of a mere dog but no, she was more than that to me.
That was in the month of February 2020 to be precise. I didn’t feel like going anywhere again but since I was almost at the market, I had to get the things I needed and immediately I left for the house.

She was so lovely that most people who heard cried and I on the other hand just avoided people because neighbors, family and friends knew how well I was attached to Lyon. I didn’t want deal with the thing “sorry” thing from people so I stayed indoors.

I got a call from the vet and he asked if I will be coming to pick her up or something. I told him to help me dispose her and he agreed. He said I have to come around tho to confirm and sign some documents before going ahead.

By the time I got there, she was already in a waste bag. The person in charge opened for me to see and immediately I gave the go, he sealed and took away.

I immediately did what I had to and left the place because …. Damn!
o

Rolling….

So that was it for me. I became a workaholic that period just to get my mind off what happened but with all my strategies, I still felt the vacuum especially after getting home from work.

Remember I initially wrote that I researched the Rottweiler breed and concluded that I was going to get one?? Well this time I had to get my mind off anything relating to owning a pet.

I was healing and focusing more on my job. I followed a few pages online tho, pet related pages I mean and I saw lovely posts that got me more interested in being a breeder. I think I would call myself a dog owner back when I had Lyon because I didn’t bother connecting and learning more.

Basically, there are hundreds of dog breeds with every club having their numbers. AKC has its and so does FCI, CKC and others… here in Nigeria, there are some that are very common and the Rottweiler seem to be amount the numbers.

I didn’t get my mind off the breed because of every good quality they possess. There are a lot on their fierceness on the internet, a lot of reasons for you not to own one but we still have good reasons out there to keep them in our homes.

I lost Lyon in the year 2020, February 2020 to be precise and it took me over a year before thinking of getting another dog.

This time, I wanted a Bullmastiff and a Rottweiler too of course

I started my search for a Bullmastiff first. I used the popular J…. For the search since I don’t know a direct breeder and this time, I was a little careful because I didn’t want a middle man. I informed my brother about my decision and he also looked out for a good breed for me.

Now, I was learning without a proper guide from a professional breeder or whichever way you will put it.
For me, the process was slow because I had other things doing.

Why a Bullmastiff one might wonder. The reason is probably not far fetched from what you have in mind but then… I will say mine.

Rolling…

Well it’s a Bullmastiff because I realized that Nigerians rarely consider the breed, so I thought that breeding a quality Bullmastiff will do a lot of good to me.

I searched, searched and searched…. It was indeed stressful searching. I found myself checking online for the similarities between a Bullmastiff and a Boerboel and that was because all I saw online was Boerboel. I could not find a direct breeder so I settled for a Boerboel.

Since my mind was made up on dealing with an owner/breeder, I decided to contact my vet (the vet who helped with Lyon at the clinic ). He immediately reached out to a breeder around Ikorodu Lagos to be precise, videos and images were sent an oh my… I fell in love immediately.

I wanted 2 different breeds so maybe they can both grow together as play mates and also to cover for days when I can’t spend time with the dogs.

I met with the Vet around Berger only for him to tell me that the puppies have been sold. He blamed the breeder for not informing him before our meet up and I felt another kind of disappointment tbh.

He promised to keep looking out for me and I did the same for myself. That was in the year 2021.

Eyah sorry 4 your loss
Research kennel in Jos.
You will get them plentiful until you fit confuse self to make choice.

joinnow:
Eyah sorry 4 your loss
Research kennel in Jos.
You will get them plentiful until you fit confuse self to make choice.

Thank you very much. I kind of have a feeling about buying from somewhere far.
Honesty is not easy to come by in this line.

Rolling…

I had to reach out to a friend who sent me an image of a lovely Boerboel. She looked so good that I was interested in buying her immediately.
Before then, I also got an Image from one of my vet and coincidentally it was the same puppy. The vet sent other images too but I immediately spotted that out.

His price was outrageous because of the middleman thing, so I had to contact my friend since he had a link to the direct seller.

Tbh, I had other plans for the day but as soon as I decided to contact the seller and we spoke, I realized that I had to do my best to get to his kennel that day. The reason was because he initially wanted to keep her and her brother from the litter but for some reasons which he explained, he put them up for sale. Before then, other puppies from the same litter had been sold out and this was confirmed by me just to be on the safer side.

Selling her was like a competition and you know in business of this kind, it’s first come, first serve. I never planned to get my dog that very day but still I was exited. The breeder went into his Kennel and brought out his two available puppies.

She was so big for a 3months old dog and she was all over me even as I sat watching. Immediately it brought back that love and memory of Lyon. Negotiations were made and the deal closed.

I was so happy getting her, tho It wasn’t easy getting a ride because I had a puppy with me. A rider legit came around and reversed immediately he saw the dog without even saying a word I finally got one and on our way home, I called siblings and loved once and they were happy. It felt like someone gave birth to a bouncing baby in the family

On my way home, I received a message from my bro that he got a good Rottweiler puppy for me to check out… I was glad and tired. All I needed atm was a rest.

I decided to make her call name Titan. So, Titan and I got home and I immediately placed her in a cool spot as I immediately rushed out to get the Rottweiler. It wasn’t easy I will be honest but it was what I wanted and since it’s dog related, the stress was kind of nothing to me.

I deffs will post an image of Titan i kept some images this time.

OsazeDee:


Thank you very much. I kind of have a feeling about buying from somewhere far.
Honesty is not easy to come by in this line.

If you can get a trustworthy Nairalander who can help you at Jos.I only went for wedding and spent only one week.

Rolling….

Just like I wrote in my previous post, I set out to get the Rottweiler just after I dropped Titan at home.

Since the breeder stays close, it didn’t take so long to get there. It was when I got to the location that I realized that my bro did not get a direct breeder. He was referred by a middleman who pretended to be the breeder, and like I mentioned earlier, I have my reservations about some middlemen.

I don’t think it should be a big deal telling a buyer that you don’t actually own the puppies you are advertising or selling. That does not change the quality of what you are selling in any way, but many choose not to.

I received a call from the actual breeder who directed me on how to get to his place. We exchanged pleasantries after which he brought out the puppy. She was so cute and to an extent I was satisfied. I had just one issue tho… she was soooo small. I was even concerned about carrying her because she looked fragile and innocent.
I was concerned that she might die if exposed to cold or something. I didn’t feel it was right to sell her also at that stage so I initially refused going with her.

The breeder tried assuring me that she was old enough but it didn’t look like because she was so tiny and she was yet to get her first shot of vaccine.

Seeing that I was going to leave, he then agreed to vaccinate her. That sounded better to me and since I had to come back for pick up, it was okay and that was because at the time, I was meant to travel and since I noticed he has other breeds, I made a deal with him to help me keep both dogs.

I made all necessary payments and immediately rushed home to pick Titan up for boarding.

It was stressful I recall, but it is what it is.

joinnow:

If you can get a trustworthy Nairalander who can help you at Jos.I only went for wedding and spent only one week.

Thank you very much… will consider that.

Rolling…

Well I know posting is not my thing, dear diary, I hope I am forgiven.

I spent some time away and I always called to check up on the dogs. One time I called and requested for a video and I got something different for the Rottweiler. I immediately took necessary measures just to be sure that the dog has not been swapped with another.

I wasn’t feeling so comfortable, so I made plans to travel back sooner than I was supposed to.

I got home late so I had to wait till it was morning to go pick up my dogs. After the pick up, the name Lexy was given to my little bitch Rottweiler.

We got home and as usual, it was fun and feeding. I think that was also when I fully realized that it is one thing to buy a dog and another to feed, especially for someone that wants result.

This time , I did not allow them both mingle with the local dog in the house. My neighbor who owns the dog went ahead to get a Rottweiler too long before my dogs came in.
One time, he was down with parvo. It was serious that he had to be taken to the clinic for treatment and after some days, he became better.

I made sure that I allow my dogs go out only when I am available and the reason was because I didn’t want stories…

Once bitten, twice shy.

Will upload some pics too.

Rolling…

Meet Titan at 4 months old and Lexy at 2months old.

I had to do a lot of digging to get the images. I have more of their videos than images.

Well, I guess having both breeds made me realize that the Rottweiler breed is a very smart one. They are just different.

Someone else might have a different opinion tho..

Rolling,

A lot happened tho while trying to raise the bitches. I will do well to mention as i can recall. Lexy was so smart and stubborn. Titan on the other hand was too calm. She is bigger but she allows herself to be bullied every time by Lexy. Lexy is also very clingy. She cannot see you touch Titan and remain calm, she will bark, whine and do any other thing possible for you to give her the same affection.

Everybody loved Titan more while growing up because she is more of a standard breed and she plays with anybody. The Rottweiler (Lexy) takes her time to be sure if she can be free with visitors and she wasn’t so standard.

This brings me back to middle men in this line of interest. I have had the opportunity to meet very honest and kind ones, especially now. But before I got there, it wasn’t easy. I admit I was in a hurry to get a dog at all cost because I felt I was ready but if I had someone to advice me better, I suppose I won’t be typing this. I got introduced to the wrong person who deceived me with an innocent looking Rottweiler puppy. I was also sentimental because her mother belonged to a lady and I was impressed by that, you know seeing a lady breed dogs too.

I somehow learnt to keep sentiments off business( in this regard). Lexy kept eating and eating but she refused to grow up. She is so small that I thought I bought a dwarf dog, didn’t expect her to grow.
I was showed a mating image that apparently is not real. The whole situation got me feeling bad along the line.

She is my responsibility and I have to take care of her like that because I am a big fan on dogs.

Are Boerboel lazy dogs?? I asked because mine is. Like she no like stress at all. It pisses me off at times.

So there was a day I had to rush out to carry out an assignment and just so they don’t stay bored for long, I decided to keep them both in the same cage. Ps: I made a twin cage. So after I got back, boom! one leg up.
That was the first… I was concerned and lost at the same time. Lexy was very okay tho, so I separated them immediately and contacted my vet.

After a while, vet came around and diagnosed a dislocation on Titan. Since I didn’t know much, I told him to commence treatment immediately. After few days of treatment, I started noticing something else… this time, the leg was swollen….

Omoo!

Beautiful dogs

Lovely dogs

How are they? Is this thread dead?