Breeding German Shepherds in Chennai

Reported by Anita Srinivasan

Kala Krishna, a resident of Kasturi Estates, has been breeding German Shepherds for the past 17 years. After doing her M.Sc. in Bio-organics from IIT, Madras, she went on to do antibiotic research with SmithKline Laboratories, and started Anusha, a boutique. She moved to Yercaud with her family for health reasons and this was where her passion for dogs, and German Shepherds in particular, began.

Kala Krishna believes in a thorough understanding of the breed, its history, and genetics. She says that the reason why breeding a working dog like a German Shepherd is so very different from breeding a developed dog like Boxer or a Great Dane, is that, since the dogs have descended from the wolves of Germany, the vast and varied gene pool makes every pup different. She imports all her dogs from Germany itself, and breeds them exclusively for the showline. A show dog from her can cost anywhere between Rs.20,000 to 35,000.

Krishna is the owner of Nita vom Murrta, winner of 'The Indian Siegerin', the highest honour bestowed on a female German Shepherd by the Kennel Club of India. She also owns Quero vom Murrta, 'The Young Sieger', which is the prize awarded to the best German Shepherd in the 18-24 month category. However, a pup with a fault, such as a bushy coat, which cannot be shown, can be bought even for Rs.10,000.

aaaaaThese cute pups will grow up to become show dogs.

She believes that the best dog is one which satisfies all of the standards set out by the FCI, the governing body of all kennels, to which the Kennel Club of India is indirectly affiliated. Krishna has also attended the German Sieger Show, the largest event for German Shepherd breeders, attended by dog connoissuers from across the globe.

Readying dogs in Chennai for a show is extremely hard work, she says, as the dogs require training from 4 am to 9 pm, three months in advance due to the climate. Besides this, the dogs need to be well-groomed and on a perfect diet, to ensure that they are in the best shape.

The problem with German Shepherd is that, since it is so intelligent, and willing to work, it requires space and the owner's time, lack of which can cause it to become vicious. "I would never sell a dog to a person living in an apartment because not only will the dog be unable to live in such a small place but the owner will also be unable to spend the time needed to establish a relationship with the dog," she says.

Kala Krishna lives at 16, Kasturi Ranga Road 1st Street, Chennai- 600 018. Tel: 24993481. Email: kalakrishna12@yahoo.com