Owning a villa has a number of benefits: complete privacy, extra space, and, most importantly, ample room to house that most important suburban accessory: the family dog. Where dogs were once thought of as unclean and associated with the gangs of baladi mongrels plundering garbage bins and interrupting rare bits of peace and quiet with their barking, they are now becoming all the rage amongst Cairo's elite families. For families living in villas, having a dog provides both protection from intruders and something to play with in the garden. Beyond that, having pets is part of the vision of American-style suburban living being played out in the gated communities on the outskirts of Cairo. "Having a dog just makes sense when you have a villa, you have a huge garden, and there is less security in the city so it's nice to have a dog to bark if anyone comes near the house, said Ahmed Zaghou, a pit bull owner. The trend of dog ownership has increased over the past two years, according to Tamer El Abd, owner of MMK Cairo, a dog breeding, training and boarding facility. "Our customers have always been a mix of foreigners, Egyptians, young people and old people, but I've definitely noticed an increase in Egyptian customers coming to purchase dogs in recent years, he said. Businesses like MMK Cairo have sprung up around the city to meet the growing demand for well-bred puppies and the market for medical, training and care services that comes along with them. Sarah Michelle Leonard, a professional dog trainer, has seen demand for her services grow so much over the past year that she established the Cairo Canine Academy in Maadi to provide regular training classes for puppies and their owners. In the process of establishing her business, Leonard has gotten to know a lot of owners and their puppies, big and small. "People either have small, fluffy dogs, or big guard dogs. You don't see a lot of people with normal, medium sized dogs, she said. For small dogs, popular breeds are Bichon Frises, poodles, Cocker Spaniels and Maltese dogs. Those who opt for big dogs usually choose German shepherd, mastiffs, rottweilers, Dobermans and even Great Danes. Less common but growing in popularity (due to the fact that they are relatively small in size but possess the qualities of a guard dog) is the pit bull. Even better, pit bulls don't bark, so owners get all the protection and none of the noise. Breeders like MMK Cairo cater to the market for larger dogs, offering Labradors, golden retrievers and rottweilers, but clients who want a well-bred puppy of a smaller breed often have to go abroad to find quality canines. "You see a lot of people bringing dogs back from abroad if they can, because smaller dogs sold in pet shops tend to be badly bred and badly behaved due to their conditions. I think more quality breeders will start to turn up soon though because of the demand, said Leonard. Pet shop dogs are raised in "puppy mill conditions that don't provide them with proper nutrition, shelter or the socialization that will allow them to live well with families. At the same time, many families who purchase large guard dogs from quality breeders are unenthusiastic about training their puppies, preferring them to be aggressive and mean for security reasons. "People don't see the need for training; some people who want guard dogs take them to the police academy where they turn them into violent animals that shouldn't be living with a family. We try to make our clients understand the importance of having a well-trained puppy, said Leonard. El Abd agreed, explaining that although he offers training facilities, many buyers are uneducated about the role of training in the development of a dog's personality and social skills. "Many people come with unrealistic expectations of what it means to own a dog; they don't understand that dogs require a lot of attention and care, so they disregard the need for training and sometimes have a lot of problems with the dog's behavior, he said. In a city that is relatively safe and not prone to violent crime, the passion for huge guard dogs seems a little misplaced. The reason behind this is simple, according to El Abd, "Egyptians like their cars big and their dogs bigger! Indeed, as the trend grows and solidifies into a suburban Cairo status symbol, we can expect to see more puppies making themselves at home in the city's villas, and more specialty markets, everything from designer dog collars to professional grooming salons, are popping up to fuel the designer dog craze.
