kworekwa’s dogs, best friends to his pockets

By Saudha Nakandha

When he is away from home on official duty or doing other tasks, Capt. Gonzaga  Kworekwa is sure his family and property are secure thanks to his fierce dogs.

Kworekwa, a serving Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer, rears dogs as a source of income to supplement his salary from the army.

 “Many people need security but at the same time, cherish their privacy. This is where is where the dog comes in handy. You save the costs that come with employing security guards and also maintain your privacy,” says Kworekwa.

How it began

Kworekwa recalls how at the end of most of the functions he would attend, people would complain about the loss of property even when they security guards had been deployed.

“At the end of the party you find the security guards are drunk or fighting for alcohol or have abandoned their duty. In such cases, party goers lose their side mirrors, car radios and other accessories to thieves,” he says.

“This gave me an idea. To get a more serious, committed and trusted guard, and the answer was the dog,” he adds.

Dog business

Since he had always loved dogs, Kworekwa got his first exotic dog, a German shepherd, in 2004 from Prof. Achon of Makerere University.

“I would move with it wherever I went. Some people wondered why I was always moving with a dog. Ofcourse they did not know my dream was to become a dog breeder,” he says.

Kworekwa  says he met and interacted with a white priest with whom he shared a lot of ideas about dogs. In 2007 when the priest was leaving the country, he wanted to sell off his two great Danes.

Kworekwa grabbed the opportunity and bought the Danes, which set the foundation for his work as a dog breeder.

“I bought these dogs at sh400,000 each which was relatively cheap. In fact I was lucky,” he says.
In 2008, Kworekwa acquired a loan of shIm from Wazalendo SACCO, the UPDF internal savings scheme.

“I used the money to buy three dogs. Unfortunately one died,” he recalls.
Kworekwa, who hails from Mubende, has about 60 dogs, 12 of which are used for breeding.

Opening doors

Kworekwa says his dog business has enabled him meet many people who have had a big impact on his life.

“As a dog breeder I have interacted with so many dog breeds and clients. Along the way I have also made some money,” he says.

How much? “Not enough to make me a billionaire but enough to make me comfortable as a top up on my salary,” adds Kworekwa, who sells a puppy at sh400,000.

“While others rely on cattle and goats during hard times, I rely on selling off my puppies,” he says. The dogs cover  his children’s school fees and other expenses.

Soldier story
Kworekwa joined the army in 1999. After passing his basic training, he was deployed at the School of Political Education in Jinja.

In 2001, he was commissioned for a cadet job. He later became the public relations officer for the Second Division in western Uganda. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Office of the Army Spokesperson where he worked in the editorial department.

He was then deployed in the Public Relations Office in at the Army Headquarters in Bombo.

In 2004, he was posted to Mbarara Army School where he was the head-teacher, then to Pader and currently, he heads Mubende Army Secondary School.

Facts about dogs
In terms of height, the largest dog among all breeds is the Irish wolfhound.

Dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years and there are over 200 dog breeds.

A dog always curls up with his tail covering his nose to keep the nose warm during  cold weather.

Dogs are alert and incorruptible. 

Dogs are good animals to breed because of their in-born qualities like intelligence, obedience, aggressiveness, friendliness to kids, and ability to be trained. In addition, their scary looks, huge size and the prestige associated with them is advantageous to the owner.

They are alert and incorruptible. 

A dog gives birth twice a year to at least five puppies every time.

They can be trained and learn very easily. 

A dog always curls up with his tail covering his nose to keep the nose warm during  cold weather.

How to breed dogs
Dog breeding, according to Kworekwa, is not an easy task as it calls for a lot of care and dedication. One has to have good knowledge about the care and mating of the dogs for its success.

One should also have a clear understanding of the dog type.

Depending on the type, you can allow your dogs to live, sleep and eat with you in the beginning. As they grow, you will need to have a separate room for them.

If you choose to build a kennel, make sure it is not an inconvenience to you because puppies are in constant touch with people.

A kennel should be a safe place for dogs, where they will be happy, comfortable and free from boredom which leads to barking, chewing, fence fighting, weight loss and other undesirable things.

“It is important to understand that an inferior breed cannot produce anything good,” Kworekwa says.