Hi! Am here again with another special dog lover in person of Mr. Adeleye Ajibike, founder of 'KENNEL AJEEB' , trust me you are in for a blast.

What breed was your first dog and how old were you sir?

Mongrel (Nigerian indigenous dog) and I was 15yrs old.

Tell us a bit about your mongrel sir?

Her was czarina, I used to call her pure mongrel, she was well kept, she stayed indoors, she had her own tooth brush, towel, she slept in my room, she was very obedient.
   Her first litter was about 3 pups.

Are you a Christian or a Muslim sir?

I am a Muslim.

Wow, how come you were allowed to keep dogs as a child, I know most Muslims don't like dogs?

I was 15yrs old, I kept insisting and disturbing my parents for a puppy, where that passion came from I can't tell , So I got my 1st mongrel for 500naira we lived in a rented apartment at the time so czarina was indoors we used to share the same bed, eat at the dining table together, bath together, share the same pillow  etc.... My mum couldn't help but see that burning passion anytime she returned from work and I had slept off after completing my assignments, i would sleep on the carpet she would see czarina sharing pillow with me and she would be like 'ema gbami o' What's the meaning of this but there was nothing she could do She grew to like dogs based on how serious I was with dogs My dogs were never dirty never had ticks, they stayed healthy I devoted all my time at that age
to the dogs I had then, they were good companions , before I knew it, my mother would get biscuit bone from the market for czarina , anytime I need to play with czarina and I didn't see her around , would see her with my mother in the kitchen That was how my mother fell in love with dogs,  If my dogs had ticks and were smelly and not well taken care of she wouldn't have obliged I owned one back then.

Did you get any other breed then?

I had a German Shepherd dog (GSD) I named him Beanie.

How did you cope with your education, especially during your university education?

Well, then I made sure I came home every weekend to check up on my dogs, I was a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, my mum also helped out.

So I see you specialise in boerboels and rottweilers, Tell us a bit about your experience with boerboels and Rottweilers?

I got my first Boerboel during my university days, her name was cassie , she didn't have any litter until after 7 years, many would have opted out, I kept because it was more of passion for me and also because I was a fan of Hip Hop music, DMX used to own pittbulls then, that also inspired me.
Back then I had some people I used to call my mentor then, they would tell you its ok to start breeding your bitch at 10 months, I guess that's why I had issues with breeding then but I didn't relent, I wanted to know more , invested my time in more research, got another Boerboel after cassie died but didn't breed her to any stud till she was about 20 months old and she had 11 pups. her name was britney.
I applied the same rules to my Rottweilers and back then what I recognized as quality then isn't what I recognize as quality now.

Wow, so how did your orientation about boerboels and Rottweilers change, regarding to the stock you have?

Well, I was surfing the internet one day, saw a few kennels existing in Nigeria, one particular kennel I was fascinated with was AJÁRTODÁR KENNELS , especially because I had seen the name in a dog magazine before with boerboels and Rottweilers, I had previous called a few but they didn't sound like they knew what they were doing.
So I called Ajartodar kennels, and enquired for a rottweiler, the person I was speaking with was Mr. Funso Akin-Amuwa, I was expecting him to tell me price immediately but he asked a question 'what do you need a rottweiler for' , I replied by saying to breed of course because that question didn't sound ok to me then but I wanted to know why he asked so I kept my cool and stayed on the phone, he now said the person that referred you to me referred you to the wrong person but I old him no one referred me to him, being in shock was an understatement to how I felt then, I now asked why or isn't he Ajartodar kennels again, he said he's the one but he doesn't sell his pups to people that don't have plan, I was just confused.
  He now asked me to describe what a rottweiler should look like, when I did, he laughed and said I don't know anything, I felt insulted but I kept quiet because he was different , he tried explaining with some professional terms, I just humbled myself and listened, we were on the phone for like an hr before I ran out of airtime, then he called back and spoke to me for almost 2hrs, my mind was blown, he was surprised with my humility because most would have hung up and I explained to him I was looking at someone to point me in the right direction because I want to do this right.
  He told me about a litter he had but he said he wouldn't sell to me, I was just wondering what kinda human being I was speaking with but then again we exchanged BB pins then and sent me pictures of some of his dogs, then I asked for price of his pups, it was triple the usual amount most people were selling back then, I was shocked again, I told him it was high , he told me well, I told you I wouldn't sell to you before and these pups are breeding quality pups, I was just wondering what was going on but then I didn't relent I asked him when he would have another litter,he told me to keep in touch, by then time I was getting my boerboel and rottweiler pups from him, I was expecting him to sit me down and lecture but he just told me to familiarize myself with the breed standard, that's when I realised the word pedigree existed and it wasn't just a word, my mind was blown it felt like another world entirely, I let go of my old stock to focus on my foundation stock.

Why were you interested in his boerboels when you wanted to buy just rottweilers?

I saw some of his boerboels and was impressed with what I saw and compared to the boerboels and Rottweilers I had, also most of the pups I got from him were bred in Europe and South Africa, also he pushed me to knowledge.

So Mr. Funso Akin-Amuwa became your mentor?

Yes, he opened my eyes and while I did my personal research I would show him some things I didn't understand and he would put me through, I learnt about health,conformation , temperament etc.

So it was passion that drove you to do all this?

Yes, everything you see about 'KENNEL AJEEB' now is passion driven, plus my good friend/ brother from another mother Adefemi Davies (HO3D Graphics) started animal photography because he was inspired by our passion for dogs, he takes all my dog pictures too and he's an excellent photographer I must confess, I would show him pictures from the internet and show him the kind of pictures we should achieve, also Mr. Funso pushed me to taking good pictures because if I send him pictures that don't represent my dogs well, he would be blunt and I went back to the drawing board till I got proper pictures.

How do you cope with work and dogs?

Well... I am a production supervisor which requires a lot of time, stress and work but still I made time for my dogs, if not for the passion I would have just quitted breeding dogs, trust me its not easy but the passion didn't let me quit.

So you only breed boerboels and Rottweilers?

Yes.

Now, that KENNEL AJEEB has gone world wide, if someone calls you for a Boerboel or rottweiler , would you treat them the same way Mr. Funso treated you?

Err, I have a similar but slightly different approach, I try to tutor whoever contacts me, am also a trained sales rep, was trained when I worked at a bank, so now, if I want to sell a Boerboel or rottweiler to you, I try to enlighten you on what I have and also try to know the kind of dog you want but if I don't have what you want I don't sell, because most don't know about bloodlines or pedigree, I give my prospective clients links to check, post to read I also get to know their purpose for getting boerboels and Rottweilers from me, I also follow up because it helps me to also improve, also I don't just breed, I plan each breeding and I can almost tell you how a pup from my litter would turn out because of my expectations and knowledge have gotten from the bloodlines am trying to combine.

Wow,so presently how many dogs do you have?

Well, I have about 15 dogs, plus I 'll be retaining more pups from my breedings , should be looking forward to my second generation of Boerboel pups in 2016.

This is interesting, please what does it cost to feed  and care for these dogs because I know, its not easy for dogs to always look nice?

Babajide, it is expensive , I am not going to sugar coat it, it is expensive , I spend a lot  on my dogs per month, I buy a lot of cow bones, chicken, fish, top quality dry food, I don't joke with my dogs food, I don't compromise when it comes to their feeding.

Now, you are working , your care for dogs, do you do this alone?

Yes , alone, I also live alone, I bath them regularly and make sure they are in top shape.

What advise would you give to aspiring breeders or future dog owners out their who would like to own Boerboels or rottweilers?

Yeah, have always told people,breeding isn't about business, its passion because there's a misconception about breeding being a business, well, to me dog breeding is passion, am also an aspiring breeding, I also have a long way to go,  am just creating a standard for myself.

Would you say a prospective Boerboel or rottweiler owner doesn't need to import to get top quality pups/dogs, today?

Yes but it depends, that would have to be a person that has a plan, if what he's looking for is in Nigeria why import??? But if its not maybe he/she might, it all balls down to purpose, you can't just breed dogs of the same breed anyhow, especially when both dogs are pedigree dogs from the same breed but it doesn't necessarily mean they are compatible, infact, you are breeding to correct faults, cement traits and not breed to just produce dogs with faults, there has to be a plan.... A lot of aspiring breeders in Nigeria are trying, we can't keep on importing, we have a lot of bloodlines in Nigeria especially for the Boerboels, your motive to import should be driven by purpose or plan for your breeding program and not just because you see a beautiful puppy online.

How can our readers / doglover contact you to buy thier future dogs /pups from you sir?

I can be reached via whatsapp 09026887918, phone: 08057680384, instagram: @K.Brott

Wow, am so inspired by you sir, you are so being my mentor ☺.

As we premiere, paw's inpired kicks-off with  Engr. Ayoola  Adeshina Ayodeji , founder of  AJAHMI KENNELS, located in Kaduna State, Nigeria, just sit back , relax and be inspired by this interview



What's your occupation sir? 

I am a Civil Engineer

When did you get your first dog/pup?
I had my first pup when I was 3yrs old given to me by my grandmother.

How did you come about dogs, have you always loved dogs from your childhood or you learned to love them?

I have always had dog since when I was  young and have never lived without dogs, I had my first pedigree dog at the age of 12yrs old given to me by my uncle.

 Wow, that's remarkable , so loving dogs came naturally to you:

Yes

What breed was your first dog:

German Shepherd Dog

 I presume you come from a family of dog lovers?

I grew up in G R.A. in Lagos State where we had a lot of white people as neighbours and they had  in  their houses slant back german shepherds, they came from the U S.A. Most of the houses in my Area have low fences and flowers in the compound and most times when I drop from the school bus I always go close to the gate to call the dogs and I could remember one of the dogs that usually came out of the flowers in the compound, she was always wagging her tail whenever she comes towards the gate. Yes ,in my family we love dogs;The passion for dogs in my family came with strong bond for it.

        With the overwhelming discouraging events of the economy, the best we can do is hope and have faith , hoping at the end of this crisis, it will all end for good, rate of unemployment is piling, people are being laid off from work, prices of basic needs jacked up, governance??? Well, we all know how that is, a lot are suffering and yet some are smiling, is it just me or do I feel there's a way out of this mess we are in called 'ECONOMIC RECESSION'
      It affects us one way or the other but the degree of the effect differ, this crisis has provoked some creative ideas, provoked some to dig deeper , challenged a lot to improve, made some see solutions where most anticipate problems.
         Frankly, I think we should all challenge ourselves to be better, if some can think of a way to hack into the most secure facility in the world, I believe we can find a way to hack into the problems of this country and solve it.
          Challenges are there to make us stronger, it might break you for a while but mending and healing is God's gift to us, a lady I adore so much, went for an interview hoping to get a job and yes she has done her part by graduating from one of the top universities in this country and bagged her self good grads, one would think, yes , she will most definitely get the job, right? but the interviewers were unethical and to top it all , insulted this lady's intelligence like it was nothing, take a moment to be in her shoes, I felt bad and angry when I heard this but guess what , she composed herself throughout the interview but it did hurt....
    Its not going to stop her from achieving her dreams though, because she has hope, she's hard working,smart and she inspires me..☺
     What am I trying to say? Challenges will hit you from different angles but how you handle the situation and how you intend to move forward matters a lot.
       A lot of people have given up on our dear country, a lot don't believe in the system anymore, I can't blame anyone really, why? Because its really hard to believe anything anymore but guess what?
        For every challenge you overcome , there's everything to be gained, knowledge, skill, capital etc name it...
         Never stop believing, be the beacon of hope for your generation, never give up, its just a phase but most important have hope...

I am Babajide and I believe in you, never give up...

     Troy the survivor.... Got a lot to say , so much history about these dogs very few know.... For the sake of our viewers let's just get to the story.

     Troy's a Boerboel born and bred in Nigeria, as a pup troy and his litter mates survived parvo virus, he and his litter mates were tube fed, kept till 12 weeks old before going to there new homes.

      Which is the main point of this story, the reason why we must monitor , screen whoever will be going with our puppies, not everyone that buys a pup, loves the pup, we need to get to a stage in Nigeria where we let these pups go with a clear conscience, imagine, caring for a pregnant bitch to whelping , to weaning her pups off her, vet bills, sleepless nights, emotional attachments etc.

Only for someone to mess that hard work up in 1 day.

        Hmmmm.... Troy as a pup was let go to his new home with the best intentions , his new home saw him as nothing more than an animal, he wasn't properly taken care of, he was malnourished, no veterinary attention whatsoever, he didn't have a good life at all.

When the breeder who sold troy went to visit , he was almost in tears, troy wasn't looking like a living being , the person who bought him gave a story about troy being sick n all, so the breeder took troy , nursed him back to full health for almost 5months and then returned troy , thinking all will be well, not knowing it was just the  continuation of Troy's suffering..

         Hmmmm...... Troy suffered greatly in the hands of his owner all because he wasn't barking , he wasn't aggressive (that's what the owner claimed).
         Troy only ate, whenever there were left overs , which wasn't everyday, he only drank water when he was chanced too, he was in a devastating state before the breeder and the Aladin rescue team saved him, he was almost lifeless, he was all boneds, he had discharge from his ear, his coat was smelly and thick due to cemented layers of dirty that got moist and stuck to his coat, he was disfigured, couldn't move well, he couldn't even bark well, when ever he tried to bark the sound would almost be faint, his teeth was brown, don't get me started on his breathe, it was simply horrible, I wonder, this dog was in this state and his survived the parvo virus invasion that happened between the late quarter of last year and early quarter of this year, which killed a lot of dogs.....
          I was almost in tears when I watched the video showing the state he was in the day he was rescued, I don't know how he felt but I know this, with the Aladdin rescue team he's in good hands, and his rehabilitation has started....
         This is one of the reasons why enlightenment is key.
  We need to follow up on our dogs and pups, so that what happened to troy wouldn't have to happen again.
         Also as an aspiring trainer with the knowledge My mentor Mr. Idowu Abiodun has instilled in me, will do what I can to help troy with his rehabilitation.

Also follow up on his state on well being, before and after being placed into a new loving home...

          This is the dream have been talking about, we need to show compassion, even when times are hard....

Dogs are living beings too, don't betray their loyalty...

          Watch Out for the live interview of the Aladdin rescue and babajide Coming soon..

           

          Until next time, its BABAJIDE and PAWS bringing you stories that matter in the canine community , our country and the world at large.

Thank you.

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