So we were having a discussion about pets in class. One brave student mentioned that she had just bought a hedgehog. My students were stunned, what’s a hedgehog? Well, it’s a small animal with spiky fur about the size of a small mouse with big ‘love me’ black eyes and a very cute, tiny nose that lives in a small cage with lots of paper to keep it warm and comfortable. We worked out in the class that at least two-thirds of the class owned a pet and in some cases two or more – usually a small dog and cat. Lots of questions followed: “Where did you buy it?”, “What does it eat?”, “Does it smell?” Ewww… It’s that time of year again when the puppies are born and the kittens need to go to a good home.  Pet ownership is rising in Vietnamese as more people have enough disposable income to buy and feed their pets. There is nothing quite as funny or likely to make you say “Awwww” as a dog and his owner cruising around town on a motorbike. Some of the dogs stay on the bikes better than the Vietnamese riders!

It’s a small and rather fragmented market for pet products because it is slowly growing as humans look more to animals for company in an increasingly busy world. In Vietnam food products such as Pedigree and Whiskas are commonplace in shops. In Hanoi, there’s a dog and cat resort with a pet cemetery and a park for walking the pets while the owner is absent.  Recently the Vietnam Dog Show 2014 in Ho Chi Minh City attracted hundreds of owners. The potential for business is booming.

A friend of mine, Wayne Capiotti, is preparing a journal, Mê Thú Cưng (Passion for Pets), to cover the many aspects of pet ownership for a still relatively uninformed Vietnamese pet owner population.

A lot to learn too, as many owners lack information on how to look after their pets well. It’s a big list: vaccinations, washing, feeding and most importantly of all, training and supervision to consider. Regarding domestic pets, their owners seem not to realize or pay enough attention to keeping these pets with guard dog instincts safely confined. Incorrect washing can harm the pet or fail to prevent fleas and bugs spreading infections. Good training can make a dog more manageable.

Yet of all the issues, the biggest is… should I get a pet? Some owners leave their dogs cooped up all day – the lonely, mournful howls echoing down the streets. In the case of the Vietnamese, as my neighbor expressed it the other day as her small boy tended his new chubby, grinning, floppily eared pup, “Pup smile is Vietnamese smile.” We can but hope that all the newly born pets find a welcoming smile too.