Life after retirement: From KDF soldier to dog trainer in Gilgil
A German shepherd dog being trained at Mudason Dog Centre in Gilgil.
After 33 years in the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) as an education trainer, George Muriuki was ready to retire.
Muriuki already knew what the second phase of his life would be. His plan was to become a preacher.
But as fate would have it, his retirement plan took an unexpected turn thanks to his son.
Muriuki now runs the popular Mudason Dog Centre in Gilgil, where he both breeds and trains dogs.
George Muriuki during the interview. He is the owner of Mudason Dog Centre in Gilgil.
"When my son was 10 years old, he asked me to bring him a puppy and promised to take care of it. I hesitated, but his mother brought him one. From this I learnt to never despise small beginnings and always listen to your children," says Muriuki.
He built a makeshift kennel for his sons dog and helped look after it. Muriuki later received a German shepherd named Noma from a friend.
In 2021, Noma gave birth to eight puppies. When the puppies were five months old, Muriuki wanted to train them but couldn't find a trainer.
George Muriuki with one of the trained dogs at Mudason Dog Centre in Gilgil.
He ended up hiring someone with basic training skills, who eventually introduced him to a professional trainer.
"There were no dog trainers available, so I hired someone with basic skills. He introduced me to the professional trainer I now have," says Muriuki.
Seeing an opportunity, Muriuki began training and selling the puppies. Noma later gave birth to eight more puppies, all of which were high-bred.
He invested Sh500,000 to build kennels for the dogs and buy more quality breeds to increase the number of dogs. He also runs an events business where people can book for wedding receptions and other social activities.
"I started the business as a retirement plan, although it wasn't my original intention and other businesses were not viable. I wanted to be a preacher when I retired. But as more and more people wanted their dogs trained, I decided to take it up as a business," he says.
According to Muriuki, not all dogs can be trained, noting that indigenous dogs, commonly known as 'bosco', are harder to train than exotic breeds.
"Indigenous dogs quickly forget the training. However, every dog must undergo an assessment before being released," he explains.
Owners must provide a name and a vaccination card to prevent the spread of disease and rabies after a dog bite.
Training takes at least a month and costs between Sh20,000 and Sh40,000, depending on the breed.
Muriuki is proud to have started the business, especially since his grandson has shown an interest in dog training.
"I am happy that my grandson is interested in training the dogs. He has started to learn how to train them," he says.
George Muriuki with his grandson Nathaniel Johnes.
He also trains young people in dog training so that they can take exams to prove their competence and earn a living from their skills.
Muriuki also offers dog day care for as little as Sh500 a day and plans to start dog adoption and rental services.