What kind of dog would be good for us?

I guess only people with a fat savings account can get dogs! No wonder there are so many in shelters. I guess I shouldn't have mine even though they'd pretty much all be dead if I hadn't adopted them. And it's funny, my vet has allowed me to make payments when I couldn't pay it all upfront. Other vets allowed me to use post-dated cheques while I get funds in order. A dog would have to be pretty **** special for me to pay $1500 and to be quite honest I can't imagine any that are more special than mine! And here I paid a total of $200 for all of them. lol

The point is, yes, it's good to have some money set aside even if it's just available on credit cards but because you can't pay $1500 upfront is no reason not to provide a loving home to a dog. Especially with so many in need of a little TLC. There are ways to get a dog the help it needs in the case of an emergency.

As for the other costs they vary from situation to situation. If you get a dog from a rescue they will probably cost less than $300 and already be altered with initial shots and dewormed. Minimum.

Doggy day care? If you need it. It sounds like the OP is home a lot so maybe she doesn't need it. I have never used it. It's certainly not the norm out here. I'd have to drive over an hour just to get them to one!

Health clearances? hm I don't think we are talking about a breeder here. Definitely a personal decision.

And training. Of course that's a great help. Especially for new owners but there is quite a range of cost and it's a monthly fee not a big sum upfront. Much more manageable.

4X the cost of the dog in a savings account? I guess I'm set with Sakari. 4X0 is $0 lol That's something I can afford!

Perhaps it is better to advise that if an emergency happens that someone just put the dog down because they are broke? After all, how much can the blue needle cost, $200.00 max!?
FYI: I have never been responsible for any dog being in a shelter and I take offence to the implication.
Call me crazy for beliving that those who should own dogs should be those who can afford them. Those who should have kids should be those who can afford to raise them.

FYI: Not all vets will allow someone to make payments or post date cheques. To advocate the atypical over the typical situation is irresponsible.

The dogs ive sold between $900-1300 are alive and well living better than the dogs ive sold from $1500-2000k

The one dog that the owner paid for with her tax return has never done wrong by him.

The find the people who can DROP 1500 like it was 15.00 are NOT always the best homes.

When thier is a will there is a way.

Pet owners may not have $1500 to drop on a dog but they will when needed mortage their homes. Ive heard of toy dog owner in AZ that left her wedding ring as down payment to save a parvo pup she paid 1000 for and it died any way. She did pay that bill.

lol Irresponsible. That must be your word of the day. It's not irresponsible to let people know that there options out there for lower income families. In my opinion it's irresponsible to tell people that they can't have a dog because they aren't wealthy. Especially with all the dogs in shelters that need homes. Your logic is bizarre. Most people wouldn't be able to have dogs by your standards. Who is giving them the needle now?

I have seen some insults and even downright meanspiritedness on this forum on occasion. But the one in this thread takes the cake.

apparently your vet doesn't give a crap about the animals he cares for, because i've never had a vet turn down a patient willing to work with them financially. and there's a big difference in paying 1500$ to buy a puppy and 1500$ on emergency vet care. emergency care is a necessity, while you can easily go get a puppy for 100$ at an animal shelter, and frankly, if the dog is just going to be a pet, then 70% of the time you shouldn't buy from a breeder anyway.

Walk in here with a dog that has bloated or had to have an ACL surgery and then tell me what is what. Feelings, semantics and other BS aside. Emergency surgery costs money, and 95% of the time it is pay now or no play. Sure you can be a broke ass with a dog, homeless people have dogs all of the time. The question is can those broke homeless people do crap if thier dog gets hit by a car? Probably not.

Your logic is to buy a cheap dog and wing it. May work some of the time but WTF happens when YOU NEED to do emergancy surgery and your broke ass can't pay for it? Who pays then? The dog, that's who!

Holy hell. Jurai, you have spewed some of the most judgemental crap I've ever heard. I can't even begin to tell you how absolutely wrong you are.

I have kids. I know full well that accidents happen and are very expensive. There is a difference between not spending $1,500 on a dog and not being able to afford medical bills.

My parents black lab, that they've had for 12 years, just had to go to an emergency clinic because she was bleeding internally, they found a tumor that had burst and had to remove it, and after x-rays and MRIs and surgery, my parents paid over $4,000. So trust me, I know what I'm getting into.

I don't have to justify myself to you. And I wasn't asking for a free dog, ever. Or even a cheap one. All I was asking was about the different breeds so I can get a better idea of what breeds we can look at once we get his allergy testing.

You went off here for no reason, but I sure hope you made yourself feel superior now...because to everyone else you just look like an ass.

You got that right


and to the OP...sorry this went way in left field I hope you will find a suitable breed (or maybe even a shelter dog) for you and your family whether it costs $100 or $1000

This is a forum of dog lovers and while we may not all agree all the time- we have one thing in common and that is love for dog and your insults are not necessary. So consider this a friendly warning: curb your macho enthusiasm for being against what nearly every member says, does and believes here. By all means, disagree and voice your opinion, but one more insult -albeit direct or not- or one more dose of downright meanspiritedness (thanks for the word TM)- and you will no longer be welcome on this forum.

Now, on to the OP...

You have to find what is right for you and your family and your needs and wants out of a pet. That may be a dazzling $2000 purebred or it may be the mix at the local shelter that just melts your heart. Follow your heart.

As far as money.. I can tell you right now that when we got Buddy we didn't have 4 times the amount of what he cost, but we spent that and MORE the first month that he was with us and we found a way to fund the fight for his life. When there is a will, there is a way.

And your logic is to spend a large sum of money on a dog and leave all the 'cheap' loving dogs in the shelters to be put to sleep. By your 'logic' nobody who is middle or lower income is able to come up with funds for an emergency (funny, I've always found the money when I needed it but I guess I've just been lucky) and even though they have spent time, energy and put their hearts and souls into their dogs they will just put them to sleep because of a cash flow problem. Oh yes, and 95% of vets – a number I'm sure you just pulled our of your ... thin air ... – don't care about animals and aren't willing to work with you to help your pet get the care it needs.

I really feel for you that you don't know any better and that you have only worked with vets that are interested in your wallet rather than your pet. Maybe it's how you present yourself but I hope that some day you are able to find a vet with heart instead of a sports car. I know I wouldn't take my dogs to any other kind.

Thanks, really, to everyone with helpful information on this thread. I'm hoping we can adopt a dog from a shelter, I think our county shelter is a kill shelter and I'd really like to go there. That's why I was asking about breeds, they can only usually guess, and a lot of dogs are mixes, so I just wanted to be armed with all the information that I could have.

I don't expect to find a PWD or a Wheaten at the shelter, mostly I was just asking about those because I think they are beautiful.

Anyhow, I'm sorry this thread took a nasty turn, some people are just that way I guess.

Yup some people are that way. glad you can see it

If you want to go with a breed and a rescue there are breed rescues that will help get dogs to the right home. The breed rescues will often keep an eye out and let you know when they have something. Or you might catch one on petfinder or something similar. OR if you want to go to shelters and just play with the dogs, take them for walks, take pictures (for us too!!! ) you'll learn a lot and the dogs will really appreciate it. there are so many options for you. I'm glad you are looking into it so early and thoroughly.

I just want to be clear for anyone who might think that dogs are unaffordable for the average person. This is not true. Yes there are a lot of costs. I spend hundreds every month just on food for my four. And yes, emergency vet fees are sometimes necessary. I've never had to take my dogs in for a major emergency surgery but it does happen. The last time I had to take a dog in for something other than a routine appointment was last month when Sakari discovered porcupines. She had a face full of quills and I only had $100.

My vet stayed open late (no extra charge) so she didn't have to spend another night like that. He had never met her before and she was a bit jumpy when she came in. He got down to her level and waited for her to come up to him, gave her treats and sweet talked her before he began. He brought a chair into the room for me (I'm pregnant) so I could sit and watch and chat with him while he put her out and pulled the quills. He showed me the quills talked to me about quill old wives tails and some of the other dogs he's treated. He let me stay with her and pet her head while she woke up so she didn't get too scared and then carried her out to the car for me so she could finish waking up at home.

All of this he did within my budget. Why? Because he loves dogs. He's a neat old guy with a lot of heart but he is NOT such a small minority. So if anyone out there is worried about vet costs maybe shop around for a vet too while you are looking for a dog. See if you can find one that you are comfortable and can start a relationship with.

Any good vet will encourage you to bring your dog in (at no charge of course) just to visit and for treats so they aren't afraid of the clinic and the vet. I haven't loved all of the vets I've been to but I find the majority of them still remember why they got into it – to help animals.

I'm not homeless, but I am broke. With two kids and a S.O., and myself, we are stretched pretty thin, because I do not work.

We got Kona anyway.

Would I cough up 4000 bucks to save her?

You bet your sweet ass I would. I will be damned when my dog will DIE if she can be saved. I would STEAL to save her. I would wash the Vet's dishes for a year if it would mean saving my dog.


Oh yeah, and did you know 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

roflmao!!

Leave it to me, eh?

Thanks for calling the kettle black.