Getting a puppy?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'm still looking everyday on petfinder. We are struggling to find a hypo allergenic dog that is younger. I want less than 5. But we'll see. We're giving it 1 more month.

[myrdale]

Every one should Adopt one don't buy. There are numerous reasons to adopt a pet rather than buy one from a pet store.

This is one I have mixed feelings about. It like saying, "Don't buy a new car, only buy used" or "Never eat out, only grow your own food". I will say anyone who pays more than about $200 for a dog is crazy in my book, but if there is a specific breed you're interested in, then by all means go for it. I am partial to labs and German Sheppards myself.

On one occasion we did have the humane society refuse to sale us a puppy. The reason was that we did not have a fenced in yard. But considering we were in the country, there was no need for such a thing.

Pretty much every dog we ever had was a stray that showed up at the house or more often than not, someone else had puppies they were trying to get rid of.

One additional note is I'd heard the annual cost of pet ownership was around $1,000 per year. I doubt the cost ever approached that level for us. But then again, if your going to buy a "thing" that is going to last 10 to 15 years, and you're going to spend $1,000 up keep per year on that "thing" an initial investment of $2,000 even isn't necessary that bad on paper.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

We got a dog. He cost us $2365. That and everything else that goes along with getting a dog. He is a 1 year old standard poodle. And no it wasn't a purchase but a donation to a rescue group. I admit to freaking out about it, but the group uses the money to cover costs of rescuing dogs and rehoming. And they are a non-profit group with Tax ID and I had 3 people in a facebook group who found dogs through them. It's tax deductible so I feel at least we didn't end up at a breeder. I guess I should embarrassed for paying that much to the rescue group and I realize some of it is for the cost of other dogs and stuff.

[JoeP]

We bought a 10 month old female yellow lab from a breeder. Nobody wanted her because I guess she wasn't suitable for breeding and wasn't an outgoing outdoorsy kind of dog. Turned out to be the best dog, very easy to train, polite (never jumped), knew to stay out of certain rooms, knew about a dozen commands, almost never barked. Lived to be 14.

About 5 years prior to the above dog passing on, we got an 8 week old female yellow lab. This involved a deposit toward the $750 final price, and we were allowed several visits to select from the litter, from about 1 week to 6 weeks. They are a lot of work, kind of like a baby, but consistent training is the key. We're convinced that the puppy gave the older dog another couple years due to increased activity and companionship.

I'll admit, we put a lot of money into our dogs: vet bills, food, treats, grooming, other supplies. There is also the fur factor and muddy paws, which is tough if you're OCD. My opinion is that if someone complains about the expense or extra cleanup needed, they should not get a dog.

Also, FWIW, I strongly recommend crate training. It gives them a refuge like a cave or hollow, and they learn to go there at night or when you leave the house.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Can't do the crate training so easily with rescues. They have a lot of anxiety. Lucky for us I am home and taking dog into office so it's a wash. He's pretty sweet though. I am happy. DH is thrilled and looking at working from home more. He adores the kiddos. Since we don't allow him on the bed with us he is starting to realize that bedtime is with the kids.

[amastewa93]

Can't do the crate training so easily with rescues. They have a lot of anxiety. Lucky for us I am home and taking dog into office so it's a wash. He's pretty sweet though. I am happy. DH is thrilled and looking at working from home more. He adores the kiddos. Since we don't allow him on the bed with us he is starting to realize that bedtime is with the kids.

I'm so glad you found a doggo that fits your family and it sounds like he's adjusting well!! A family with a dog is a happy family haha.

Crate training can be super difficult with dogs with anxiety. Our pup had bad separation anxiety when he was younger. I work from home so he never really spends much time alone. We were crate training for weeks. One day when we came home, he'd somehow pried open the crate at the corner, squeezed out, and tore up my office. As it turns out, he just does better out of the crate and (occasionally) getting something for his anxiety if we are going to be gone a long time.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'm so glad you found a doggo that fits your family and it sounds like he's adjusting well!! A family with a dog is a happy family haha.

Crate training can be super difficult with dogs with anxiety. Our pup had bad separation anxiety when he was younger. I work from home so he never really spends much time alone. We were crate training for weeks. One day when we came home, he'd somehow pried open the crate at the corner, squeezed out, and tore up my office. As it turns out, he just does better out of the crate and (occasionally) getting something for his anxiety if we are going to be gone a long time.

I think he'll be fine in the house in a month. Our first rescue was a mess in a crate. He was small and just pulled out his hair and drooled and went crazy in the crate. We just decided we'd leave him in the house instead of trying to crate train a 6 year old dog. He did fine. He was house broken and not a problem. So he just chilled on the couch and waited for us. The next rescue we didn't bother trying because we already had 1 bichon running around and decide whatever. He was fine too. I suspect this poodle will be fine when we leave him in the house in a couple of weeks. Right now he's still anxious and howls at the door, but you can already tell it's improving.

[olivershep18]

Yes, I had a Jack Russell Terrier. Great dog, he is very suitable for people who are not active lifestyle (( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russell_Terrier

[amastewa93]

I think he'll be fine in the house in a month. Our first rescue was a mess in a crate. He was small and just pulled out his hair and drooled and went crazy in the crate. We just decided we'd leave him in the house instead of trying to crate train a 6 year old dog. He did fine. He was house broken and not a problem. So he just chilled on the couch and waited for us. The next rescue we didn't bother trying because we already had 1 bichon running around and decide whatever. He was fine too. I suspect this poodle will be fine when we leave him in the house in a couple of weeks. Right now he's still anxious and howls at the door, but you can already tell it's improving.

I'm so glad it is working out! I'm sure he'll adjust with some more time. Congrats, again!

[Captain Save]

Considering how much pets cost, i'm surprisedt that anyone on this board owns one.

[disneysteve]

Considering how much pets cost, i'm surprisedt that anyone on this board owns one.

The same could be said about children