Thinking about getting a dog

[SuperBowlNachos]

I've been thinking about getting a dog. I want something medium to large, no pansy lap dog, but no great dane. I live with my brother and he has a blue heeler, so I'd need a breed that gets a long with other dogs. First on the list is a golden retriever or a lab. I'd want a pure breed.

• Any suggestions for breeds that may not be well known, but are cool? Something that doesn't shed a lot would be nice(I know goldens shed a lot)
• How big of an initial investment will it be for shots and stuff like that?
• Is pet insurance a good deal? I couldn't afford to get stuck with a $1,000 vet bill if something happened.

I want something playful. My brother got the king of the litter when he got his heeler, this dog is very nice and is probably 3-4 inches taller then most other heelers and could go all day catching a frisbee.

[Knight165]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

I've been thinking about getting a dog. I want something medium to large, no pansy lap dog, but no great dane. I live with my brother and he has a blue heeler, so I'd need a breed that gets a long with other dogs. First on the list is a golden retriever or a lab. I'd want a pure breed.

• Any suggestions for breeds that may not be well known, but are cool? Something that doesn't shed a lot would be nice(I know goldens shed a lot)
• How big of an initial investment will it be for shots and stuff like that?
• Is pet insurance a good deal? I couldn't afford to get stuck with a $1,000 vet bill if something happened.

I want something playful. My brother got the king of the litter when he got his heeler, this dog is very nice and is probably 3-4 inches taller then most other heelers and could go all day catching a frisbee.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting a dog, but they can get expensive, if you want to be a responsible owner. It's an unknown with dogs as I've seen friends who have had the dogs checked out very thoroughly have to turn around and spend double what you're saying you can't afford to properly care for a medical problem with a dog. Bottom line is any medical procedures will cost you ....and I'm not sure what exactly insurance would cover, so you'd have to check that out.

That being said....I would always go for the runt of the litter. Call me nuts, but they know that you "saved" them and their loyalty is unmatched IMO.
If you need "the best" by all means, but don't discount the little guy(or girl).

Startup costs can be quite a bit with the initial shots....buying the proper supplies(leash, collar, bowls, bed etc) and the cost of food is up there if you want to give your dog the better quality food(which if you get the "king",you would, right?).
I'd say a 300-400 start is not out of the question.

M.K.
Knight165

[PVarck31]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

If you are gonna get a dog rescue one. And yes, pet insurance is a good idea. jmo

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Forget the king comment, I didn't mean he picked the physically biggest dog, it was actually the very last pup left in the litter. It just turned out to be a badass dog is what I meant.

[mjb2124]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Dogs certainly can get expensive. We got a Golden Retriever a few months ago. He's 16 weeks old now and is a handful. My wife and I both work so he's in a playpen in the kitchen for a minimum of 9 hours per day (I let him out at lunch)....so he has a lot of pent up energy when we get home from work which means 45min walks minimum. The biggest thing with a young dog is they require a lot of attention. Think about it... A dog is basically a walking baby. New to the World, investigating everything and getting into everything all while on the move. We're going through the stage now where my dog is teething...he's lost 4 baby teeth and his adult teeth are coming in so he wants to chew on everything (furniture, carpeting, base boards, clothing etc...). With a new house, we have to stay on top of him every second we're home because we don't want him destroying the house.

We paid $800 for him. Add in toys, food, bed etc... It was around $1100 right off the bat. Then after 2 weeks he had his first set of shots that ran $140. 2 more weeks and he had another vet checkup for about $70. Another 2 weeks and he got his final set of shots that was $140.

One Sunday about 1 month ago after I let him outside, he came back in and wouldn't open his eyes. I thought something got into his eyes or he was allergic to something. Within 10min it went away and he was himself again. 30min later and he started doing it again, except this time, he laid down and wouldn't move...almost like someone gave him a relaxation pill. My wife and I were concerned so we took him to the emergency vet. $400 and a blood test later, they found nothing. All of the symptoms he was experiencing went away 2 days later and have not reappeared. I'm not sure if it was an allergy or something on the grass or what....just glad he's OK. But that's what you can expect to spend for an emergency visit (minus anything major of course). We do not have dog insurance as we don't think it's needed. We believe we'd spend more on the insurance over the long run than we would on vet bills.

With all that said, dogs are great, but they are a lot of work. It's nice coming home to a dog that is really excited to see you. It was also nice a few weeks ago when I was sick and stayed home from work and my dog curled up beside me on the couch the entire day (which is abnormal because he's usually running around the house at all times...he knew I was sick and IMO was staying with me to make sure I was OK).

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

We have a goldendoodle and while we initially feared he would shed a ton when we picked him up at eight weeks, two months later we brush him and get nothing as his "adult" coat has grown in.

I know it's a mixed breed, but our little guy is friendly as hell, nice, and has a good temperment, as well as being pretty smart (when he wants to be).

[fishepa]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Dogs certainly can get expensive. We got a Golden Retriever a few months ago. He's 16 weeks old now and is a handful. My wife and I both work so he's in a playpen in the kitchen for a minimum of 9 hours per day (I let him out at lunch)....so he has a lot of pent up energy when we get home from work which means 45min walks minimum. The biggest thing with a young dog is they require a lot of attention. Think about it... A dog is basically a walking baby. New to the World, investigating everything and getting into everything all while on the move. We're going through the stage now where my dog is teething...he's lost 4 baby teeth and his adult teeth are coming in so he wants to chew on everything (furniture, carpeting, base boards, clothing etc...). With a new house, we have to stay on top of him every second we're home because we don't want him destroying the house.

We paid $800 for him. Add in toys, food, bed etc... It was around $1100 right off the bat. Then after 2 weeks he had his first set of shots that ran $140. 2 more weeks and he had another vet checkup for about $70. Another 2 weeks and he got his final set of shots that was $140.

One Sunday about 1 month ago after I let him outside, he came back in and wouldn't open his eyes. I thought something got into his eyes or he was allergic to something. Within 10min it went away and he was himself again. 30min later and he started doing it again, except this time, he laid down and wouldn't move...almost like someone gave him a relaxation pill. My wife and I were concerned so we took him to the emergency vet. $400 and a blood test later, they found nothing. All of the symptoms he was experiencing went away 2 days later and have not reappeared. I'm not sure if it was an allergy or something on the grass or what....just glad he's OK. But that's what you can expect to spend for an emergency visit (minus anything major of course). We do not have dog insurance as we don't think it's needed. We believe we'd spend more on the insurance over the long run than we would on vet bills.

With all that said, dogs are great, but they are a lot of work. It's nice coming home to a dog that is really excited to see you. It was also nice a few weeks ago when I was sick and stayed home from work and my dog curled up beside me on the couch the entire day (which is abnormal because he's usually running around the house at all times...he knew I was sick and IMO was staying with me to make sure I was OK).

Sounds like he got bit/stung by somethign. Glad he's okay.

[LetsGoBucs]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

If you are gonna get a dog rescue one. And yes, pet insurance is a good idea. jmo

This. My wife and I rescued our dog from the local humane society, and she has been great. It would be a good idea to take the other dog there as well to see if they get along before you decide to adopt (if you go that route).

[sportznut02]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

If you are gonna get a dog rescue one. And yes, pet insurance is a good idea. jmo

I could not agree more. Growing up we always had a mut from the pound or the humane society. We never had dogs with major medical problems.

So last year when we got a dog we went to the humane society. For $150 we got all of his shots and he got fixed.

[Happy29]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

An English Bulldog is a good dog very loyal and loving.

[av7]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Medium to big dog = go to the humane society and adopt. Shots and fixing them is already done so you dont have to deal with it.

[Knight165]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Yes....definitely adopt a dog from a shelter.
I would NEVER.....and I mean EVER pay for a dog.
Would I take one from a friends litter?..yes as long as they couldn't get them all homes otherwise.
I rescued Smokey from a house fire.
I had no idea what breed she was at the time...and she was definitely the runt. She was in pretty bad shape at the 4 weeks old I found her.
She turned out to be a Golden/Black lab mix. Golden Retriever hair ......but all black.
Sorry to all you other dog owners out there but she was without a doubt the most beautiful dog that ever lived. What can I say?

M.K.
Knight165

[Piderman]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

1.Doberman (King or American Show breed) Kings are 100+ pounds.
2.Husky (What are they like 70-80 pounds)
3.Rotty (100 pounds and up)
4.German Shepherd (See above)

Any of those dogs would be amazing. Medium to Large sized, all of them are very smart and loyal. The husky is the only one who would make a poor watchdog, although the other 3 are amazing guard dogs. I warn you though, puppies are very mischievous and getting into all kind of trouble man.
The initial cost is very expensive but after a few years, you will be mostly paying for food and toys. All of these breeds are VERY playful and need vigorous exercise. Another note is that Dobermans And Rotties can be aggressive if not trained properly, they are also very very hard biters! Any of these dogs would be an amazing choice and I picked each for one very specific reason. If it were up to me I would get a husky because it looks like a wolf and it is such a very nice dog. Although I do own a Doberman and they are awesome dogs.

[roadman]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Our dog is an English Springer Spaniel. She is over 2 years old and a very delight to have around. She's very smart and loves to track down birds and squirrels. She is considered a medium size dog and weighs about 45lbs.

I know breeders usually get a bad rap for the way they treat dogs, but we lucked out. We saw a sign in the neighborhood, "Selling English Springer Spaniel Puppies." I contacted them and had lots of questions being a first time dog owner.

We went over to their house and the puppies were adorable. They would be nipping at your heels at that stage. They had the mother and they went two hours away to find a male pure bread English Springer Spaniel. The breeder had the couple take an xray of their female dog because of the chance of hip disease. The breeder also trained the English Springer Spaniels to hunt, so, it appears this breeder was on the up and up. There were 8 puppies to chose from and the two males were spoken for. We choose one that had a unique design and liked her personality.

The puppies were 6 weeks old at the time and we paid $500.00 for Puzzle. She had all of her shots except 1 and the Vet only charged us $35.00 for the shot. Toys, water and food dish and in Wisconsin, they need to take a pill once per month for 9 months for bugs and mosquitoes. I think that is around $70.00. We had her spayed as she will be our only dog we own. That was around 200.00.

We get the good dog food for her, it's around $50.00 for a 20 or 25 lb bag. I know one ESP down the road, she's 7 yrs old and the owner feeds her the cheap stuff at Wal-Mart. She is twice the size of Puzzle in the stomach area.

Just make sure in the beginning to let them know who is in charge. In the pack, they need to know where they stand and that's at the end of the family line. We took Puzzle to puppy training a few times and it was a good idea to get her used to other dogs. They would let the puppies run around for 5 minutes just to get to know other dogs and play around. The puppy stage was the hardest stage as they are trying to figure out their place in the world and your house. The hardest stage for us was the biting stage, which lasted at least 3 months or more.

She is a very good family dog and a decision we are all happy with.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Thinking about getting a dog

Awesome advice! I wouldn't get one until the start of the year because I am gone most Friday nights for football from now until mid december. So I'll wait until I have some money saved up in my dog fund. My only long time away will be in March for a Vegas trip so hopefully he is semi trained by then.