Budget adjustment - getting a dog

BertieMeldrew

hawk wrote:

Dog Smell, Hair Everywhere, Licking of the behind then licking your face, weeing in the garden and ruining the grass, poohing in the flower bed, digging up the flower bed, shaking in the house when all muddy, biting, picking up dog crap, taking for walks in harsh weather, slipping on dog toys, eating remote controls, ruining the carpet, interfering in quality solitude time, and then theres dying, I think I shall stick with my tamagotchi.

You have my sympathy if you only see a dog in that light! There is a void in your life

To the OP... wonderful... I hope you have many years of happiness. However, some words of caution... from experience!

If you are getting a rescue dog... beware! Ensure that you know as much about its history, and why it is a rescue dog, as you can. If you have any doubts then look elsewhere... don't be drawn with sentiment! Remember a dog is for life etc. etc... if you make a mistake it is (IMHO) reprehensible to take it back! (We have had our rescue dog for 11 years but, whilst we love her to pieces, taking her on was, in hindsight, a mistake... but she's here until she draws her last breath.. We were her fourth home in six months!)

Again, IMHO, I wouldn't bother about pet insurance - except for maybe the first year! We have always found it money down the drain... why not just put some (£100/annum?) away in a savings account just in case?

Some initial outlay - bedding, toys (don't underestimate those ), lead/collar, microchip (PLEASE do that ) jabs (essential!!!) etc. etc. Google "getting a first dog" and you'll find all the advice you need.

Please think about dog training classes! An under-control dog is worth its weight in gold against a "hooligan"

Talk to you vet about diet. If you don't have a vet, or know of one, look around. Don't necessarily take the cheapest... ask friends/work colleagues etc who they use. Look for one that cares about animals and isn't just in ut for the £££ Even if it costs a little more it's a good investment long-term!

I would recommend balancing cheap dog food against quality dog food. Once you have your dog assess it's dietary needs (again with your vet). We but James Wellbeloved... it's darned expensive but all four of our dogs are in excellent health (crossing fingers etc etc )

You say you'll be at home Jan-Sept. What will happen after that? Also don't under-estimate the impact on your holidays and free time... if you can't walk it every day you probably shouldn't be having a dog!

I wish you all the best... and, once again, Hawk - you don't know what you are missing

hawk

BertieMeldrew wrote:

You have my sympathy if you only see a dog in that light! There is a void in your life

Oh please do me a favour, read my earlier post , Oh I see you put an embarrassed smiley, I suppose I would be to if I had put a daft reply like that aswell.

tine wrote:

Well sorry but I'm gonna say it anyway It's most likely a pet from an Animal Rescue organisation. And how do you know it's not rescuing? If an animal can't be rehomed it will be destroyed. Lots of rescues work with local pounds where hundreds of dogs are destroyed every week... Sorry no cliff involved but there you go, guess not all rescue is as "romatic" as rescuing someone or something from flling off a cliff...
And if you don't think it's rescuing then you go along to your local animal sanctuary and ask how many animals are put down each week of the year because they are out of room - even better go to the pound and watch them be put down by the dozen each day... Yes some of the animals in rescues are "handed in" and as such re-homings, but the ones pulled out of pounds, rescued by the helping Vets who call the rescue when people hand dogs in to be destroyed "because we just don't want it any more" and those that are rescued from horrible conditions by the RSPCA inspectors - THOSE are rescues!

Absolute tripe, Ive worked in a vets as a helper and thats the biggest misconception ever, please do some research.

elantan

not sure if this is any help and i can't remember who wrote it but some one on this forum wrote about getting grey hound or working dog food alot cheaper..it can be given to any dog apparently..and it's tax free ...

MrsTinks

hawk wrote:

Absolute tripe, Ive worked in a vets as a helper and thats the biggest misconception ever, please do some research.

What research would that be then? Best mate is a vet, I've spent HOURS at a time drivig up and down the country saving "poundies" from being put down, I've had calls at all hours asking me to help find a rescue place for a dog on "deathrow" - I've founded a website dedicated to helping rescue animals and run it for 3 years so far and I have cried bitter tears when one of the dogs we couldn't help in time was put down...

Research?

BITE ME!

frugglewump

hawk wrote:

Absolute tripe, Ive worked in a vets as a helper and thats the biggest misconception ever, please do some research.

Just because you've never encountered the situation doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I know 2 people who now have dogs that they got from a shelter where the original owner asked the vet to put them down.

I don't see how arguing the semantics of 'rescue' is helpful. On the Akita site right now there is a dog who was kept outside all the time on his own. I know of a female dog that was dumped in a lay-by because she got pregnant - that's not a dog that was rescued?

Mrs_pbradley936

I think that there are dog enthusiasts and the rest of us. By that I mean that there are those who are willing to have their whole lives turned upside down by a dog. They let it dictate what car they drive, if they go on holiday, etc etc. Someone I know goes out at 5 in the morning to walk her dog because it wants to fight any dog it sees and she cannot risk meeting anybody else out dog walking. The rest of us would not dream of ill treating a dog but simply want a companion that fits in with the household. We will take it to the vet if it is ill and behave in a perfectly acceptable manner towards our pet. If it wrecks the house, bites the kids and makes us have arguments with the neighbours we might wonder at his suitability to be a family pet. What is wrong with that?

GSD4ME

Well done for getting a dog, no home is complete without a dog.

But, two comments. Firstly, I have bred German Shepherd Dogs for years most have been great, but we have had a few who have chewed up all sorts of things. One chewed my husbands credit cards, twice :eek: and got his cheque book and a nice watch he inherited from my father. But we still loved him.

Secondly, insurance. I work in a vets and know how mean insurance companies are about paying out, they will find any little wrinkle they can to avoid paying. As a previous poster said, it is better to put away, say £10 per month into a separate account and at the end of the year, if you have not needed it, treat yourself. The only winners on insurance are those whose animals have very expensive operations or long term conditions like diabetes.

They do not pay for usual stuff like annual jabs, dental work, spaying etc. and they impose an excess which gets bigger as the dog ages or if you have claimed before. Some even refuse to insure certain illnesses if the dog has had them previously, so I stopped taking out insurance years ago.

MrsTinks

I have to disagree... my cat was hit by a car and over £1500 was coughed up with not even a murmur from the insurance company... it cost me £35 excess... at £10 a month for the 2 cats at the time it would have taken me 12 1/2 years to save that amount up (not counting interest)...so the insurance I have paid out so far has been worth every penny

BertieMeldrew

hawk wrote:

Oh please do me a favour, ... a daft reply like that...

Absolute tripe, ...please do some research.

Since this is a thread from which the OP has asked for guidance and help I suggest you take your aggression to a more suitable forum...

RubyMurray

frugglewump wrote:

As the title says - we are getting a dog, an Akita to be exact. I spend so much time working from home Jan-Sept without anyone to talk to & really need the company.

Now I have successfully trawled the forums for insurance advice, but would appreciate it if people could suggest an approx budget for food per month and any other expenses I don't know about. This will be the 1st dog that is actually living with me rather than my parents.

It'll be a rescue dog, so probably not a puppy and not until next Jan. I'm asking really early I know, but I want a few months to try and adjust my spending. Also an Akita is a BIG dog & I'm really only familiar with Golden retrievers.

I have slack in the budget of £30/month without starting to reduce CC overpayments.

I don't mean to be negative but I have a lot of dog experience and I think an Akita is the last dog you should be thinking of to sit at home with you and keep you company while you work. There are a few breeds who would be suited to this but an Akita is definitely not one of them, unless you want to spend no time working and all your time on the dog. They are a breed I class as a 'boomerang', they go out to a home and come right back again. They have very particular needs and your circumstances don't seem a very good fit at all, from what you've said here.

I hope I haven't caused offence, I mean well and I'm just thinking of the dog and yourself.