Can I afford a puppy ? Upfront costs help please

mishkanorman

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

just saw this little dog (knee high) and thought I would post a link just to show that there are some dogs in rescue who might be your cup of tea- this one is a younger rescue dog (but past the most demanding age at 10 months!) who likes cats and other animals, and is great with children, can be left, and is not destructive!! (sounds like an ideal dog!!) - I think she is rather lovely from the photo!
http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=168788

Ok That was just plain mean, you brought a tear to my eye how cute was that dog !!

Exactly what we are after (looks wise aswell) glad she has a home.

I have to say you have converted me and i will visit the rehoming centres FIRST :beer:


mishka

Kimberley

mishkanorman wrote: »

I have to say you have converted me and i will visit the rehoming centres FIRST :beer:


mishka

Please do, they do get loads of pups in, our rescue does. I've also just rehomed a lovely Jack Russel who was very very very gentle with kids. All dogs are tested with cats and children by all rescue centres, they don't just give you your dog of your choice, they will vet you out and ask you questions and if they feel your not suitable for that dog they will tell you. They also follow up any rehoming and will keep in contact with you for a while to see how you and the dog is getting on. If things don't work out they will take the dog back so you won't be lumbered with any problems.

Adoption fees varies. ours is £150, that includes neuturing which is increasing in price regulary, their vaccinations, flea treatment, worm treatment, microchipping etc this all adds up which would cost you more then that if you bought a puppy and had to start from scratch, plus most dogs in the rescues will already be housetrained unless they are pups.

It is better if you could rescue a dog that is in foster care though because that person will have all the information about the dogs character.

I apologise for any spelling mistakes i can't be asked to check

foreign_correspondent

mishkanorman wrote: »

Ok That was just plain mean, you brought a tear to my eye how cute was that dog !!

Exactly what we are after (looks wise aswell) glad she has a home.

I have to say you have converted me and i will visit the rehoming centres FIRST :beer:


mishka

lol, sorry about that - yes I thought she was a little cutie!!

I would say it is a great thing to adopt a dog if you can, rather than encourage breeding when there are so many healthy, unwanted dogs already out there.

what area of the country are you in...? just in case any of us know any local rescues with suitable dogs in? How old are your kids btw? A few rescues do say they will not rehome to families with lids under five, but many will - we may be able to direct you to suitable rescues...

sammy_kaye18

Well done mishka - rescue homes are really good places to start - liek everyone said initial cost - neutering/fleaing/worming are usually done by the home and they are pretty good judges of character. Although our local rescue charged us £65 for our dog bruno and he was unneutered (in fairness to them we were then when he arrived, watched the woman fill in his 'giving up forms', watched him being put in the kennel, were about to leave when the kennel guy suggested him to us, walked him breifly and took him home straight away - traumatic kennel experience for our dog approximately - 10 minutes) although with all the things wrong with him you'd think he'd been there about 2 years! they never did a check up but they are such a small rescue - 40 dogs to about 4 people! that they never really have time to follow up but they are not a big government funded rescue either just a small one but we love it as it is ou local rescue and we are hoping to fundraise with them soon - we help at christmas too by donating treats and blankets for the dogs. am so bad though i keep checking back at their too be rehomed list - there was 3 dog de bordeuxs on there last week adn they have all gone now - btu there are so many jacks needing homes that it makes me sad - this week alone they have 3 in there.


kimberley - ive just noticed your siggie has changed - how dare you not post us a picture of your new foster baby Ginny! :rolleyes: i love lurchers! glad your little jack and the collie have found new homes. How did you go about fostering dogs? would love to do it.

mishkanorman

Im in the norfolk area and the dogs trust have one at snetterton which is about 5 mins up the road, but being honest they are the reason ive never considered rescue centres as I found it a horrible enviroment and my BIL worked there and had some horror stories to tell !! (this was a while ago now though)

My kids are 3 and 4 and all 4 cats are house cats which im sure will not work in our favour, and as of today a change in our finances may well knock the doggie dream on the head for another few months

I will just say a MASSIVE thanks for all the replies on here as its made me re-think and realise that what i was so sure about isnt perhaps the best thing for my family, for now though im going to keep browsing the rescue centre websites and internet and spend some time considering the options.

mishka

lab-lover

hope you find what you are looking for. youll know when you see him or her!!

i think you are doing the right thing. when buying a puppy its so easy to rush into something. good luck and do let us know how you get on. xx

LittleTinker

I wouldnt go anywhere other than a rescue place for a mutt.....my eldest, Rofl <yes, I really did call him Rofl lol> is a big black Mutt from a really nice rescue place in Kent

lil_me

Smaller rescues rather than the dog trust might be a better option for you. If you have a look on dogpages and the other rehoming forums I have no doubt there will be MANY more in your area. If you contact the council they will tell you which ones they use for strays which usually have a rehoming service or they can put you in touch with which smaller charities help them rehome.

I have a lab/springer, he's an absolute loonie! Springers bounce with the appetite of a labrador, fun yes, pain in the bum definately. Spent the afternoon making the garden gate taller as he's jumping over it all the time.

Kimberley

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

kimberley - ive just noticed your siggie has changed - how dare you not post us a picture of your new foster baby Ginny! :rolleyes: i love lurchers! glad your little jack and the collie have found new homes. How did you go about fostering dogs? would love to do it.

I wanted a dog of my own but at the time we were looking i couldn't afford one, so i saw an ad from this rescue crying out for foster carers and they pay for everything including food etc, so i thought this would be ideal, i went from there. I don't charge them for the food i buy or collars etc because i'm in a position now money wise where i can afford it and it's enjoyable. I'm the one who the potential new owners email me reguarding the dogs and i'm the one who makes the decision on who i think is suitable because i'm the one who knows the dog the best. The rescue makes the final decision though after a homecheck is completed.

Here is Ginny, she's an ex Gipsy dog, they left her tied up in a field when the left. She was in a bad state but after a nice bath at the grooming parlour she looks and smells lovely. She is very sweet in nature and loves cuddles.



Forgot to add that fostering is a good way to finding out what breed and type of dog is suitable for you and you never know you may want to keep one that you foster.

shelley_crow

Here is what we spent on our staffy puppy (now 14 months old)

Crate - £50ish. This was very useful, he has outgrown it now but was one of the most important things we bought

Converting under the stairs to a big bed - materials cost around £30, he now has lots of room

Microchipping and vacs - £80

Defleaing and worming - £10 every 3 months

Insurance - £11 per month for the top package with Direct Line

Food - a massive sack of Petplan is around £40 but lasts for ages

Bowls - £20 for two bowls on a stand, the little !!!!!! was always knocking it over

Blankets for his bed - £3 from a charity shop

Toys - £10, he's a chewer and gets through chews and toys like a demon.

Dentastix - i bought the 56 chew pack for £10 recently, bargain!

Trip to the vet when he started to poo blood (sorry tmi) £40 - for probiotics

Harness, lead and collar - £20

Tag for collar - free (friend is an engraver)

Plastic dog bed and soft insert - £30. This was the single biggest waste of money, he chewed it to bits and didn't use it once.