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For those with dogs....
I woke up this morning to DH proclaiming that we should get a dog. I was thoroughly confused by this as I've been saying I want a dog for the past 4 and a half years and he's turned me down, saying his allergies are too bad to have a dig (he grew up with some pretty severe asthma and his parents had to get rid of their poodle since he was allergic). Now he's saying he'll just take an allergy pill and all will be swell.
He has spent a good deal of the morning showing me a breed called a Cavapoo (cavalier king Charles and poodle) and saying in the spring he wants to go get one.
For those with dogs, what are your major expenses? We just bought a house so a little concerned. Also, what are some pros and cons people without dogs don't usually think of?
Thanks! My head is spinning on this one.
Re: For those with dogs....
1) The expense of buying the actual dog -- Cavapoos are clearly a "designer" dog, so I can only imagine what a breeder would charge...
2) The expense of training a new puppy, including all supplies, toys, food, crates, and classes if necessary
3) The expense of the vet -- these bills can add up very fast.
4) The expense of everything new in that house of yours that can potentially be ruined from a new puppy.
Honestly? If you have to ask what one needs to own a dog, I don't think you're ready yet. I suggest a lot of research on your own before committing to anything.
updated 10.03.12
Any time you go for a designer cross breed dog, you're asking for serious unknowns on health problems. Basically, depending on the way they're bred, the specific genetic weaknesses of both breeds can be emphasized. Especially if the dog is a second generation or more whatever-poo (meaning 2 of the cross breeds were bred together and created this "pure" whatever).
Poodles, for example, have extreme susceptibility to cataracts and dental issues (both of which are $$$$$ to fix- my parents paid $7000 for a cataract removal from our then 4yr old poodle). I know Cavaliers have heart issues and regularly live only in single digit years, and they're also prone to eye issues.
Also, although they don't shed per se, your husband may still be allergic. There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.
Behaviorally, both dogs are exceptionally hard to potty train. My parents' toy poodle will still occasionally have accidents at age 9.
Major costs for a dog:
-Health insurance- ours is $38/mo for the dog
-Food- good food will run you $50+ a bag
-Maintenance and Vet Visits (you need to budget at least $600/yr for shots and routine stuff, and that is for a perfectly healthy dog, neither of which these breeds tend to be)
-Grooming for this type of dog (this will vary depending on area but my parents live in a very LCOL area and it is $60+/month to get the poodle groomed because the hair that makes these dogs less likely to trigger allergic reactions is easily matted and difficult to style)
Stand up for something you believe in.
Ok seriously....
The expenses:
Food obviously. But some dogs and some breeds can't have "generic" food. You may need to purchase expensive food specific for its type or allergies.
Vet bills. The first year there are a lot of expenses with shots and spaying/neutering. Not to mention you can count on at least one unexpected vet visit per year either for an emergency or an infection, etc.
Training supplies.
General expenses like treats, collar and leash, registration fees, a bed, toys, grooming, shampoos and brushes, etc.
Other things:
Do you have the means to keep a dog at your new house like a fenced yard or area for it to play/go to the bathroom?
Do you know anything about the breed? Is it high maintenance? Does it need to run, does it dig, does it need attention, etc.
Having a dog greatly reduces the amount of time which you can spend away from your house. You need to consider a schedule for letting it out as well as having a plan before you get the dog for what you will do in the event that you want to go away overnight.
Until you have REALLY thought about all of it and done a lot of research (more than just looking at cute pictures) I don't think you should get a dog.
Absolutely. I know the vet is expensive, so is the food, etc. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something that I was missing. Such as the supplies to training and replacing items that would potentially be ruined.
This obviously isn't set in stone. Just getting some insight. I grew with cats andy mom and stepdad have a dog.
I thought of more:
-Training- especially with stubborn breeds, professional training is needed and very expensive.
-They're super time sensitive- a dog, like a baby, feels most secure when they're on a dependable schedule- you work retail and your husband travels- that sounds like the worst possible combination to have a pet to maintain (no offense)
-The first year- bowls, collars, leashes, microchip (and its registration, and its yearly maintenance), toys, treats, training accessories, socialization, brushes, grooming supplies (these dogs will require special products like eye brightener (because their weepy eyes tear and stain fur), enzymatic toothpaste, etc.), vitamins and supplements as recommended by the vet
Stand up for something you believe in.
don't buy a designer dog. That's even worse that forking over money for a ridiculously over bread purebread dog.
And I agree, if you have to ask, then you're not ready. You're head is spinning already? Don't buy a dog.
And when you do? Adopt a rescue.
Sorry if that comes off snarky, but I feel pretty strongly about this stuff.
FWIW, I spent over $1500 in September/October on unexpected vet visits. Typically it's more around $50-$75 2x/year (for each dog) just for the routine stuff. We spend like $40 a bag on dog food, lasts us about a month (with 2 dogs). Everything will be more expensive with a puppy - crates, puppy classes, all the vaccinations, a spay/neuter.
Rocksie had a lot of unexpected vet visits for things that aren't pre-existing or hereditary conditions. From what Mary knows about the breeds, it seems like you can almost count on medical issues.
Rocksie had a spider bite, lymes disease, and a torn ACL in her first three years, in addition to typical puppy things like worms and shots and adult things like a yeast infection. I spent over $6k on Rocksie before she was 1, now we pay $32/month for insurance which just like with people, does not cover everything.
Having a dog is more than just paying for its food and taking it to the vet once a year.
I would really hate for you to get a dog through this excitement and then decide that you can't do it and give it away or neglect it because its become too difficult. Additionally, with your husband's known allergies you can bet that he is going to be miserable at times. Who wants to take an allergy pill every day for a dog?
My BIL and SIL have had four dogs (SIL is allergic- they even had one hypoallergenic breed) and they have gotten rid of all of them. IMO you shouldnt get a dog that you don't intend to keep forever.
If you're super lucky, you could wind up with a dog with severe allergies, just like me! Here's a breakdown of what we spend on Finn.
Food - he has to have high quality food with no corn, beef, or pork products - roughly $50/mo.
Treats - hypoallergenic - $15-$20/mo
Grooming - We do his nails, and we only have him groomed when his allergies are down, but I'd say probably $500/yr.
Hypoallergenic shampoo - $10/mo
Allergy pills - $10/mo
Pill pockets - $15/mo
Allergy shots - $1000/yr
Cortisone shots - $25/each, as needed
Frontline - $60/yr
These are the set expenses. There's also sporatic vet visits for other things, vaccines, city license, toys, etc etc etc. It goes on and on.
Do NOT jump into this.
Stand up for something you believe in.
"Designer Dog" = Mutt you can get from the pound.
That is good. But when you adopt dogs you have to realize that you will inherit bad habits too- and you'll have to be extra consistent in training them out of those less than desirable behaviors. And you may not be able to do that yourself. Which means you have to be willing to pay for a trainer, and if that doesn't work, a behavioralist, and they're very, very expensive.
Stand up for something you believe in.
We have thought about that. That is something that we are willing to work with though. My mom's dog was abused before she got her and had to work with a behavioralist. She was great.
DH has been looking through pictures of dogs up for adoption all day and showing them to me. He seems to have made up his mind. I'm trying to be the rational one and make sure we know exactly what we are jumping into.