[angiesample]

Plus shelters have puppies too.. right now my shelter has a litter of australian shepard mix puppies, and a litter of rotti mix puppies.. we get lab mix puppies all the time.

[harley_quinn]

Originally Posted by sensualspirit

I just always felt dogs in a shelter have been abused, have deep emotional & sometimes physical problems.

There are some shelters that assess the temperament of a dog because of the negativities associated with emotional problems. A responsible shelter will not adopt out a dog with too much baggage if they know about it, and will tell the adoptive owner about what they do know.
The pug rescues I wanted to adopt a dog from had an application and a bit of a rigorous adoption process. Not only did you have to be a certain age, they did a background check, home visit, and you had to undergo a trial period where the animal lived with you for a short amount of time to see if you were compatible. The thing I wanted to point out is the fact that some shelters give you a period of time to see if the dog is a good match for you and I guess in some cases you yourself can see if any problems make themselves evident.
Also, not all shelter/rescue dogs have been abused. Some are surrendered because the previous family couldn't take care of them or are financially or physically unable to give them the care they need.
There are some breed specific rescues if you know the kind of dog you want.

It's alright if you choose not to adopt from a shelter/rescue. I was determined to adopt, but my little fur ball found a place for herself in my life first. I think that in the end you'll find the right dog for you but don't rule out the shelters and rescues.

[Lunareclipse]

Most dogs placed in shelters are neither neglected nor abused. I know that some are, but most are placed in shelters because lack of money care for it, lack of time to spend with it and irresponsible people that can't get their dog fixed and one litter of puppies after another and just take them to a shelter as a way to get rid of them quick and not spend the cash on getting thier dog fixed. With the way the economy is right now, there are more dogs ending up in shelters because people just can't afford them. And then there are people who find it easier to get rid of their dog than get of their cable to cut back on costs.

[harley_quinn]

One problem would be, where would they go while you're away? I wanted to join my school's rowing team, but they travel a lot out of state for competition. I was hyped about it, until I realized the time I'd not have to devote to my dog. I don't have anyone who would take care of her while I'm away. I can't rely on someone to take her out while I'm gone for a long period of time that's less than 24 hrs, so finding someone for a weekend would be tough.

[sensualspirit]

Ok a few questions:

The price at at the shelter seems high to me. $210? how much is it over by you?

Now that does include a microchip, does it include it by you?

Also it does NOT include the rabies vaccine which they require by law (very strange), but includes a combo called A2PP that they give twice.

Can someone tell me what that's for. Sounds nasty.

What did you mean by this Harley? "There are some breed specific rescues if you know the kind of dog you want."

There are some breeds that are abandoned more than others?

Ultimately I've always wanted a G. Sheppard b/c that was one of the dogs I grew up with, but I keep hearing about their hip issues.

I'm sure there are some other similar dogs I'd be happy with. Are labs around the same size?

For me intelligence is important, not too hyper, no personality, friendly, doesn't bark non stop, & of course healthy. I prefer a short haired dog b/c of shedding, but that's negotiable.

I just backed out of looking at a black lab b/c the guy told me the lab barks non stop when he's alone & he's a trainer, runs a kennel etc. & he's having a hard time getting him to stop barking. The dog was abused & the police were called in, so he had the guy sign it over to him.

Thanks


Michelle

[Lunareclipse]

You do not have to go to the shelter nearest to you. We got Luna in a shelter in Kentucky. We live in northwest ohio. We had to drive 4 1/2 hours to go get her. She is a great dog and was well worth the drive. She had an adoption fee of $50.00. Go to petfinder.com and type in your zip code and they will give you a list of dogs up for adoption ranging from the closest at the top and the furthest at the bottom. They have dogs from shelters and rescues both. The prices range from $50.00 to $300.00 for adoptions. Some are even higher for the giant breed dogs like what we have. This website is only for dogs that are in shelters, rescues and foster homes. It is not a site for online puppy mills. We found both Sammie and Luna on there, contacted the rescue and shelter for both. Sammie was dropped off at our home and we had to go get Luna. If it hadn't been for petfinder, both dogs would have been put to sleep.

[alexa]

Dogs can get pretty expensive, and the cost adds up. I wasn't the one who wanted to get a dog because I wanted to wait until I could give them the care they deserved. I'm a student, so I wasn't sure if getting a dog would be the best idea. My bf on the other hand, he was immature about the whole situation and because of his begging, we adopted our pug from an owner. Turns out I was right to be apprehensive about getting a dog. Even though I love my pug and would do anything for her, she is expensive for someone with a student budget.

[angiesample]

The Humane society i volunteer at puppies are $125, adult dogs are $85... this come with ALL vaccines including rabies (which is required by law in the state i live and where my sister lives, i believe this is a pretty common law) also it includes the spay/neuter surgery and microchipping.

$210 is really not the outrages, especially if it includes fixing the dog. To get a dog fixed at a regular vet is usually between $175-$300, at least thats how much it is in my area from the research i did when i was looking to get my Ella spayed.

Specific breed rescues are exactly how it sounds rescues that are just for a specific breed of dog. For example there is several breed specific rescues we have around us and work with. We have a Husky rescue, pitt bull rescue, cattle dog rescue, german shepard rescue, and there is also a great pyreness rescue that isnt to far from us. Go online and just types in a breed u like and rescue and u can see what is in ur area.

German shepards are great dogs they require a lot of exercise and they are extremely smart they need to be intellectually stimulated... if u have a vonlunteer K9 unit in ur area they would love doing something like that.

Labs are also an amazing breed but also very smart... They will require at least one daily walk possible 2 and they will not want to sit around either.

I would look up clubs in ur area see what is around for example my dog and i are a part of the agility club and we recently joined a volunteer K9 unit.. i have a cattle dog mix and she is extremely smart and very active so i have to do these things for her 1. because i like it and its fun 2. bc she is so smart and active if i didnt she would get depressed.

As far as a breed that gets abandoned the most we have a lot of pit bull mixes that ppl just abandon or surrender. Pit bulls have a bad reputation and we have a hard time adopting pit bulls out also. It takes a special person to adopt this breed they require a lot of attention and a lot of training. They are a great breed extremely loyal and protective.

The combination vaccine is generally for: adenovirus cough and hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza, and parvovirus.

Im not sure why theyre giving the dogs two rounds of these unless they meant for puppies and where counting the boosters as a seperate round. For my dog these immunizations are necessary bc i am so active with my dog and am around so many other dogs, i have to protect her the best that i can from these. Now that my Ella is 1 she only goes to the vet ones a year and gets what she needs.

Also please dont forget to look into heartworm preventitive!!

I really think u would benefit from volunteering at ur local shelter u will learn about so many different breeds and there personalities and also really get a grasp on how important spaying and neutering is. Also u can see dogs who have heartworm and how horrible it really is. If u have time check it out, u wont regret it!

[lange]

Originally Posted by sensualspirit

I prefer a short haired dog b/c of shedding, but that's negotiable.

Hair length doesn't determine shedding. My Lhasa mix has never shed. Where as the short coated dogs I've owned did shed. You need to look into each breed to determine coat.

[Lunareclipse]

Originally Posted by lange

Hair length doesn't determine shedding. My Lhasa mix has never shed. Where as the short coated dogs I've owned did shed. You need to look into each breed to determine coat.

He's right. Hair length doesn't determine the amount of shedding. Yorkies, poodles, and other such long haired dogs aren't big shedders. My short haired saint bernard sheds a ton, though. You have to go and learn about different types of coats to determine the amount of shedding your dog might have.
If shedding really bothers you, avoid any breed that blows their coat and has a really heavy undercoat.

[harley_quinn]

Originally Posted by sensualspirit

Ok a few questions:

What did you mean by this Harley? "There are some breed specific rescues if you know the kind of dog you want."

There are some breeds that are abandoned more than others?

Ultimately I've always wanted a G. Sheppard b/c that was one of the dogs I grew up with, but I keep hearing about their hip issues.

There are rescues that serve a specific breed of dog. Example: Pug Rescue, Lab Rescue, German Shepherd Rescue etc. It is like a shelter or rescue that has an interest or passion for a breed. Many cities have rescues. In my case I planned on adopting from DFW Pug Rescue.

German Shepherds are awesome. I want to get one when I get a big enough back yard. I used to have one but he died of heart worms

[sensualspirit]

Thanks a ton for your help. I'm learning a lot.

I tried to volunteer over a year ago & they never called me back so I just lost interest. Unfortunately they are an hour out from me so it's not that easy, but after looking around there may be smaller ones closer to me. I'm out in the country.

What does this mean? "blows their coat"


Michelle

Also, how do we know the rescue dogs didn't originate from a puppy mill via a pet store?


Michelle

[angiesample]

you dont always know if a rescue has come from a puppy mill. But once there in a shelter u are not benefiting the ppl who own puppy mills bc they are no longer a part of the puppy mill.

we have had dogs from puppy mills bc the police have busted the puppy mill and we took as many dogs as we could. Does that make sense? As long as u are buying from a shelter u dont need to worry about puppy mill dogs unless u are wanting to know about there background and the shelter will tell u everything they know about whatever dog ur interested in.

[sensualspirit]

Originally Posted by angiesample

you dont always know if a rescue has come from a puppy mill. But once there in a shelter u are not benefiting the ppl who own puppy mills bc they are no longer a part of the puppy mill.

we have had dogs from puppy mills bc the police have busted the puppy mill and we took as many dogs as we could. Does that make sense? As long as u are buying from a shelter u dont need to worry about puppy mill dogs unless u are wanting to know about there background and the shelter will tell u everything they know about whatever dog ur interested in.

Yes, but I heard dogs that come from puppy mills are also more sickly so that's another issue entirely on it's own.


Michelle

[Lunareclipse]

My dogs blow their coats twice a year. They lose their winter or summer coat and the shedding during that time would fill a whole garbage bag. Saint Bernards, huskies, chows, etc are famous for it due to their very thick undercoats.

[xtopdawg386x]

Originally Posted by angiesample

Plus shelters have puppies too.. right now my shelter has a litter of australian shepard mix puppies, and a litter of rotti mix puppies.. we get lab mix puppies all the time.

Note my dogs do not wear winter coats or cloths other then a cut vest when hog hunting for protection against hog.

I have 16 APBT medium sized dog
this is what i spend on all the dogs .

Spend apox 2000 bucks a year in food
rabbis shots apox. 144 bucks a year if you do it your self / animal control will take your dog if you give shots your self since they have no record of shots being given if it bites some one .
there gps tracking collars apox 3,000 $ for all dogs / only wear them when there hunting
to get the chip implanted in the dog from the vet aprox 800 $
regular leather id collar Apox 400 $
cut vest apox 1400 $
Trauma Kit for the dogs Aprox. 400 bucks
medical bills $ 20 -depend whats wrong with animal

if you only have one dog then your looking a lot cheaper this is what i spend apox on all my dogs