I have been a dog lover all my life, earlier this year and within 12 weeks of each other, both my dogs died of age related illnesses.
With the inevitable emotional devastation, I didn't rush into buying a new puppy, but now feel ready to give a dog a loving and permanent home. I
had a look on the net and was staggered by the prices asked for puppies, an example was a lab cross for £600, on enquiring, the cross bit was an
american pitbull x german shepherd father and a rottweiller x lab mother, to my mind that is a mongrel if ever there was one. My own dogs were
crosses, a rotty x lab and a springer x lab, and neither cost more than £50 eleven years ago.
Where do these prices come from?
[Edited on 22/11/11 by Mark Allanson]
They come from greedy barstewards hell bent on making money from foolish people who have more money than sense.
Why not try giving a home to one from a rescue centre or similar. Wont cost you anywhere near £600.
The money that you save, can be spent on giving a dog a loving home.
IMHO there are too many abandoned pets, its some owners that should be put down!
EDIT:
Sorry about the loss of your pets.
Geoff..
[Edited on 22/11/2011 by wilkingj]
maybe to keep the 2 minuiet wonders/chavs away.
i got my 2nd one from a rescue,they may have pupies
personaly i don't like dogs. i like cats and would never BUY a cat. much better going to the rescue homes get one that needs love and a good
home and give a donation. don't give a small fortune to some greedy person
Im with Blake, Cats!!
We dont have them now, as my current wife doesnt like them, although i would have another, (not wife!!)
we always went for a cat that came to us, i presume that applys for dogs as well
We bought our first pup in the early 80's and she was £400 then. Never had one since that's been any less than £350.
I'm glad that the prices are relatively high... stops a lot of the mongs and 'dogs for christmas' brigade from getting their hands on
them!
Got my Springer from a rescue centre, she had been badly treated and took a while for her to trust us. Had her 12 years now she is suffering from old age 15 years old but still happy despite the mishaps she keeps having. Dog before was a Doberman had her from a pup but the dreaded "C" took hold she was a full pedigree and only cost me £75.00 that was 20 years ago. Personall I would only pay big money for a pedigree or one of the designer dogd ie Labradoodle, cockerdoodle etc. Dogs designed for people with allergies they dont malt apparently. both types crossed with a poodle
They are expensive because 'idiots' pay that much for them.
Can't see why personally, I have always had dogs, and there are some fantastic dogs at rescue centres RSPCA, etc.
I think, most dogs given for Christmas are not bought, they are from the litter down the street.
Mate has a pug. Cost over £800
. We got a ermmm Well dad is a yorkie mum is a toy poodle cross chiwawa. Cost £100 inc chipping
Whilst I agree that rescue centres should be the first port of call for those wanting a dog (it's where we would go now), I disagree that £500 is
expensive for something which will give you perhaps 10 years of companionship, fun and affection. 13p a day!!!
I'll say again that if the prices of pups were lowered, then it would lead to higher numbers of mistreated and abandoned animals. The relative
low prices for pets from rescue centres doesn't affect this as they have checks in place to help prevent the 'wrong' types from
adopting.
With injections my golden retriever was a tad under £1000.
I was also given a blue roan cocker at the same time so both extremes.
IMHO all dogs should be at least £250 to stop them being purchased on a whim, if you collect from the RSPCA or a rescue home then expect to pay £100
minimum, this is fine as they will visit your home and check you are capable of looking after a dog properly.
Dogs need walks and lots of attention, they return this in spades !
I should add so far this year we have spent ~£500 at the vets, grass seed removal, illness etc, only yesterday £111 as she has had an alergic reaction
to something so you have to be prepared to pay, I put £100 a month into my dogs account to pay for these charges
Dogs are not cheap!
[Edited on 22/11/11 by mark chandler]
rescue a dog there are so many that deserve a loving home why waste that buy going to a dealer 
£600 is a good price for most breeds of dog with a good pedigree, for a cross breed of the dogs mentioned is a bit ridiculous though!!!!
Any form of pit bull should be out the system buy now due to the dangerous dog act. so very questionable anyhow....
I can see the reason when both parents have KC doc going back to the norman conquest, but not for multiple crosses.
I had thought about a rescue dog, but as my preferred breeds or type of dog are large, I would like to imprint kind and gentle discipline at an early
age. I consider, for instance, a rottweiler older that 4 months would be VERY difficult to train if its previous environment was not ideal (ie. shell
suits and special brew)
You go to a breeder for the dog you want, bad analogy but its like buying a car 
A placid intelligent dog that would be safe with children, easy to train and loves to swim and run when on a walk = Golden retriever.
Cocker's as fantastic merry little chaps full of character.
Each to his own, people that buy dogs to fight or as a 'status' symbol should not be allowed dogs at all IMHO
It has also just dawned on me that I am looking 4 weeks before Christmas, not the ideal time
My fella is quite large being a Rhodesian Ridgeback and would agree 100% that getting them young is a huge benefit when it comes to training to your ways, although 4months is still quite young.
There is no need for cat and dog breeding. There are two many of them 'not wanted'. The prices just fuel more people breeding them, or not
bothering to neuter their pets. It annoys me when people buy puppies and kittens - if you really love dogs/cats, then get over the idea of getting a
puppy, and take on something that actualy needs a good home. Our two cats are mother and son. Mum cat is black (hard to rehome), and has a runty tail
where she was got by a dog, and her previous owner did nothing. She was in a cats home for some time, and I felt I could give her the break she
needed. She is lovely!
A puppy/kitten grows up - shame most owners dont understand that!
my doggie was free. i rescued her from a nasty lady that didn't want her. she is sitting next to me now. best doggie in the world.
by brother just got a half staff half sharpei cost him £200. its a lovely looking dog but its still what i would call a mongrel
I've got a rescued Greyhound - 1st ever dog & wouldn't have anything else now.
Lazy buggers - only need 3 short (20 mins) walks a day, and sleeps most of the rest!
I've got 2 staffy pups up for sale that are 14 weeks old paper trained but they need their jabs. 1 dog in white with one black ear and a bitch in all white with faint black spots on her skin. Being Staffs all they ever want is a cuddle are great with kids and noisy families which stops them becoming bored and destructive.
That seems crazy for mongrels.
My parents have had a few dogs, all of them bought as show standard with full papers (Though most of them actually grew up 'wrong' for
showing, for the record it was all genetic stuff not bad treatment, just the way nature can work) and I don't think they cost much more than the
price there for xbreeds. I was always told not to get crosses unless you really know what you could be in for and have the time and understanding and
would say go to a propper breeder, and more than one. When my folks had a ridgeback they went to every corner of the country visiting breeders and
clubs and stuff to get advice and went to shows to talk to people and the whole process took well over a year.
As mentioned, now isn't a good time to buy a puppy. wait it out.
We've always gone for '1st crosses'. Bargains to be had and much more interesting as you're never quite sure what you'll get
Alfie (big lad) is a Bloodhound x Labrador. We've had him for 8yrs and he cost £150.
Baxter is a GWH Pointer x Hungarian Vizla. We've just paid £200 for him from a very good breeder. As Pointers are generally about £500 and Vizlas
about £800 I think that was very reasonable. Even so, the breeders still made about £2.5K from the litter so not bad really.
Just shop around, be patient and find the right dog from the right breeder.
Last time I played with some puppies my wife left me!!!
Oops wrong type of puppy.
Rescue all the way for me, they need you.
quote:
Originally posted by Nickp
We've just had a litter of border terriers - sold dogs at £450 and bitches at £500. The dog we used is lifetime qualified for crufts and our
bitch has a very good pedegree too. I have to admit we were pretty shocked at how expensive they are, but we found people biting our hands off at
those prices. Labradors at £600+ seems very expensive to me, especially since average litters for labs are 8-10 pups!
Regards
Hugh
Best £350 we ever spent!
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Best £350 we ever spent!
Brought a tear to my eye
graememk - 23/11/11 at 10:11 AMmy friend has golden retriever pups ready to go at the moment, i bought my dog from him 6 years ago for £450 he now charges £525
bobinspain - 23/11/11 at 10:18 AMI/We've been dog owners for 40 years and the advice I'd give (and I stuck to rigidly in the early days) is: do your homework. Since you've had dogs before, you're off to a flying start.
You've decided on size of dog, now's when the research starts.
Get a dog encyclopedia (or use the net) and find out all about the temperament of the dog breeds you're considering. Exercise requirements, hair shedding, etc etc. (eg Red Setters look fabulous, but have boundless energy and get deafer the further they get away from you).
By comparison a Dobermann is much more placid and responsive to training, no hair shedding and they are (like most dogs, very affectionate).
Check out the KC breed standard very carefully to match what you're after with what the dog can offer.
Having decided on a breed, go and meet 2 or 3 local specialist breeders, (NOT puppy farms). Talk about what dogs they have and when they may have a litter available. Ask to see sire and dam so you can check them out for yourself.
Having decided on a dog type and a breeder, then ask the price.
We've had Dobes, a Jack Russell, a black lab and for the last 15 years (whilst our kids were growing up), staffies. We currently have a Staffie/American Pit Bull cross (named Biff), who's the softest, most docile creature we've ever had, (nurture and natute, in that order).
As a guide, we paid £300 37 years ago for our first Dobermann and sold the pups (Staffie X American Pit Bull) 6yrs ago for 100 euros each. I wouldn't discount rescue centres by any means, but a mature dog (especially a big one) should be subjected to the utmost scutiny.
Good luck in you quest.
A quick edit: 'Why are puppies so expensive?' A: Because that's what the market will stand. When we sold our puppies, I would have been prepared to give them away to an excellent, loving home, rather than let one go for 500 euros to some shaven-headed, shell-suit bedecked moron.
[Edited on 23/11/11 by bobinspain]
splitrivet - 23/11/11 at 11:20 AMOur local boarding kennel also runs the city's rescue centre when I went to collect our schizo Jack Russell a few weeks back I thought I'd wander over and have a look at what they had in.
I was gobsmacked, there were several staffies, 2 rotties a Doberman a Japanese Akita and several other high end dogs. As these as pups must cost several hundred to buy it seems like the cost doesnt put the erstwhile owners off dumping them as soon as the novelty wears off.
I keep saying that when the Jack Russell kicks his socks off that'll be us with dogs but after having a dog all my life I know there will be a big void in my life when he goes and the rescue place will be the first place I'll look, after all you need at least one member of the family that likes you.
Cheers,
Bob
Neville Jones - 23/11/11 at 11:21 AMCATS!!!! Rotten things eat the native small animals and birds, and crap in your garden.
The only thing a cat is good for is sticking in a crab pot, and dropping in the local creek.
Cheers,
Nev.
r1_pete - 23/11/11 at 11:47 AMquote:
Originally posted by Neville Jones
CATS!!!! Rotten things eat the native small animals and birds, and crap in your garden.
The only thing a cat is good for is sticking in a crab pot, and dropping in the local creek.
Cheers,
Nev.
I am a cat owner, and know a lot of old folk who are cat owners, and having that cat to look after is the only thing that keeps some of them going, so go ahead drown some old folks only reason for living, I hope it makes you feel really good about yourself!!!
Mark Allanson - 23/11/11 at 11:50 AMI think Nev put a smiley at the end of his post, this usually means the content is not be be taken too seriously.
I am sure Nev loves all animals, as I do
bobinspain - 23/11/11 at 12:52 PMquote:
Originally posted by Neville Jones
CATS!!!! Rotten things eat the native small animals and birds, and crap in your garden.
The only thing a cat is good for is sticking in a crab pot, and dropping in the local creek.
Cheers,
Nev.
See Nev !
Even when you're being a real pussy cat, folk still get the wrong end of the stick.
MikeFellows - 23/11/11 at 02:28 PMquote:
Originally posted by scootz
Best £350 we ever spent!
stunning scootz, how old is he?
mine just gone one, this photo is a few months old
I paid stupid money for him, wanted the right dog - breeder i used only breeds when they want dogs, they kept 5 and sold the remainder - last time they bred was 4 years ago
David Jenkins - 23/11/11 at 03:06 PMThere's a huge advantage in buying a good mongrel - they have far fewer of the inherited diseases that afflict pedigree dogs (the Kennel Club has a lot to answer for!
) and their general health is usually much better too.
Quite a few years ago I rang one of the local animal rescue places and said that I was looking for "a medium sized, short-haired, general-purpose mutt with a good temperament", which resulted in a good laugh from the lady at the end of the phone. As luck would have it, she had just received a mongrel that had to be given up by a family due to the father being made redundant, and she wanted to get the dog out of the kennels before it became institutionalised.
He was a splendid companion for over 15 years, although he was not the smartest dog on the planet.
Ben
fullpint - 23/11/11 at 03:36 PM7 years ago (after losing my peg Lab) we got a replacement..
She is a cross from a Chocolate Lab and Boxer. Cost us £80 which was cheap but she's been great. The trouble with a pegigree dog is they tend not to live as long plus you can have all sorts of health issues with them..
Go for a cross breed mate. Cheaper to buy and should be loads cheaper to maintain
TimC - 23/11/11 at 03:52 PMThere are loads of good rescue centres out there but I can wholeheartedly recommend http://www.manytears.co.uk/
Nickp - 23/11/11 at 05:19 PMquote:
Originally posted by scootz
Best £350 we ever spent!
Nice big Rotty mate
I think '£ for lb' you did well!! We ended up with nearly 7stone of solid pooch for £150, not bad eitherCan't understand folk who pay IRO £1K for a miniature show dog, each to their own I suppose.
Confused but excited. - 23/11/11 at 06:39 PMI have had dogs all my life, since getting my first at age six. The best of the bunch was last one, a Doberman from a rescue home. I made a donation of about £35 IIRC and it turned out to be the best £35 I ever spent. He was a wreck when I got him, underfed, manky coat, kennel cough, etc, but turned out spectacularly well, brilliant temperament, incredibly protective of my wife and kids. finished up weighing just over seven stone of solid muscle. I've only ever seen one bigger.
I'd go rescue every time. Certainly wouldn't pay stupid money to some rip-off merchant.
rusty nuts - 23/11/11 at 07:01 PMMy last dog was a year old Dobermann that lived to be 15 years old , he had had virtually no training when he was given to me but was easily trained .When I had to heve him put down it was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I didn't want another dog . That was 12 years ago and we've been without a dog until a couple of months ago when SWMBO brought a 4year old Westie who has taken over th house completely.Wouldn't change him for the world!
scootz - 23/11/11 at 07:03 PMquote:
Originally posted by MikeFellows
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Best £350 we ever spent!
stunning scootz, how old is he?
She's just turned three. Daft as a brush!
Ninehigh - 23/11/11 at 07:37 PMConsidering putting our dog into competitions, she's a bit daft but she's fast, and she can jump high enough to bite my son's hand if he holds it up
Wouldn't know what to put her in but something involving her running like buggery and jumping above waist height
se7en - 23/11/11 at 09:47 PMquote:
Originally posted by scootz
Best £350 we ever spent!
Our big fella died last week and we were lost without him. So tonight we drove to the backside of nowhere to get a cross-breed. He is a Dogue de Bordeaux cross Bullmastiff pup; he cost us about one-third the cost of the Rottweiler but we didn't mind paying that for a 'mongrel'. The missus is missing the Rottie so hopefully this will keep her quiet.
Tom
scootz - 23/11/11 at 09:50 PMNow that's cute!!!
Davegtst - 23/11/11 at 10:13 PMRemember these from last year?
This is what my little Narla turned into. I personally don't get the big hard scary dog thing.
[Edited on 23/11/11 by Davegtst]
mcerd1 - 23/11/11 at 10:33 PMquote:
Originally posted by scootz
Best £350 we ever spent!
our last one was around the same money
but we had to get her put down a couple of weeks ago - she kind of fell apart after she had a stroke
(she was 14 years old though...)
purebred border collie from working dogs - bred to work, no one cares what they look like so they are mostly really bright and don't have as many problems as pedegree dogs
(she was the runt without the instinct for sheep)
best dogs in the world, but they need space and something to keep them busy (even if it is just barking at cars on the ramp in our workshop
[Edited on 23/11/2011 by mcerd1]
scootz - 23/11/11 at 10:34 PMSorry to hear that Robert!
I remember her from my visit to your Dads place.
Mark Allanson - 23/11/11 at 10:37 PMI love both Tom's and Dave's dogs, big hard scary dogs tend not to be, our Rotty was the softest, most gentle dog ever, very intelligent. Even when told to do something she didn't want to do she would grumble, and cuss but that was part of her character.
When a misguided neighbors 2 year old started biting her ear, she just sat there wincing until I rescued her.
mcerd1 - 23/11/11 at 10:42 PMquote:
Originally posted by scootz
I remember her from my visit to your Dads place.
yeah she's a hard to forget
[Edited on 23/11/2011 by mcerd1]
se7en - 23/11/11 at 11:10 PMquote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
I love both Tom's and Dave's dogs, big hard scary dogs tend not to be, our Rotty was the softest, most gentle dog ever, very intelligent. Even when told to do something she didn't want to do she would grumble, and cuss but that was part of her character.
When a misguided neighbors 2 year old started biting her ear, she just sat there wincing until I rescued her.
Where I live (rural) one needs a dog (or two); the bigger, the scarier, the louder, the better. Our Rottie barked at everything and everybody; visitors stayed in their cars until we ordered it to bed but it was the softest big mutt, as gentle a giant you have seen. When the postman came into the yard he would bark (the dog, not the postman) then go over to the van and put his paws up and in the drivers window, drooling over the door and any post for us. Big dogs do what they are supposed to do - look big and scary.
Mark, your Rottie appears to be of the same character as ours was.
Tom
morcus - 24/11/11 at 02:47 AMFor the record regarding cats, Unless your really unlucky your cat won't poo in your garden and will stop other cats coming into your garden. My parents had a lot of cats and unlike the dogs, they were all moggies and mostly to keep other animals out of the garden and to kill off mice. Weirdly we had one that thought he was a dog as he was pretty much adopted by one. He was born at our home when noone was about and one was born dead so the mother left them all, he survived because he'd eaten first and the dog had found him and kept him warm.
Alfa145 - 24/11/11 at 09:29 AMThis is our little fella, just over 11 weeks old now, he's a Working Lab x Working Collie. We were lucky to find the breeder before the pups were born so managed to see the Mum and Dads personality before birth. We then visited every week to see them grow and help socialise them all. As we were first in touch we got 1st pick on the litter.
We were looking for a Lab x Collie and expecting to pay about £150 but this breeder turned up and wanted £350 but based on the personalities, how the pups were raised, the vetting of every potential owner and how they loved and cared the pups were going to good homes we felt £350 was a fair price.
[Edited on 24/11/11 by Alfa145]
scootz - 24/11/11 at 11:26 AM
