Rules?

Jabs?

Where To Buy?

Who NOT to Buy From?

and.... cost.


im not after a pedigree or anything... just a labradour puppy or similar. its for my parents. and yes they know im going to get one, and yes they know how to care/look after a dog.

Take your parents to one of the many dog rescue centres in and around sheffield and have a look at the dogs there that need re-homing.
There are all breeds all ages and shapes and sizes, some are badly treated dogs some are strays and some are just unwanted puppies etc
They usually come with the first set of vaccinations, vouchers for free neutering or have already been done and already microchipped.
Our last 3 dogs (and cats) have all come from rescue centers and i think that choosing one from all the poor things in one of these places is an extremely worthwhile thing to do.
Prices do vary from the £60 to £90 mark but what you pay is only a fraction of what`s been spent on the animal and gets ploughed back in to the establishment to help others.
There are also a lot of dogs who are in there cos there owners died and now have nowhere to go.

There's an RSPSCA dog centre I went to in your city (somewhere).

Alex

I would suggest getting one from somewhere like the RSPCA. Costs may be anything up to about £60 but it will be worth it as the dog will have been cared for and vaccinated, and you may get a voucher to reduce the cost of further vaccinations if needed. There are many dogs needing homes, and if you buy one from a breeder, they will go on to breed more to replace the one you have bought... and they may well end up at the RSPCA or other rescue centres. I would definitely not buy from a breeder, or a shop.

Get one from the RSPCA!!!

Haven't you seen the adverts on TV??? :help:

Originally posted by Patchy
I would suggest getting one from somewhere like the RSPCA. Costs may be anything up to about £60 but it will be worth it as the dog will have been cared for and vaccinated, and you may get a voucher to reduce the cost of further vaccinations if needed. There are many dogs needing homes, and if you buy one from a breeder, they will go on to breed more to replace the one you have bought... and they may well end up at the RSPCA or other rescue centres. I would definitely not buy from a breeder, or a shop.

breeders do not send there dogs to the rspca, they are generally very responsible and will make sure that you fully understand what the dog needs and are capable of caring for it properly.

You do pay for having a pedigree dog though.

I must have read Patchy's post different to you cyclone.

I read from Patchy's post that when the breeder sells the dog to a new owner, then this owner may not get on with the dog and it may well end up at the RSPCA or other Rescue centre,

Patchy didn't say anything about the responsibility of breeders.

is there a list online of theses rescue centres and rspca etc.. so i can look into going along for a visit?

i havent seen any advert on tv... tv is so rubbish i hardly bother with it (adverts are better than programmes these days haha)

as long as its all above board and the cutest dog ever.. that'll do me :0)

thanks for the replies

The RSPCA are on Spring street which is on the outskirts of the city centre, they'll have loads of dogs to look at and hey also keep addresses of animals in 'foster 'homes awaiting new owners. Then there are the council dog kennels at Grenoside that house dogs from Sheffield and I think Rotherham. Thornberry animal sanctuary are only a short car ride from Sheffield and again have lots of dogs looking for new homes.
Don't be tempted to go to a breeder far too many of them are in it for the money alone and as fast as one set of pups is sold they're starting again, when you consider a litter of pups say five or six pups at let's say £250, you start to see the motives.
If you are looking for a particular breed see if there's a rescue association which deals exclusively with the breed you're loking for. A while back I had the pleasure of looking after a Japanese Akita for a few months, the first thing I did was contact three akita rescue associations for any advice they could give me which came in very useful indeed.
Be warned though if you go to an animal rescue kennels you'll end up wanting to take them all home even the big sullen brute that lies in it's pen just glaring at you.

you start to see why there in it.
what to make money, as a business. What a shocking idea.

When you find out that people who go to work get paid every week, you start to see there motive for that, you can't trust people who want to make a living.

Originally posted by Cyclone
you start to see why there in it.
what to make money, as a business. What a shocking idea.

When you find out that people who go to work get paid every week, you start to see there motive for that, you can't trust people who want to make a living.
These comments refer to cat breeding.

Good cat breeders seldom make money on breeding cats, good breeders do it for the love of the breed and run catteries or another job to support their breeding programs

The only way to make a big profit on breeding is to :

: spend less money on stud fees (affect qualities of kittens)
: over breed queens to generate maximum number of litters per year (good breeders limit number of litters to ensure health of queens)
: give less or no vet care (proper care thoughout breeding and labour is often very very expensive and not to provide this care is totally wrong)
: don't show cats (it is expensive to show cats and is the way for good breeders to prove that their cats are good examples of that breed and to find good studs)

i.e. Be a back yard breeder mass producing poor examples of the breed which often need a high level of medical care to bring up to a standard of a good breeder cat.

Good breeders are rare, if in doubt adopt from a shelter.

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
Don't be tempted to go to a breeder far too many of them are in it for the money alone and as fast as one set of pups is sold they're starting again, when you consider a litter of pups say five or six pups at let's say £250, you start to see the motives.

It is surprising how quickly a 'profit' is eaten up, Assume five pups are born in a litter.

Stud fees £1000 plus choice of pup from the litter. This assumes the stud is proven and the mating takes first time.

Food & Board for 6 months during pregnancy & pups growing up. £300 (guessimation on 27p per pup & mum for food, heating, lighting, bedding, litter, toys, regular worming & defleaing treatment)

First vaccinations & Microchip £80 per pup. Total of £400

So up to now if everything went well you would have spent £1700 and by selling the remaining four pups for £250 each will net you £1000.

So you are currently £700 out of pocket and we haven't even looked at insurance or medical expenses yet.

Medical care will vary a lot depending if the dog needs a c-section or other operations, even the regular vet trips will mount up. I estimate anywhere between £100 to £1500.

So at the end of the breeding foray you can exect to be somewhere between £800 to £2300 DOWN.

But the back yard breeders who try to breed for profit, are idiots who decide to breed just think £250 per pup...wow. They don't think about the real costs to generate a healthy pup. :(

But surely if your running a stud farm, you don't have to pay stud fees? :confused:

In my limited experience I have come across some atrocious back yard dog breeders, there are loads of responsible breeders out there but how can you tell the good from the bad?
I knew of one guy who had a couple of staffordshires,, he got the bitch boasting of the money he'd make and no sooner had she had one litter he was planning the next. Then there was the guy who had a dark damp allotment shed in which he had two german shepherd bitches both with pups, Then there was the Japanese akita costing £400 as a pup but sold with no paperwork so his new owners couldn't use him as a stud dog, no paperwork and yet he was supposedly a pedigree dog?
I've seen dogs from breeders with no injections, definitely no micro chip and no papers,, I still say therefore that there are lots of people out there in it for the money pur only.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
But surely if your running a stud farm, you don't have to pay stud fees? :confused:
Very few people keep studs on the premises they spay smelly urine are more agressive than neutered cats. Also as in a breeders situation where all cats are entire. You have to be very careful when or if you let your stud run with your females.

A cattery may keep a stud or two on the premises, which will be hired out to stud. But you can't keeping breeding your stud with the same queen, thought I don't know why.

Also stud cats are very expensive to buy and if you keep a boy cat from one of the litters you have breed to raise to stud you wouldn't breed him to close relations.

Also it depends of the gentic make up of each animal and what they carry and what you are hoping to achieve with this litter.

Good breeders aim for a certain look, shape or colour to make perfect cats. So say they want a cat with bluer fur. They will take a queen from their cattery with a nice shape and pay for a stud service for someone elses boy with very blue fur. Hopefully one or more of the kits will have the mum's nice shape and the dad's bluer fur.

I'm no expert on breeding I'm just doing some reading on these issues, as I am writing an article to try and presuade people NOT to breed their cats.

"im not after a pedigree or anything... just a labradour puppy or similar. " - duh a labrador puppy is a pedigree! i suggest you learn a bit more about dogs before you buy one!

We got our dog from Thornbury Animal Sanctuary, near Dinnington.
It cost about £65 and this included the first years vacinations and chipping.
We have dog medical insurance of about £15 per month.
The description of the dog said she was good with kids and was a good traveller.
She bit a 6yr old girl in the street and goes wild as soon as she get in the car; so don't rely on the description of the dog.
We wouldn't give her up for anything but we do muzzle her when she is out.
Somebody told me having a dog was like having a 3yr old; be prepared to give a lot.

Decided to use an existing thread as I have other queries regarding caring for dogs.

Does anyone on SF clip their dog's nails and if so, any tips?

What advice can you offer regarding care of a dog's teeth?

Any other care advice would be appreciated as I sometimes come to realise that I do things the hard way.

Also, I can remember reading an article regarding animal injections some time back. There are people who believe that our animals have too many unnecessary vaccinations and I'd be grateful for any views on this issue.

Thanks.

Dog's nails - Firstly, use proper dog nail clippers. Brude has taken to threatening to bite me when he sees the clippers :rolleyes: It's my fault for cutting one too short once and it took him all night of licking it to stop it bleeding (from his perspective :( )

I now put his half-choke collar on and loop the lead over the bathroom doorhandle holding the paws away from his anchor point, so his teeth won't reach me.

He gives up snapping, and sulks :D

Teeth? Brude likes baking soda toothpaste. We play it by ear at what we can get the toothbrush to whilst he swallows the toothpaste, but any scale he lets me remove with one of those thread unpicking pointy things :thumbsup:

We have a nose-hair-trimmer for doing between paws :D

suggestions about clipping dogs nails are.....look out!! damn those things fly! and i feel like it must hurt the dog coz they are so hard that you have to put a bit of pressure on, i always felt guilty about clipping my dogs nails haha....maybe after dunking the dog in the bath it would soften up the nails for a clipping.

thanks for using exsiting thread..means i get to see a silly little girls comment i missed..

Originally posted by em16uk
"im not after a pedigree or anything... just a labradour puppy or similar. " - duh a labrador puppy is a pedigree! i suggest you learn a bit more about dogs before you buy one!

i suggest u pucker up and kiss my behind

i asked a sensible question and i said labrador puppy or similar....i didnt state what kind of dog i was going to get...just my preference..and it wasent or me...it was for my mother who i felt would be very happy about it....dont jump down peoples throats so easy.

Originally posted by em16uk
"im not after a pedigree or anything... just a labradour puppy or similar. " - duh a labrador puppy is a pedigree! i suggest you learn a bit more about dogs before you buy one!

It's only a pedigree if it's Kennel Club registered.

I suggest you learn more about dogs before you stick your oar in :D

Originally posted by Strix

We have a nose-hair-trimmer for doing between paws :D
what a good idea, i`ll try that one of ours is very ticklish between his paws and trimming the hair there is a nightmare.

Originally posted by Nyx
..... haven`t had a go at her teeth but they are damaged where it looks as if she`s been chained up and trying to chew her way out of somewhere.

My Pedigree hound (one careful owner) has broken teeth. He got a bit too determined with a meat filled bone :( silly dog :rolleyes: I'm sure chewing stones (to annoy me) doesn't help :mad:

aw! bet he loves his bones though!

Is your dog your avatar, Nyx?

I think most dogs are going to be a bit ticklish somewhere or other

i would love to have another dog but its just not realy possible as i live alone and work standard hours...9-5 mon-fri.

i had a dog from ages of 4-17 i think it was and the amount of fun and love they bring is just amazing....its just sad that it hurts so much when you lose them...my mum has now told me she will never have another dog because the heartache is too much to bear. :(

i think i will eventually get another....although i am house proud so not sure how the two go together before lol..i didnt care when it was my parents sofa gettin jumped on, my mums chocolates gettin eaten or the kitchen door being eaten thru!! when its my stuff i may find it a bit harder to accept haha

:D there`s always something especially if you get a puppy, i remember when one of ours was small and i came home one day and just sat down and cried. he had ripped the living room carpet.

Originally posted by Strix
Dog's nails - Firstly, use proper dog nail clippers.


Teeth? Brude likes baking soda toothpaste. We play it by ear at what we can get the toothbrush to whilst he swallows the toothpaste, but any scale he lets me remove with one of those thread unpicking pointy things :thumbsup:

We have a nose-hair-trimmer for doing between paws :D

Can only imagine what you were watching/thinking to come up with the idea of using a nose-hair trimmer but so practical - who's trimmer was it you first used though? :gag:

I bought one of those rubber finger brushes but I'm not really happy with it and using a toothbrush as I did before is so fiddly.
I am thinking of using a rubber glove to see if I can access the teeth more easily as my dogs don't mind so much if I actually use my hands - may also help them get over any initial nervousness.

As for cutting nails - I've managed to cut the nails of one of my dogs and one dew claw on the other (so far). I've read on websites about how far to cut but find it difficult to relate that to practise (the narrowing of the nail is easier to see on the dog I can't get near yet). So length-wise - how do you know how far to go in relation to the paw?

Originally posted by MTheo
....although i am house proud so not sure how the two go together before lol..i didnt care when it was my parents sofa gettin jumped on, my mums chocolates gettin eaten or the kitchen door being eaten thru!! when its my stuff i may find it a bit harder to accept haha
There's a lot to be said for an indoor kennel :thumbsup:

Originally posted by tiffy
Can only imagine what you were watching/thinking to come up with the idea of using a nose-hair trimmer but so practical - who's trimmer was it you first used though? :gag:
Actually it was the electric dog clippers that gave me the idea, so I just went out and bought the trimmers from boots (£12). Well worth it - considering the dangers of using scissors on tickly paws.

Originally posted by tiffy
So length-wise - how do you know how far to go in relation to the paw?
It varies from dog to dog. A bit at a time until you've identified the limit is probably best. Brude's nails are partly clear so I can see his 'fingers' on some.

Look on the web if you want to find out more about specific breeds, the kennel club have a site with lots of links.

I have a rehomed dog, they can be more work, and its hard for them to really know the dog unless the original owners hand it in and give them the info. Owners do often hand them in and these dogs temperaments are more reliably known about than strays and seized animals.

On the other hand a particular breed will have characteristics which you can rely on to a certain extent so you can choose the type which will suit best. But do try rehomers as they have some really nice dogs, just be a bit careful when choosing. And you dont need to go for puppies, older dogs are settled in their ways and temperaments so if you spot one you like, its less work and less possible problems. You can take them back if they have a real problem, my friend had one that was terrified of fire and she had open fires, so back it went and found another new home. Not ideal but a safety valve if it doesn't work out.

Breeders arent all monsters either, it can and is done responsibly by people who just love owning, training and producing dogs. They don't have to show them either, use your instinct really, and see the pups with their mothers and in the home environment. Ideally visit more than once as well and ask if they have any satisfied customers or other references. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a good breeder.

You should vaccinate annually, use a good flea treatment and you worm quarterly. I prefer short haired pale dogs because fleas and ticks show up and are easy to remove and theres less hair to deal with. Avoid dogs which seem likely to bite as you are liable if they injure someone and your postman will hate you forever (or your parents) its a real no-no, and training them not to requires experienced support (and a muzzle).

Bye the way labs tend to smell as they have greasy waterproof coats, but its not that bad to me. They are lively and big too, so you parents will need to be fairly active and not china collectors, and need a good sized garden too. The kennel club used to have a web page with general stuff about exercise requirments life expentancy, habits, size, temperaments etc for each breed, and it sort of applies to X breeds but not heinz57's. Good for deciding what will fit in best with your lifestyle, pocket etc. You may just fall for hairy stupid lopsided mut though, and if that keeps your folks happy - who cares!

There are a few good trainers around too, so if anyone has mut that won't behave its worth checking out. Price is not a reliable indicator, avoid anyone who doesn't listen to you, and look for one who can really handle your dog and communicate with you. You may not like all the things you hear or have to do, but it pays in the end if your dog is a bit of a monkey.