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If you are decided on a particular breed for particular reasons, then purchasing from a reputable breeder is worth the cost. A dog that has been responsibly bred with health clearances on parents is well worth the expense IMO. A dog with health issues or temprement problems due to poor breeding practices will cost more both in moneyand heartbreak i the longrun.
I don't think you will be happy with what ever breed you choose. Dogs are like people, different personalities and abilities. A pure bred might be supposed to do and be certain things, but nothing is for sure.
That's a lot of money. But if you can afford it, fine!!
price of a WELL BRED dog will depend on a number of thigns, 1: availabitliy of the breed, 2: ease of breeding, 3: whats gone into the "production" of the litter
1: avalability...dont want to spend $1500 on a good dog look for a german sheperd as opposed to a malnois, an american bulldog as opposed to a cane corso ect...find a breed similar to what you like thats a little more readily available and the cost will decrease...
2: ease of breeding, is the breed your interested in prone to needing AI, c-sections ect...and small litters...if so look for again a similar breed thats a little asier on the fertility specialist
3: whats gone in...when i see these IDITOS advertising their *such and such a ridiculously overweighted pitbull line* for $1500 or their "never been health tested but look big and scary* mastifs to $3000 it makes me sick...because theyve put no money (orreal thought beyond size...) into their litter...but for a breeder who does full health testing, shows, in your case youd want a breeder doing protection training, schutund, french ring ect type sports...then YES your going to pay BIG bucks...
now its often cheaper to buy from a repuatable breeder than it is to buy from joe "look how huge my pitbulls head is" shmoe...but your going to have to do your homework...
If your dead set on a specific breed for a specific job i suggest 1: contacting the breeds breed club, they can direct you to good breeders (AKC means NOTHING, its just a peice of paper, breed specific clubs are MUCH stricter in their regulations for members and will be able to lead you to a much better quality breeder...)
2: contactnig GOOD breders, explain what your looking for and mabe purchase an older pup who was returned to the breeder for whatever reason (too drivey, not drivey enough, divorce ect...) theres othign wrong with them and they often come with some training to help get you started (given your working long hours i wouldnt suggest an 8-10 week old puppy anyway, since noone will be home t take it out to pee every 2 hours for the first month or so...)
3: talk to those good breeders about possible co-ownerships, discounts for spay/neuter, discounts for "Proving" the dog (ie taking the akc good citizen test, or getting ribbons in french ring or schutzund ect...) and reinbursment for health testing...many GOOD breeders want to "show off" their lines, they want to prove their ines are the best of the best and will frequently give discounts, money back ect to you for helping them prove that by doing these things with their dogs.
I myself offer money back for anyone who gets one of my puppies through cgc and gets their therapy dog cetification (as im breeding for structure and sound temperment in my breed, i feel things like therapy cert dogs are "brags" and help me prove my dogs are worth it... ect...
personally i breed, im also pro rescue, but i dont think rescue is right for every person or every situation...im a huge supporter of GOOD breeders breeding to better thier breed...so im not going to give you any "get a rescue" lecture because id be a hypocrite (i have 2 dogs i purchased from breeders and one dog i rescued form the side of the road)
but i do think what your looking for youd be better trying for an older puppy from a good breeder rather than a YOUNG puppy from ANY breeder...long work hours are NOT condusive to gettign any dog through its first 6 months (12-24 months for large and giant breeds)
No, its is not insane if you are getting the kind of dog that you want and are doing that from a good breeder and are able to meet the parents of the puppy, etc
I spent $900 for a Maltese puppy almost nine years ago. And he has been worth every dollar. They have a unique personality, he is a total Bro Bot and awesome sidekick.
I do think that spending over $2,000 for him to have surgery for a luxating patella was alot of money but at the time I didn't have a choice. And $540 to have his back teeth pulled is also alot of money.
The initial cost of a dog, even at $1k would be very small compared to the actual costs of owning the dog over the course of it's life.
Just daycare alone while I am at work costs $16 a day, and when I leave him to go on a trip, it is $28 a day/night, so being gone for four days costs $112. Multiply all of that stuff and vet bills over the course of 14-15 years and the original cost of the dog when you get it, is incredibly low.
I want a purebred for several reasons. First, aesthetic. I don't think many muts are beautiful. I want a beautiful dog. Just an opinion, not meant to insult, etc. Second, I want to have some idea of temperament, and I want a dog to perform specific tasks well. I know nothing is ever a sure thing with any dog, but my odds increase with a purebred.
I am in the rescue/shelter camp, although clearly you aren't. I have never understood why people HAVE to have a purebred when there are so, so, so many dogs already born who will be killed because not enough people want them. And your "aesthetic" reasons? Wow. Anything I can say would make me sound like a total *****, so let me just say that I am ... appalled.
And getting a puppy when you already know that you have to be gone for several hours every day? Sounds like an older, trained dog would be MUCH better in that situation (for you AND the dog).
I want a guard dog for my home who won't get depressed and destructive if I'm gone for 5+ hours at a time on a semi-regular basis. I will show him/her lots of love and attention and offer tons of exercise etc., but I do have to leave for several hours at a time. Therefore, a mutt with, say, border collie in her genes seems like a bad idea to me? But I'm new to this, admittedly.
My 6yo mutt is home alone (with my cats) for up to 10 hours a day, and has NEVER been destructive or unruly... he's not even crated, and has run of the apartment while I'm gone. The breed isn't necessarily what matters, it matters more how much exercise they get outside of those hours - and for my dog, a 30-40 minute walk every evening & two additional potty-walks does the job. We also go to the park or beach on my days off, in fact we just got back from nearly two hours at the local park. He's also an excellent watchdog, as proven back when we were living in a bad neighborhood.
Every dog is different, but one being a "mutt" has no bearing on whether they'll be a good watchdog and/or able to stay home alone. Their breed does matter to some degree, but just about any dog can be trained to behave while you're gone. Keep in mind, however, that getting a PUPPY means they'll need more supervision for at least the first few months. As the others already suggested, you might want to try a breed-specific rescue if you're determined to get a purebred. They do occasionally have puppies available, and there's also nothing wrong with getting a young adult! FYI, I got my boy from the local kill shelter, and he was only about 12 weeks old at the time... I have no idea what breed/s he is, but you can't tell me this isn't a handsome pooch.
P.S. I have nothing against purebreds, but for somebody with your "needs" a mixed breed should be just fine... and I'd rethink the idea of getting a puppy, if you won't be able to stay home with him/her for those early months. Young adults are great, as you'll already know their personality, exercise needs, etc. I was still in grad school when I got mine, but if I'd already been working full-time I would have gone for an adult instead.
The housebreaking part of the training is going to be the tough thing with a puppy. I have had dogs that practically trained themselves and others that took months. How are you going to manage to do it if you are gone 8-10 hours a day? You certainly won't be able to take it out every couple of hours....or less. If you keep it crated, all you will do is teach it that it's OK to mess up it's bed.
That's not a high price for a purebred dog from a reputable breeder. But the OP should consider going to a no-kill shelter, if there are any in his/her area. I know in some parts of the country there aren't many of those, though. The ones around me sometimes have dogs fostered with families, and the price of a dog from them can sometimes be as much as $350 or so, but often much less, and includes vaccinations and spaying/neutering. The charge for a pound dog around here is usually less than $100 and often includes spaying/neutering. The rescue agency will have a better idea of the dog's personality than what you might find at the local pound, although some city pounds are better than others. Here pound dogs are often pit bulls, or even sick dogs, or dogs with behavioral issues. Of course that's not always the case, though. Not to say that you can't a get beautiful, well-trained, healthy dog at the pound, that's NOT true at all! But since the OP is working all day long and needs a calmer kind of dog, they might be better off getting one whose personality is better known. Local no-kill shelters will often take the more adoptable dogs from the pounds and place them for adoption themselves, too. It just might be a good compromise for the OP to research shelters and get a young dog rather than from a breeder. Look at something like Petfinder to find local shelters with a description of their dogs for adoption:
Last edited by andthentherewere3; 07-01-2012 at 06:56 AM..
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