Dog Help!

Hey guys. So I am going to get a dog to have at school next year. I have thought about it for a long time and have decided to do it. I have already house trained the dog and the bonding experience you get from training that dog is amazing. Now I want one of my own.

I need some advice:
What is the cheapest way to get a young dog (preferably a puppy)? I am concerned about getting the shots, and any other fees that come with a new dog.

What is the best way to go about getting my first doggie?

 

puppies aren't cheap. get a dog from the pound or humane society. usually will come fixed and they guarantee shots for a year sometimes.

I love my dog, got him as a puppies, but boy did the expenses add up.

 

Yes, I was wondering about rescue shelters, adoption, breeders etc. What are the advantages/disadvantages?

 

Yeah I would look into adopting for my first dog, there are so many out there.

Adopting will ensure that the dogs have their shots already. Atleast most do.

 

advantages....your saving a dog....disadvantages....you can't pick out the puppy you want, however the difference between a puppy and an older dog (give or take a year) is you miss the adorable puppy stage. however that stage is followed by the puppy demanding 100% attention and crying all night every night for about a month.

 

ya, I want a puppy so i know he isnt effed up in the head from a previous owner but I also don't really care, as long as I get a good Labrador to be a companion and chick magnet

 

Don't forget the chewing of everything. I was damn near ready to end my puppy for eating my christmas tree. (Not really) but I was mad as hell. She had been loose in the house for months without incident then christmas rolled around and it was too much for her. lol. They are a blast.

 

haha its going to be a college apartment so I am not too worried about the chewing. The only thing with chewing is my friends adult dog has taken a liking to chewing up the powercord on his laptop so I will take preventive measures for that stuff

 

If you want a specific breed and a puppy- You might try a breed specific rescue over a shelter. It might cost a bit more, but they can get you set up with all the info you need to get the shots and everything else taken care of.
A shelter or pound-You'll get the dog with everything done for X dollars of adoption fee and that is that but you only get to pick from the dogs there when you go to look.

Living in a college apartment the temperament of the breed is important to remember: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/labrador.htm
They need tons of exercise and a fair bit of attention...Easy to train- but train them you must.

Good luck finding a pooch that suits you!!

 

Try http://www.petfinder.com/index.html

 

Thanks, I run about 5 days a week in addition to rugby practice so I am not worried about exercising him. The only thing I am worried about is being able to get home from classes during breaks if roomate's can't let him out. Hopefully I will find one early in the summer so I can get his training started before i get to school

 

Personally I really think you should wait til you are out of school, dogs do best with a stable home setting and they take a good deal of time.

Relying on a part time busy roommate to share in your responsibilities is a disaster waiting to happen and if your roommate comes home and finds his or her brand new $100 shoes in pieces how are they going to react

That being said I'd go with a rescue, many will have the history as well as have them up to date on vacs

DO NOT buy one from the pet store, it only promotes those vulture scum sucking puppy mills that breed for almighty dollar and could care less about health of either the parents or the offspring.

Remember, you are taking on a family member that will hopefully be with you for a very long time and it's not a decision to make without thinking it through

 

Thanks snipe. I have pondered long and hard, and done my homework on this. I am not going to rely on my roomates for anything. They are great guys, but I think it is too much to ask for them to share in such a huge responsibility. I have scheduled my classes for the fall with some breaks during the day to return home and take care of him.

Pet stores are out of the question. I want to get a rescue one (preferably not messed up in the head from a previous scumbag owner) but i also want a puppy. I honestly can't think of any stronger bond than what is formed during training between a puppy and the owner. My current dog is a perfect example, but she is older now and a family dog. I even set it up with my brother (8 years older) to take him if I get accepted into my Navy program.

 

http://www.lab-rescue.com/

 

if you get a bigger dog and crate train it, you should be good to go with leaving it in the house during the school day.
I work 9-10 hrs a day and he's fine in my apartment, take him out before i leave and when i get home.
he's a 17 mo old boxer

 

Ya, well since I am planning to get a puppy, I scheduled all of my classes so I'm not away from the apartment more than 3 hours at a time. Maybe in the future semesters he will hold up better. And crate training is the first thing I am planning on