Hi guys,
Curious to see if anyone knows any place cheap to buy a puppy? Been looking around for one for my gf and I but all the pet shops are asking for $700+. So if anyone has any suggestions it would be great! Also, buying puppies from private sellers, are they reliable in terms of breed and health etc?
Cheers
Bought mine from Pets Paradise about 4 years ago and he turned out to be a "lemon" dog. He needs braces, he's got addison's disease, he sits funny, suffers regularly from ear infections, and he only responds to food. But I still love him all the same. Paid over $1000 for the dog and his bed + toys.. massive rip off.
I strongly recommend you invest in pet insurance if you do get one, as it really came in handy especially when we found out he has addison's disease.
Was looking at gumtree, and I saw some dogs for cheap/free. I don't know how genuine those people and their dogs are in terms of breed.
They have dog braces??
I'm glad you still love your dog and didn't just dump him on the streets or something. :D
haha unfortunately no. although wouldn't that be a great invention? :P
And I can't dump him on the streets, he knows his way home!
go to pet shelters!!! Agree from neil, don't buy from pet shops because you don't know the puppy breeder, they may come from Puppy Mills
http://www.aaps.org.au/dogs/dogs_page_one.html
Keysborough Animal Shelter
The AAPS is an animal shelter located at 10 Homeleigh Road, Keysborough, 3173, Victoria, Australia - ph (03)9798-8415 or (03)9798-8044 - fax (03)9769-0317
Check out gumtree.com.au free section… hundreds of pets looking for homes.
I got my dog from Pets Paradise, but looking back I would definately get one from a shelter/pound. Just think-you are making the dog's life that you're adopting that much better.
Being a curious cheapskate, what are the costs related to owning a pet?
Food
Bedding and/or housing
Flea and tick treatment
Equipment ie. nail clippers, brushes
Grooming
Toys
Cost of destroyed or damaged stuff
Vets bills (get insurance, these can mount up to thousands!)
Medication
Vaccinations
Major time investment
= A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.
haha mine's pretty dumb :P
coughRottweilercough! ;)
OP, are you looking for a particular breed?
thanks for all the feedback everyone! Will definitely look into all the suggestions.
poldadots610 - I'm looking for a smaller dog, as it will be residing in our inner city apartment, but it will get regular exercise. Was thinking something along the lines of a pom or a king charles cross.
also, don't want to dampen your excitement of getting a dog but be aware that if you and your gf do break up (although i sincerely hope not), you guys might have to decide who gets the dog. currently dating a guy who bought a dog with his ex-fiance, and it's a bit troublesome and theyve decided to "share" the dog, her picking the dog up on friday and dropping him off on the sunday or monday, but sometimes she's too "busy" or "sick"… lots of problem there… Anyway, I'll stop rambling on but that's something to think about before buying a dog with someone.
I don't know how you feel about dog hair, but it was my major concern. I can't stand dog hair on furniture and clothes. We got a Maltese Terrier 12 months ago and not only does he have the most wonderful temperament he leaves no hair at all and my son and I are not allergic to him. On the other hand our friends has a fox terrier and his house is covered in hair and it sticks to everything. The only drawback with our Maltese is the need to constantly groom his as he forms hair balls if we don't.
PLEASE dont buy it from a pet shop or so called puppy palaces etc. They are a dumping ground for dodgy breeders and the staple seller for all the puppy farmers littered around the country.
Go to an animal shelter or animal welfare league in your area.
I just got a puppy myself after doing almost 2 years worth of research.
Agree with what others said, first option, have a look at shelters and you might be able to save one's life. But if u insist to get a "new" puppy (like we did), you might wanna look at - http://www.dogzonline.com.au/
go to puppy listing. They are mostly reputable and registered breeders. Note that the site only list pure breed dog (seeing u might be looking at king charles cross).
My suggestion is, look carefully where you buy your puppy from. You will have him for 10+ years so you might wanna ensure you are going off a good start. Some breed is prone to hereditary diseases, so it is important to ask to see the puppy's parents, whether they are regularly health-checked and free from such disease. That's why buying from pet shop is not such a good idea because u can't see the puppy's parents, whether they are healthy and have a good temperament.
A good breeder will want to ensure their puppy is going to a good home, so he/she will ask you questions about the type of your house, is it fenced, etc. Do a test and ask whether they are willing to take back your dog if in the future your/your gf situation has changed and you can no longer keep it. A good breeder wouldn't want to see their dog end up in a shelter somewhere.
Also, interesting to note is that buying puppy from reputable breeder is usually cheaper than buying from pet shops in the shopping centre (especially pure breed dogs).
Good luck.
Something to bear in mind, chances are that a bitzer from the pound will be far more resilient than a pure breed! Keeping bloodlines pure skates a very thin pond as far as inbreeding and the purity of the gene pool goes! Many purebreds are highly susceptible to a range of hereditary problems related to this.
Nothing like some fresh DNA in the gene pool to ensure good health! ;)
Thanks again for the input everyone, the more I read on here the more I feel like I haven't completely thought this through. Will puppies be fine if left home during the day time? As we both study/work during the day, the pup will be home alone during business hours. I've asked all these questions to pet shop employees but I can't determine whether they're just saying what I want to hear in order to get a sale.
All puppies will get upset when they're left alone, so if you're gonna get one make sure you do so at a time (take some annual leave etc) when you can initially spend as much time with it as possible, then gradually increase the time you leave it alone so it doesn't become too distressed. Just getting a little one then waddling off to work the next day and leaving it for 10-12 hours is inconsiderate IMHO!
Different breeds have different temperaments; some can cope with being left alone during the day once they're a little older, others will still fret big time! Get on some of the dog websites & forums to find out which breeds are fairly autonomous! It would also be wise to plan how much walking you can/want to do with your dog…some breeds like Jack Russels or Foxies are like wound up springs, and go mad, chew stuff & crap & urinate everywhere if you don't give them enough attention.
Being in a unit, you don't want a yappy/howling dog or you're neighbours will freak out! Remember to use the term "companion animal", not "pet", when discussing your new friend with landlords or body corporate/building managers; AFAIK they can't deny you the former, but can refuse the latter…it's all in the wording! ;)
I'd very strongly stay away from buying from pet stores. Many people buy pets from pet stores and are either unable to take care of them, or don't like them etc and they end up in shelters. Shelters are overrun with these animals to a point where the majority of them get killed. This is not to mention the unregulated puppy farms that are scattered throughout the country.
Seeing you are in Melbourne, I'd highly recommend:
The Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne, http://www.lortsmith.com/
http://mail.lortsmith.com/StrayReg/AdoptPage.asp
(Got my cat here)
or
The Lost Dogs Home
http://www.dogshome.com/
Also in North Melbourne