Hi Everyone.
I want to have a pet in our family.
Cavoodle or Malteese X Shitzu is what I am thinking about.
I was told it is good to find a breeder that will have quality puppies with DNA cleared etc..
Looking forward to get all your valuable advice & reference so that I can have an healthy pet and within in reasonable price.
Kind regards.
Thanks for the advice. Can I know what issues would I be facing with designer breeds.
I am novice with pets.
I have to start with something not complicated to deal with.
I have a friend who has had about 4 King Charles in 8 years because they keep dying of respitory or heart problems. Don’t ask why he keeps getting them, because it breaks his heart each time.
Perhaps contact a local vet to find out if anyone has any litters coming soon?
This i never though of… That will be a great idea!! thanks heaps again :)
Don’t ask why he keeps getting them, because it breaks his heart each time.
Sounds like he's trying to fill a void.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
I have a friend who has had about 4 King Charles in 8 years because they keep dying
This is how they make money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4oWpvJ0f8Q
What issues could you face?
It's a mongrel dog. You do not get those dogs DNA cleared.
You might get quality puppies then again you might not. It's a gamble.
If you want something not complicated then get a rescue puppy.
With a purebred dog any problems should have been bred out of the line along time ago (if a puppy is from a reputable breeder). Designer breeds are still going through that process & you could spend thousands of dollars on a dog with the bad traits of both breeds.
Not really. Many traits are still considered desirable, especially brachycephalic breeds. Also, Australia is a relatively small market (gene pool), so most breeders are quite inbred, stud books or not.
With a purebred dog any problems should have been bred out of the line along time
Nonsense, most cavaliers will either have heart problems or get excruciating migraines because of their skull.
@Scab: ^this
german shepherds - virtually guaranteed hip problems
british bulldogs - respiratory issues
boxers - heart issues
these are just a few examples off the top of my head.
these are all "pure bred" dogs and these issues are rampant in these breeds.
also, the unfortunate truth is that there are breeders who are good and humane and selectively breed their animals, and then there are breeders who are pure capitalists and are breeding purely for money and with no thought of genetic issues and risk.
and each of those 2 types of breeders will provide the same papers that say their animal is purebred.
also you say your spouse is scared of dogs -then why buy a dog/puppy? to get her gradually used to it? I'd hate it if my spouse bought a puppy so I can "get over my fear of dogs". not that I fear dogs. I don't want a dog. you have to walk them, pick up their shit, etc. high maintenance. plus I don't have the yard for a dog. dogs should have space to run and be stimulated by the environment - not locked in an apartment.
get a cat.
Designer breeds are still going through that process
Nope, they usually don't have the same problems as you are breeding two unrelated breeds so the negative traits don't carry over.
Unlike breeding the same breeds where they do.
https://www.rspca.org.au/adopt-pet/adopting-dogpuppy
And since it's from the RSPCA, you can be assured they have all their checks, have had all the necessary shots, and generally they'll take care of you for any issues (they're far bigger than any individual breeder after all and depend on goodwill).
purebred dog
Why, they're usually prone to health problems and inbreeding.
Crossbred dogs are generally much healthier.
I suggest you buy a purebred dog
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purebred_dog#Future_of_purebre…
most modern purebred dogs registered with closed stud books are highly inbred, increasing the possibility of genetic-based disease.
The internet is littered with advice like that. I've got to say - it is very frustrating to read. My partner wanted a pet dog and I'm allergic to most dogs. Crosses open up a much larger set of potential hypoallergenic dogs.
Some people have legitimate reasons to get crosses. Constructive advice in this area is rare and should be added to.
Go to the lost dogs home and pick up a pup that needs a home rather than paying a breeder to keep breeding.
Thought about it. My spouse is actually scared of dogs. To make her come out of it, I have to start with a puppy that will grow in our house.
I am still looking in that area if at all any puppy will come up by any chance.
Yeah there are few puppies at the lost dogs home. Mostly because everyone desexes so there’s no dogs running wild having a good time with the neighbour dogs.
Lost dogs home does usually have a bunch around the 6 month mark, where you can definitely still mould them to suit your home.
Or if spouse is super scared, go for a dog that is smaller.
Yeah she is indeed super scared :).
Will keep looking for sure.
I live in Canberra. Not much options to choose though. May be it will take a while to get right pet in that facility.
Thank you very much for the advice though :)
My family was actually lucky enough to get a maltese/shih tzu from the rspca as a puppy. Her owners had abruptly got a job overseas and surrendered her to the rspca after only having her for a few weeks. It's rare but it can happen. Good luck finding a puppy that suits you!
Go to the lost dogs home and pick up a pup that needs a home rather than paying a breeder to keep breeding.
Agreed, let's make the problem better not worse.
Is your partner on board with this idea? If I was scared of something and my partner brought it into the home on purpose I would be pretty upset
Yeah she indeed insisted for it, with certain conditions :)
Kind of treatment to deal with phobias…
Take her to the RSPCA at Weston Creek regularly to volunteer to walk the dogs. That way it is exposure with no commitments and you're doing something helpful.
Don't buy a dog and bring it to the house of someone with a phobia. That's just asking to screw up the dog's life having it have to find yet another home when this one doesn't work out, or getting bad care at yours, plus will be very expensive if you can't get a refund from the breeder plus all the expenses you would have gone through while you had it.
She is up to start with puppy rather than an adult dog.
I will put this option on table about dog walking :)
Thank you.
@Ouffer serffer: A dog is a dependent companion not a therapy tool. Please pursue some temporary exposure before jumping into a lifelong commitment.
@Ouffer serffer: Puppies turn into dogs. Even if she is OK with puppies, you can't just toss it after it grows up.
She is up to start with puppy rather than an adult dog.
This: "up to start with" doesn't mean she'll be okay with it long-term. Seems you're taking a "try and see" approach, which is irresponsible when it comes to pets. MAKE SURE she will be okay with having a pet, long-term, and then get a pet.
within in reasonable price.
First of all, you aren't going to get any "deals" on a dog. You need to remember a dog is for life and something you will need to consider every time you want to go away for the weekend or go on holiday. You also need to be prepared to make a large investment in things you'll need. Food, toys, beds, vet bills, holiday boarding.
The reason I bring this up is that this site does tend to have a bit of a reputation for doing anything and everything on the cheap. That is possible for somethings but for pets, it is very hard.
Now. Since your partner is scared of dogs I would suggest easing her into it. Maybe start with any friends or family that have dogs. Let her meet them and see what she thinks. Get her used to dogs. A dog is a very much part of your family and most dogs will want to be with you when you are at home.
https://www.dogzonline.com.au is where I found my breeder but I agree with the above post, try and adopt a puppy. You say you live in Canberra well I'm sure there are shelters locally go and have a look. Spend some time with the dogs there.
I am actually prepared for on going expenses of the pup.
As I started looking, numbers to adopt in the first place actually is bit too dear.
But yeah, I am for sure try my best to find a puppy in Canberra pound.
Thanks heaps for the guidance.
^^ This!
Puppy = incontinent child that even when grown and not weeing everywhere, will require toddler like levels of supervision, no more weekend/holidays without planning etc. (don't just leave them alone, that's a scumbag move!)
Go to the pound, an older sedate dog would help a nervous partner bond with the animal before a puppy that is VERY in your face etc. Greyhound springs to mind, ours were chilled, mellow and loved to lean on you for an ear scratch but would sleep most of the day happily, and I have NEVER heard of an aggressive one to humans. They do eat a high protein food though so it can be like like living with a powerlifter sometimes (eggy farts r us!)
Small squeaky things are another matter, they're chaseable, but only in Oz do greys have to be muzzled and pit bulls don't! must be something in the water here that removes regulators IQ!
Pedigree and a cross bred are mutually exclusive.
To be fair, all dogs are cross bred to where they are today. Pure breds are just breeds that have been interbred with similar looking dogs so a predictable pattern of traits can be made.
A cross breed is either a pure breed in very very early stages or categorically impure. I wouldn't be seeking a kennel for a cross. That'd be like paying premium preorder collectors edition for a game that released as an alpha edition with no developer support.
At least you told us the breed …
I'd avoid a designer breed. Besides the obvious upfront cost, there are plenty of dogs that need good homes, yes, pups too.
Don't forget the ongoing costs with a Cavoodle - in particular getting a haircut ever 6-8 weeks at some $80 a time.
I think you are barking up the wrong tree. You say that adopting is a bit too dear, how much do you think a designer Mutt is going to cost up front plus ongoing costs.
Here are some numbers for you, for our dog.
Purchase Lagotto Romagnolo, ( Italian Pure bred , ), just google it. $2500,insurance annually, $800, flea, heart worm, intestinal worm prevention, $500,annually. Quality dog food $600 annually, Grooming about 4 times a year $400,
So the ongoing costs after purchase are well in excess of $2000 per year, this is all before boarding costs when we travel.
The love and devotion he gives us far outways any of these costs, but if you say that a rescue dog at a few hundred is a bit too dear, I suspect you will resent the ongoing costs. Perhaps consider buying a Goldfish.
My apologies for the confusion. I didn't mean to say is will be expensive for me going with rescue dog. I was referring to costs with breeders.
I did changed my mind about designer breeds now.
As @knick007 advised, I will go through pound or only breeds listed in https://www.dogzonline.com.au
Regards.
A Cavoodle is a wonderful pet dog. We have one. Yes, they need grooming, but that's because they don't shed hair everywhere. They are so loving, and loyal and oh so cute.
They are not a "designer breed", essentially they are just a mongrel cross breed! The only thing I would suggest is make sure you get a 1st generation, which is pure bred parents (Cavalier and Poodle).
Good luck finding a cute small dog in the shelter, I went to many many many and all I see was big boof head dogs….
Our cute small dog is from a shelter (RSPCA). In fact we have adopted 3 over the years - all from shelters. I admit they are a bit harder to find - but it is possible.
Have a look at petrescue.com.au which lists major shelters plus smaller rescue groups.
we tried for nearly a year… then gave up.
Yes it can take a while.
It takes a bit of time and patience but there are small dogs in pounds. Regional pounds usually have more small dogs than city pounds.
I got my Fox terrier from Queanbeyan pound (a small town next to Canberra), my Australian terrier from Dubbo and my Papilon from Griffith :). Surprisingly all of them were either on the last day of their pounding period or in the pounds for months.
Understandably staying in the pounds for months created some behavioural problems so sometimes people make mistakes of testing the dogs too intensively without considering what the dogs have been through.
For example, there was a family of six looking at the Australian terrier before me, each of them wanted to test the dog for at least 10 minutes to be sure. Given that he was in the pound for 6 months, he didn't do well. When it was our turn, we gave him plenty of time to walk around and explore with our other dog. We waited for him to come to us. After 15-20 minutes, he was completely relaxed and we could see that he was calm and friendly. It turned out that he was extremely smart and brave too.
There is no such thing as a "Pedigree" mutt. There is also no such thing as a good breeder of mutts. A good breeder is someone that cares more about improving the quality and bloodline of a breed than making money. Since a "Cavoodle" is not a breed, there is no such thing as a good breeder of cavoodles. Same goes for literally any other crossbred dogs. ALL crossbred dogs are made by "backyard breeders", people that get their pet quality dogs to mate to make a few bucks. If you want a quality dog with good bloodlines and "DNA cleared" (whatever that means) you will need to find a qualified breeder who breeds show quality dogs (i.e on the pedigree certificate the sire (male) will have a Ch. (show champion) title before their name, indicating they are a show quality/breed quality dog). Every male on the pedigree certificate 3 generations back should have a Ch. title. A proper breeder will probably lose money on a litter - they will need to do vet checks etc. for their bitch, pay a stud fee, and breed at the exact right time of their bitches' heat cycle. DO NOT BUY A DOG FROM A PET STORE OR OFF GUMTREE. There are many websites with registered, reputable breeders who will not charge a ridiculous price for their puppies. I bought my Cavalier from an absolutely insane dog lady who had been breeding Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Cavaliers for 25 years, for $1000 and it was the first litter in 2 years and only produced 3 puppies. She lost so much money from that litter but it shows the difference between real breeders who care, and backyard breeders in it for the profit. A reputable breeder will probably have more questions for you (to determine whether you will be a responsible owner), than you will have for them. I got basically grilled about my routine and whether I could be trusted to raise a dog for 10-15 years.
Source - Did about 2 years of research before purchasing my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
A Cavoodle or Malteese X Shitzu is not a recognised breed by any major kennel club. I suggest you buy a purebred dog as a family pet not a designer breed. Perhaps a Cavalier King Charles or maybe a rescue dog of some kind.