puppy question (1 Viewer)

[Scott L]

Don't wanna hijack your thread Philip but also didn't wanna create a new one for my small question. Where can one buy a Bulldog? I've always been in love with em but I know you can't find this breed in the pound right? Should I expect to pay about $500-$800 for one?

Again sorry, but running a search with bulldog in it just brings back a bunch of gadgets and products.

 

[Alex Prosak]

Scott,

If you want a purebred, the only way to go is through a breeder. Start asking around locally and looking on the net for reputable breeders. As mentioned above, NEVER buy from a pet store. You will actually probably pay more at a pet store too. The price will vary depending on whether you want a show quality or companion dog. I couldn't tell you what the going rate for a bulldog is. Where I'm at it also really depends on the breed. If there are some local breeders the price will generally vary between $350-$500. If the breed is a bit more uncommon the price can go upwards of $1000. A good breeder will also not let the pups go when they're too young, most won't let a pup go until they're 12-16 weeks old. I believe about 6 months is when a dog can safely be fixed. Up here they take a large deposit and hold it until you can show them documentation the animal has been fixed.

Do consider looking at your local shelter too. We got our little girl there a couple years ago and she's absolutely the best pet I've ever had. Here she is in her first snow.

 

[Henry Carmona]

Dont wanna hijack either

Scott, check the Bulldog Club of America as well as the American Kennel Club

As i mentioned, you will only be doing harm to the breed by purchasing from a puppy store.

Find a good breeder, and go from there.

Pet Quality bulldogs can range from $950-$1500, certainly more or less but ive found that range to be the norm.

Also, read as much as you can on bulldogs, you may change your mind about having one as a pet. They can be very expensive to raise, not just purchase

http://www.bulldogsworld.com/
http://www.bullytin.com/
http://www.petprospects.com/Breed_Pr...sh_bulldog.htm

In the end, if you decide on one..err if one decides on you, youll love every minute of it

Bud says hi

 

[Paul_Fisher]

My wife and I just rescued a puppy from our local humane society, I have pics on my computer. I'll load one up for everyone to see sometime today.

 

[Kevin Thompson]

Must chime in and advise all to avoid buying puppies or kittens from pet shops. Ninety-nine percent of these are from puppy mills, where breeding stock is kept alive for one purpose--cranking out litter after litter until they can produce no more. Then they're put down or auctioned off.

Some good points on here about adopting from shelters. There is a horrendous pet overpopulation problem, and many people perpetuate the problem by impulsively getting a puppy without researching what it takes to be a responsible pet owner. Two months later the dog is tied up in the back yard, and some time later the "untrainable" dog is taken to the shelter to be re-homed or killed. There are thousands (millions?) of excellent dogs in shelters all over America doomed to die because there are not enough people willing to give them a chance.

Another option is purebred dog rescue. Different breeds have rescue organizations who work with shelters and veterinarians to help find homes for their particular breed of dog. It's not that one breed is more deserving of rescue than any other, it's just more efficient this way.

Rescue groups--both breed-specific and those who accept mixed breeds--receive dogs from owners who can not keep their pets any longer for various reasons, and also pull dogs from shelters to keep them from being euthanized. Dogs are vet checked, neutered, placed usually in a foster home until a suitable home is found. Remedial training by experienced dog people often overcomes behavioral problems that landed the dog in the shelter in the first place.

These rescue groups are usually registered non-profit groups who hold fund raisers to pay for their expenses, which can be considerable considering the cost of veterinary care. While most do charge a rescue fee (much less than the cost of a pet store puppy), this is more to ensure the adopter is actually making a committment to the dog than anything else.

Finally, you can go through a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders will not advertise in the paper. Their breeding stock will have medical clearances applicable to known health concerns prevalent to their breed. They will have homes for all of their upcoming litter before the pups are born, with rare exceptions--so there may be a waiting list. Reputable breeders will be very particular about the homes their dogs go to. Amazingly, reputable breeders' prices are often much lower than pet stores, because they're not in it for the money.

 

[Philip_G]

guys, seriously. What's with the lectures? have you noted the dates on the thread? have you read through it?
Either way I bought a dog almost 3 months ago and have posted numerous pics of her.

 

[Henry Carmona]

Dang, excuse me Philip.

If i didnt think others might benefit from the information i would not have posted.

This is an open forum, not email.

 

[Alex Prosak]

Philip,

Chill. I believe all the info was for Scott who expressed interest in getting a dog this morning, not you. It may have been redundant but it's all good information that a prospective owner should be aware of.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Nothing wrong with the advice in these most recent posts (and an awful lot that's right).

 

[Tom Meyer]

One way to find breeders is to go to a local dog show and talk to the people showing the breed you're interested in.

I did it years ago when I was thinking about getting a Bernese Mountain dog (gorgeous, gorgeous animals). Didn't end up getting one, but someday I *will* get my Berner

 

[Paul_Fisher]

I'm going to post some pics of my puppy in this thread, I hope that's ok. Her name is Biscuit and she's a Jack Russell Terrier/Great Pyrenees mix.

EDIT: I have to fix the size, they were way too big.

I don't know how to resize images, can anyone help?

 

[Henry Carmona]

Send them to me

 

[Kevin Thompson]

guys, seriously. What's with the lectures? have you noted the dates on the thread? have you read through it?


Actually, I did read the whole thread before I posted, and I just went back and looked it over again. I didn't notice anything about you having actually acquired your dog yet. I did see a post announcing you did NOT get one particular dog, and that you had decided against rescue due to the cost.

Perhaps your announcement and pics were in another thread?

Anyway, congratulations on your new addition. I hope you have many happy years together.

For anyone who IS considering getting a dog, please seriously consider rescue. Although rescue groups do ask for an adoption "donation" of $150-$250, rescue adopters usually save plenty of money in the long run. The rescue dog will be vet checked, immunized, neutered, and its temperament will have been evaluated by people with lots of experience doing this, who do not have a vested interest in your adopting the dog. Their primary concern is placing the right dog in the right home, unlike a pet store employee who's trying to make a buck.

 

[Ron-P]

I'd also not recommend getting a dog from a pet store. When we bought our Dalmation, we took a 2 hour drive to a breeders house and picked her out of the litter with mom there. I will only buy a puppy when I can see the mom or dad. It's a great indication of what you'll be in for.

She just turned 10 last month. I took this pic last weekend.




Peace Out~

 

[Paul_Fisher]

Here are the pics of my puppy thanks to Henry!

 

[Rain]

If your budget can take it, you may want to look into the possibility of a raw diet and your dog is still young enough to be a bit more flexible. Many people feel this is the healthiest way to go.

Here's a couple of web sites I know of:

www.intherawpetfood.com
www.barfdiet.com

(BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. And I agree that they really should have concocted a better acronym.)

I have no first hand experience with this (my cats are about 8 years old now and very set in their ways...they won't go near it :frowning: ), but have heard only good things.

If you don't want to go the raw diet route, there are a wide variety of processed foods, ranging from excellent quality to crap, much of the crap being the more "trusted" brands. Do your own research. Read ingredients. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to get the idea.

Like many other people, I used to assume I was feeding my cats the best stuff. Then I learned some stuff and was horrified. I've switched them over to a holistic food and the difference has been amazing.

A balance of dry and wet food is always best.

Vets will often try to get you to buy the food they sell in their clinics. Breeders will often try to get you to buy foods that sponsor them.

 

[Tom Meyer]

Her name is Biscuit and she's a Jack Russell Terrier/Great Pyrenees mix.

what I wanna know is, how the holy hell did a Jack Russell (

 

[Henry Carmona]

I think SARF diet is a better acronym and many are now starting to use it.

Stand for Species Appropriate Raw Food diet.

I do feed my bully raw food, mostly chicken necks and leg quarters.

He does love Farmore brand beef as well.

 

[Julian Reville]

Vets will often try to get you to buy the food they sell in their clinics. Breeders will often try to get you to buy foods that sponsor them.

Perhaps this is because they have years of experience with these foods and have confidence in them.

Julian Reville, DVM

 

[Henry Carmona]

Dr. Reville has been very helpful to me, but i dont agree with him or many vets on animal nutrion.

Unless otherwise interested, a vets nutrional education is minimal and/or biased. There are exceptions.

The decision to take up a SARF/BARF diet for your pet is not to be taken lightly nor without significant research.

I would guess that there are just as many proponents as there are opponents.

Much of the cautions or dangers cited by the opponents can easily be remedied by doing your homework.

Supplements such as calclium (eggshells), kelp, alfalfa, cod oil, apple cider, local honey, garlic, probiotics, etc help balance a SARF/BARF diet.

If bones are a concern, they should be ground up with the meat.

This USDA website provides much information for many meats:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl

Kelp:
http://www.naturalways.com/kelp02.htm

Take care when feeding fish however, as some large species have a tendancy for mercury:
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/fish.htm
http://marinefisheries.org/Pubs/mercury.htm
http://www.mercola.com/2001/apr/25/mercury_fish.htm
By region:
http://www.p2pays.org/mercury/fish.htm

As for dry kibble, there are probably only a handful of brands i would recommend. Most brands are a joke!

Here are some helpful links:
(I do not advocate ALL of what is said in these links. I am providing them as information for those willing to research ALL aspects of SARF/BARF diets)

http://www.bullovedbulldogs.com/barf.htm
http://www.bowchow.com/dogfeeding.html
http://www.bluegrace.com/barf.html
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/diet/ExpDiet.html
http://www.touchmoon.com/dotters/raw/index.shtml
http://diamondpaws.com/health/barfveg.htm
http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm
http://www.bessie.tv/rumen.asp
http://b-naturals.com/newsindex.php?...f00752 31556c

Interesting site:
http://www.bowchow.com/wolfpark.html

Have fun~