Think of getting a puppy!?

Question

I'm thinking of getting a staff bull terrier pup. I do work full time 9 to 5 mon to fri but only live 5 mins away from work. I do also live in a ground floor flat and I have a daughter who attends infant school (last year). I am after any advice to do with costs, insurance, vets, care at home e.t.c Does anyone have any advice or websites or books e.t.c to offer ?

Can anyone help in the cost side of bringing up a puppy?
What injections are needed or should be done before getting the puppy?

Answer 1

http://www.staffords.co.uk/

you will love this site it will answer all you questions and more

Answer 2

Im not beeing funny but if you dont know these things already then you should'nt get a pup.Why is it important that you have a pup?you would be better off trying to rescue an older dog as puppies dont cope beeing left alone there is an awful lot of training involved with a pup and working such long hours how are you going to find the time?pups need early socialisation to become accustomed to the world around them which includes meeting other dogs,roadside work to get used to traffic seeing many different age ranges of people,other animals etc etc the list is endless.The expence is alot aswell you have that animal for the rest of its life and vet bills can get pricey,puppy jabs are about £50 for the lot,on top of that is insurance if you have the pup insured,then neutering or spaying,again the list is endless.Housetraining could be difficult for you and may take longer in your dog as it wont be taken out regulary,and do you even have a garden in a flat?Please think carefully about your decision as its a huge responsibility and not one to be taken lightly.Good luck

Answer 3

Try this web site www.epupz.co.uk, they do all breeds and areas you can pick as to the nearest to the area you live in eg, Surrey, Essex etc
I got my dog Dakota a Border collie X Staff for £100 Including first Injection and my sisters dog Kodie a rotty X staff & Lab Retrever mix & he Was also £100 any way you can also put in a price in your search criteria and some dog are free but a full breed is around £150- £700 depending on what breed so look on this site and you can also get info about the breed you want by clicking on the pictures.
Injections are not that exspensive around £20 - £30 depending on the vets. I hope this helps.
Me and my sisters Live in flats and there is many people who live in my block of flats that have dogs and you do not have to tell the person you perchase the puppie / dog from where or what you live in.

Answer 4

don't get any kind of puppy. You work all day and have not even got a garden to let him run about in. How on earth do you think you will toilet train him if you aren't there to take him outside for a wee every hour? How will you be able to give him 4 feeds a day as puppies need? Speak to the vet about cost of innuculations.
No reputable breeder would sell you a pup since you live in a flat and work so the only ones left are the back yard breeders who should be avoided at all costs.

Answer 5

Honestly, I would think about how you will be able to train, socialize, comfort, house break and play with the puppy while you are working 7 hours Monday to Friday. Getting a puppy is a lot of hard work and require a lot of time to take care of. You really shouldn't leave a puppy alone for so long with nobody and home and nobody to play with. Although it will be sleeping a lot, when they're awake, they are VERY playful and need someone to play with. Only working 5 days a week is good as you still have two whole days to play with, walk and socialize your puppy. If you do decide to get one, I'm sure you will be VERY happy with a puppy. Staffies can make great pets but they need to be thoroughly socialized and must be purchased from a reputable breeder who screens their dogs. That is to minimize the risks of the dog getting a hereditary disease later in life. Also to make sure they come from non-aggressive bloodlines. A reputable breeder would only breed a dog with a great temperament and one that is absolutely healthy.

Costs of basic things like a bed, food bowls, leash, toys etc. can vary. A bed would generally cost $40-$120, food bowls $8 - $16 each, leash is $5 - 8, collar is $5 - 8, toys are about $8 - 25 depending on quality and brand (Kong brand dog toys are the BEST brand around now. You can find them at any pet store or good super market in the pets isle), grooming supplies would be $15 - $20 for a good quality brush and around $17 - $30 for a good quality shampoo that also gets rid of fleas, premium quality dog food is around $15 - $25 depending on brand and quality (Science Diet is a great brand, most vets recommend it).
I'm not sure how much incurance costs but you can go on http://www.google.com and ask there.
Vets will vary depending on where you live and what the situation is. A general vet visit (for a check up) costs around $60 - $120. Spay/neuter at a Vet can cost anywhere from $60 - $250, depending on breed, size, weight and sometimes age. An emergency vet visit (depending on the occasion) can cost $300 - $5000+.

Some good websites on care for your puppy, Staffies, bring the dog home etc. are:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/staffordshirebullterrier.htm
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/dogbreeds/staffordshirebullterriers.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1671&articleid=872
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bring01.html
http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/breeds/1100257/
http://www.cleverstaffords.co.uk/sbt.htm
http://www.bcrescue.org/goinghome.html
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/breedinformation/terrier/stbult.html
http://www.darnfar.com/Dog%20Training/housebreaking_a_puppy.htm
http://www.petcaretips.net/basics-taking-care-new-puppy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Bull_Terrier
http://www.etenerife.com/dogs/bringing_puppy_home.htm
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/rover/388/tips.html
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/puppy-care-recommendations/page1.aspx

EDIT: The puppy should have been vaccinated at 6-8 weeks old (most reputable breeders will vaccinate the pup before letting him go) for distemper, parvo and hepatits. If he hasn't, you must do this when you bring him for a check-up STRAIGHT after you pick him up from the breeder. At 12-14 weeks of age, he must be vaccinated again for distemper, parvo, hepatits and canine cough. At 16-18 weeks old, he must be vaccinated again for distemper, parvo, canine cough and hepatits. Then again every 12 months (along with a routine vet check). The vaccinations cost around $50 - $80 depending on where you live. Along with the cost of the vaccination, you will need to pay an addition fee for the consultation. He should also be wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks - thereafter every 3 months. Also, get him on flea and tick prevention ASAP. A good brand is Frontline Plus, another is Advantage. The Frontline Plus is around $70 for a large breed and Advantage is $60-70 for dogs.

Answer 6

OK. This is going to be kinda long - sorry Puppies are wonderful. Before you get your puppy, research your breed and breeder if buying from a breeder or talk to your local rescue groups - also consider breed rescue groups. Contact the breed rescue groups is especailly good if you are getting your first puppy as they can tell you a lot more about the pros and cons of the breed. Make sure you see the mom! Also see dad if you can. This lets you know a bit about what the likly tempermnet and size etc of the puppy will be eventually. Your vet or breed rescue will be able to tell you about anything specific to the breed you should ask about such as conditions prevelant in a breed. Also consider buying a crate, they are around £20 - £50. These are useful if you need to contain your puppy, such as at night.Don't use this as somewhere to put the puppy if he is bad - it should be a good place for the puppy. Also try not to contain the puppy in this all day while you are out. You should bet the puppy at around 7 - 10 weeks depending upon the breeder. The puppy should allready have been wormed, and the first set of vaccines are done at about 6 weeks old, followed by a second set, about 2 weeks later I think. Price varies depending upon where you are and what vet you use. From what I remember it is about £30 - £50. You also need to get something for fleas from the vet and wormer. Don't buy the supermarket ones - they don't work and may not be suitable for puppies - the vets are a bit more expensive but safer and more effective. Yearly booster vacinnes are about £20. If you don't already have a vet call some of the local vets and speak to them, ask if you can go and have a look around - be wary if they won't let you, most are more than happy to show you round. When you go and look around, before you get the puppy, talk to the vet staff and they can tell you a lot of detail about price and procedure. Also consider if you aren't going to breed yourself ahve the puppy neutered - again the vet will be able to advise you on price and age, but be aware that spaying a ***** before she has her first season can cause problems.
You said that you work all day, but I don't see why that would be a problem. Make sure that your puppy has plently of toys to chew or he will chew things he shouldn't. Also lots of newspaper or training pads as it takes time for the puppy to stay clean and dry all day - also all night. You said that you work close so to start with a visit during the day to feed and play with the puppy would be good. They need 3 or 4 meals a day to start with as well as water available all the time.

Thats all I can think of at the moment. Sorry for the long post, but there's lots to know if you haven't had a puppy before - they are so rewarding, but try to find a local dog training club or class. They are invaluable for socialising and training your puppy. Look on www.obedianceuk.com as they list a lot of the clubs and give contact details so you can find one in your are. This may sound like a lot of work and effort, but it is SOOO worth it. They are wonderful animals to have around. Your vet will be able to give you detailed advice on anything you aren't sure about, and they will be more than happy to help and spend time talking to you.

Good Luck and have fun with your new dog!
Louise

Answer 7

Well between toys, food, baskets, blankets it can be expensive, you would maybe be better with a puppy wire cage to put your puppy in during the day on outside in the garden when you are in, especially as until your puppy has had last lot of jags at about 12 weeks you can not let them out!!!!!!! Can be stressfull keeping them in all the time. It would depend on the age you got the puppy as to what the cost would be as some breeders have some jags done before the let them go!! Staffie's can be expensive to purchase, if you were looking for that type of dog you may like the patterdale terrier, still a sturdy dog, same kinda size, maybe not as big and same type of dog (terrier). I have got one and she is gorgeous. Food can be expensive, especially as they grow and want more food. I would reccomend feeding pedigree puppy pouches to start then mixing them with the dry mix at about 3 months old, after about 9 months you could change, my puppy went of pedigree dry food and i now feed her wilsons complete with pedigree adult dog pouches mixed in!! But bones can be expensive aswell, but worth buying plenty (stops puppy chewing furniture!!!!) Good Luck and i hope you find what you are looking for and like i say, have a wee look at the patterdale terrier's cheaper to buy and still as nice!!!!!!!!!! x

Answer 8

We found our two "guests" from someone off of the street,,.....well, not entirely, the man, (and I met the breeders, they were a nice couple,) was a friend of my daughter's friend, so not alltogether strangers. Anyways, we learned that dogs need their first few shots from the vet, which was a whorthwhile thing since he recommended where to get them licenced, registered, etc.

You would do best to take your new friend to a good veterinarian first to check for possible illnesses that occur from birth, like worms, mange, etc. Believe me, it's worth it. Our youngest had some sort of disease that the vet was able to take care of, even though the older one didn't have any symptoms. I love our dogs and would maybe do anything for them, sometimes they are like my own children, but they are so cute and recommend professional help since they are your friends, afterall.

Answer 9

Try www.puppydogweb.com. They even have photos of the different breeds, with tips, etc. I would think twice about getting a bull terrier pup, especially with your infant. I've read reports of those breeds chewing off toes of infants just out of boredom.

Answer 10

You'll never regret getting a dog. Every home should have a dog! I wonder why you have your mind made up about a certain breed though...Unless YOU plan on breeding, rescue a puppy from an animal shelter!

Answer 11

i think you should think carefully before you get a pup as it is going to need you at home to look after it and train it,if you are out all day it might decide to destroy your house and do you think a staffie is the best kind of dog to get with a young child at home,to me its not worth taking the risk.