Sheltie Yearly Costs
- Thread starter sheltieluvr6
- Start date
sheltieluvr6
Forums Enthusiast
This is so encouraging to hear/read! You guys have no idea. One thing I took from it is that we live our life once. Sure, there might be better times, but life is going to always throw a curve ball. I can't just wait on the perfect moment that won't necessarily come. Doesn't mean I'm 100% getting him (the breeder still hasn't given me any updates since 3 weeks) but it does mean that if I can do it, I should. Thank you all! I treasure everyone's opinion. Even if I don't want to hear it
I really respect the way you look at things and think that you are doing a good job weighing out all the options. If everyone was has dedicated and invested as much time in the decision to get a pet, there would be no more abandoned animals and that would be fabulous!
Anyhow, whenever you get your Sheltie, be it in a few weeks or a few years, I'm sure everyone here will always be happy to get news on his growing up and offer advice in any situation that comes along
. Best of luck with your decision!
Emmasmom
Forums Sage
We all offer advice, from our own experiences. However, we do not live your life, nor can we. We can only speak for ourselves. We cannot make the decision for you, only you can.
You have put a lot of thought into this decision. Good for you for doing so. When you do get your Sheltie, either now or in the future, he/she will own a special person who has thought through so much. Can't wait to see pictures when you get your new one.
You have put a lot of thought into this decision. Good for you for doing so. When you do get your Sheltie, either now or in the future, he/she will own a special person who has thought through so much. Can't wait to see pictures when you get your new one.
k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
In all honesty, this is so true. I always tell people, if you're ready, and you can handle the responsibility and the "what if's" then there's no reason to wait for a "perfect" moment.
I know I got Miko at a "perfect" time in my life. Then a year later I was getting divorced, working PT going to school FT. Then working FT, still going to school FT. I felt bad, but we got through it. Over the years, Miko has moved with me almost 10 times. The first affected him the most, but he got used to it.
Koji was a last minute decision. It wasn't the best timing and he was a difficult puppy, but what made it worse was having a partner who refused to help me out. Which lead to me having a nervous breakdown. Yes, I'm serious. If I drank, this dog would have pushed me to drinking. hehehe.
I don't think anyone asked if you are ready for a possibly difficult puppy. Koji became very attached (aka major separation anxiety), whined and howled about everything and was very hyper. I wasn't ready for that. I'd crate him when I went to work, and when I got home at lunch, I'd have to clean up his explosive diarrhea.....every day. He'd have diarrhea due to his stress/anxiety and I had no one to help me. If I knew I was in for THAT, I would have passed. The only upside to that horrid situation is that I learned the true character of my soon to be ex-husband. So, think about that part too. I'm not saying don't get a puppy because of this, just throwing it out too. What if you have a super difficult puppy and next thing you know, your roomies aren't willing to help at all.
Sigh. No time is ever a perfect time because we never know what will happen tomorrow. Good luck with whatever decision you are going to make. I'm just happy to hear you ask questions and really think it out. It's more than I did and trust me, it tore my marriage apart. But then again, it also showed me things about my hubby I may never have seen, so that's a plus.
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
Well said!
I've just gone through the entire thread, and about a dozen times I had to stop myself from posting a rebuttal. Everyone's situation is different and our own personal life experiences and bias play heavily into making a decision.
You are clearly going about this thoughtfully and rationally, not emotionally (tho' that's hard to avoid entirely, I know!). And it does seems like you have a few "safety nets" in place, just in case.
A couple other comments I will make:
1) Noone has mentioned Pet Insurance. This is definitely something to consider.....I could have avoided the $1,000+ vet bill for Indy's needle incident had I had that
2) I hear you saying that you can set aside $3500 plus working while you go to school. By now, I think you are getting an idea as to what a dog will cost. But - and I'm sure you have considered this - you need to think about your own living expenses as well. You should do a complete budget for both yourself and dog. And make sure the budget sets aside something for savings - not just for the dog but for yourself! You never know what emergency will come up for YOU!
3) Thanks for the clarification of "economically beneficial"! Truly, a Sheltie eats no more and no less than any other dog that size and of the same energy level. I will say that for high energy dogs, generally like Shelties, investing in a higher quality food may actually pay off. Because the food is more efficient and effective, they actually can eat less of it. So when doing your dog food comparisons, do take into account that cheap foods are exactly that...cheap. But its "value" that you are looking for.
Good luck!
sheltieluvr6
Forums Enthusiast
For a dog that might be a little more trouble then I expect, I will give my full attention to him (or that of it that I can). I know that because of the intelligence some pups might be a bit "witty", but I feel that either way would be a great experience towards my dog training career. That's also why I feel like it is a good time to get a dog. If I start now and have a well-trained dog within the next few years, I will be on my way to one of my most cherished future jobs.
I have indeed calculated a budget both for if I went to a community college in the area I'm currently in and also for if I lived with my oldest brother and his family. At this point, my decision is basically made up. The cheapest option would be to live with my brother in Paradise (near Chico) and attend Butte for a year. I know that some of you might concerned about the introduction of his two dogs and also for the stresses of relocation. Believe me, I don't want to stress out a puppy. But, I would do my best to make the transition as easy as possible if I were to get him.
I have indeed calculated a budget both for if I went to a community college in the area I'm currently in and also for if I lived with my oldest brother and his family. At this point, my decision is basically made up. The cheapest option would be to live with my brother in Paradise (near Chico) and attend Butte for a year. I know that some of you might concerned about the introduction of his two dogs and also for the stresses of relocation. Believe me, I don't want to stress out a puppy. But, I would do my best to make the transition as easy as possible if I were to get him.
Sheltiemama
Forums Enthusiast
I would highly recommend looking at Sheltie rescues in your area instead of a breeder.
Chris
Premium Member
I'm so sorry for your loss. A nice pet quality puppy from a reliable breeder runs around $1000, some a bit more, some a tad less. If someone jacks up a price much beyond that, you're being taken. Here is the ASSA site for breeders:
http://www.assa.org/breeders.html
I hope you find a wonderful puppy.