re: Surprised at the cost of dogs

Every shelter is overflowing with animals. Pls just go and pick one. You will find pure breeds, too. Not long ago CAA was overflowing with beautiful shepherds.

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I feel bad for those grown shelter dogs. They are probably fine animals who have just had bad circumstances and make them protect themselves at all costs. But the danger of getting one is so high, especially if it will ever be around other dogs or people.

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I have had three grown shelter dogs - all of which have been great dogs. None of them "would protect themselves at all costs." All of them were actually very eager to please. They appreciated a good place.

In the last 30 years, the only dog I've had as a puppy was a Border Collie (from the Shreveport dog pound). I don't know why she was in the pound - she was a fantastic smart dog.

My best dog ever, an Aussie, was obtained when she was a year to a year and one-half old. She had some service dog training, but was let go because of her high prey drive. I trained the prey drive down to the point where it was easily controlled but she still had a very high level of protection. She was in many raccoon battles and never got a scratch. She also was a proficient killer of copperheads and water moccasins. I miss her every day.

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Nothing wrong with a shelter dog, but you have no clue who the parents are. The realty is that getting a pet for 10-15 years that you know comes from trusted parents is much more likely to lead to a good pet.

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I've never known anyone that regretted a rescue dog, but I have known people that regretted their purebred.

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2500 is a small price to pay for a friend of 13 years.

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This and buying the dogs is the least expensive part of owning one if you give it good healthcare. I've replaced 4 ACLs and 4 hips, along with a myriad of other issues that crop up. Just an annual exam, heartworm/fleas prevention, and food is expensive nowadays.

Do y'all spend this kind of money on dogs because it is not as socially acceptable to buy women?

Get a foster dog. Let’s you try the pup out before buying. We did that. Dog 1 wasn’t for us. Dog 2 has been a joy and is now part of the family.

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I even looked into foster dogs, but those are now $400 or more, it seems, and plenty of hurdles to jump through. Filled out an application that had so many questions I felt like I was filling out a medical form again. It's insane the cost of buying a pet these days even through adoption.

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Dogs are easy to adopt. Just ride around and when you see a dog you like lure it in with some treats and take it home. Dogs are loyal to the person that feeds it. Want to know if a dog really loves you, don't feed it for 4 days and see how it treats you.

They are in shelters and rescues, too. The rescue I help took in a male and female at shelter request. Mom was expecting so after pups born and of age and vetted; we adopted those at bargain adoption fees. Mama was adopter by someone on the east coast and they drove here to pick her up and still stay in touch. You can just about find any breed in a shelter or rescue. An Arkansas shelter had one a while back whom they adopted out intact to a shady looking fellow. That dog is no doubt reproducing about now.

Corsos are the best! I have kept 2 Corsos at all times since the early 2000s and always got them from rescues. Cane Corso Rescue and Must Love Corsos that both operate nationaly. Current pricing is typically $500 adoption fee. If an official breed registration or the ability to breed for pups is of any importance to you then a breeder is what you need. But if you simply want a life long companion and protector then adoption is the way. They get dogs of all ages and conditions including new puppy litters and if you meet their adoption criteria they will work tirelessly to match you up with exactly what you are looking for regarding color, gender, ears, temperament etc. I highly recommend and will continue using them and keeping at least 2 Corsos at all times until my final days.

Only bought 1 years ago and it had issues. I’ve gone with strays or from the pound. I haven’t had any issues and I’m on number 8 probably.