Another person thinking of getting a puppy- with questions.

[landwhale]

Hi all, apologies in advance if this is rambly and full of typos - I'm on my phone.

We are beginning to strongly consider getting a dog- we are currently still in (early) research phase and I have a ton of questions. (In no particular order)

What costs should I be looking into when budgeting? So far I have:
Vets (jabs/flea treatment), food, crate, bed, leads collars toys etc... and then my mind goes blank..! Oh and travel stuff (jabs passport etc)

How much does a healthy pup really cost a year (on googling this- I am mostly getting people who have spent 1000s in vet bills... presumably this isn't the norm..)

We live in the states and go back to the U.K. Once or twice a year. (Probably around 3-5 weeks total) Which is preferable from the dogs point of view?coming with us and Travelling on the plane under a seat (we are looking at a toy sized dog) or staying here and being boarded? It's a 9 hour flight.... I have 0 experience with this as my parents always boarded our family dog when we travelled.

And last but not least, does our situation sound suitable for a puppy (or even a rescue which we are definitely open to- but more wary.. that's another thread..)
I work full time, Dh and dc (5&8) home full time (home school)
Dh and dc obsessed with dogs, I am meh but could see me becoming obsessed with it. (I was meh about kids... I rather like mine now 😂)
Dh and dc often out for 4 hours 2 times a week with dc hobbies. They could bring pup in carry case but not sure if that's cruel...?! For the first couple of weeks they could skip it and stay at home but that wouldn't work long term as both dc are training competitively so can't miss too many. Is this too much time out of the house for a puppy?

Last question. Because we want to wait until the new year (after a 3week uk trip) we thought we would surprise the kids on Xmas day (assuming we do decide to go ahead) and then pick up the puppy when back home whenever it is ready. Not sure how timing would work out yet. But just in case- would it be crazy to choose and bring home a puppy if the kids hadn't met it yet? Or is that just the case with rescue dogs?

Breeds we are looking at: toy poodle, Maltese, havanese.
Maybe miniature schnauzer (heard these are hard to train though?)

Thank you! And feel free to say "you sound naive don't get a dog!" 😬
There's probably tons I have forgotten - it's still early in the morning here :)

Surely you can't just pop your dog under your seat on a plane? 🤔

In a carrier! Definitely can. I see people all the time when I travel internally for work (~6 hours) and saw someone with a chihuahua on a long haul flight once. Just wondering if dogs are generally ok with this or if it's cruel to consider it..

imatter I was going to say the same thing. Is that really a thing? I've been on lots of planes and never seen a dog on a plane.. where does it wee/ poop? If this is a thing my mind is officially blown!

You can't for international flights to U.K. The dog would need to travel in the hold, you'll need to show his rabies jabs etc are all up to date. Possible but a lot more cost and hassle than internal flights.

Maybe it's more of a thing in America 🤔 That's the thing... it doesn't :( unless we get a flight with a stop over which We would be happy to do.

I thought the dog had to go in the hold (sedated).

I can't get my head round a dog under a seat on a plane.

And I'm pretty sure that the average passenger plane won't take dogs at all, you'll need to check which U.K. bound airlines take dogs. Dog may well have to travel on a separate plane.

Virgin definitely do.
I was sat by a chihuahua (and owner) last Christmas.

This looks useful, but seems to say cargo only unless an assistance dog?:

www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/overview

Gahh I just checked the virgin site and they have obviously changed it over the last year😩 That plan is out the window then!

Other questions still apply! :)

I've flown dogs between the UK and Canada (then back again) and I actually think the hold is preferable to them being in the cabin but it's still not something I'd want to do on a regular basis. I think finding somewhere to board them for your trips would be a better option. You may well find that the puppy's breeder is happy to take them back when you go away though that's obviously something to discuss when you start making contact with potential breeders.

In the UK a decent breeder will want to meet the whole family, including children, as part of the vetting process however I don't know if this differs in the US where distances between puppy buyers and breeders are potentially much greater. I'd assume the breeder will want to meet them if it's feasible and as a puppy buyer I'd consider it preferable that they do meet the adult dog as well as the litter before you bring a puppy home. That said, it's also a good idea to do initial meetings without your children in case you have concerns and need to walk away, it's much harder to do that when your kids have already fallen in love with a puppy.

The AKC has a little info about finding responsible rbeeders and I'd also recommend reading through their guide to breeding as it will give you an idea of the sorts of things to look for when you start making contact. Champdogs is UK based but it has a good little guide to buying a puppy, although some details will be different in the US (such as hip scoring being through the OFA rather than BVA) the basic information is still relevant. I'd also recommend their list of questions to ask a breeder and also their guide to interviewing puppy buyers. The latter is obviously aimed at breeders but it will give you an idea of the sort of grilling you should expect when approaching breeders.

Cornflake- thank you so much! That's all great info! I will sit down tonight and make my way through those links. Thank you!

Tatty- I missed your post before. Also great info. I am discounting the idea of flying the dog unless we have to (i.e., we move back to the U.K...!)

You should add insurance to your list of things to budget for! Along with puppy classes and grooming equipment (even if it's just a comb and shampoo).

How much they cost largely depends on how much you want to spend on them! We have a 5 month old wheaten terrier - we've spent next to nothing on toys as we got loooads from family and friends when we first brought him home. We raw feed which is about £40-45 a month, insurance is £20 per month and day care is about £200 a month (which you won't need if someone is always home). Other expenses are optional, as much or as little as you can afford.

You should take the puppy out as much as possible (carried or in a case/bag) when it's young to help socialise it. 4 hours is too long to be left alone for a young puppy so would recommend getting someone to look after it at first and building up the time spent alone once it's a few months older.

Don't just look at breed traits of how 'trainable' some dogs are, it's much more to do with the personality of individual dogs and the amount of time and effort you put in to training. Good luck!

I did a crazy amount of research before I got my whippet puppy and it has still cost me loads more than I planned for. Also ask yourself honestly if you will be upset if your things or your house get damaged. My pup has turned out to be a chewer and he's not a breed that is known to be that chewy. Luckily it's my own place, not rented and it's not been recently decorated but it's still not much fun to come home to damaged stuff

I have flown pets to and from the US and they definitely go in the hold on BA flights.

I have seen toy breeds in cabins on internal flights in the US but not transatlantic.

£259 each way for my lab last time we did it. The paperwork is a complete PITA with rabies blood tests required six months before travel because the US is not part of the passport scheme.

You would be mad to want to do that on a regular basis.

Cost wise my dog costs me very little, an annual health check and food. I don't insure or buy flea drops, worm twice a year.

One of my friends with two pugs spends more on treats per month than I spend on Burns dog food.

If you do have to move back to the UK, there is another way to bring your dog - the Queen Mary 2! One of you could fly with the kids, and one could have a 10 day luxury cruise with the dog...

Just a note about boarding and kennels - if you find the right breeder they can be great. Ours has her puppies back to board on a regular basis - it's one of the reasons that dog number 3 is arriving in a couple of weeks. We no longer have to worry about finding someone to look after them while we're away.

And for your budget - don't forget the dog training classes. Our current youngest dog is officially my daughter's, and a series of classes has been great to make sure that she takes responsibility for her, and that they have a really good bond. She does a course about every 3 months, and they cost £70 a time.

Also - best thing we ever did for my daughter who is autistic - it has changed her life.

Also - best thing we ever did for my daughter who is autistic - it has changed her life

That is just lovely Piglet. So nice to read.

Sorry if I misunderstood OP I thought you were going back and forth US/UK, not a one off, one way trip.

I flew my dog from Greece to UK some years ago with BA. I was told they would only take one animal per day on that route (so if someone else had booked on the day I wanted to travel, we couldn't go). Also, they only had one flight per day that they would allow an animal onto. It wasn't very nice for the dog as she had to be checked in 7 HOURS ahead of departure time. You are not allowed to sedate them. Cost-wise, they are weighed (with their kennel and any bedding/toys you want them to travel with in kennel) and total weight charged for as cargo. Of course, if you are getting a tiny dog, this is not so costly. The paperwork was time-consuming and they wouldn't accept the dog for the flight until 2 days before (as I'd already had to buy myself a ticket on the flight, this was very nerve-wracking).