This is one of the places where microchipping comes in. You can only get the lifetime license with proof of a permanent ID, i.e. a tattoo or microchip. It’s more money up front, but you save money in the long term. Permanent IDs are also invaluable for identifying your pet in the event that they get away from you and picked up by someone else. A tattoo on the ear can be removed (along with the ear), and any tattoo loses clarity over time as the dyes migrate, so microchipping is generally the recommended option. I recently adopted a new cat and microchipping was included in the adoption fee, which was only fifty bucks.

Also, I highly recommend putting in time and effort for training the animal, especially if it’s a dog. A well trained dog will be less likely to chew on shoes and ruin other items that will cost money to be replaced. Training also makes them more enjoyable to have around.

1) All other things being equal, bigger dogs are calmer, and more wary of small children.

2) Your local feed supply store (Southern States, etc.) has some mighty useful stuff much cheaper than your vet can sell it.

3) Make sure your pet is spayed/neutered.

I’m not knocking vets, mind you, but you can buy Ivermectin (heart-worm/tapeworm killer) much cheaper at a feed supply store. Yes, you have to dose it yourself, and yes, not all dogs can tolerate it, and yes, you need to be careful with it. But, I’ve talked to my vet about it, and he’s copacetic – at least I worm my dogs & cats regularly, unlike my neighbors.

BTW, I think crate training is Evil.

I have a two-year-old daughter, a 14-year-old cat and a 10-year-old mix breed German Shepherd/Beagle mix. Our dog was just diagnosed with terminal cancer and we have a predicted 5 months left with her. I will be getting pet insurance for our next pet. Diagnosing and treating the cancer have cost our family $1000 this month alone.

I am devastated about the potential loss of a beloved family member because the dog is SO tolerant of toddler antics–especially the “exploring her world (including the dog) with her mouth = biting.”

I wouldn’t even consider bringing a puppy into our home for the chewing alone and no one else has mentioned that puppies have razor sharp needle teeth! NOT a good combination with young children. My daughter would be devastated if puppy got a hold of her beloved “do-do.”

Go for a slightly older dog and share pictures with us when you meet the right canine to add to your brood.

I concur with the posters above that food is important! The cats are fed Purina One, but that’s one you have to be careful of. Not all the varieties have meat as the first ingredient. Some have corn or the mysterious “byproduct”. Once my financial situation is a little more stable I want to put them on a food they sell at the local feed store. My mom gets it for her dog (obviously cat formula is different) but it is grain-free and made to suit pets’ nutritional needs.

I also made an amazing discovery not too long ago, and that is that the plain, non-clumping, clay litter works better than the fancy silica litter that I had been using before. Even with 4 cats, as long as I scoop & stir daily it lasts about a week, and I can get a bag of fresh litter at the dollar store.

As far as flea control goes, we were using the stuff you squirt between their shoulder blades, and still had fleas. That was until I had a “duh” moment and realized they were grooming each other and licking it all off. Now they are on a monthly, liquid flea treatment you mix with a serving of food. No fleas, finally!

My oldest cat is 3, and we have had no major issues so far. That same cat got pinkeye a few months back and that’s been about it.

He is now 3 years old and pretty calm. He does not have that selfless, protective nature some dogs have. He is willful and will steal crackers from the baby. We have never been able to keep him from digging in the trash. We have to keep it covered.

My advice would be to make a list of questions. You will forget to ask them if they are not written down. An adult dog is also good. They are much more calm. They also don’t chew up everything. They are more likely to be potty trained and behavior issues are more apparent. When you go to check out the dogs, look for ones that like your son. Our dog doesn’t mind the kids but wants to be with adults. You don’t want the dog to be afraid of you, but you want it to engage your son. I wish we had done that. Our dog is allergic to Kibbles and Bits. My mom buys that. My dog just throws it up.

And, let’s be honest–it’s not for your son. Let your son call it “my dog”, but in my book the owner of the animal is the one that scoops the poop.

You will always have to pay vet fees, vaccinations, spay/neuter etc. before you are allowed to adopt (or in the case of a very young puppy, will have to sign an agreement to get the pet spayed/neutered at the correct age). Expect to spend at least $300 in order to adopt, plus possibly a donation on top of that.

Puppy vs older dog? If you get an older dog it will come with “baggage”. It may have bad habits, it may not like kids or men or loud noises (or something else you aren’t aware of ahead of time). It may have health problems or have been abused or neglected. Of course, all those dogs need to be adopted too. Just let it be by someone who doesn’t have 2 preschoolers and an infant. Puppies need some intensive work for the few months, including 8 or 10 walks (at least 10 minutes each) per day and well into the night. And you have to clean up accidents instantly in a house with tiny tykes (especially crawling ones) and watch with eagle eyes to make sure puppy isn’t chewing on a favourite (kid) toy. (We found the feet chewed off a couple of dolls!) Possibly a good solution would be a young dog somewhere between 6 months and a year. That is, old enough to be toilet trained and have some basic obedience training. But still young enough to be trainable.

Smaller dogs cost less to feed and medicate than bigger ones but don’t go too small with young kids in the house. A toy size dog is very fragile (and more susceptible to health issues). If a toy poodle can break a leg jumping off a couch, imagine what could happen being mauled by a hug-hungry toddler! A miniature sized dog is much sturdier, but still not a big eater.

However, don’t cheap out on the food in an attempt to save money. Read the labels. Remember that ingredients are listed in order the same way as in people food. The higher on the list, the more there is in the food. So, when you check out wet foods, notice that “water” or “water sufficient for processing” is often the first or second ingredient. Don’t buy any food where the grains take up the first several spots and then the protein ingredients follow. Don’t buy foods that contain “meat byproducts” or “meals”. Look for real foods, real meat, eggs, fish. A raw food diet is healthy for your dog but not recommended when you have small children around as there is a small risk that the pet could lick them and transmit salmonella or the like.

Learn to groom your dog yourself and do it regularly. I started by taking Dog 2 or 3 times the first year, a couple of times after that and then doing it all myself. Our pet is a miniature poodle and they should be groomed every couple of months. At $53 a time that would be over $600/yr! Even if you go to a pro once a year and keep it up yourself in between you’re saving a lot of money. I keep Dog in a puppy clip, not a fancy cut and do it over a couple of evenings while watching TV with Dog cuddled up. It really doesn’t take tons of time that way and he’d be cuddled up watching TV anyway.

As for the comment that equated crating and tying a dog in the yard, the 2 are worlds apart. Crating is something dogs find comforting and safe. It gives them a den of their own and a place to retreat to when the kids get too wild. We crate Dog when we’re at work, although he sleeps with us. Tying a dog outside (whether you’re home or not) usually causes a lot of anxiety and boredom and leads to bad habits like digging, barking, jumping at people who approach and the like. Don’t do it. For one thing, leaving a dog in the yard is not the same as walking the dog. Dogs are nomadic pack animals. They need to walk daily with human members of their pack. And not 10 minutes in the morning and 10 at night. A half hour at a time is a good start. Yes, it takes time. Do it when you do errands on foot or consider it *your* exercise time. Each spouse can do at least one walk per day. Kids 12 or older can take a turn (not applicable in Trent’s household, for quite a while).

One last thing. Don’t buy a puppy from a newspaper ad or a pet store. Most of those are puppy mill pets and that’s just a disaster waiting to happen. Besides I consider it wrong to buy a puppy mill puppy because that only encourages the practice. (Some rescued dogs are ones that were kept in cages and forced to have litter after litter. Pitiful.)

High-quality food is so important. I feed my dog Ziwi Peak (organic air-dried meat-based). I think it’s the reason he has never had a health problem in 3.5 years. Expensive, yes, but a smaller dog won’t eat much (and the manufacturer’s advice on feeding quantity is usually a bit excessive).

Another money-saving tip. Take your dog(S) to the same vet at least once a year for a check-up; once the dog is over 7 years old, make it twice a year. If you get surgery for the dog, have the blood tests done first, and have a baseline blood panel done when you first get the dog. It can save their life!

And brush their teeth at least 4 times a week! It will save on the dental cleanings, if not prevent the need for them entirely.

Personally, if I were in your shoes, I’d wait on the dog. Try fostering and see how it works ut.

Another place to look for dogs is local breed rescues. Decide what breed(s) would work well for you and search for a local rescue organization for that breed/breeds.

A few comments:
1) Heartworm cannot be treated at home or with over-the-counter remedies. The monthly heartworm medication from the vet is a preventative. Depending on the brand, it may also include a dewormer and/or flea and tick preventative.

2) Parasites – Keep pets dewormed and promptly cleaning up feces is very important, especially when small children are present. Some worms that dogs and cats can have are transmissible to humans.

3) Treating at home – While there are certainly some things that can be handled at home, remember that a vet has gone through seven to eight years of schooling (yes, same as an MD – three to four years of undergrad and four years of vet/med school) and can often tell you if the problems your pet is having is simply due to worms or is indicative of a bigger problem or of something that may become a bigger problem if it’s not treated promptly.

4) Grooming – While you can groom at home, getting your dog professionally groomed has benefits. For example, the groomer at my place of employment doesn’t just bathe, brush, and trim the dog – she also does a nail trim, pulls the hair out of the ears (mostly in little dogs), trims the nails, and expresses their glands (expressing the glands is not something you want to do at home, but it is important that it get done). The blow-drying will blow out a lot of the hair the dog sheds (if it’s a shedding breed) and greatly reduces the hair left around your house.

5) Water – please do not limit water for puppies. They need water just like adult dogs and withholding it for convenience is not a good idea. Puppies and house-training takes work. While limiting water may reduce how often they need to go outside, it will be because they aren’t well-hydrated. Young dogs need to go out frequently – take them out after they wake up, after they play, after eating and drinking, and before bed. If you aren’t willing to take the time to do that, don’t get a puppy.

6) Vaccines – Please look into getting your dog a bordatella vaccine (kennel cough). This vaccine is required for boarding at any good kennel and many kennels require it be done a certain number of days head of time. While you may have a neighbor that is willing to watch your pet, what happens if you suddenly need to go out of town when your neighbor is out of town? You may have to leave your dog at a boarding kennel and if the dog is not current on it’s vaccines or doesn’t have one, it won’t be able to stay. I work at a boarding kennel and I’ve talked to many people who never planned to board their dogs because so-and-so always watched them but now so-and-so is out of town/sick/moved last week and there’s a family emergency and no one to watch the pet.

Having a puppy around is like having a baby around. You’ve got a lot on your plate already. And you don’t want to be one of those families who never exercise their dog enough; that leads to health problems and housetraining issues (furniture chewing, barking, digging outside, etc etc).

If you do go for it, don’t buy dog food (no matter how good, no matter what the bargain) in such bulk that your dog can’t get through it all before it goes bad. I had to learn that the hard way with my dog!

I agree with whomever above suggested that you and your boy volunteer at a no-kill rescue center. This will get you familiarized to dogs and to different breeds’ characteristics.

Also whether or not you do get a dog — teach you children how to react to OTHER dogs. Don’t try to pet a dog — even one on a leash — without permission, reach out underhand to pet instead of overhand, freeze like a tree when there is an unknown dog in the area, roll up and protect stomach and head if attacked.

Go to dog shows and check out the area where the breeders are waiting or grooming their dogs. Ask how long it takes. Unless you have all the time in the world — forego poodles, pulis, komondors. Actually, unless their dog needs to be in the ring in the next 1/2 hour, dog people usually love to talk dogs and extol the virtures of their breed. Infodog dot com has a listing of various dog shows and can be sorted out by state. Specialty shows or shows with a dog type (i.e. Brittany, German Shorthair Point) usually show only one breed of dog.

I agree with everyone who said get the right dog for your lifestyle. And the right age for your lifestyle. Little puppies are cute–if you want to put the time and energy into training them. I did and it was great (I also worked from home while I did it.) But, it was very expensive because we had to pay for all of the medical care.

Medical care. You might talk to a couple of vets in your area. Some have preventative care plans that include all of the first year shots, spay/neuter and a number of annual visits. Basically, you pay up front so they guarantee the business and you get a discount.

Set up an ING savings account and put a small amount (we do $5 per animal) into it for medical expenses so they aren’t as big of a hit.

Do training (look for someone local). The best $40 we spent was the puppy training class through our local town’s recreation program (you can call the dog control office to find out about them). It really helped us understand our dogs and them to be well trained animals, and to be around other dogs. After one session we knew enough to do the rest on our own at home.

Crate train or get a pen for them. Puppies chew. Everything. A crate keeps them from chewing when you don’t want them to. Our first dog, no problem (crate trained). Our second, we got lax–chewed the coffee table, tv stand, sofa, blankets, and multiple pairs of my husband’s shoes.

Watch for coupons. We use coupons for treats, toys, cleaning supplies, bathing things and sometimes food. A lot of food has loyalty programs through the manufacturer. Pet stores often have discount cards or e-mail lists for coupons. Our local store has generic dog food coupons, so we use one a month and buy food monthly (it ends up being cheaper than buying in bulk). We take the dogs with us to the store for socializing every month.

Get a kong toy or similar high quality toy that you can put treats in to entertain the puppy. Instead of bones to entertain the puppy, get a kong that you can refill with treats. The treats cost $3 a bag and last for a month. A bone costs $3 and lasts a week (this is just an estimate of cost). You can also put wet dog food into a kong like toy and freeze it, then give it to the pup. Takes a long time and gives you peace and quiet. I used to refill the filled bones and do the same thing, but you have to use them in a couple of days or the food goes bad.

Use preventative medicines year round. I know they tell you you don’t have to, but again, one of our more expensive vet visits was when my puppy got a tick during a time of year we weren’t supposed to have them. and down the road, this could result in more problems for him. For that reason, we paid the extra to vaccinate our other puppy.

Get a cover for the car seat. Muddy paws are expensive to clean out. A cover costs $20.

Get professional grooming 1x a year. One of my dogs has long, Shepard like hair and sheds like crazy in the transition to spring/summer. We have a place that grooms for $25 per dog (that’s bath, furminated, ears cleaned, teeth brushed). We have the dogs done when it gets really bad and usually one other time. The relatively small cost saves me headaches in cleaning the house and frustration in grooming.

Learn to brush their teeth and do nails. This is two things I wish we’d done. Nails cost about $10 each time a groomer does them (some vets include them for free, so ask while there). Teeth can be even worse if there is tarter build up that requires surgery.

Figure out what you’ll do for vacations. Unlike cats, dogs can’t be left alone. So, you probably want to investigate what you’ll do, the cost of the options. We try to trade smaller trips (weekends, etc.) with friends, but we board for larger trips.

Borrow, borrow, borrow. Especially if you’re getting a dog that will need several size crates, collars, etc. Ask friends who had puppies. They are likely to have stuff that’s too small sitting around (we regularly loan our puppy stuff out to people).

check all kinds of stores for pet stuff. We’ve been surprised to find cheap stuff at bizzare places.