Money Saving through Considered Dog Choices
We don’t need a Money Saving expert like Martin Lewis to give us advice, or even a Meerkat. Considered dog choices do prove money saving. What we do need to do is actually think about the ethical choices we make when choosing Breeders and our Family Companion. It will honestly save money in the long term.
A big way to make considered dog choices is to always look at breed personality traits and health risks. and avoiding Breeders who are following trends and just providing what the Dog sales market demands. In the last decade, the fashion to mix a Working Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle has exploded. It is basically mixing two working gun dogs together and people are surprised when they are ‘a bit of handful’!
Did you know that a lot of Kennel Club listed Breeders are still making poor choices? The Kennel Club has fuelled the way that Dogs have been selected for looks for one hundred and fifty years (circa 1874). Just look at the winner of the Utility Breed category at Crufts 2024. A flat-faced French Bulldog with pinched nostrils, no obvious muzzle and no tail at birth. Very disheartening!
The best thing to do is follow what the Vets, Behaviourists and Scientists advise about the breed. Yep, looking at the skull shape, eye sockets, hidden complications due to a lack of tail or a barrel shaped body can all take years off your Dog’s life and add thousands to your bank balance. Look at the breeds when they are not mixed and discover what their ‘real job’ was before becoming a ‘Companion Canine’.
What do I need to research?
The term going forward to look out for is “Inate Dog Health” which simply put, means a Dog is free to enjoy life and to exercise without having limitations due to poor breeding.
The Royal College of Vetinary Surgeons has been working over 10 years to greatly inform and guide a brand new, worldwide guide on Breed health and what to recognise as good Dog owners going forward. They have shared their findings and worked alongside an international governing Body, ICECdogs, to help inform us as Pet owners worldwide, what we should be looking for in a dog, Not what your mate or fashion choices on TikTok tell you.
The international agreement is the first of its kind and provides a guide for animal caregivers, and the wider public, to identify healthy natural physical characteristics in dogs and to predict and assess potential health and welfare based on body shape.
A study held in the UK by the Royal Vetinary College Hatfield, showed that looking at the data of 30,000 dogs in general, the shortest lived breed was in fact, the French Bulldog, with the English Bulldog coming in second, the Pug coming in third.
Where do I start?
So what should we look for? This list for inate health includes but is not limited to:
- Dogs who breath quietly when at rest
- A very obvious muzzle
- No excess skin anywhere on the body, legs or head
- Straight legs when looking head-on to the Dog, not bow shaped with paws turned out.
- No obvious bulging eye sockets from too small a skull or drooping eyelids
- Spine fairly horizontal with no real slope towards the rear end/pelvis
When you look for a Breeder, don’t just head for a Kennel Club Registered list – you have to do very little in order to be a K.C. registered Breeder these days. Stear clear of just online adverts from places like Pets4Homes or Facebook Marketplace. You’ll only have yourself to blame if the Dog is not what you expected it to be.
A great idea is to find a Club or Association registered for the breed, where owners and Breeders meet such as conventions, Fairs, or Breed specific Meet-ups. Get to know a few people within that circle. It’ll be worth the trip or two and will give you far greater insight into the lifestyle of the Dogs you are considering. A big plus is seeing lots of the same breed of dog in one place. It is a heart-warming and fun-filled event, you won’t know which way to turn!
The not so-obvious research!
A very wise thing to do is often overlooked. Call and speak to people who work at the Breed Specific Charities of the Breed you’re interested in. Also, charities like the Blue Cross and Dogs Trust can advise on a variety of breeds. Sadly, they get to see the dark side of breeding and rash choices made by owners every day. They can give you honest advice about what to look for.
It may sound obvious by try to find a Breeder who has raised the Puppies with their Mum. Ideally, both Dog Parents should live on site and still and actively taking part in the Puppies upbringing. Always make sure you can see the parents interacting with the pups and make sure to see both parents in the flesh too. Try not to buy a Puppy who was only brought up indoors, in an urban environment if you live in the Countryside. Having experience to countryside noises and smells is a real plus when introducing them to your world. The opposite is true if you live in a town or city. A dog raised in the countryside is going to find urban life strange and confusing to begin with.
Who do I speak to?
Speak to a Dog Behaviour Geek and Trainer like myself and get them to advise on how to make the Dog of your choosing fit into your current lifestyle. Find out how to transition with the least amount of transition stress and fuss possible. It really does work both ways in the relationship. You need to also understand how to fit into a Dog’s instincts and habits.
Research a Vet practice you’re interested in or a Vet whom you already trust. They will be able to aid and inform your choices too. You are also going to work with these people too for at least a decade. You will want to be registered with a Practice who makes you feel at ease. This includes feeling engaged and involved in all decisions. Basically, speak to various sources before making your final choice. A little more time and effort on research will honestly, save your time, money, heartache and thousands of pounds on Vets Bills in the long run.
How did you pick your Dog?
I took my time in getting my first Dog. Starting out in life, I was growing up with a German Shepherd of the 70’s so a very different look and temperament of breed from today. It was shocking at how much had changed and not for the better. I hired a Dog Behaviour Trainer, local to Malmesbury and spent the best £60.00 in 2017! She gave me great on advice on Charities to research, outlooks in life from the human’s and Dog’s perspective., how to get the home ready and safe for a Canine visitor, where to look for household management, especially between dog, existing pet and children etc.
I offer the same service for an hours consultation. I promise, you’ll feel so much more confident and calm in getting professional advice. Remember, you’re buying a used car or something from eBay. This is a long-term investment and new relationship. You’ll be so glad you did. Head to the one to one page to book a session me HERE. I can also continue the help and advice though training be it a rescue dog, a puppy or a senior long-term foster.
I had two Cats at the time of starting my research and knew that one was not in great, longterm health. Most charities would not let me have an adult or juvenile Dog due to not being able to guarantee what the Dog would be like with the existing pets. This meant that I had to ‘shop and not adopt.’ I would still advise people that getting a puppy sounds cute but it is far harder work than bringing home an adult dog into family life. Don’t let anyone tell you different!
What’s next then?
Following this advice, I started to research GSD breeders online and spoke to a few. I wanted someone who was going to help me through the lifetime of my Dog and therefore have a relationship with me. It took several calls and a couple of meetings to find the right person and right breeding lines for me. The Dogs were clearly being raised and treated like Kings and Queens. They wanted for nothing and were very loving towards their Breeder. A great sign that I had found the relationship and support I was looking for.
Meanwhile, the money clearly went into the Dogs, their lifestyle and their welfare. It was apparent that the Breeder and her husband clearly came second. She had shied away from the Kennel Club some time ago. This was because she didn’t like the way the humans were dictating the breed selection too. This Breeder’s dogs are still officially registered. They register with the Kennel Club for pedigree reasons, to protect good healthy breeding lines and for welfare reasons. This is to show that the pedigree Dogs are very healthy and are positive examples of the Breed and their modern traits.
How did that work out for you?
Today, I have a second German Shepherd and a Cat and we all live together like a regular family. We don’t see eye to eye every single day! We have to make compromises with each other and learn to respect our differences. I am doing most of the learning as the Cat and two Dogs seem to communicate better together than I do with them. It’s a very fascinating and loving environment, despite being chaotic when the second Dog was younger!
I make sure I feed them the best food I can possibly afford too. That’s the next biggest thing that will effect the welfare of your Dog (and other companion animals), inside and out. For more information on this, head to my blog post about diet HERE