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03-28-2011, 01:39 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 55
| Things to Buy I'm getting ready to purchase a male pup within the next few weeks and want to make sure I have everything I need beforehand. I also want to make sure I know how much I'll be spending, so I guess this is basically a list of everything I expect I will be paying for. I've compiled a list below of EVERYTHING I think I will need. Is there anything else I need, or anything that I've listed that I don't really need? I want to make sure I have absolutely every little thing down. CRATE ITEMS ================ Crate Blanket FOOD / HEALTH =============== Food (What kind?) Treats (Cheerios? Cheese?) Water bowl and food bowl (stainless steel, tip-proof) Finger toothbrush Toothpaste Hair brush Dog shampoo Chew toy (What kind?) Pee pads MISC ======================= Toys (A ball?) Body harness Tag / collar "MAINTENANCE" =============== First vet visit Shots (If the puppy is 9-12 weeks old, how many will I have to get in the first year and subsequent years?) Annual (bi-annual?) dental / health checkup Haircuts Neutering Last edited by WaterPKMNMaster; 03-28-2011 at 01:41 AM. |
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03-28-2011, 01:45 AM | #2 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 55
| Also, where do people get these figures that it costs thousands a year to have a dog? After the first year or so (with a Yorkie), isn't it just about buying food, taking them to get haircuts, getting shots, and getting vet checkups? Or is there other stuff I've overlooked? |
03-28-2011, 02:01 AM | #3 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| An often over-looked asset of this site, is the abundance of "stickies." These are the posts that stay at the beginning of each forum permanently. They provide some very important information for Yorkie owners. This one: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...w-parents.html is a great guide for new puppy parents and it includes a list of supplies that you need to buy before getting your pup. I would cross check it against what you have already bought and see if anything still remains. One thing I thought of right off is some Nutrical. It is a gel (comes in a tube) that will provide some instant sugar in case your pup has a hypoglycemic episode, common in tiny pups. In addition to the blanket for the crate, I would also get a crate pad. They make them in sizes to match the crate size. As far as food, I would see if the breeder will send some food home. If the breeder is using a good premium brand, then I would stick with it if you can. There are many very good brands out there. Check this list and try to go with 4 star and above foods: Dog Food Reviews - Dry Dog Foods - Powered by ReviewPost I feed an All Life Stage Food called Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit. It can be fed from puppy, through adult, to seniors. It comes in a tiny little kibble that they will not choke on. It is a premium food and I feel good knowing they are getting a top brand. Many here also like Taste of the Wild and other Non-grain foods. Just be careful the non-grain foods are not too high in protein. There are going to be an endless list of nice to have items that you do not need to decide about now. Things like fashion carriers, clothing, dog strollers, boutique beds, toy boxes, grooming equipment and tools, and on and on and on....... Not sure where all they come up with the prices for pup maintenance but I think you can just about spend as much as you want! The maximum is very flexible but there are quite a lot of minimum items too. It is not cheap to properly care for our pups -- they are high-maintenance pups. Grooming alone can add up quickly!
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard Last edited by FlDebra; 03-28-2011 at 02:03 AM. |
03-28-2011, 02:12 AM | #4 |
Between♥Suspensions Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Vaissades
Posts: 7,979
| IMO-your list is great! Here's my personal answers to the ? you had... Food I feed Taste of the Wild Foul as I have switched to grainless… (I fed Innova to my pups as it has a brown rice base and aided in potty training) Treats I feed Zuke’s mini naturals, I’m not big on grains or dairy for dogs actually but have given cheerios when my dog got car sick…chicken breast you make yourself is great for Yorkies too! I use a stainless steel bowl in a raised feeder-easy to clean unbreakable safe-I love the ones at thebellacottage.com Please try baby shampoo tear free hypoallergenic for a pup...then move on to "dog" shampoos later 5+ months to ensure allergies are not an issue chewy toy I love Kong now they have mini sizes, pet stages rag rope ball and orca Annual cost of a dog really depends on the food and supplements you give any products you use regularly-and your grooming schedule. Then on top the health of your dog…I just took one dog in normally good health to the vet for an ear infection, I have only once spent under $100 at a vet visit, then the recheck for the infection, secondary meds, new ear wash, and another recheck…$300 later…that’s where the figures of thousands a year come from…and like I said that was my healthy dog…not the one who has epilepsy and needs meds regularly and costs an arm and a leg to see specialist, needs continual testing to establish his meds evaluation etc. It adds up quickly especially for a high maintenance breed-even when all is well.
__________________ Shan & 8 kids now! Last edited by concretegurl; 03-28-2011 at 02:16 AM. Reason: Kong not king |
03-28-2011, 03:46 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| I found you a comprehensive list of the annual costs for owning a dog. I could not get the chart to print correctly here so here's the link: The Cost of Owning a Dog It is much more detailed than the one on about.com and other places I have seen and will show you where the totals come from. The first year totals are listed as: Low cost: $511 My Cost: $1977 and High Cost $6600 with subsequent annual totals as: Low cost: $287 My Cost: $807 and High Cost: $2485 With an average life-span 14 year grand total of: Low cost: $4,242 My Cost: $12,468 and High Cost: $38,905 "These totals are pretty shocking aren't they? And remember, this is the cost for a 50-pound dog that lives in the Midwest. It is not uncommon to see some of these numbers double or triple in places like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. Now granted most people do not end up spending $40,000 on their dog, but some spend a whole lot more. A dog with hip dysplasia or severe allergies can have significantly higher veterinary expenses and I routinely see people who spend over $2,000 on a single veterinary problem. Chances are your costs will be similar to those I incur, but even with the minimum required care, it is still over $13,000.00." You might think the cost would be significantly lower for our Yorkies than this hypothetical 50-pound dog, but I doubt it. Yorkies are notriously high-maintenance as I mentioned in my previous post. Grooming costs are higher than average and we tend to buy them more of the "optional" items because.....well because they are so darned cute! They also have higher than average vet expenses as they are so fragile and prone to some costly genetic issues. I think this author's annual totals are pretty realistic. Some things are significantly higher for me. For instance I buy a premium dog food for all of mine. It costs me about $600 a year just in kibble. I think I run over his totals & pretty close to the High Cost numbers per dog and I have 3 of them!
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard Last edited by FlDebra; 03-28-2011 at 03:50 AM. |
03-28-2011, 10:31 AM | #6 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Get poop cleaning and urine-neutering supplies.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
03-28-2011, 12:50 PM | #7 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: USA
Posts: 12
| Things I found useful but didn't buy until after my pups arrival are a playpen and doggie bed (We don't crate). Treats we use are wellness puppy treats (they're soft) cut into quarters and freeze dried liver, cut to small pieces. With these treats our pup learns fast. Chew toys we prefer are bully sticks, kongs, balls and squeaky toys. I haven't found a harness I like yet but do occasionally put on a kitty collar with a bell so I know where she is and to get her used to it. Don't forget heartworm meeds and possibly a puppy/obedience class. Congrats on your impending arrival. |
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