Doggie meeting scheduled

[amberica]

We now have an appointment to meet Kodiak on Saturday afternoon. I'm very curious to see what he's like, how he acts, and what kind of things his foster family can tell us about his personality. I'm not really dead-set on adopting this dog right now, as I don't really even know him, and I'm willing to wait in order to find the right match for us.

Part of the screening application asked what our annual dog budget would be. I took an estimate and threw $1500/yr out there, but I kind of wonder if it might be more than that. Premium dog foods can cost a lot, especially when you're feeding a large dog. I really do kind of gravitate more towards small and medium-sized breeds, but Jon prefers medium- to large- dogs... and I'm pretty willing to compromise on size, considering the size of our new house and land.

My toy poodle, Muffin, used to sleep on the foot of my parents' bed, just below my mom's feet (there was enough room since my mom is only 5'0"). A big dog can't sleep on the bed with two people the heights of me and Jon - hell, a big CAT can't do it without upsetting someone! (I woke up paralyzed again last night from Moby sleeping between and across my shins - he is a HEAVY BOY! We just weighed him again recently, and he's still holding steady at about 18 pounds.)

On a totally unrelated note, I found TWO fuzzy-wuzzy Wooly Bear caterpillars yesterday when I was raking the lawn - in two different places! They were black on the ends, and orange in the middle, and they curled up in little round puffballs when they got scared. I think they were Isabella Tiger Moth larvae, and must have just started coming out of hibernation as things have been warming up these last few weeks. I put them both down by a big oak tree, but by the time I had run inside to get my camera, one had already scurried away or hidden in the grass, so I just took pictures of the other one. Unfortunately, I can't upload any pictures right now, since my laptop is being repaired (I tripped over the power cord), and I have to install special software to upload pictures from my camera. And I don't want to do that on the laptop Jon is letting me use - it technically belongs to his work so I don't like installing too much stuff on it directly. Ditto for my work computer here. But rest assured, I'll upload caterpillar pictures one of these days when I'm able. I just don't know WHEN that will be.

Comments

[mouse-gerald.livejournal.com]

I'd call a vet and ask for their estimate on annual bills, for stuff like heartworm, Lyme, and rabies vacs, and a general checkup once a year. Ask them how many pounds of food a xx-pound dog will go through in a year, and multiply that by the cost of your preferred brand of dog food (Chelsea eats Nature's Choice, all natural and vet recommended). Figure $25/year for the city license, + $15 if you want the off-leash permit for the dog parks. Give yourself a cushion of a couple hundred bucks for unexpected medical needs, and you should be fine.

Then calculate the cost of the doggy start-up kit: Two leashes (because it sucks when you want one and can't find it), doggy bed (?), brush, shampoo, nail clipper, Quick-Stop (for when you nick the quick of the nail), poop bags, toys and treats. All this can be yours for the low low price of just $150!

Dogs aren't particularly cheap, but the financial cost is negligible in comparison to what they give back.

[amberica.livejournal.com]

No doubt about that - on the application, I said $1500/yr, or whatever is necessary! Dogs are priceless, IMO, and I'm willing to shell out as much as is required to ensure a good life for my dog (someday).

OMG - I just looked and in Forest Lake, "the cost [of a dog license] is $5.33 per year and includes tax. Dog licenses are FREE the first through January 14th each year." SCORE! Plus we don't need no special license for dog-parks - we LIVE in a park (kinda)! ;)

[mouse-gerald.livejournal.com]

Bonus! :)

[amberica.livejournal.com]

You and Chelsea came come play ANYTIME!

[frino.livejournal.com]

Our "start-up" materials cost was about $150-$200 dollars. We buy a 50 lb. bag of dog food at a time - appr. $60 per month. Vet bills have stayed steady at around $40 per visit but a puppy sees a vet a lot more often than a full size dog. Our biggest bill will be the spaying in June (~$100.00).

Of course, those are Devils Lake prices. Tack on an additional 50% and you should be set! I think $1500 is an over-estimate but better to be over and prepared than under.

:~)