auzdafluff

I'm moving at the end of this month to a ground floor apartment in the greens (one of the ones with the larger double balcony).

I want to get a dog but I want an idea of how much it costs per month. Food wise etc.

I've had dogs my entire life, so I'm well versed in taking care of them and knowing what to expect.

Meow

Be warned that vets bills are expensive here.

kittycat1

awww i want a dog ill dogsit if you need it - what sort you gonna get?

auzdafluff

Not sure yet. I want to adopt if possible, but I'm not willing to adopt a mongrel in Dubai for precisely the reason Meow stated.

With a purebred dog, you know what the conditions it will suffer are and can plan for them. With a mongrel, you simply don't know what you're going to get.

In the UK, I wouldn't think twice about it. Here; sadly, it's too great a financial risk.

Ideally I'm after a small toy dog – something like a Cavalier King Charles.

That said, if a GSD ever needed rescuing here, I'd adopt it, no questions asked. I've raised five of them since I was six. I've also had a number of other breeds, including Cairns (yes, growing up the house was full of dogs).

I don't necessarily want a GSD for the image – it's simply the breed I know best, and I think it's more responsible to ensure that the owner knows the breed inside out rather than going for something they know little about. (Other members of our family and friends have had CKCSs before, so I'm very familiar with their training and health issues too).

OleJanx

I've had a succession of GSD's too. The gene pool in UAE/Oman of locally bred GSD's meant all the hip problems were prevalent at 4 old or younger. Bad news, sadly.

Patsy Stoned

You need to check if you are allowed dogs in the Greens. A lot of places are stopping people owning dogs in apartment blocks.

Blue Cat

I know of a tibetan spaniel that is needing a good home, DM me if you are interested.

LaLaLayla

I am not sure I entirely agree with this, in my experience mongrels are more hardy and less likely to succumb to expensive medical conditions. But then we adopted our beautiful doggie from K9 Friends after she was found abandoned. I think it is a far nicer thing to do, to adopt rather than buy from pet shops.

However, I know somebody who is looking to rehome their purebreed Pug. His name is Oscar and he's really sweet and friendly, a real character. Unfortunately, his family are relocating to another country, and can't take him. Let me know if you're interested and I'll put you in touch with them.

shiva

get a dog only if you can actually afford it and in dubai the only responsible way of doing that is to go to k9 friends and rescue a mongrel if your an animal lover then thats the only option


people are so obsessed with breeds, its a real live ****ing animal, love it and dont give a shit what ****ing breed it is or what papers it has for christ sake

Dumbo

^^^^^^What he said.

We have adopted 2 from K-9 friends and a third that we found on the street half dead. All three have integrated perfectly and get on brilliantly with our young son.

We have had them all now for 4 years and no major issues . It is true that vet bills are high, but this is mainly because there is no pet insurance out here so no way to offset the cost.

Tip - for vacinations and registration go to the municipality, they will charge you much less than your vet will.

BinCat

[email protected] I think they are still in business so you can insure your dog which might help!

Food-wise King Charles specific costs Dh 70 per 1.5kg bag, active adult dog will go through that in 10 days. Medium size dog food (good quality) non breed specific will cost approx Dh 200 per 10kg bag. Cheaper brands, obviously much cheaper...

Vet bills, approx Dh 650 per year vaccinations. The rest is up to god!

Be warned if you're still intent on buying a breed - they import them too young here and most of them will be sick on day 2 at home. Most people who buy from the pet shops (8-10k purchase) then spend at least another 2 or 3k at the vets to get them right. Good old Dessert Mongrels on the other hand, particularly those from somewhere decent like K9 will have been health checked properly and should last you at the very least 12 years, god willing!
(You can also get breeds from K9, they have every variety dumped on their doorstep, so you could put your name down for a particular breed.)

Casta

I have to say I'd be staying away from breeds too. Both for the fact that I'd rather have a rescue but also for the issues associated with breeds. Well worth taking the time to watch these videos. It was a real eye opener....

http://youtu.be/xPmKIgMoUPc

http://youtu.be/opvvhTWqS6U

P.S. Techy question: How do I get the video window to show up within my post (rather than a link)?

Meow

Please please don't buy a fancy imported dog. There are so many dogs, mongrels and pure bred that need a home. Contact K9 for info and if you are not 100% sure you want a dog permanently, you can even foster for limited periods.

http://www.k9friends.com/


I also agree that most mongrels are tougher than pure breeds. The dilution of the gene pool is a good thing.

auzdafluff

I should have clarified. I have absolutely no intention of buying one. It'll be from K9 Friends or Animal Action Abu Dhabi.

Blue Cat

or hopefully the one I mentioned who was abandoned at a local vets