I want a dog

[Notreadyet87]

I'll be moving out on my own in June, and prior that I'd like to get a puppy. I'm REALLY interested in getting a Maltese puppy preferably one that is less than a year old. Just in looking at various sites, the average maltese COSTS a lot of money.

 

My friends continue to tell me that getting the maltese from the shelter would be better because it's free and because I'm giving a troubled puppy a home to stay in. My mom purchased her puppy(two months ago) from a store that gets their puppies from dog mills, and I've thought about going to the store since they gave her such a good deal.

 

Whenever I'm looking at shelters(online) and the options for adopting a Maltese in my area, I can never seem to find a Maltese puppy--usually the Maltese that are in shelters are either adults, over the age of 1, seniors, or have special needs. I'd love to take the shelter route, but for the type of dog I want I'm wondering if I'd find it at shelter--as it appears that more likely I'd find the dog I want at a pet store.

So my question is what's the best option? If anyone has gotten a Maltese, or has experiences with shelters I'd be open to hear your experiences. Also what is a reasonable price range for a young Maltese?

[jengh]

PLEASE do not go to the pet store that buys from puppy mills!!! That "good deal" will cost you a fortune in vet bills later on. Not to mention the absolutely HORRID conditions these dogs are living in It's terrible. Please educate yourself on puppy mills.

[Notreadyet87]

PLEASE do not go to the pet store that buys from puppy mills!!! That "good deal" will cost you a fortune in vet bills later on. Not to mention the absolutely HORRID conditions these dogs are living in It's terrible. Please educate yourself on puppy mills.

I know they are bad. My mom actually didn't know much about puppy mills until after we got the dog and yes the Vet bill has been pretty high so far. However it seems that this store has a good collection of puppies and dogs that fit what I want, and the shelters in my area(I've looked online) do not at all. I don't have the money or the gas to drive 8-9 hours to get a puppy from a shelter that may have what I want. So I just don't know what is the best option to take.

I REALLY would prefer to get a dog from the shelter, but like I said the type of dog I want doesn't seem to be there. I've been told that if I just want a dog, I shouldn't be discriminatory about age, looks, etc. But I'm allergic to dogs unless they are hypoallergenic, and I'd rather have a puppy or a small dog because the apartment complex I'm moving in only accept puppies that are less than 20 pounds and I'd like to be able to train the dog myself. I'd be open to other breeds at shelter if the dog breed is a puppy, less a year old, and hypoalleregnic, but even that seems rare at some of the shelters I've been looking at.

Maybe I just need to go offline and just call a random and shelter and find out?

Has anyone been able to get that type of dog at a shelter?

[jengh]

Please, please, please don't support puppy mills. I understand your mother didn't realize what she was doing, but YOU do. If you're an animal lover, don't support such a heinous thing.

 

Look into Maltese rescues. Most dog breeds have their own rescue organization.

 

I'm curious, if you don't have the money to drive a few hours to a shelter, how do you have money to purchase a puppy mill dog?

[Notreadyet87]

I can drive a few hours, but many of the Maltese that I found online through shelters, and adoption agencies are at least 8 hours away, AND in addition cost $900 or more. At this point in time I don't have the time to drive away that long, or the money to. My mom got her puppy at a good deal, and the store is known for good deals for smaller puppies--that is why I was looking into going that route. She got her dog for $450 dollars, and he was a 9 week toy poodle.

[Notreadyet87]

Believe me I realize that Puppy Mills are VERY bad and that is why I really want to get the puppy from the dog shelters, but they don't seem to have what I want in my area and the closet puppy that comes close to what I'd want is at least 8 hours away.

I will look into the Maltese dog Rescue companies.

[jengh]

Don't look for a "good deal" because it's going to come back and bite you later. Trust me. You want a healthy dog, right? Overbred puppy mill dogs are notorious for their long list of health problems.

 

Check out these:

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And please please pleaaaaase read these:

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[Notreadyet87]

Don't look for a "good deal" because it's going to come back and bite you later. Trust me. You want a healthy dog, right? Overbred puppy mill dogs are notorious for their long list of health problems.

 

Check out these:

link removed

link removed

 

And please please pleaaaaase read these:

link removed

link removed

link removed

 

Thank you. Are large chain pet stores also notorious for puppy mills or are they safe to buy puppies?

[Sunny1607307996]

Well, would it really be so bad to adopt a young dog rather than a puppy? Puppies require a lot of training and their puppy shots, spaying/neutering, etc can all be very expensive and time consuming. Not to mention all the accidents in the house.

 

If you're moving out on your own you may not have a lot of time for a young puppy and a young dog may be the better choice. And keep calling rescues and shelters -- sometimes they do have puppies.

 

What is so appealing about that particular breed of dog? You may want to look into other breeds as well if you can't find a Maltese. Or if you're not too picky about it being a pure-bred dog you could probably find a Maltese mix or another small dog.

 

You don't have to drive 9 hours to a shelter, just give them a call and ask for a picture over email.

 

Another good idea is to call your local vet's office. They may have a list of rescues, know of a client who is looking for a new home for their dog, or they may suggest other breeds for you.

 

There are literally millions of dogs looking for new homes and I'm sure if you put the word out the perfect dog will fall into your lap.

 

For a young, pure-bred dog that is up to date on vaccines and spayed/neutered I would expect to pay around $300. If the dog is not up to date on vaccines and has not yet been altered I wouldn't pay more than $100.

 

Keep in mind that rescues may seem like they have steep prices but they don't make a cent of profit, all of that money goes into rescuing another dog. If rescuing was profitable everyone would be doing it!

[itsallgrand]

Well if you are going to go the "buy a puppy" route, you can research to make sure you find a reputable breeder. Someone who isn't running a mill.

 

You may have to wait a while, but this would give you the opportunity to meet the pups potential parents, see the people raising them, and get a very young pup - possibly even with proper papers and down to choosing the sex.

 

Though that does cost extra most likely, you will save on the vet bills and dealing with health problems that often arise with milled pups. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing you aren't contributing to something so awful as puppy mills and putting money in those people's pockets.

 

At several hundred dollars for a pup, that is not a deal anyways IMO! An adopted pup who has had proper medical attention and shots and all....often runs for under 200 bucks. And you know from the start what their health status is, and have a fairly good idea that the people are not trying to con you and gloss over in order to make profit on a runt pup.

 

So even on the pocketbook front, you won't get ahead trying to cut corners with the puppy mill pup.

 

Let us know what you find. ?

[jengh]

Thank you. Are large chain pet stores also notorious for puppy mills or are they safe to buy puppies?

 

Yes, they're notorious for puppy mills as well. A lot of times they're even worse.

 

If you can't find one in your area, put your name down on a waiting list. Most shelters have them (at least the ones here do). You may have to wait a bit, but it will be sooo worth it.

[Notreadyet87]

Yes your probably right, just seeing how much work my mom had with her toy poodle I wouldn't have time to really train the dog.

 

I'm interested in a Maltese because that's always been my dream dog--I'm very interested in mixes too, it doesn't have to be pure-breed at all. You've just offered me a ton of options, I'll definitely start calling around.

 

And yes 300-600$ was my price range, so if I can find a dog within that price range that'd be great!

[Notreadyet87]

This is completely unrelated to this thread but what are good hypoallergnic breeds?

I thought a Maltese was, but I've read conflicting information--some sites say they are, others say that Maltese do cause allergies.

I need a small hypoallergenic dog, because the apartment I'm moving in only accepts dogs 20 pounds or less.

Any help would be appreciated.

[IphigeniaSaysHi]

Don't look for a "good deal" because it's going to come back and bite you later. Trust me. You want a healthy dog, right? Overbred puppy mill dogs are notorious for their long list of health problems.

 

Check out these:

link removed

link removed

 

And please please pleaaaaase read these:

link removed

link removed

link removed

 

Not to mention, pet store dogs are EXPENSIVE!!!! They have the gall to charge $1300 for some poor abused, malnourished, inbred dog when you could rent a car to drive to a nearby shelter with the dog you want for less money!!

 

 

There is NO EXCUSE for buying from pet stores.

[IphigeniaSaysHi]

This is completely unrelated to this thread but what are good hypoallergnic breeds?

I thought a Maltese was, but I've read conflicting information--some sites say they are, others say that Maltese do cause allergies.

I need a small hypoallergenic dog, because the apartment I'm moving in only accepts dogs 20 pounds or less.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I have heard that Yorkies do not shed quite as much as other breeds, there are some out there. I think if you do some google research you can find great info about the right dog for you.

[Notreadyet87]

I have heard that Yorkies do not shed quite as much as other breeds, there are some out there. I think if you do some google research you can find great info about the right dog for you.

Yes my mom told me yorkies are a good option too. I'm still leaning toward Maltese but where I've found most sites saying yorkies, and shih tzus are hypoallergenic, I have found way too much conflicting information on Maltese.

I have no issues with allergies with my mom's toy poodle.

[Sunny1607307996]

If you're worried about allergies one great idea would be to foster for a rescue. That way, if you're looking at mixes and you're not sure how hypo-allergenic they are, you can basically do a trial run. If it turns out you are too allergic you can foster a different dog, and if you find one you like you can usually adopt the dog you're fostering.

 

It's also a great way to test out dog ownership to see if you're really ready. If you're not ready, well, at least a dog got some one-on-one attention for a while. And if you are ready, most rescues will allow you to go ahead and adopt the dog.

 

If you don't want to foster you can go the rescue route anyway, most reputable rescues will accept a dog back if it does not work out.