Unwanted Dogs

There are so many unwanted dogs in the world today that it is often all too easy to forget that the dog is acknowledged as man’s best friend.

A dog will love you whether you are tired, dirty from work or just generally out-of step with the world. Such is the devotion of the dog and this fact is not disputed.

One fact that is often disputed is whether a pedigree dog has any advantage over a cross breed animal – your average mutt.

To help decide on a particular course of action, the main pit-falls are set out here covering expense, breed type - for and against. This is done in an attempt to ease your decision.

People keep a pet for many reasons – a companion around the house and for walking - for protection - because they love animals - or as a worker on the farm, but in all these situations money rears its ugly head.

It is no use pretending otherwise, but to have any pet as a member of your family (well, almost) will cost you a certain amount of money.

It is useful to remember that however much money you lavish on your dog in the shape of superior bedding, toys, leads etc. he/she will not realise this. All a dog needs is a degree of comfort, wholesome food and your affection and kindness.

Take a look at our page for some help here.

The first and most obvious and unavoidable expense comes in the actual purchase price of the animal.

If you decide on a pedigree dog then the initial outlay will obviously be large. You are paying for breeding, type of animal etc. If the parent’s are Cruft’s champions, if the dog has a rarity value, then factors such as this will affect the ultimate purchase price. A pedigree dog will cost you around £700 upwards, whereas a mutt - technically one of the unwanted dogs - from the local sanctuary/home will cost anything from £50 upwards depending upon the home and their charges.

Here it must be stated that it is possible to get a pedigree dog from a rescue home, but you will not be given any of the necessary papers confirming the pedigree. A degree of pot-luck participates here.

There is a case to be made for both a pedigree and a cross breed - either of which may eventually become 'unwanted' dogs.

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The main details are:

PEDIGREE.

A pedigree animal will probably have been bought with a specific purpose in mind and will have papers to verify their breed and status. However, there are many 'puppy farms' where the only aspect given any true attention is the amount of profit that can be made from these dogs and how quickly this is done.

This can result in the new owner/purchaser quickly becoming very disillusioned.

CROSS BREEDS - UNWANTED DOGS

People often prefer to give an unwanted dog a home. Your local dog sanctuary or home will probably have an assortment of animals of all shapes, sizes and ages - all absolutely desperate for a good home. The drawback here is that relatively little will be known about his or her past history and there is obviously an element of risk attached to this venture.

It must be pointed out here that a pedigree animal can also come with inherited problems from his/her parents, etc.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

If you would like to contribute your experience with your chosen dog - pedigree or cross breed - there is a place for this at our other page. There you will be able to share your experiences, and possibly give some advice to other dog owners. Just scroll down to - Cross Breed, Pedigree or Rescued Dog - That is the question - and write about your experience.

YOUR NEEDS All the following points should help to lead you to a sensible decision. Your heart must not rule here. Common sense should be your guide.

What do you want the pet for?
How large/small is your home and garden?
Are there children involved?
Will your future dog have specific duties, i.e., guarding/working?
Do you want him as a walking companion?
If you are out at work all day is it sensible to consider giving any animal a home?
Are you able to exercise him/her – some breeds such as German Shepherds and Collies need plenty of walking etc.
Do you need him/her for sporting activities, i.e., picking up game, etc?
In addition to physical exercise, a collie will need to exercise their brain as well as his/her legs.

It would not be kind to any pet, and would store up problems for both of you, if you cannot give him what his/her particular breed needs.

Having been the proud owner of both types of dog my personal allegiance lies with both the cross breed and pedigree - a foot in both camps. All have come from rescue situations. Therefore this is a purely personal and practical situation because there are more than enough unwanted dogs in the world, and to give such a dog a home meets two important needs.

Two in one, with hopefully a good result.

Do You Have a Rescued Dog?

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