Need opinion please..

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Cedars

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Ok.

So the puppies we're interested in are being born either a week today or a week Saturday (depending on which mating she took on).

£600, which I think is really reasonable for a lab, and considering the breeding.

We already have the crate (as Chloe is now in a proper bed). We have a food bowl spare, and one big water bowl.

Basically, we have a problem in that we cannot afford her. We can find the £600, just, but we are gonna be really, really tight. Really tight for cash. Really, REALLY.

But the pup is just perfect. We know the breeder. Both dogs are beautiful. Health tested obsessively. Its the perfect time - in fact, its the ONLY time between now and 5 years time, realistically, and then Chlo will be too old.

Are we stupid for going ahead?

x
 
Gosh you're so naughty! You shouldn't look at them or you'll have to buy them! Sounds like you've already made your mind up. No you can't afford them, yes you're going to get them!
 
Only you know your financial situation and can decide what to do. Can you budget for insurance for an extra dog and if not have you got a slush fund in case of emergencies? Do you have money for dog training, vaccinations, worming, flea treatments etc?

Can you cut back on anything to make a bit more lee way for the pup? Can you get a few hours more paid work somewhere to help fund pup? Sorry, I don't know you so can't judge the practicality of the above suggestions but just food for thought.

Good luck whatever you decide.
 
Insurance is fine, no slush fund except parents who would bail us out if necessary although we insure with NFU so its never necessary really.

I cant really do any more work but I can stop buying Joules stuff! I'm hoping that we can both save massively and it'll be ok. And then if we save birthday money etc, we should be comfortable! xxx
 
Bear in mind the other expenses with a pup, puppy food is often more expensive, and then there is the cost of vaccination etc as already said. Only you can decide of course but I would think long and hard about it in your shoes.
 
sorry but if you cant afford to buy the puppy you probably cant afford to keep it. you could try to get a rescue dog. but you must be able to afford to feed the dog, train the dog, wormer, vaccs emergency vet bills. etc. etc. sadly a previous threads dogs ended up being seized as she couldnt afford them.
 
also the pup will require speying/ neutering not normally covered by insurance.(that will be approx 200 pounds and care) AND there is no point working extra hours to afford this pup as the pup itself requires many hours of human company and interaction to grow up happy and well adjusted.
 
£600 sounds terribly expensive for a lab - or am I behind the times with prices?

Have the parents been elbow scored?

May I ask why now is the only time in the next five years? How do you know whats going to happen in the future?

Have all of Chloe's operations and health problems finished and been resolved? I remember you posting that the insurance you had didn't cover the initial operation suggested.

We paid just a couple of hundred quid for Rosie but she has cost far more than that in vets bills alone in the year we have had her with spaying, microchip, jabs and stitches - none of those are big enough in themselves to claim on insurance.

All food for thought :)
 
You know yourself whether you are able to afford the pup but I have to agree that £600 is a lot for a lab. 5 gen breeding, good hip score blaa blaa blaa for £300 4 1/2 yrs ago
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Enjoy your pup when it comes!
 
My own black lab has a fantastic pedigree, filled with the top gundog kennel names, FTC's etc - yet he has awful joint problems, OCD in his elbows etc etc :( Its been very stressful and saddening :) I have to say that I would never have another lab and I most certainly wouldn't pay £600 for one!
 
Would you not consider getting a rescue lab puppy? There are many pure bred labs in rescue centres (and also there are lab only rescue places) that I'm sure would have puppies or young dogs suitable for you.

You may not get papers but if you don't plan to breed or show then I presume these are not important (please correct me if I'm wrong). I would think choosing a good happy, friendly and healthy lab puppy is your priority. Depending on what you pick it could be vaccinated, neutered and toilet trained for you already!

Of course with alot of rescues you wont know their breeding. I have had 8 rescues and never had a problem behaviorally with one of them, they seem to know that life is tough and appreciate you more! With an older dog you could ask for an xray to check him over. As mentioned above...you still arnt guaranteed a bought lab will have no health problems even if his parents are great dogs! You could also rescue a puppy and just take the chance...giving any dog a second chance in life is the most rewarding experiences.

£600 pounds would go a long way for a rescue dog, you could get good insurance (should something happen in the future), vaccinations and neutering with change left over!
 
600 seems really reasonable for what they will be-hip scored to 6 generations on both sides (which funnily is important to us......! Lol.) eyes tested and cleared on all sides right back to the start of the trees. Elbow scoring is dotted about and good where it's been done-but more importantly for me, this woman swims all her dogs where I swim so the ladies have really clear knowledge on hips and joints and have said you couldnt ask for a better put together lab.

We can afford all the bits and bobs like insurance and vacs, so long as we save for the spay etc we'll be fine. It's more a case of the rest of our lives being super super skint!!

Rescues won't rehome to us. Xx
 
Oh and yes, sorry, chlo has had both surgeries now and is fully healed (and so blooming energetic!!). Which is why were looking now, would t have looked otherwise

And re. The five years time thing-next year im starting my dissertation. The year after I'm job hunting/about to start my nqt. The year after I'm about to start my first proper teaching role. For 2/3 years after that I hope to be free to do camps etc to build experience in schools. And then I think chlo will be too old for a bouncy thing-considering her joints. Oh and id like to get married in there too and I hear that's expensive!!
 
Ashlingm, also, it's a nice thought but there is absolutely no way I'm taking a chance on a dog ever again. My big issue with rescues is the not knowing about previous breeding. I know were not guaranteed a perfect dog but weve got a darn sight better chance if it's tested to it's eyeballs. Xxx
 
To me, (this is only my opinion) it seems quite expensive for a lab!! If I was wondering if I could afford to buy the dog, I wouldn't. Our GSD was a good price to buy, from very good breeders, tested, like yours, to the absolute hilt (they are well known in the ring) but has from the age of 2 cost us over 9,000 pounds. Yes insurance pays out, but we still have excess upon excess to pay as well as shelling out for meds initially. Luckily, we have been in the position to be able to afford it.
I'm sure you know yourself with Chloe that things can come from nowhere.
It's up to you, but puppies do cost a fair bit more in food, vets bills etc etc, even though they are so much fun!
K x
 
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The price reflects where we are I think... Chloe was 450 and look where that got us!! I've just rung up a few on the KC list and they're all asking for 550-700 round us. Tbh I'm not worried about the actual price because she has 15 people signed up on a first come first served-if we wont pay, she can replace us.

Ive done the sums today and am feeling more positive again that we can afford it. Hmmmm....!

Xxx
 
Well if you can afford a Joules shopping habit then you're nowhere near as hard up financially as your first post suggests? :p You've just got to question what you want more- a dog or Joules stuff?
 
Just been absolutely *******sed by my mother. Joy.

We can afford another dog.

I know this, because I bought a baby gate today ;)
 
I'm talking 12 years ago, but I got my Lab (at about 14months) from the police. He had failed as a drug dog (he has the concerntration of a fish and wasn't motivated by tennis balls or treats at all) and he's has very good breeding. I can't remember exactly but it went back atleast 7 generations, he was KC registered also. He is such a sweetie and very friendly. He didn't cost much at all, only about £200.
Might be worth looking into? We knew Bugs' handler but occasionally they are advertised on police website under dog section or it tells you to ring up to inquire.
 
£600 for a lab is ridiculous!

You want well bred labs at reasonable prices from good breeding homes them check out shootingtimes.co.uk or seek out a local gamekeeper.

Our rule of thumb, is if they are charging too much there is a reason for it (like someone only put the bitch in pup for one reason £££). Its a lab, they whelp with their eyes closed, you dont dock them, there are literally no overheads so £600 is a joke IMHO.

shooting times they are fetching about £400, have a look. Dont think that just because its bloody expensive it means its good quality.
 
The old saying "you get what you pay for" springs to mind.All those tests don`t come cheap,if it is generations of proper documented testing then of course £600 is about right.
" Buy in haste and repent at liesure" also is something to consider,the liesure bit being the many and various hereditary problems that cost a whole load of money.
I breed labs,fox red ones,if one is kept on as a potential breeding animal there is a 12 month wait to see if it passes the hip/elbow and eye exams.Many get rehomed for peanuts as they fail,all this costs money.
By all means pay £300..but don`t moan when it all goes pear shaped please!
 
EAST KENT said:
The old saying "you get what you pay for" springs to mind.All those tests don`t come cheap,if it is generations of proper documented testing then of course £600 is about right.
" Buy in haste and repent at liesure" also is something to consider,the liesure bit being the many and various hereditary problems that cost a whole load of money.
I breed labs,fox red ones,if one is kept on as a potential breeding animal there is a 12 month wait to see if it passes the hip/elbow and eye exams.Many get rehomed for peanuts as they fail,all this costs money.
By all means pay £300..but don`t moan when it all goes pear shaped please!
Click to expand...

the puppies im talking about are all tested.
 
I don't know if the OP is after a working or show bred lab....however, a working bred lab that has a pedigree with ancestors that are hip, elbow, eye and optigen tested on BOTH sides of the pedigree going back several generations and has FTW and FTCH would be cheap at £600 IMO. Having said that, there is still no 100% guarantee.................

I don't really know about show bred labs, but doing a quick Google and looking at a show-oriented web site called Champdogs, I can see several litters that are show bred at £700 per pup - and they don't necessarily have ALL of the above tests.

If the OP has found the litter/breeder that she wants and has set her heart on then the question is whether she can afford that pup over its lifetime, not whether there are cheaper alternatives.

Many would think me mad, but I paid thousands for a dog years ago that I imported from Europe.......yes, I could have got something cheaper in the UK but I had set my heart on certain bloodlines and am very glad in retrospect that I did.
 
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