Looking for a Doodle -- Read This First!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

When I was 19 or 20 I went to the Mall one afternoon with my room mate for a bathing suit and we came home with a Puppy.  Your ultimate impulse purchase, and a stupid one at that!    Fast forward 30+ years later and that thought makes me cringe.  I've learned so much in the past 4.5 years from DK.  We have a link to "What to Look For in a Breeder", we've had multiple discussions on the necessity for purchasing Pet Insurance, but this morning as I was encountering yet another Vet issue I was thinking to myself about the need for a discussion on just what all you should think about before getting a puppy with regard to how it will fit into your lifestyle.  I know that we have touched on this in many discussions, but just thought maybe we could get it all in one spot.  Here is what I as thinking about this morning.  Feel free to add your thoughts as well.  My goal isn't to scare people out of getting a dog, although it might possibly do that to some, but if it does, better they see this now than after they get the puppy.

We are the owners of two doodles, liter mate sisters that are now 4.5 years old.  In the last 4 months here is what we have dealt with.  Torn/ruptured CCL in Lucy which resulted in surgery.  After the surgery she had to be created 24/7 for 7 weeks.  She could go outside to potty on a leash and then come right back inside.  The next 6 weeks she could be off leash in the house, but not outside to potty.  Now even 4 months out she isn't allowed outside to play with another dog off leash.  Only by herself.  There was no way that I was going to trust someone else with her care during this time because any slip up would mean the surgery would have to be redone at $2200.  So we were pretty much glued to the house for 2 months.   Just as we were getting through that our Sophie got sick.  After 5 weeks of trips to the Vet she was diagnosed with Lymphoma.  That means for the next 6 months we will be at the Vet's office every Monday morning for Chemo treatments.  And if like last week another visit during the week because she got sick from the chemo.  We will eventually get the occasional off week once we get in the maintenance phase.  However, it is very time consuming.  Now, this morning, Lucy gets an ear infection.  Fortunately it was already Chemo day so we just took her with us and Dr. Jenny saw her too.  But I was thinking to myself, how in the world would I ever have been able to do all of these Vet visits if I weren't retired.  I didn't even like missing work for Dr's apts for myself, I can't even imagine saying you know what, for the next 6 months I'm going to be late every Monday because I have to take the dog to the doctor.   Additionally, because of Sophie's meds she drinks more and pees more so I can't be gone from the house for more than a few hours because she needs out.  The days of leaving her for 8 or 9 hours are a think of the past.  Our planned month long vacation in January is now a thing of the past.  Our trip to Missouri to visit our Nephew has been cancelled twice now. 

So, what I'm saying is that you really need to think through how all of these things can be handled before you adopt a dog.  Some people get lucky and they get one trip to the Vet a year and having a dog is a piece of cake.  However, that isn't always the way it works out.  There are so many Doodles here on DK with medical issues.  Financial issues aside, can your current busy life handle having something like this added to it!

[Carol and Banjo]

I think most people (non dog owning people that is) don't have a clue as to how expensive having a dog is.   Whenever the topic comes up with various family members (who think it would be fun to have a Banjo) I launch into the various "expenses" associated with his care.   Monthly heartworm and flea and tick prevention, yearly shots and exams, food, boarding when you just can't bring your dog with you, and of course those "emergency" visits to the vet for an array of reasons.     It doesn't take too long for them to jump on another subject.     None of this even touches on the daily commitment to your beloved pet.   

[F, Calla & Luca]

Having a dog is very much like having a child. You do what you have to do. But having a good support system and/or good finances is important. I have done had dogs an kids but not simultaneously but some people do. But on the other hand, when I think how much simpler life would be or would have been without the kids and dogs, how much more money I would have, I also realize how much emptier my life would be. No one should get a dog without thinking of all that can go right and wrong :-) 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you for posting this, Sheri. It's so important.

There is so much hype online about doodles, and that includes claims that they are somehow healthier than purebred dogs. Hopefully, everyone here knows by now that this just isn't true. If a genetic disease runs in both parent breeds, the offspring are just as likely to inherit it, whether the parents are the same breed or two different breeds. There are many genetic diseases for which there are no tests that can be done on the parents. If the dogs are bred after the age of three, sometimes these things will have shown up in them; but most doodle breeders breed their dogs before their 2nd birthdays.

There are also lots of diseases that are not genetic, that just show up in any individual dog. Accidents and injuries happen, too, and sometimes result in orthopedic issues or other chronic problems. It can happen to any dog.

60% of all Golden Retrievers eventually get some form of cancer, and nobody knows why. The Morris Foundation has a 10 year study ongoing to try to figure it out. Clearly, there is some predisposition for cancer in Goldens, and that means there can be in Goldendoodles, too.  

As you mentioned, we have seen a lot of doodles here on DK with serious health problems, and the vast majority of the dogs here are young. As our dogs get older, we will unfirtunately see this more and more, I'm afraid.

Even with insurance, there's a heavy emotional burden when you have a sick dog, as well as the time requirements you mentioned.

Jackdoodle has two immune mediated diseases, Atopic Dermatitis, which is genetic, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which is not. There is nothing I could have done to avoid these. They are incurable and can only be managed, for life. He also has a ruptured vertebral disc, for which he may need surgery. The Atopy was diagnosed at 18 months.

The expenses and the time commitment are mind-boggling. JD has an internist, an allergist, an orthopedic surgeon, a holistic vet who does his acupuncture and laser treatments, and his regular vet. He is on immunotherapy shots and several different drugs and supplements. All of this is ongoing. I cook half of his food, and he must be fed four times a day, which means I cannot be gone for more than three hours at a time unless I could get someone to come in to prepare his food and feed him, and administer whichever meds and supplements he needs with that particular meal. If he does require back surgery, the cost will be $7000, and the recovery will involve his not being able to stand or walk on his own for a period weeks. He weighs 75-80 lbs. He needs at least one visit per week to one or another vet for an injection or a treatment. During allergy season, he needs a bath every week, which requires a trip to the groomer. This is all in addition to the daily exercise, walks, training, brushing, and other care that even a healthy doodle requires. There is no way I could do this if I were not retired, unless I had a job that allowed me to work from home.

I do not have insurance for JD...stupid me. If you add in the special foods and supplements along with all the rest of it, his expenses for 2012 will easily be more than $20,000. It costs $3 per day for his chicken breast alone. Two weeks ago, his IBD flared, and the cost that day at the Veterinary Specialty Clinic was $1200.

Please, I am asking everyone who reads this not to offer sympathy to me or say that I am a good doodle mom or that JD is lucky to have me. The blessings all go one way, and I'm the recipient. What I get from Jackdoodle is beyond value, and I am grateful every day that he's mine.  But what if he had a different owner who just did not have the means to provide the care he needs? He would have to be euthanized. That's the only reason I am posting this, to make this point. Any of this could happen to any dog from any breeder, and it needs to be considered before you get a dog.

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Well, I won't say any of the things you asked me not to say although they are true. But I do think many people would have chosen, or been forced by circumstance, to put a dog like JD down. and I for one could not blame people who may have to choose between a child's needs, or even their own, for necessities rather than spend what you are in dollars on JD's care. Of course the commitment of time is significant too.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

To have had to euthanize him simply because I could not afford to care for him would be beyond horrible. I could not have lived with myself. If he were suffering, it would be different. But he's living a good life. The allergies are completely under control, the IBD too, and he still wants to take his long walks and play ball any time anyone will accomodate him, so I have to believe he's feeling okay. His eyes still light up and his tail still whirls in a circle when a family member comes home or when you ask him if he wants to go bye bye in the car, lol. His quality of life is good. For his life to have to end simply because of money would be unimaginable, and beyond unfair.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree but sometimes it certainly happens. And for some dogs, given their age or health related issues, it might be better to have an owner do this than to have them in a shelter, not well cared for or worse.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, to abandon them to a shelter because of old age/health issues is just plain cruelty.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

All of these things are the reasons that I wanted to make this discussion.  I like you am not looking for sympathy or for anyone to tell me what a great Doodle Mom I am, I just want people to think through their desires to get a dog.  I just recently came across the statistic on Goldens and the cancer rate.  I knew they were susceptible, but had no idea it was so high.  That scares the crap out of me!  I think more than anything though you mention the emotional toll.  Even if one has insurance or is able to handle the financial burden, there is nothing you can do about the emotional toll except try and find a way to deal with it! 

[Adina P]

Are you saying, though, that there 'ought to be' (maybe not legally but as far as recommendations) a minimum income level for having a dog and that people below that shouldn't get a dog?  That's kind of what it sounds like.  Not that YOU are saying that, but that's the impression I'm getting from some of this.  You've got to be retired and able to afford the most expensive medical care a dog could need if you even think about wanting a dog. There are a lot of dogs that need homes.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would say that insurance is mandatory if you even think about wanting a dog. A fair number of the dogs who need homes lost their homes because of medical issues and/or overall costs of owning a dog in the first place.

And if you read the adoption listings, someone being home for a good part of the day is often a requirement.

Think how many times someone has posted a discussion here on DK about a "problem" that wouldn't be a problem at all if the person could afford: a trainer, daycare, a dog walker, a fenced yard, better food, a veterinary procedure, and so on,  or if the person had time for: training, exercising, walking, proper housebreaking, proper supervision of puppies and/or kids, and the list goes on.

So yes, I do think that people who don't have the extra time or money for a dog shouldn't get a dog.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I'm not saying that at all.  What I was trying to put out there is that people really need to think it through. I think one of the reasons that I wanted this discussion is because we have had so many newbies lately coming to look for breeders.  Also like everyone else that has responded here every time I'm out people always say I want one!  I just wanted a place where people could get a really good idea of everything that they need to think about up front.  What about grooming, what about boarding, training, what about separation anxiety.  What about behavior issues.  What if it can't be left at home 9 hours a day ... what are you going to do?  How would you handle a medical issue such as those I've faced lately if you work 10 hours a day?  It is all in the planning.  My post wasn't even so much about being able to afford all the care, but more about the time in your busy schedule to take care of the many things that are unexpected.  Think about your support system.  Think about where you live, is there daycare, is there training facilities, how far is the vet!  We have many young people here on DK that are raising their doodles very well and very responsibly.  We have others young and old that didn't quite understand what they were getting into.  I was just hoping that everyone could share some of what has been surprising to them and how they could have maybe been better prepared, etc.   Yes, some of that conversation is the expense because for some that has been a big part of it.  I wasn't at all trying to say that you have to be retired and have a lot of money before you even think about getting a dog -- actually I found that a little funny because normally retired and have a lot of money aren't mentioned in the same sentence ... lol  :o)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Could be, Adina. In our case, getting another dog has everything to do with costs.  We have the time, the fenced yard, the trainer, dog education and support ( DK ), no small children, someone is home all day.  On paper, we look perfect.  However, the costs are what keeps me from getting another. 

If I were selfish, I would have had a puppy by now.  I too get sick of the," I want one" that I hear from people.  It is like a gimmick.  Just Charge It!  

But I have to think about what I can provide.   I can  maybe afford the initial cost of getting another but the: pet insurance, the monthly flea, Heartworm, food, care if we have to be gone, I know I am forgetting more, but  it holds me back. I'm trying to be responsible.  Not selfish.  Because I so much would love another. 

Sad, because I think I could provide the perfect home for another dog.  Unless I have a impulse moment, I don't see it happening ever again.  We are in such a different place then we were when we got Spud.  Sign of the times

I will add that I have seen the homeless love and take care of their animals.  Fine.  It is just not the way I want and feel " I " want to take care of my animals.  I know better now and it holds me back