PetFinder.com experience

[noski]

I have had two excellent experiences with petfinder when I adoped my past two dogs.

Some tips:

Charge $100 for your dog. This forces the new owners to take financial responsibility right off the bat. It is your only form of proof that these people are comitted. (it also deters lab farmers, people who adopt free dogs and sell them to a lab)

House visit. Another lab farmer deterrent. Go to their home and see it for yourself.

Contract. Most shelters have a joint ownership clause in the small print. It gives them the right to reclaim the dog at anytime. Often they make surprise visits after adoption. Bad conditions equals ownership revokation. You should do that too.

Trust your gut. Forget about these people.

11 years old. Does it really need a more active household. Have you considered just sticking in out for its last few years. Changing owners is very hard on a dog, even more difficult on a senior.

All in all, perhaps try to get your pet into the seniors for seniors program. They pair older dogs up with older people needing companionship.

That is GREAT advice. pm coming your way.

 

[loafer89]

It cost me $2,500 for my male Saint Bernard and that did not include the cost of flying to Chicago to meet the breeder and see the puppy that I was purchasing not to mention the charge for shipping him home with me.

 

[noski]

It cost me $2,500 for my male Saint Bernard and that did not include the cost of flying to Chicago to meet the breeder and see the puppy that I was purchasing not to mention the charge for shipping him home with me.

choke....wow

 

[Grassi21]

The wife and I flew to Atlanta on a Saturday morning and drove back to CT with our second pup. 16 hours in the car with an 8 week old puppy was fun. That funny thing was that we needed to stop more for me to p than little Bella.

 

[NYDrew]

It cost me $2,500 for my male Saint Bernard and that did not include the cost of flying to Chicago to meet the breeder and see the puppy that I was purchasing not to mention the charge for shipping him home with me.

Pocket Change. My first dog was $10k. You might know her great uncle. Comet on full house. there were odd circumstances around that purchase

Needless to say that I adopt now. $80 for the golden-wolf-x, $300 for the unwanted golden.

 

[jack97]

We just started getting involved with dogs, we got our first and second from reputable breeders. The main reason is that we wanted to make sure we didn’t get a dog with genetic diseases or defects that have plague some breeds and in some cases, some lines. The other thing we looked for was that they were involved with show dogs or training for agility and obedience competition. Breeders and owners are looking for dogs with the right aptitude, temperament, muscle and skeletal structure for these shows. It is in their best interest to "breed up" if they take these competitions seriously.

How much money and time people want to spend is relative. The important part for us was finding the right additions for our family.

My problem right now is finding a kennel for them so that we can take vacations with out them.

 

[Grassi21]

My problem right now is finding a kennel for them so that we can take vacations with out them.

What area are you in? We have the same problem. The local kennels in CT stink. We have been driving out to RI to leave our girls for long trips. The kennel is great, we just hate making the drive.

 

[SkiDog]

What area are you in? We have the same problem. The local kennels in CT stink. We have been driving out to RI to leave our girls for long trips. The kennel is great, we just hate making the drive.

This is a HUGE issue on planning my honeymoon...I hate leaving them in kennels..and have not ever yet....they are crate trained so they could do it...but..I cant bring myself to do it to them...

I have a kennel that I would be willing to use if I can get over my own issues with abandonment.. ;-)

M

 

[jack97]

What area are you in? We have the same problem. The local kennels in CT stink. We have been driving out to RI to leave our girls for long trips. The kennel is great, we just hate making the drive.

Metro west area; about 30 min from near Nashoba Valley, between central MA and Boston. A family friend kennel their dog at local place and she caught a desease in the lung area, so I have reservations about that place. I still searching and asking around about other places.

 

[Grassi21]

Metro west area; about 30 min from near Nashoba Valley, between central MA and Boston. A family friend kennel their dog at local place and she caught a desease in the lung area, so I have reservations about that place. I still searching and asking around about other places.

The place we use is in Ashaway RI. Its exit 1 off of 95. It would be out of your way unless you were driving down to the coast or further South. The woman who runs the place also breeds weimaraners and shows them religiously. Her kennel manager is one of the nicest guys I have met and takes great care of the dogs. I would recommend them to anyone.

 

[jack97]

This is a HUGE issue on planning my honeymoon...I hate leaving them in kennels..and have not ever yet....they are crate trained so they could do it...but..I cant bring myself to do it to them...

I have a kennel that I would be willing to use if I can get over my own issues with abandonment.. ;-)

M

It can be hard on the dog too, we have another famliy friend that kennels their dog. Every time they get the dog in the car she start getting very nervous and anxious. Not sure how I would react if it was our dogs.

 

[ctenidae]

Metro west area; about 30 min from near Nashoba Valley, between central MA and Boston. A family friend kennel their dog at local place and she caught a desease in the lung area, so I have reservations about that place. I still searching and asking around about other places.

K-9 Performance in Reading is great. Only place that can take my dog. John's a helluva guy, and trains dogs for K-9 and Customs use, as well as home obedience and protection (seperately)

 

[noski]

No one has mentioned pet sitters. Lots of people in the MRV do housesitting/petsitting for a daily fee. My daughter did that all summer at different houses. Isn't there anyone you know who could stay at your house for $20-$25 a day or something and take care of your pets?

.. still searching for a home for my dog.....

 

[jack97]

No one has mentioned pet sitters. Lots of people in the MRV do housesitting/petsitting for a daily fee. My daughter did that all summer at different houses. Isn't there anyone you know who could stay at your house for $20-$25 a day or something and take care of your pets?

.. still searching for a home for my dog.....

Mix review, we did it for our first dog. My wife and duaghter was visiting inlaws, I was working that week. He was still a puppy (5-6 months) and needed extra walks. One time the sitter was late, I came home later and found a big mess to clean up.

To be fair most sitters look after grown dogs, still it doesn't solve a potential problem in the winter since this is the time we take vacation (being avid skiers). I take care of the driveway. If no one is home to clear the driveway, the sitter can't come in. We would probally go crazy if we were stuck up north wondering if our dogs where being taken care of.

 

[SkiDog]

No one has mentioned pet sitters. Lots of people in the MRV do housesitting/petsitting for a daily fee. My daughter did that all summer at different houses. Isn't there anyone you know who could stay at your house for $20-$25 a day or something and take care of your pets?

.. still searching for a home for my dog.....

Thought about this. I have had mixed results with this. My family has used them in the past, but occassionally came home to find that all the food left was not used....meaning they werent getting all their meals, which would upset me. If I had a doggies door at my house I would easily use a sitter, becasue then the animals could come and go as they pleased and would just need to be fed and "pet" 2 or 3 times a day.

I am still toying with this idea..it is not completely off the table.

M

 

[noski]

Mix review, we did it for our first dog. My wife and duaghter was visiting inlaws, I was working that week. He was still a puppy (5-6 months) and needed extra walks. One time the sitter was late, I came home later and found a big mess to clean up.

To be fair most sitters look after grown dogs, still it doesn't solve a potential problem in the winter since this is the time we take vacation (being avid skiers). I take care of the driveway. If no one is home to clear the driveway, the sitter can't come in. We would probally go crazy if we were stuck up north wondering if our dogs where being taken care of.

I would think hiring someone to plow in the event of snow would be easy enough. Maybe because the Valley is small and people know people, it is simply easier to find someone. References by word of mouth are easy to track down- though I know you are right, puppies are a bit tougher... Don't give up on this avenue. Somebody knows somebody...

 

[loafer89]

Pocket Change. My first dog was $10k. You might know her great uncle. Comet on full house. there were odd circumstances around that purchase

Needless to say that I adopt now. $80 for the golden-wolf-x, $300 for the unwanted golden.

I have probably caught up to that figure in dog food alone by now, not to mention that we adopted a rescue female Saint and now have two saints to feed. I love them both and my male saint is a show quality Saint Bernard complete with a monks cap stripe on his head.

 

[smitty77]

It can be hard on the dog too, we have another famliy friend that kennels their dog. Every time they get the dog in the car she start getting very nervous and anxious. Not sure how I would react if it was our dogs.

It can be hard on a dog, and even more so when the owner makes a bg deal about leaving said dog. i.e. sad face, lots of hugs and kisses, etc. I've left my Siberian in a kennel 4 times in her 2.5 years on this earth and never had a problem. It helps that the kennel I use is in the same place as her groomer, so when we drop her off she doesn't know if it's for a day for grooming or for an extended stay in luxury. The staff takes great care of the dogs and their pens, and they'll accomodate any odd feeding habits the dog may have. Mine eats a moist/dry mix of food only at night, and they give her food at the time I request and in the exact proportions I specify. I came home early from vacation one time and decided to retrieve her late in the evening, just before closing time at 7 pm. It was truly a suprise visit and she was just beginning to eat. Her meal looked like I prepped it myself.

As for possible health problems picked up in kennels, they can be avoided if the kennel is strict about the health of the dogs they board. Our kennel requires an updated list of all vaccinations and they check every dog for fleas and other nasties as soon as it walks in the door. The place is top notch in my book. The nice thing about kennels is we know without a doubt that the dog is fed, watered, and gets some guaranteed attention.

If anyone lives in North Central MA, the kennel we use Mount Tully Kennels in Orange, MA.