Nerve Endings Firing Away

It has been more than a week since we got Lucy and she has settled in nicely in our home. She is already comfortable with us and shows no signs of previous distress. Her favorite game right now is tearing around the apartment after clearing the obstacle course that is our sofa and chair with me in full pursuit. It usually ends with both of us panting heavily and gasping for breath. Initially she didn’t fancy the couple of toys we had got her but now is earnestly gnawing at the rubber bone and carrying her tennis ball to her favorite spot under the bed. Her other favorite pastime is staring out our apartment window and going crazy whenever anyone passes by especially with another dog. I’m sure there are some of you out there who are on the fence regarding getting a dog so I hope to alleviate your apprehensions by listing our costs involved in the process of adopting Lucy. Ash gave a first-look at our adoption process and I hope to add a more detailed version focusing on the needs and cost.

Buying versus Adopting?

Unless you are extremely picky about pure breeds and are planning on participating in dog shows, I suggest you adopt a dog from your local shelter. Apart from the low cost involved, it gives you the satisfaction of providing a loving home to pets who were cast out of their previous home for a variety of reasons. Dogs forgive and forget their unpleasant experiences quickly and easily warm up to their new parents. So unless the dog was involved in prize fighting a la Michael Vick, there are no real dangers in adopting a pet. Given the fact that you adopt from a well known shelter, all dogs will be screened for unruly temperament, ill health, or any other undesirable traits. Fortunately or unfortunately, animals with any serious problems are put down and not offered for adoption.

However before adopting (or buying), you must read up on the dog’s temperament, growth, and exercise patterns. Some dogs need lot of attention and exercise while others are fine as couch potatoes. If you are getting a puppy, be mindful of the simple fact that like all living things, dogs grow. Beware of the size and weight of the adult and plan accordingly. Dogs have been abandoned or put down because the owners didn’t realize they would grow so large. Wikipedia is an excellent resource or you can always google your dog’s breed to know more.

Impact Foundation (from which we adopted Lucy) places all incoming animals in foster homes so they already get the experience of an home environment as opposed to the sometime crowded environs of a shelter. Yet shelters in America are well maintained and are generally free of any problems you might generally associate them with. The adoption fee was $120 which includes spaying and neutering, rabies vaccination, heartworm examination, and micro-chipping. Spaying and neutering reduces the chances of any serious health risks in dogs. Rabies and heartworm, two of the most common illnesses for dogs are taken care of, and so is micro-chipping which is the process of inserting a microchip underneath the skin of the pet for identification in case it is lost.

If you are buying a dog, not only do you pay top dollar but also have to bear the initial costs that I just describes. Skipping them often is not an option and taken individually; they can add up and will definitely exceed the adoption fee.

Pet Deposit and Fees

If you live in an apartment complex, you may have a height and weight restriction for your pets. Certain breeds like Alsatians, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans due to their attack capabilities and aggressive behavior are not allowed at all. In our apartment complex, we are liable for a $200 pet deposit refundable unless your pet wrecks havoc and a one-time $100 fee. If you have your own house, then it is no problem. Of course fencing your backyard and making it escape-proof can cost you that much or more.

Buying the Essentials

The essential needs for a dog either in a home or an apartment are food, water, collar & leash, crate, and toys.

The Crate

The crate or a kennel is probably the one thing here that I found different in the way we keep dogs in India. When you are not at home or at night, the dog is supposed to be kept in a crate. You might find it unusually cruel to cage your dog and trust me, it took a while for me to accept it as well but using a crate is neither cruel not unusual. Dogs are den animals so after proper training they actually like snuggling up in their crate at night. You can line them with a soft mattress and place toys inside to keep the dog comfortable and occupied. You get crates in different sizes depending on the size of the dog. Given how small Lucy is, we use a crate like the one shown in the image with 24″L X 18″W X 19″H dimensions. According to her foster parents, she was crate trained and so far we have had no problems with her using the crate. Additionally, the other advantage of using a crate is that your dog will not destroy your furniture and other belongings in your absence and also will not poop or pee in the place it sleeps. As long as you crate your dog for 8 hours or less, it will not ‘go to the bathroom’ inside. Of course, you must take the dog out to take care of its business before you crate it for the night or when you leave for work. A crate will cost you anywhere between $50 – $90 depending on the size.

Collar and Leash

The collar and the leash is another important accessory and you get good cheap ones at Petco or Petsmart for less than $10. Don’t go for unnecessary fashion accessories or bling collars because your dog could care less and if you insist on having shocking pink collar studded with diamonds understand that you are doing it mostly for yourself. Given a choice, a dog would run amok collar- and leash-free so if you want to keep your dog, keep the collar on and always have it on a leash when you are outside. No matter how obedient and well trained your dog is, it takes only a slight distraction to run across the road and meet with a serious accident; after all it is an animal and sighting that rabbit or a cat is the only thing on its mind.

Food

Whatever you decide to skimp on, food is something you should not. There are hundreds of brands and options out there and given the recent case of pet food poisoning, it is not worth saving a few dollars. We’ve opted for Purina Pro Plan which cost us $13 for a big bag and is expected to last a month. Wal-Mart is the best place to get cheap brand pet food. The first item in the list of ingredients should list the meat (chicken, lamb, etc) in its pure form instead of a substitute. Consult your veterinarian if you are not sure of what brand you should go for. We went with the choice of Lucy’s foster parents as we didn’t want to change her food. The amount you should feed your pet is usually listed on the bag which also tells you how often you should feed it. We feed Lucy once a day apart from giving her other treats and doggie biscuits throughout the day. Never feed her scraps from the table or let her lick your plate. Human food especially that cooked with masalas might prove to be fatal. Don’t feel guilty by those longing eyes when you sit for dinner; telling them to sit or lie down firmly and not giving them scraps usually sends the message. Grapes, raisins, and chocolate are poisonous to a dog so be very careful there. Take the bowl away as soon as the dog is done eating. Don’t let it keep leftovers to eat at a later time.

Provide clean and dechlorinated water in a separate bowl. Usually tap water will suffice but giving filtered water (from your Brita jug) is better. You can either give them water at few times during the day or keep the bowl accessible so that they can drink when they want to. But doing the latter might make the dog want to pee a lot more so it is better to regulate its drinking habits as well i.e. giving water after food or after walks. We were keeping a bowl of water handy at all times but Lucy has peed inside the house a couple of times now so we are reconsidering that decision.

It is better to discipline the dog so that it eats and drinks from bowls kept inside its crate. That way, it is more likely to keep it clean and not spill any. The food and water bowl again should not cost you more than $10 each unless you want a golden one. Ceramic and steel ones are popular options.

Treats and Toys

Treats are small food items that you can give to your dogs as a reward for doing something you want them to. Generally used to train them to obey commands or for toilet training, you get such treats in a variety of forms that include small bits of processed meat to doggie biscuits. I’ve been using small treats to train Lucy to follow the sit, stay, and come commands. We usually give her the biscuits that you can buy by the pound at your local Petco to help tide her over until her next mealtime. Other forms of treats are what you call as rawhides. They come in all shapes and sizes but mostly in form of bones that gives the dogs good chewing practice and are an absolute must for teething. Lucy loves to (playfully) gnaw at my fingers when we play so I give her a rawhide that usually tends to curb such behavior and keeps her busy for a while. We haven’t yet experimented a whole lot with treats and toys so cannot comment much. Depending on your needs, you can spend about $20 per month; more if you pamper your dog but be careful of disturbing their food habits lest you make them obese. A dog never refuses food so it is up to you to keep control regardless of how cute it may seem begging for food.

Visit to the veterinarian and other health concerns

One of our top concerns was the seemingly prohibitive healthcare cost given how much humans shell out in this country. In India, the vet made house calls equipped with his bag of shots and medicines and hardly cost anything extra. But it turns out that pet healthcare is not that expensive in the U.S. Since the initial vaccinations were taken care of by the shelter, we didn’t have to do much. We took Lucy to the vet the very next day (the shelter requires you make a vet visit within a month of adoption) and she was given a clean bill of health. We got her the booster shot for rabies and bought her monthly heartworm medicine. The country registration tag which is compulsory where we live was also obtained from the vet. All included, the visit cost us a mere $90 and our next visit barring any serious emergencies would be only after a year. We explored the option of pet insurance and even talked to few dog owners but came away with the impression that it isn’t really necessary and makes little financial sense. Surgeries and other major illness although cost a bit more than in India aren’t that frequent and depends on the breed. Moreover, the deductible for pet insurance is $100 and excludes almost certain illnesses that target certain breeds e.g. Dachshunds are known to have hip and back problems. Insurance goes up drastically as the pets grow older which is when they need the most care. So why pay all that premium when you won’t be making an efficient use of it?

So as you see, depending on the perfect size and breed suitable to your needs, a dog need not be prohibitively expensive. But of course, you cannot put a price tag on all the joy it gives you over its lifetime. After all, there is a reason Josh Grogan’s Marley & Me and James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Wise and Wonderful remain one of my favorite books. If you end up adopting a pet after reading this or after any other positive feedback from someone else, remember to drop a line to share your experience.