[science101]

I am looking for a male german shepard puppy. Free. And ready to go. Anyone got any? Female would be OK to.

[mogrann]

Have you checked out your local rescue? There are lots of dogs there waiting for new forever homes. They will have been vet checked, fixed and have all needles.

[Alty]

This isn't craigslist. We're a question and answer site. We don't sell anything on this site, and we do not condone anyone giving away puppies on this site.

Check your local rescue for a dog. It won't be free, but like Mogrann said, there are many dogs there awaiting a home.

If you can't afford the adoption fee, then you can't afford to house and care for a dog.

[Lucky098]

If a dog is free, then there is typically something wrong with it ;) Good dogs don't come cheap.. Even if its $50, its still not free!

Rescues and shelters are a good place to start. Getting an adult dog is easier then a puppy when it comes to rescuing a dog. You know what you're going to get (for the most part).

If you are looking for a *free* dog, then look in the newspapers and craigslist.com.. I'm sure you will rescue some poor dog destine for a miserable life with the "free to good home" tagged to their head...

[science101]

I understand this s not a puppy giving away site but I wanted to know if there were any good sites... Im not looking for someone to give me a puppy. Thanks for you guys's help. ( Morgan and lucky09) :)

[Alty]

i understand this s not a puppy giving away site but i wanted to know if there were any good sites........ Im not looking for someone to give me a puppy. Thanks for you guys's help. ( Morgan and lucky09) :)

What you have to understand is that the dog experts on this site do not condone backyard breeding. The only sites giving away free dogs are backyard breeder or owners that just want to get rid of their dogs.

There are tons of ads giving away dogs. If that's what you're looking for, just Google in your area and you'll have plenty to choose from.

The way you worded your post it sounded like you wanted someone on this site to give you a puppy. If that's not what you meant, I apologize. Sadly I can only go by what's written.

[science101]

Look no offence and I mean NO OFFENCE but I took a lot of offence to what you said to me. By saying that if I could not afford the dog itself then I should not have one? I don't have 2000 dollars on a dog that's going to die in 9 years. Not everybody has that's much money. Look I understand that you are an expert on this site but what you said was rude. Off this site you are like everybody else. Like I said no offence. Have a nice day :)

[shazamataz]

I think the point here is that to provide adequate care for a dog it costs a lot of money.

The average life span of a well bred German Shepherd is 12+ years.
If you buy a cheap dog that is exactly what you are going to get. The main reason reputable breeders charge so much is the amount of work that goes into breeding them.

They do genetic health testing on the dogs and take x-rays of the hips and elbows all before breeding to give the puppies the best chance at a long, healthy life.

By buying a cheap dog, or getting a free dog, you can almost guarantee it wouldn't have the health testing done on the parents, meaning the dog is much more prone to health issues later in life that can be very expensive to treat.
Surgery for hip displaysia is in the thousands of dollars just on its own.

In addition to that the average cost of a medium sized dog for it's lifetime is in the vicinity of $10,000.
Once you factor in food, vaccinations, worming, beds, toys, vet visits etc etc each year they can be quite costly.
And if you are buying a dog that cannot fend for itself, you are its sole provider, you owe it to spend the money on its care.

I hope that explains why we say there's no such thing as a free dog.

[NeedKarma]

By saying that if I could not afford the dog itself then I should not have one?

That sounds about right. Also don't have a child if you can't afford one.

[Wondergirl]

By saying that if I could not afford the dog itself then I should not have one?

That's correct. Even shelters charge money to adopt. That money pays for the care they have given the animal, any neutering, all shots and vet exams. As a cat owner, I know it costs money to own an animal -- vet bills, food, equipment and toys, litter, end-of-life costs later. I would imagine the costs are even higher for a dog, even if it's "just" a mutt.

[Alty]

Look no offence and I mean NO OFFENCE but I took a lot of offence to what you said to me. By saying that if I could not afford the dog itself then I should not have one? I dont have 2000 dollars on a dog thats going to die in 9 years. Not everybody has thats much money. Look I understand that you are an expert on this site but what you said was rude. Off this site you are like everybody else. Like I said no offence. Have a nice day :)

I stand by that part of my post. If you can't afford to buy a dog, even at a shelter, then you shouldn't have a dog. The cost to adopt will be a lot less then the cost to care for the dog. If you can't afford the adoption fee, how can you afford the food, shots, supplies, etc. etc.

You said you don't have $2000 on a dog that's going to die in 9 years. Trust me, you'll spend way more then $2000 on the dog in it's lifespan. If something goes medically wrong, you could spend that much in vet bills in just one visit.

I won't apologize for not agreeing that you should get a dog if you can't afford one.

[Lucky098]

Science101, there are plenty of free dogs in this world that are perfectly fine, you just have to sit and wait and be very picky on what you're getting. Like I said before, free dogs aren't always free... there is typically a lot of baggage coming with them, and that doesn't exclude medical.

Not everyone needs a high dollar, top of the line dog. Not everyone can afford $2000 all at once, but can do the right thing medically. You just have to be extra smart on what vet you use, what procedures you allow and to keep things cheap, catch all illnesses asap. That's what I do.. And I can't afford a $2000 dog...

Please look into rescue. There are a lot of great, top of the line dogs that were abandoned looking for new homes. There is a fee, but you are getting a dog that needs no routine medical attention for at least a year... Get an insurance plan.. A great idea that was posted on this website.. Set up a savings acct, find out how much your dog would cost per month for doggie health insurance, and put it in a savings acct. That prices is typically $100 or less.

Visit Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder and see what is available in your area for GSDs.. I know you're looking for a type of dog, but dogs do find their owners.. you just need to look.

Please don't be discouraged by the reputable breeder speech.. Go through a rescue and save a life.

[mogrann]

Sheltar. I bought my dog from a breeder. I paid $2000 for him and he is 14 months old. Here is a breakdown for his expenses so far.

Dog food (TBH I don't know the cost hubby picks it up) $50.00 monthly
Special shampoo for allergies $50.00 for a bottle
Needles and checkups $300.00 (had to go in three times)
Register dog with city $46.62
Neutering, getting X-rays to check for Elbow displesia due to a limp $1072.15
Getting checked for a fall he had and stuff for his ears $112.22
Recheck after his fall to see if his leg improved and more medication for his ear $113.69
Dog obedience classes $100.00 (don't have receipt for that so estimating on that one)
Leashes, dishes kennels etc $250.00
Saving money for surgery for his elbow displesia $1500.00
Saving money in case he needs operation for his ligaments $1500.00
I have probably forgot some stuff all of Owen's medical problems are documented when they happened on here. I post a lot about my dog. Please don't think you get a dog and there is no added expense. Owens last fall when he hurt his ligaments happened when he was running and playing.That is all he was doing.

He also has to go in when he is two for more X-rays to check for hip displesia. Yes he HAS to, it is in the breeders contract. Well I would anyway.

Having a dog is not cheap. I don't want to discourage you from getting a dog but I don't want you to think it is all rainbows and sunshine. It can be expensive.

What has Owen given me. He has given me love, and at times a reason for living. He is my boy and I love him so much. I will do anything for him. I can not picture my life without him even with the $5000.00 in vet bills, training and accessories that I have spent on him so far.

[Lucky098]

Not to sound rude, Mogrann, but you have a special needs dog.. That's not run of the mill vet work...

[mogrann]

That does not sound rude at all Lucky. Now to explain my purpose in my post.

I wanted the person to see what the potential cost is when you get a puppy. You have no idea if he is going to have health issues or not. The potential is there. Now if you rescue an older dog from the shelter the risk would be less that there would be unknown medical problems.
If you would have told me when I got Owen that I would spend 5000 in his first year on him, I would have thought you were crazy. I will admit I was not knowledgeable, in fact I am still learning everyday. I am hoping to help people realize what they can or can not afford but still get a pet.

[Wondergirl]

Not to sound rude, Mogrann, but you have a special needs dog.. Thats not run of the mill vet work...

One doesn't always know if the rescued or purchased dog will turn out to have special needs.

[Lucky098]

And I completely understand your point.. But people don't purchase dogs hoping for the worse. I'm just not a fan of giving people the bad news before the good. Every dog has a potential to drain the bank financially.. I also fail to believe that people who can't afford a $2000 papered/pedigreed dog can't afford vet care. I know of a very wonderful family that had to take out a loan to adopt one of our rescue pups. He can't afford a $300 dog, but he can afford cancer surgery on his old boy, which was well over $5g. Priorities change as life moves forward. Its unfair to fault someone for not wanting to get the best of the best. The OP just wants a friend.. not a show dog.

My Dog bill and how I save $$:

Food twice a month at $50/bag = $100/monthly.
Shampoo... Maybe $15/bottle if I feel like spending money.
Vet Care.. I don't vax for parvo/distemper after 1yr booster.. and if I did, I do it myself. I don't need a vet to do it and charge me $30/shot plus exam charge-- Rabies $25 with exam maybe $60.. but I only vax for rabies every 3 years.
Spay/Neuter -- I'm not made of money. I'm not going to spend top dollar for a spay.. I waited until spay/neuter discounts came through.. or I go to the spay/neuter clinic. I only have one dog, so that cost is $30-$80 ONCE..
I do my own worming.. and yes you can too.. It's the same stuff the vet clinics carry..
Training classes can be expensive, but shop around. Just because someone charges a lot of money, doesn't mean they are good.
Crates and what not.. one time purchase. And that's if the OP believes in crating. Some people don't, they rather have their dog with them 24/7.. So I suppose that cost may or may not be apart of this venture.
Toys, leashes.. bowls.. That is the cheap stuff and the part of having fun owning a dog.

Not everyone is made of money and even the people who fork over $2000 or more on a dog don't have the cash to put into vet work. It is all based on priority and how important that new friend becomes over the years.

Purchasing a dog, either from a shelter, rescue, "free to good home" ads, reputuable breeder, back yard breeder or the puppies being sold at Wal-Mart on christmas is all a coin toss. There is not guarantee even if there is a paper stating so.

I love my dogs and I love knowing their history, background and lineage. To me, that is important, and to many other people it is too.. but some people just want pets. And some people don't believe in putting a high price on an animal. This is something I had to learn and accept. Don't just hammer people with the negative.. Educate them and steer them in the right direction... That is all I did when my vet was hell bent on purchasing puppies and bringing them home at 6 weeks.. I told him all the negative effects of a young puppy and he has agreed to bring them home at 8wks. I feel pretty accomplished... I didn't brow beat him, talk down to him and be a "dog snob".. I just laid out the facts and it worked. I guess life is humbling me to not jump to conclusions ;) Just my own personal experience...

[Lucky098]

Oh.. and.. if the OP is tight on cash and doesn't want to expect high vet bills, then research breeds and get a breed that is relatively healthy. GSDs are not healthy breeds. They have back problems and hip problems. A lot of research goes into finding the breeders that have clear hips for generations.. and even then its not a guarantee.

My pointers are a very healthy breed. No skin problems, bone/joint problems.. They can get a little epileptic, but its not genetic and research is going into it blaming on obesity of the dog and bad food...

Sooo...

Good food = healthy dog

There are many other breeds out there that don't have genetic problems. American Kennel Club - akc.org.. Start there and see what you like and what fits your lifestyle.

[Cat1864]

Lucky, just to clarify something. Are you suggesting that someone who doesn't know where the needle should go in and how deep is qualified to vacinate their own animals?

[Lucky098]

Dog shots are subq and there are diagrams and pictures on the back of all shot packages

I did my own shots LOONNGG before I was taught anything in VT school... And.. If you are interested in doing your own vax, you can always go in for your routine vet visit and ASK THE DOCTOR how to vaccinate for future purposes..

IM (into the muscle) I would not recommend.. You can hit nerves and what not...

And if there was a huge qualification for Subq shots, they would not be sold in feed stores for the general public to purchase.

There is a way around all your negative wall blocks ;)