Choosing a puppy

Ive done all my research into the cost and eveything now all i need to do is pick a breed or cross breed that wont cost me a small fortune. Wont be getting one till March so plenty of time to choose but their are so many breeds out their its difficult to choose.

Im looking for something in the toy breed catagory or a cross of a similar size and was wondering if people could recomend some breeds and get the opinions of those own dogs in this catagory ^^

Thanks

Hello pippam, there are so many things to consider that really only you can decide.
Is this your first dog?
Remember any dog could cost you a small fortune, not only to buy but also to keep and ongoing costs.
Have you considered a rescue dog? There are so many in rescue centres waiting for adoption.
I expect other members will be along with lots of suggestions in a minute.
Good luck in your search, remember to show us loads of pictures when you finally get your pup

Maybe in the future when im an experienced dog owner i would consider a rescue dog but I guess I want to start out fresh. Ive considered all the costs and im happy to buy a dog for the right price Im mostly after a crossbreed but would love to hear suggestions for pedigrees if people have had good experiences with them, I was really interested in the cavoodle/ Labradoodle designer dogs till I found it they could cost anywhere from £400 up 0.o

What kind of house do you live in? (flat/house/semi detaced etc)
Do you need permission from Land lord (if you have one)
How many hours do you work?
If you work long hours, can some let the dog out for a wee during the day?
Will you be able to insure said dog?
Will you take the time to socalise and train said dog?
Do you have any other pets (ie. Terriers love to chase small furries etc)
How active are you/household?

I would highly reccommend a rescue dog. Ok so you don't know the background/history of the dog but there are so many wonderful dogs looking for a second chance.

If you get a puppy are you prepared to pay for all vaccinations/worming etc? have time to toilet train at all hours of the day? socalise the dog? take it to training classes?

Pups can be much harder work than an adult dog.

The doodle cross breeds you mention are very cute but as you say very expensive too
The last 2 dogs I have rescued have been so easy. They have come ready house trained and with knowledge of all the basic commands.

As you can tell I am a great advocate of animal rescue

I would also go down the rescue route as well. You can get very young dogs in rescue. My border collie was only six months when we got him from Dogs Trust and was the most wonderful dog. He died last year aged 15. Why don't you have a look at Dogs Trust on line (not sure if there is one near you) but will give you an idea of all the ones looking for homes, all sixes, ages and shapes. They also have puppies sometimes as well.

Good luck anyway on what you decide

Im kind of just interested in knowing about toy breeds or breeds of similar size peoples experiences with them so it can help me decide what to get I live in a house and plenty of time and money which ive been saving it will be another two and half months before I buy a puppy so I will have much saved till that.

And I have a large secure back garden im really not interested in rescueing a dog ive been very clever and thought about all the costs and the walking and the grooming and the time it actually takes to look after a dog and yes I have the time.

End of the day these "designer dogs" are almost the same as many cross breeds of dogs that end up in rescues up and down the UK. I would be suspicious if I paid under £400 for pure bred dog, let alone a cross bred one. You will still not know how these cross bred "designer" dogs will turn out; looks/personality etc.

As said, there are young dogs in rescue as well as older dogs, there will almost certainly be a dog that suits your lifestyle and requirements (i.e. most of them seem to be cros bred)

I'm not a fan of toy breeds but I saw a programme recently on MinPins and they seemed to have real personality.

In terms of small dogs - I love Beagles.

Puppies are adorable but dogs don't remain puppies for long. My first dog was a puppy when we got him - eight weeks old.

Now I have a Rescue dog and it's an incredibly interesting and rewarding experience. Since you feel that's not the route for you, I'd recommend just generally looking at pictures of various breeds and then researching them.

You also of course need to be sure that the breeders you go to have done all the relevant health checks on the parents of the litter you're keen on.

Good luck with it - let us know which breed you decide to get