Costs of dogs

[Mvcode3]

Im a 21year old senior in college renting a small house with 4 other guys. I have the option to get a 7 week old housebroken rottweiler/German shepard puppy mix. Whats a ballpark on costs/problems with a puppy? We dont own a anything nice (half of us are grinding it out at 3/6 or 5/10)and of couse we have a no pet clause in our rental agreement. Would I be compleatly retarded to get one ?

[tonypaladino]

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Im a 21year old senior in college renting a small house with 4 other guys. I have the option to get a 7 week old housebroken rottweiler/German shepard puppy mix. Whats a ballpark on costs/problems with a puppy? We dont own a anything nice (half of us are grinding it out at 3/6 or 5/10)and of couse we have a no pet clause in our rental agreement. Would I be compleatly retarded to get one ?

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yes

[edfurlong]

I'm going to go with yes.

I got a dog with some roomates my sophmore year. I love the little [censored] but its a long term commitment if you aren't a bastard. It will impact where you can live. Your schedule will revolve around it later. It seems like fun, but you probably have no clue where you will be next year.

[MrPokerPants]

If it is 7 weeks old it probably isn't housebroken.

[peachy]

if ur barely making it now dont get one and especially if it violates your lease then NO...the cost of a dog properly cared for is not cheap. Food, vet bills, care items, toys, treats (100s a year just on the vet bills alone with REQUIRED shots)...it also requires alot of attention almost equal to that of a small child. U cant just go out of town when u feel like it and u will be stuck with the dog for 7+ years thus when your out of college u will have to consider where u are going to live based on the pet u have with u. They are great to have...but the dog u are gettin is large and requires even more care. If the general things u will have to give up and the costs are less of a concern in comparison to wanthing the dog then get it...but realize the commitment alone is a ton.

Just know that taking in a puppy is almost the equivalent of having a new baby to take care of.

[Brom]

I'm guessing he doesn't have any newborn babies in the house to make this comparison to.

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I'm guessing he doesn't have any newborn babies in the house to make this comparison to.

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Don't be a wiseass, you both know what I mean.

P.S. Is wiseass one word or two when used in my context?

[Brom]

Hyphenating is the safest bet IMO.

That was my second guess. Should have been my first.

[Nick-Zack]

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7 week old housebroken rottweiler/German shepard puppy mix.

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Yikes - he is going to eat one of you.

[CORed]

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we have a no pet clause in our rental agreement. Would I be compleatly retarded to get one ?

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That would be a yes. If your rental agreement says no pets, your will get thrown out or be forced to give away the dog when the landlord catches on.

Also: A seven week old pup is probably not completely housebroken. Even if it has the basic idea, at that age they don't have much bowel or bladder control, and if left alone for more than an hour or too, they will have an "accident". Also, puppys chew on things. Especially if they are left alone and get bored. They often don't outgrow this until they are a year or two old, and by this time they are big enough and have strong enough jaws to a lot of damage. Crate training can do a lot to help with both problems. Even a puppy won't soil a confined space if it can help it, and it will keep them from chewing on things. But with a young pup, don't leave it crated for morw than a few hours.

Another consideration: A German Shephard-Rottweiler mix will grow up to be a big, strong, and likely agressive dog. Both breeds tend to be very protective of their territory and their people. Unless you have a fenced yard with at least a 6 foot fence (and 6 feet may not be enough) don't even think about getting this dog. It will escape, and could be dangerous if it runs loose. If you leave it chained up in an unfenced yard, you can just about guarantee it will get mean. Also, this dog will need to be well trained. Unless you have a lot of experience with dogs, and know how to train and control a big, strong dog, this is probably not a good dog for you.

Vet expenses: You are looking at one or two hundred for shots, anothe hundred or so for spay or neuter (which you definitely should do). If the dog gets sick or hurt, it could be several hundred more. Food: Probably the least expense, but it's there. I don't really have a good estimate.

On balance, the no pets clause in your lease is reason enough not to do this. If you want a dog, find a lanlord that allows them. There are some, you just have to look harder. Also, as I've said, A German Shephard Rottweiler mix is not a good dog for a beginner. Both breeds can get very agressive in defending territory or people, and if your not careful, they may bite somebody. If that happens, you will probably have to put the dog down and are likely to get sued on top of that. I would start with a lab or golden if you want a big dog. Rotty's and German Shephards can be great dogs, but you have to know what your doing and train them well, or they cna be dangerous.

[JonPKibble]

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Im a 21year old senior in college renting a small house with 4 other guys. I have the option to get a 7 week old housebroken rottweiler/German shepard puppy mix. Whats a ballpark on costs/problems with a puppy? We dont own a anything nice (half of us are grinding it out at 3/6 or 5/10)and of couse we have a no pet clause in our rental agreement. Would I be compleatly retarded to get one ?

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This is a joke, right?

[Brainwalter]

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Just know that taking in a puppy is almost the equivalent of having a new baby to take care of.

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This is a joke, right?