Buying a puppy

[Teenie Bash]

Ok, so we have uprooted our kids and they had to leave their much loved pets behind ( too old etc). We have promised them a dog in the new year. Does anyone have a recommendation for a really top dog seller. Would prefer a young dog/puppy so we can train it up. Would SPCA be good place to start or are they all older dogs? Looking at perhaps a Westie or similar. Would appreciate your thoughts!

[road.not.taken]

Where will you live?

Will you have a helper?

How much time will you spend with the dog?

Will your children take an active role?

How far are you willing to travel?

How much are you willing to spend?

How long are you willing to wait?

Are you familiar with the terrier temperament?

[sundaymorningstaple]

In addidtion to all the excellent point raised by r.n.t. above I only have one to add.

Are you planning to take the dog back to you home of origin when you leave?

[Teenie Bash]

Ok...
Well, we live in a house that has 3 patios and is next to a park. On the East Coast. I don't have a live in helper but have what my mother would call a 'daily'. I don't work so am at home and my kids are 11 and 8 so they are well able to help. I would go anywhere in SG to buy and would spend up to $1,000. Would really like the dog in the new year. And we will def bring back to the uk when we go (whenever that may be!).

[sundaymorningstaple]

SPCA is a good place to start but you won't find too many puppies. However dogs a year or so old are plentiful. Course if you are set on a pedigree of a specific sort you might have a problem but at the same time there are often lots of Pedigreed dogs there as people often buy a puppy but get tired of it taking too much of their time after the cuteness wears off and then it just becomes a noisy yap dog barking all the time trying to get attention that it got as a puppy.

Personally, be very careful of pet shops here as they tend to get their dogs from puppy mills so the pups are of dubious quality sometimes. As my dog died 4 years ago after being with me for 14 years, I cannot really advise you on a good provider of pedigreed pups. Mine was a "Heinz 57" but I loved her anyway as did both of my kids.

You might try calling several of the kennels here as I'm sure they could refer you to some reputable dealers. There are several links for pet Hotel/Vets/kennels on my links page in my signature that may be able to steer you in the right direction. They are on the third column a fair distance down the page.

[Teenie Bash]

Thanks muchly

[Strong Eagle]

Are you familiar with the terrier temperament?

Terriers ought to have their vocal chords removed by law as the lovable little buggers will bark at anything and everything, and every attempt to control the barking will be totally futile... short of whacking it in the head with a 2 x 4 until unconscious.

PS: I live next to one of the little bastids. When I come home from Texas I am seriously thinking of putting about a 3 foot alligator in my luggage, then slipping it over the fence... this should really solve my barking problem.

[bigfilsing]

Oh jeeeeeeze

Life is so complicarted eh?

Lets post on a foum and pretend it an actual realllife issue

Grow up

[road.not.taken]

We have a Westie that was purchased here in Singapore. He is undoubtedly the runt of a litter from an Australian puppy mill -- as I have been told most dogs for sale here are. He is very sweet and although he is fraught with skin troubles he is otherwise healthy. He only barks when he needs to alarm us of something wrong (snakes, monkeys, monitor lizards, kids on the roof, etc...). I'd like to think he was trained properly and he takes his duties as surveillance officer very seriously.

I wouldn't buy a pure bred dog anywhere unless I visited the breeder and spent time with the parents. This is how we were lucky enough to find our lab and when the time comes I will go straight back to his breeder and let another one choose us. It's the best way really and when you're talking about a companion for the next decade, you want to get it right.

If I were you, I'd seriously consider researching breeders in Australia and either go down there and get the dog, or pay Sookee or some other kennel here to import the specific dog for you.

You can also call the SPCA and tell them what you are looking for and visit from time to time. If you have access to the Club bulletin boards around town, there are always people moving who must part with their dogs as well. Good luck!

[maneo]

^ Has Sookee reopened?

Last time I passed by (couple of weeks ago), looked like the storefront on Balestier Road was under renovation.


P.S. Got our dog up in Pasir Ris almost 12 years ago.
As we understand, he originally came from Australia (as noted in general above).
Thought we got a Shih Tzu -- turned out to be a Shih Tzu mixed with Maltese.
Turned out to be adorable anyway.

[road.not.taken]

Not sure Surely they're around some place?

[earthfriendly]

My childhood girlfriend has a yorkie. It is super cute and affectionate and yappity happy. Personally I have no problem with yappings from small dogs though it may drive some people crazy. Since living quaters are in close proximity of one another in SG, it may be a good idea to find out the tolerance level of your neighbors for barking. Or if some "barks" are more acceptable than others .


Just keep your dog out of SE's way .

[Strong Eagle]

Just keep your dog out of SE's way .

I'm getting ready to buy and try one of those anti bark ultrasound devices. Hope it works. The dog next door barks at 5:30 in the morning and at midnight. Anybody/thing walking past the front gate sets it off. Neighbors will not keep it in at night. When the neighbors on the other side complained about the dog, the response was, 'well, your kids are too noisy, too."

[road.not.taken]

The owners should be flogged, not the dogs and in case your neighbors are criminally stupid: dogs and children are actually DIFFERENT. Seriously SE, go after the owners -- not the dog.

[earthfriendly]

SE, don't mean to make light of your plight. Hope the barking problem gets taken care of. I remember you mentioned it a long time ago. Wow, and you put up with it all these time?