Since we lost tiny Chloe in March, Georgina has been a lonely girl with no one to play with and the only contact she has with other dogs is when we go to training. So mum has decided for her first birthday next month she'll be getting a new sister. But how to go about choosing a another dog when there are so many wonderful breeds to choose from? After some thought I decided to look at all the profiles for small to medium dogs on Breedia (thank you Azz for a marvellous site ), bearing in mind size, which has to be smaller than a Shar-Pei but not tiny, and temperament which must be compatible with Georgie's. In the end I had a shortlist of dogs which I felt would be suitable for both of us .... French Bulldog ... Miniature Schnauzer ... Pug ..... Puli. I have to admit the French Bulldog was top of my list as I love "smushy" faced dogs! I then did a search for suitable breeders and was excited when I found one with two 5 month old females for sale. "Ideal" thinks I and sent them an email asking if the pups were still available and how much they were asking for them. On Saturday I got a reply ..... and a very big shock! The breeder is asking £3000 for each puppy .... yes Three Thousand Pounds! Well one thing's for certain, Georgie won't be having a French Bulldog for a sister. I'm now looking at my second choice, a Miniature Schnauzer. On Sunday I spoke to our trainer who has two Giant Schnauzers and a 10 month Miniature. She was telling me a puppy from a reputable breeder costs around £800, and she's going to contact the breeder she bought her dog from to see if she has any puppies available. I'll know more on Sunday.
i love frenchies and they are my dream dog, but even from breeders that advertise in the free papers with out health testing its around £1500 for a puppy i didnt even bother to contact a breeder after that and the one i spoke to at crufts said she wouldnt let me have a pup as she only sells to show homes due to that fact they only have 2/3 pups she was saying that meant her dog would only have a maximum of 12 pups in her whole life and she wanted them all in the ring. So ive kind of given up on that idea unless my financial situation changes dramatically
Have you contacted a French Bulldog rescue home, a lot of these specific breed rescue homes have puppies, not sure what they charge but am guessing lot less then 3 thousand pounds
There is a breeder of Frenchies near here - and I am always staggered at the price. Cheapest I've seen them is £1700, others are £3000. What about Boston Terriers?
Ive tried a few times to speak to people at the breed club and breed rescue and have no luck. I was told at crufts not to bother as there snobs. Will no doubt try again when im actively looking
I do love pugs but will never own one, not that I don't want to just not having any more dogs (unless a white GSD pup young bitch turns up) once the 6 I already got goes to rainbow bridge, I am going to enjoy my retirement by going out every day without having to hurry back to let dogs out.
Lovely shortlist Barbara! I love Frenchies too tho didn't know they were that much! Puli sounds like a good choice too, we don't get to see many of them here!
An update on the progress we've made choosing the perfect friend for Georgina. You might remember on our shortlist we had a French Bulldog, a Miniature Schnauzer, a Puli and a Pug. As the French Bulldog had been crossed off the list due the price, at Janet's suggestion I looked at Boston Terriers instead, only to find that all the breeders had waiting lists of of up to 2 years and I don't want to wait that long! Last week I emailed Miniature Schnauzer, Puli and Pug breeders asking if they had puppies for sale. To date haven't received a single reply ???? In the meantime I spoke to good friend of mine telling her I was thinking about getting a Puli which she advised against, as she says coping with their dreadlocks as well as all the "debris" they carry into the house on their coats is a full time job in itself! So they have now been crossed of the list. On Sunday after class I spoke to Georgie's trainer about which would be better as a playmate for my girl .... a Pug or a Miniature Schnauzer. Naturally as a Schnauzer owner she was in favour of the breed, but made the valid point that Schnauzer's are far healthier than Pugs and having spent the past ten months practically living at the vets with Georgie I don't fancy a repeat performance with a Pug puppy! So it's been settled .... our new addition to the family will be a Miniature Schnauzer. After a long discussion with the trainer we came to the conclusion that because Georgie is an anxious dog with a strong personality, to minimise any rivalry it would be better for her to have a brother rather than a sister which is a bit scary for me as I've never owned a male dog before .... ah well, I'll just have to live and learn! At my request she phoned a breeder she knows who only sells his dogs to people who have been recommended by other Schnauzer owners. £800 for an FCI registered puppy including microchipping and vaccination. He's very willing to help choose the right puppy for Georgie when the time comes as I think it's important for her to be spayed and have her final eye operation before we bring an new dog into the house, which will be at the end of this month. I'm getting excited now and the more I think about it the more I'm certain that a Miniature Schnauzer is the best choice for both Georgie and me!
Good luck Barbara - not only with the possible new addition but with Georgie's spaying and her final eye operation!
You must be so excited! I'm sure a Min Schnauzer will be perfect for you. There are a few round here - Miniatures and Standards, and they are all lovely fun dogs. I once knew a Giant one, he was gorgeous.
oh how exciting, ive fallen in love with a giant schnauzer at work, theres 3 of them but i have a soft spot for the 18 month old girl. she wears a little ribbon in her hair and its so silly its cute
To give you an update on what's been happening since my last post! A few days after Kinga, Georgie's trainer spoke to the breeder, I contacted him and told him all about Georgina's anxiety issues and outlined the temperament of the dog I felt would be best for her. Robbie said after speaking to Kinga he'd looked at all his young dogs and already had a little man in mind that he felt would be suitable. He's 7 months old with a calm laid back personality. He's socialised with the other dogs and people working at Robbie's kennels. He's house trained, used to walking on a leash and sleeps in a crate at night Couldn't be more perfect for me but whether Miss Pei Face agrees I'll only find out when we go to the kennels where Georgie will get to meet him. Both Kinga and my vet tell me I'm worrying too much because despite all the problems with her eyes she's never had a problem mixing with other dogs. So next Sunday, providing its not pouring with rain or too hot, after training we'll go to the kennnels to meet the new man in our life. If he and Georgie click then as soon as I've paid for him we can bring him home .... his crate is already waiting in the living room. In all the conversations we've had I'd completely forgotten to ask what colour he was .... he's black ... I've never owned a black dog before, so am delighted. He hasn't got a name either which suits me fine because with Georgina being named after baby Prince George I want to keep the Royal theme so unless the name doesn't suit him we're going to call him Gwylim which is Welsh for William!
Barbara - every time you refer to gorgeous Georgina as Miss Pei Face it makes me laugh! You should, of course, refer to her as Princess Pei Face, as she is named after royalty!
Good luck with your new prince,I bet your very excited, their beautiful dogs..and full of character..Maybe the name Harry might suit ! He seems a cheeky royal
Good luck this weekend - I hope your handsome price is all you have imagined, and more! Looking forward to seeing his picture.
