Save on Corgi costs

[Michael Romanos]

Save on Corgi care costs:
TOYS - visit a garage sale and purchase kids stuffed animals (cut out any loose pieces such as button eyes).
Shop for PET SUPPLIES thru wholesale catalogues such as PetEdge.
Do not go cheap on health care. With proper care it will save money in the long term.
Do not go cheap on food. Corgis can eat smaller amounts of a higher quality food whilst lower quality food can lead to future health problems.
RESCUED Corgis are considerably less expensive than Corgis from a breeder.

[LaRogue]

RESCUED Corgis are considerably less expensive than Corgis from a breeder.

I have to respectfully disagree. The in ital purchase price from a reputable breeder may initially cost more than adopting, but you may spend alot more down the line with health care/behavior costs for a corgi that didn't have the health testing, careful selection of parents, and initial nurturing environment reputable breeders provide. Plus, with a reputable breeder you have the added security of being able to return the puppy, if it becomes absolutely necessary, someone to turn to for advise and help, and some may even assist with vet bills from inherited conditions.

There are many good reasons to adopt, but I don't think cost is one of them.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by LaRogue

I have to respectfully disagree. The in ital purchase price from a reputable breeder may initially cost more than adopting, but you may spend alot more down the line with health care/behavior costs for a corgi that didn't have the health testing, careful selection of parents, and initial nurturing environment reputable breeders provide. Plus, with a reputable breeder you have the added security of being able to return the puppy, if it becomes absolutely necessary, someone to turn to for advise and help, and some may even assist with vet bills from inherited conditions.

There are many good reasons to adopt, but I don't think cost is one of them.

I agree with you 100%.

Saying a rescue is better is an Animal Rights thing. They don't want anyone buying from any breeder anywhere. However, where would you get purebreds without breeders?

If you want a quality purebred dog, one where the breeder is there for you, buy a puppy from a reputable breeder who does health testing.

And didn't Taylor come from a well respected reputable breeder? Will your next corgi be a rescue Michael?

Peggy

[Michael Romanos]

I take it that the rescued dog via a shelter would already have been spayed or neutered (since so many pups from breeders get this treatment sooner than later anyway paid for by the new owner), have current vaccinations, are health checked and treated by vets, have been wormed and defleaed.

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

I take it that the rescued dog via a shelter would already have been spayed or neutered (since so many pups from breeders get this treatment sooner than later anyway paid for by the new owner), have current vaccinations, are health checked and treated by vets, have been wormed and defleaed.

Depends on the shelter. Some shelters have all the vet work done pre-taking the dog home. Some may do the vaccinations, require spay and neuter that the owner will have to have done and offer a voucher to the vet to help with that cost. Some shelters, you take what you get and have to have all vet work done yourself. A recent maybe nine month old corgi (her puppies were adopted out earlier) was pulled from a shelter that is really decent in their vet care and work and came down with parvo at her rescuer's home. So even with precautionary vet attention, disease is a reality.

Debbie

[Jane Austen]

During the composition of a very passionate response, weighing in on the side of rescue/adoption I got disconnected. Losing the website and the posting in process. By the time I got back on I couldn't open this thread for two hours. Although I could read every other thread. Does anyone else run into these kinds of problems?
I don't want to go off topic. Just to put my voice toward saving money up front, knowing the arguements on the side of buying from a reputable breeder, and still having a "gut feeling" that some of us can't afford the asking prices. Jane

[LaRogue]

During the composition of a very passionate response, weighing in on the side of rescue/adoption I got disconnected.

I'm not saying people should not adopt. I think adopting and opening up your heart and home to make a needy dog a part of the family is great and a win-win for all concerned! My point is that it's not necessarily going to save you money. While the upfront cost of adopting are less, the costs over the life time of the dog may cost you more without the lifetime perks (for lack of a better word) that are included in the purchase price of the majority of reputable breeders.

I may be wrong, but from the original post, I got the impression that saving money was the reason for the rescue plug. As I said earlier there are many good reasons to adopt, I personally don't believe because it's "cheaper" is one of them.

Losing the website and the posting in process. By the time I got back on I couldn't open this thread for two hours. Although I could read every other thread. Does anyone else run into these kinds of problems?

I have alot of problems with the site, but they are different than the one you're describing.

[glencorgi]

Yes Jane, I've had similar things happen to me trying to get a response on to the list.

Coming from both "supply sides" of corgis, I'll throw in my two cents. What rubbed me the wrong way from the list Michael copied was the insinuation/implication to "bargain shop" for your purebred. I do get inquiries and applications from people like that and in fact have had one not long ago. They wanted a Cardigan, wanted it yesterday and wanted a rescue. In the home they have two small children and a Siberian mix puppy. They contacted me about Max, the double merle deaf Cardi I was fostering and somehow managed to ignore the part that said he wasn't good around larger dogs. Did not heed my concerns as to why Max wasn't a good fit for them, kept wanting to try and needless to say Max didn't go there. We also had a pair of Cardi girls become available and on the basis of their evaluation, personality and temperaments, not dogs for a first time Cardi owner, let alone one with two small children and another puppy. Again, this individual saw no problems and thought they'd work out just fine. They didn't go to this home either, but did go to a wonderful Cardi experienced home who showed beaucoup patience with the incredibly shy one and has the willingness and ability to deal with what these girls need. I know this individual had also been in contact with a few Breeders in the area who did have puppies, older puppies and even some young adults available and who would be willing to work with them on payments. Instead of following up and working with them, the individual instead chose to whine on several corgi lists about not being able to find a Cardigan rescue. Reality is there just aren't that many Cardigan rescues and then finding one that will fit into a particular family dynamics makes things tougher. Impatience and bargain shopping are detrimental to this family finding a Cardigan for their home.

As Peggy said, promoting rescue as the sole source of a purebred dog is an animal rights agenda and anti-breeder. There is no one size fits all. Puppies are not right for every home, Pems are not necessarily right for every corgi wanting home, a Cardigan might be a better fit and vice versa. Rescues are not right for every corgi wanting home. There are homes wanting corgis that the place they need to go is to a responsible, reputable Breeder for all the reasons LaRogue and Peggy mentioned.

IF one is going to a reputable, responsible breed specific rescue group, then one will get many of the same things that one gets when purchasing from a reputable, responsible Breeder. You get a support group with breed knowledge to be there for you for the life of your rescue willing to answer any questions that might come along. You get a corgi matched to the needs/wants/dynamics of your home. Veterinary needs have been addressed and taken care of (shots, spay/neuter, etc.) You also get a first right of refusal, if something should happen and you can't keep your corgi, it comes back to the rescue group. Cost for this is approximately 1/2 the price of a puppy from a breeder. Even at that though, if someone is coming in with a preconceived notion of their "perfect" corgi, well rescue doesn't have them stocked on shelves where we can just add water and fit the order. We have seniors and special needs and young ones that don't do well with children and ones that are dog aggressive; all wonderful and delightful in their own way, but not necessarily right for just any home situation.

If one has made the decision to get a certain breed, then absolutely rescue should be a source for them to research and explore. There are wonderful corgis in rescue (and even a few that would fit right in in any home situation) Paraphrasing LaRogue, there are many good reasons to adopt, but cost shouldn't be the motivating factor. I even hear rescues "cost too much" when the $300 we're asking just breaks us even on the vet bills we've invested in the dog.

I'm lucky to have the majority of my applicants and inquiries wanting rescues for the right motivation and reasons and cost isn't a part of their whys. The "bargain" aspect is what had me unsettled.

Debbie

Debbie

[MyPemCharlie]

I'll agree with others that the purchase price of the dog should not be part of the consideration of cutting corners on cost, or saving money on a Corgi. I also agree that spending a few hundred more for a puppy from a reputable breeder is very likely to save on potential future health/temperament costs.

Rescues here can be adopted for $175, horsey dogs for about $600, and reputable breeder's dogs for $800-$1200. If people are that worried about the price of the dog fitting into the budget, they should probably wait to get any dog. We all know anything can happen beyond anyone's control that has nothing to do with the dog's general health. From an intestinal blockage, to pulled/torn ACL's, to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (recent reference), we can all be faced with an unexpected vet bill in the thousands. If you can't afford the dog, you can't afford the vet bill.

Other than saving money on the price of the Corgi, the first four items noted are pretty good money-saving tips Michael.

[Michael Romanos]

I could well imagine that with some potential Corgi owners, the initial straight up cost of a Corgi is a vital or important factor to whether they can afford a Corgi at the time that they want one. This is where a rescued Corgi comes into it or even an older Corgi for rehoming rather than a pup from a breeder who charges at the top end of the market. - and breeders who do this are not necessarily breeding top quality Corgis. I don't think the situation is bargain hunting as Debbie says. That is her words not those offered among some of the ways to spend less at the start of this thread.

[MyPemCharlie]

Oh. Well if you want to make it a purely lowest dollar, save some bucks topic, then people can pick up a puppy mill dog for $200 or less. Even cheaper than rescue! That way everyone can afford a Corgi at the time they want one, or whenever they scrape up the bucks. They may not have the cash left for immunizations, spay/neuter, or any other routine health care. Things like ear mites, mange, or fleas don't really need treatment. But hey, if they breed the dog and get their $200 back on the litter or stud fee, then the dog is "free". Now that's how to save on Corgi costs....if money is the sole consideration.

Who cares if there is a widespread problem (as you mentioned in another thread) with neglected and abused animals. Certainly not us Americans. We just want immediate gratification at the lowest possible price, even if we can't take good care of what we purchase.

Sarcasm...the next best thing to "Chshhhhhtt!"

[Michael Romanos]

I think the idea of considering a rescued Corgi (and it could be one from a from a puppy mill) or Corgi for rehoming was in comparison with paying top dollars - not at the lower end of the scale. I think the intentions are good.