Cheap Does Not Mean Compromise

Meet Danger Dog.  He is our 7 year old Chinese Crested.  The Chinese Crested dog is one of my all time favourite dog breeds.  Lively, intelligent, and sociable they are very easy to love.  Not to mention they look like ponies.  Who can resist a pony dog?

Once upon a time we would buy a dog for $1200.  I kid you not, twelve hundred dollars!  (Is it just me or does “I kid you not” have so much more weight than “I’m not kidding”?)  But when we went out shopping to buy Danger we set a much more modest budget of $100.  Not only that but this dog would already be fixed, have all shots, and come with a health guarantee.  A pretty tall order considering our previous history in dog buying.

Enlisting the assistance of my sister we searched online for weeks.  My sister found him, a retired show dog that the breeder was looking to find a home for.  At the breeder’s we learned that he had a list of health testing done that was as long as my arm, he had already been neutered, and his vaccinations were all up to date.  Above and beyond that he was already trained and very well socialized.  What more could one ask for in a dog?  Except that he be utterly adorable, play fetch like a pro, and steal your heart at first sight.  Danger did all of this.  Once the breeder was satisfied we would provide a good home for him she sent him home with us for the small fee of $100, which would go towards changing his CKC registration into my name.

We have had him for a year and a half now and can’t imagine life without him.  He makes us laugh everyday and is our little Velcro dog that just loves to be near us.  Even while I type he is sucked up beside me dozing.  How does our cheap dog compare to our expensive ones?  He has less issues and better health.  We did not have him during the puppy stage, but that counts as a benefit for me since it takes a lot of time and energy to house train a puppy.  Even though he was 6 years old when we bought him we still gave him a name of our choosing and he responds to it as if he had it since birth.

For those who want a dog adopting a retired show dog is a great option.  There are also all sorts of rescues out there that have adult dogs to check out too.  However, you want to be sure you can handle any issues the dog may come with.  For those who need it to be a puppy they might want to ask themselves what they will do when that puppy becomes a dog.