Bonehead

I'm looking at getting a GSD puppy and I know there's a few owners on Scoobynet so I'm after some advice on what sort of genuine costs I'll be looking at for the dog

Eg What would I be looking at paying out for food and what sort of insurance should I go for, and from whom?

I've been after a GSD for a very long time and have been doing penty of homework.

I'm speaking to a few local breeders but I'd appreciate some cost info from those in the know

Lee247

Do you know, I have never noticed how much he costs, food wise. I just get his mixer and meat when I do my shopping. For such a big dog, he does not eat a lot, really.
I have him insured with More Than, I think it's about £20 a month. You can get much cheaper but I have the highest Vet fee cover etc, that I could get. Might seem extreme but gives me peace of mind. Flea treatment and worming isn't cheap and injections, but I have a monthly payment plan with the Vet, so again, I hardly notice the cost.
He's almost 6 now, daft as a brush, a great protector and a pleasure to own. Except when he knows it's playtime in the garden and he goes crackers
I think he is about 2 in this pic, not changed much though.

Mugs

iTrader: (7)

i have a long haired GSD bitch who is now 7.
i also have a siberian huskey. between them they get through a bag of morrisons or tescos own brand food a week (approx £3 to £4 a week)
i have them both insured with petplan which started off at approx £20 each per month but has gone up each year and is now approx £28 each per month.
the GSD is a lovely breed of dog, daft as a brush and really soft but will see of anyone who isn't welcome
hope it helps.

ScoobyWon't

At the risk of starting a war, everyone I know, bar Lee, avoids More Than like the plague. They don't like to pay out.

Vets aren't allowed to recommend insurers due to the FSA. Apparently all pet insurance is going up at the moment.

We were initially with Vetsmedicover, but they've just asked for an extra £10 a month, so we're probably moving soon. Tesco are asking half of the new price.

A breeder will recommend a food, it's worth searching online as prices can vary greatly. My Newfoundland is on Purina Pro Plan Robust puppy, which varies between £35 and £55 for 15kg. He's on that as for the first two years he's growing at a fast rate, but after the first two years, he'll most likely go on to something cheaper.

It's worth reading the contents of each food type to see what is actually in it and comparing.

The dog will probably be the cheapest bit - it's the estate car for him which will hit your pocket

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

A subject close to my heart........lol............

Our GSD is on the Barf diet and costs £7 a week,that includes mixer and supplement...

Our insurance is £12 a month,but just cant remember who with at the moment..I will check and update....

Superb dogs in every way...Be prepared for long walks and sleepness nights....My advice is to socialise your dog as much as possible from an early age.Go to training classes and make him/her obedient and well mannered...
There are so many GSD's in rescues as they are hard work and too much for some people,but so rewarding when you get it right...

billythekid

My gsd bitch eats about 15kg of dry food (James Well beloved) every 4 to 6 weeks. That's currently about £42 per 15kg bag.

On top of that she gets some kind of fish twice a week, and some minced beef after a particularly hard training session. She is a working dog and burns a lot of her food off. Can't tell you the cost for the other bits of food because the wife just gets it when shopping but i guess another £20 a month.

If you have unlimited budget for food use royal canin gsd they do a puppy and senior. Mine did not really like it so we moved over to JW. They can have quite sensitive guts!

I also use bionic biotic which is a digestive and fitness aid. That's £30 for about 3 or 4 months worth. Other costs, toys, lots of toys! I do a lot of training with my dog and there is always new kit to buy, stuff that needs replacing.

my advice is to get your dog out in public at 8 weeks and get him / her around all other dogs. Avoid the hold my jacket mentality and just let him / her get into everything they can. I have had lots of dogs and gsds are the hardest to get socialised, imho. You have to get it right in the first 24 weeks of life after that its almost impossible to change bad traits. Can be done but very hard.

l1verp00l

what a great looking dog mate

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Thanks....

He is a rescue dog that had the crap kicked out of him most days for his first year of life..

He is now starting to trust us and his training is coming on in tiny steps... There is still a loooong way to go...lol...

ScoobyWon't

You think that's a long way to go? My missus starts her dog trainer training, next Wednesday. That's going to be a long journey!

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Superb....

I admire good dog trainers...
Dog physcology is very interesting.I find that i get rattled far too easily,this transmits to the dog and the training is ruined..
My wife is a lot more chilled than me,and takes dog training in her stride,even though our GSD was feral and hadnt had a minutes of training when we got him......lol..........

Lee247

My cat was ill last year. Ended up on steriods and breathing related tablets. He was in vet hospital for a week. More Than paid up within 10 days of me making my claim. They even sent a form for the continuation treatment of the tablets. I haven't bothered with it as they are not expensive. I am really happy with them.

ScoobyWon't

You are the only person I know who thinks they did a good job Fair play to you

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

When I have the time for my very own dog, I want a Husky cross German Shephard because I think they look stunning.

At the moment I am living from home still and have been brought up with dogs all my life; currently we have a border terrier and a cavalier king charles ...small dogs, and I just want something bigger and more of a guard.

CrisPDuk

Do look at getting a rescue dog, I personally have never had anything else. They often take more work in the beginning, but the rewards are so much greater in the long run

My sister has always had rescued GSDs. Her current ones are her fourth and fifth. The last one actually arrived with some massive fear/trust issues, such that we were all worried (even my usually pretty laid back brother in law) that maybe my sister had bitten off more than she could chew his time. The poor dog had obviously been abused so much that she actually expected to be beaten if someone was near her

I have to admit that I was more than a touch concerned, mainly because she is a big dog, and my sister had a then 8yo daughter

Three years down the line though, she is a completely different animal. Thanks in large part to the shear hard work my sister and my niece have put in, she has transformed from a quivering wreck into an gentle and devoted (if a little simple) family pet

In terms of cost to run, compared to kids, even big dogs cost **** all. Our Springer over a year costs around £300 in food, plus around £200 in other stuff like insurance, toys, etc, a GSD would I guess cost around 30-40% more.
The biggest things any dog ever actually want from you are time & affection, and the more of those you put in the more you get back in return

CrisPDuk

What a stunning looking animal

Does he do like our idiot hound, and wait until he's right next to you to shake the water off

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Of course he does.....character trait im sure....lol....

Bonehead

Thanks for all the replies, i really cant wait to get a GSD. I've wanted one since I was five or six, 34 now!
My parents got me a Rough Collie when i was 8 and he was brilliant, but no GSD.

Then my mum got a rescue Whippet/Lurcher mongrel who 'd been badly beaten when she was a pup. She didn't want anything to do with me when she came along but I persisted with her and after a while we've became real close.
She's now 16 and starting to fade but when i visit, apparently, I get the most reaction out of her.

I'd really love to get a rescue GSD as i'm more than happy to put the work in and I know how much they give you in return.
However the GF is only used to little ankle biter dogs like Norfolk terriers and thinks all GSD's are vicious.
So I'd like to get a young pup that she can get used to and learn to live with.
Plus I think suddenly having a full sized GSD bouncing around the house would scare the s**t out of her!

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Agreed....

Rescue GSD's aint for the faint hearted.. They are like an unruly teenager most of the time..
Its a shame as there are loads of unwanted GSD's...There is a german shepherd rescue that is countrywide,that is where we got Stan from..It really does break your heart when you go and see for yourself the dogs that had been abandoned..

Buy reputably and get a good hip score and enjoy a long happy time with your chosen one!!