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HELP ME FIND MY FRIEND FOR LIFE (Tibetan Mastiff) San Diego

Cannimelism

New Member
In a couple months I'll be living by myself in a warehouse loft with my cat. I'm only almost 18 and I feel like the Tibetan Mastiff will be a great protector. I took that breed selector quiz on animal planet and it was my top match. I'm looking for a female tibetan mastiff preferably young or a puppy. Black, Blue, Black and cream, or like sable or golden. Please help me! she'll be loved and taken everywhere and to the dog beach! I want to name her Roxxanne! She must get along with cats. My cat Cthulhu is also very important to me!
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
Do you have any previous dog experience? What sort of dogs?

A warehouse loft? Is there a yard of any kind? Are there other apartments in the building? Businesses?
 

CynJ

Well-Known Member
Another question for you, Cannimelism, is are you going to be able to afford the cost of the dog's feeding and care? Have you done the math on what a mastiff will cost you annually? Food, treats, vaccines, flea/tick/heartworm preventative... it does add up quickly, even more so for a mastiff just because of their size and appetites. And you also need to think about how you would pay for any urgently needed vet care (illness, injury). Those bills can rack up into the thousands of dollars very quickly.

Not trying to be a downer, but people not thinking about the costs associated with getting a dog (especially a large breed dog) is why a good number of dogs get dumped into shelters.

Obviously I don't know your financial status, but you mentioned you are not even eighteen, and most eighteen year olds that I know in their first apartment can barely feed themselves and do not have thousands of extra dollars per year to take care of a mastiff.

For example my Nadia, a 100lb DdB, eats a $22 bag of food per week (she eats 4Health at Tractor Supply- not the cheapest, not the most expensive) That's $1144 a year. Add in the basic care (rabies, distemper, bordetella, hw test) at a pet store vaccine clinic, that's $120. Now we're up to $1264 a year. Add in flea/tick preventative at about $11 month for another $132. Now we're up to $1396. Heartguard for a year is about $95 (more if your dog is over 100lbs and you need two packages). Now we're up to $1491 a year. That doesn't include anything fancy, or treats, or a license, or detailed veterinary care. You're looking at about $125 a month for just the bare essentials.

Just food for thought...
 

Cannimelism

New Member
Another question for you, Cannimelism, is are you going to be able to afford the cost of the dog's feeding and care? Have you done the math on what a mastiff will cost you annually? Food, treats, vaccines, flea/tick/heartworm preventative... it does add up quickly, even more so for a mastiff just because of their size and appetites. And you also need to think about how you would pay for any urgently needed vet care (illness, injury). Those bills can rack up into the thousands of dollars very quickly.

Not trying to be a downer, but people not thinking about the costs associated with getting a dog (especially a large breed dog) is why a good number of dogs get dumped into shelters.

Obviously I don't know your financial status, but you mentioned you are not even eighteen, and most eighteen year olds that I know in their first apartment can barely feed themselves and do not have thousands of extra dollars per year to take care of a mastiff.

For example my Nadia, a 100lb DdB, eats a $22 bag of food per week (she eats 4Health at Tractor Supply- not the cheapest, not the most expensive) That's $1144 a year. Add in the basic care (rabies, distemper, bordetella, hw test) at a pet store vaccine clinic, that's $120. Now we're up to $1264 a year. Add in flea/tick preventative at about $11 month for another $132. Now we're up to $1396. Heartguard for a year is about $95 (more if your dog is over 100lbs and you need two packages). Now we're up to $1491 a year. That doesn't include anything fancy, or treats, or a license, or detailed veterinary care. You're looking at about $125 a month for just the bare essentials.

Just food for thought...


Yes I know. Money isn't an issue at all.
 

Cannimelism

New Member
I've had huskies, salukies, borzois, bull mastiffs, boxers, golden retrivers, german shepards, dobermans and rodisian ridgebacks. I've also have lots of cats and small dogs. I'm pretty good with dogs :) And yes but the down stairs will be accessable as well and it's bigger than a two story house. Theres a dog park down the street and no there isn't more buisnesses or apartments in the buiding.
 

Cannimelism

New Member
Do you have any previous dog experience? What sort of dogs?

A warehouse loft? Is there a yard of any kind? Are there other apartments in the building? Businesses?

I've had huskies, salukies, borzois, bull mastiffs, boxers, golden retrivers, german shepards, dobermans and rodisian ridgebacks. I've also have lots of cats and small dogs. I'm pretty good with dogs :) And yes but the down stairs will be accessable as well and it's bigger than a two story house. Theres a dog park down the street and no there isn't more buisnesses or apartments in the buiding.
 

mx5055

Well-Known Member
I don't want to be a downer (I am all for people having pets) but I have to agree with some of the thoughts voiced in the previous posts. You gave a list of all the dogs you have had experience with, but have you ever owned/raised/trained a dog 100% on your own? It's a big commitment, and hopefully one that you are willing to make for the life of the dog. Do you work/go to school? What plans do you have for the pup when you are gone? You are 18, so I am going to assume (my bad if I'm wrong) that you have a pretty active social life; where does the pup fit into all of this? Are you getting this dog because you think you need protection? (Not necessarily a bad reason, but if that is the only reason it might just not work out the way you are thinking). You sound pretty specific in what you want; what about temperament? Health issues of that breed? You don't have a yard, which will put a lot of extra stress on you and require more from you each and every time the pup needs out? You say money is not an issue; that's great, but there is so much more to owning a dog than just the money factor. These are just concerns/thoughts I am putting out there for you to think about. Don't you think it would be a better idea if you were to get moved into your apartment, settled, get into your daily routine, and then re-evaluate getting/what kind of a dog you want? And, there are millions of rescues out there also that need good homes. Just some thoughts to consider. I wish you good luck :)
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
None of the TM breeders or Rescues that I've talked to will adopt a dog out to someone in an apt, especially with no attached fully fenced yard, AND they specifically recommend AGAINST taking the dog to dog parks.
 

mx5055

Well-Known Member
None of the TM breeders or Rescues that I've talked to will adopt a dog out to someone in an apt, especially with no attached fully fenced yard, AND they specifically recommend AGAINST taking the dog to dog parks.

Good point Ruth. I don't know who ever dreamed up the idea of dog parks/dog beaches, but I personally don't like them. I tried taking Bella into one of the really nice dog parks here one day when it was pretty empty, but it turned into a disaster. It only takes one dog to make the whole experience undesirable. Bella is fine with other dogs around...she pretty much ignores them and does her own thing...and, that is fine with me..it's her personality. But this one dog would not stay out of her face, and was all over her constantly while I was trying to get the dog to go away, and of course the owner of the dog was too busy on her cell phone to even pay attention to what was going on. I was already reaching for the leash to leave when Bella had just had her boundaries crossed one to many times. She snarled and snapped at the dog before I could get her leash on her...but, at least that got the dog's owner's attention. We haven't been to a dog park since; there are much more positive ways to have your dog around other dogs. I had the same experience one time at at dog beach in San Diego with one of my male boxers...he was fine at first, but when all the little dogs kept running up and getting in his face I could see his body language changing and I got him out of there fast. Some things sound good in theory, but they just don't always work in reality.
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
Its worse for TMs, and in a case where thats the only yard the TM has......yah, as soon as that dog decides the park is HIS he'll defend it against all comers.....