THE PRICE OF OWNING A BLOODHOUND Hi there! If this is the first page you're reading, then you're probably looking at the wrong breed for yourself and your family. You can't afford a bloodhound! These dogs come at a very high price, a price that most folks are not prepared to pay. Your purchase price is but the beginning of a very long list of expenses you'll be faced with when owning a bloodhound. You can buy a puppy cheap, $150.00 to $200.00 from backyard breeders or puppy mill operations, or you can pay big bucks, $1,000 to $2,000 and up if buying from reputable breeders, but whatever your purchase price, it's just a drop in the bucket! Well? You still with me? OK, get out your calculator and start adding. This little puppy will need a top quality dog food to attain his potential. Unfortunately, even the best of commercially prepared dog foods need some dressing up to assure the most complete nutrition for your new little friend. Around here we add hard boiled eggs, yogurt, sunflower oil, and a quality canned dog food to the dry food the hounds are fed every single day. In addition, they get their special treats, like milk bones and some fruits and vegetables bought just for them! Not so bad you say? Well next come the toys and equipment! Oh yes, we mustn't forget about all the chewies, ropes, rawhides, squeakies, collars, leads, flexies, crates, crate pads and the like. And, did you think you could drive this dog around in your little convertible, or even in your full size sedan? No, no, no, these guys need a VAN! That should put a good size dent in your pocketbook! OK, now figure in your vet bills, just the general stuff, like rabies shots, distemper vaccines, heartworm medication, flea remedies, antibiotics, microchips, etc. and you're already on your way to paying off your veterinarian's dreams. Now add in the major stuff, like surgeries, bloat, cancer, neutering, foreign object ingestion, allergies, lameness, x-rays, blood tests, etc. and you will soon see a large chunk of your assets moving from your account to your vet's account. No, I'm not done yet, because so far you've read about the very least of what a bloodhound costs. These master chewers of dogdom will have you refurnishing your entire home. Gone will be the leather couches, the teak furniture, the gold flecked wallpaper, the lovely knick knacks sitting all around and most everything else they can get their mouths on or around. If you don't get rid of these on your own, believe me, your bloodhound will get rid of them for you. Our dogs managed to eat an entire redwood patio set including table, 4 bench seats, and 2 arm chairs. Only thing left was the umbrella and these were housedogs, so their outside time was fairly limited. Just think about it! Kitchen cabinets, floor tiles, moulding and such are all judiciously tasted and gnawed upon till properly destroyed. It's a mission with these guys! Hmmm, I know what you're thinking, but putting them out doesn't solve the problem. They will chew your siding, pull up your grass, strip the bark off your trees, trample your garden and eat your nice pickett fence. How about friends and relatives? Are you willing to pay for the dog by giving up some of "your" people? I can tell you right now that a lot of folks are turned off by the drool and slobber and the sometimes strong houndy odor of these unique canines. There will be people you care about who will no longer want to visit your home once you have a bloodhound. That's a pretty high price, huh? What? You still want to hear more? Well the worst is still to come. Because, in the end, the cost of owning a bloodhound is a broken heart. They will wiggle their way into your very soul, they will make you laugh and make you cry, make you more angry then you've ever been before, and amaze you beyond any dog you've ever owned, but all of them, right down to the very last one, will eventually and irrevocably, shatter your heart into tiny little bits. So, when you ask, "What is the cost of owning a bloodhound?", my answer is: "Money, Possessions, Friends - Everything you've got! Are you prepared to pay the price?" |
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