new puppy

[Mel]

Hi. I had previously posted about our elderly mutt getting incontinent and dotty. Unfortunately she went badly downhill and in early December we had to make the right (but very sad) decision. Well having vowed that we were not having another dog: the new puppy will be joining us next week. Our lad needs a project, so I have signed him up to take her to puppy classes and eventually dog agility. She is mostly border collie so willl need something to keep her brain busy.
Anyway, which dog insurance would you recommend? The last dog was on pet plan-not that we saw anything back as she didn't really need medical treatment that took us over the excess, even at the end. Tesco looks favourite at the moment. Any thoughts?
mel

 

[JimD1]

Congratulations Lady Mel !!!
We do agility with our 4 border collies - that's why we got into caravanning - so we could compete further afield with them.
We use More Than to insure our 4 - the reason being that the annual cover is for a £7,000 limit rather than £4,000 which most are for. If you plan to take part in agility, a cruciate ligament operation can be up to £3,000. If the dog needs both doing & then with after care & physiotherapy you can soon end up with heafty bills......Thankfully such injuries are rare, but we just don't take chances.
Jim

 

[Surfer]

Try Animal friends.

 

[chrisbee1]

Sadly our Border Collie finally succumbed to cancer in May last year after 18 months of treatment. She was insured with Tesco who paid up for the first years treatment with no problem but we had to pay from then on. If I ever get another dog I will definitely go with a policy that treats a condition for life. The cost savings I made on the the premiums was wiped out by the final 6 months vet’s fees. ( Not that I begrudged spending the money to make her final days more comfortable). You get what you pay for.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Sorry to hear about your dog Mel, always a heart wrenching time.
We used to be with Tesco and when we had both retired, to cut costs, we changed to a lower cost policy, still with Tesco. It was after this that Polly started with her pancreatitis so that policy only covered the first 12 months. When renewal came they also put up the price significantly so we shopped around and now both dogs are with the Caravan Club.

 

[Di3]

Hi Mel
Congratulations on the new puppy, can understand your dilemma, we are waiting to see if we've been successfully been accepted just waiting to see how many pups are born!! We have been looking at insurance so will be interested in the replies you get, if we are lucky the pups can play at Stowford!!
It will be my first dog although HWMBO had one 20 years ago but now he’s semi retired has the time to spend with the puppy.
Will let you know if we hear anything
Speak soon
Di

 

[Dustydog]

Well done Lady Mel.
We lasted three weeks without our dog before Pinky and Perky arrived. Life without a dog was just so empty.

The problem with pet insurance is the premiums change by the day from one company to another.
We are with Marks and Spencer's scheme underwritten by R&SA. The main reason is that they, like a handful of others offer you a "for life" cover. Say your dog gets diabetes they will pay for the treatment year on year as long as you continue to renew with them each year.Pet Plan also do a similar type cover . I'm afraid it's the same old story. You only get what you pay for. Watch the small print!
Will we see the new addition at Stowfalot? No messing on my plot

 

[Sproket]

We are with Pet Plan after going down that root where they only pay out for a certain amount of time, we changed all four over.....
Our Golden lab started being poorly in Oct 2009,
It was then found out that he has got Cushing’s syndrome Boy are we glad we have PetPlan as this will be with him for the rest of his life.....
The tablets that he takes cost more than his monthly premium ...........

 

[Mel]

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I had dismissed pet plan because it was expensive and we never really claimed as our dog was healthy up to the last 4 or 5 months and then there was little in terms of treatment that could be done. However the need for something that provides life time care is now more obvious from your experiences. Thank you Jim for your insight into dog agility. If I can get the lad into it I can perhaps pick your brains. I am more concerned about the lad's joints than the dog's at the moment as he is seriously unfit due to his dedication to computer games and aversion to fresh air! Dog agility can only do him good.
regards
mel

 

[JimD1]

Hi Lady Mel,
The good news is that you've got 6 months or so before you can think about starting any real agility training - plenty of time to lick the lad into shape

.
As regards the dog (& possibly the lad

) you need all of the basic stuff upfront which you can work on from day 1 - sit, stand, down, walking to heel, walking to side, wait, recall etc. Just make it fun & keep it light. Most agility clubs & independant trainers run puppy introduction sessions for when they are 6 to 7 months old - just getting them used to running between the jump uprights over a pole laid on the ground & building up from there.
Agility can be very rewarding, very frustrating, but most of all it's great fun. It is also a great way to learn to communicate with your dog. There's as much done with body language & body postions as there is with verbal commands.
Whetever happen, enjoy the new addition to your family !!!
Cheers,
Jim

 

[Dustydog]

Looks like it's going to be all dogs at 10 paces at Stowfolot.

Shame LB wont be there with his two

Never mind we'll have our own Crufts , Agility and Retrieve. I'm very good at blowing the whistle

 

[Mel]

We are planning to take her to stowalot. Hope she is a better traveller than our previous hound who was hideously car sick. Hope you get your puppy Di. They can play together. What sort are you getting? We got ours out of the local paper, definately not a puppy farm.
Can't wait
mel

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Our youngest Schnauzer is sick when travelling and the vet told us to get Sturgeron 15 tablets from a chemist and give him half of a tablet one hour before travel. The pharmacist might ask if they are for you and if so just say yes while covering your nose in case he sees it growing

Since we've given him the medication he's been fine.

 

[kopite]

dear DD
i`m going to and get in quick and put myself forward for throwing the stick as i`m not being left with the job of picking up doggy do do`s for three days as i`m a woosie.

 

[Gagakev]

Congratulations on your new arrival Lady Mel,
I remember when we did agility with our first german shephard, we were at a show in Cornwall where the general public were watching around the arena and he point blank refused on this occasion to jump the fences, so getting more and more embarrassed, I jumped two fences for him, got a massive round of appplause but the judges were most stern faced and if looks could kill-------------------

 

[kopite]

Dear sir kev
i would pay good money to see that maybe after a few jars at stowfolot i`ll set a little course up for you to give us round two

 

[Gagakev]

Dear sir kev
i would pay good money to see that maybe after a few jars at stowfolot i`ll set a little course up for you to give us round two

This is me now a days after a few jars

Then my mind starts to wander

Heard your port was a bit special kopite.

 

[Martin24]

I have heard too amny horror stories of all but petplan! Okay so needed for current two at all but........... our greyhound went through 7000 pounds worth of cover over a two year period trying to get to the bottom of an ongoing tummy issue! Cost to us the initial excess and excess at the start of the second year! Petplan were fabulous all the way through!!

As far as puppies go don't do it!!! Cancel it!!!! Just off shopping now for a new blackberry (yesterday was was well chewed!!) oh and yet another pair of slippers and a new leather belt!! Next week my third new pair of specs should be ready for collection! (in 7 months) that's without the catches and locks to keep her away from bins and children's bedrooms!! So far she has cost at a conservative guess around 1000 in damage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But what fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Surfer]

dear DD
i`m going to and get in quick and put myself forward for throwing the stick as i`m not being left with the job of picking up doggy do do`s for three days as i`m a woosie.

The good news is that Woosie club members are picking up all the dog poo so you can be inconsiderate and let your dog poo wherever it pleases you.

Also some woosie club members may want their awnings perfumed and washed by your dog cocking its leg. They will be posting their names shortly after this post.

 

[Surfer]

Sorry to hear about your dog Mel, always a heart wrenching time.
We used to be with Tesco and when we had both retired, to cut costs, we changed to a lower cost policy, still with Tesco. It was after this that Polly started with her pancreatitis so that policy only covered the first 12 months. When renewal came they also put up the price significantly so we shopped around and now both dogs are with the Caravan Club.

Phoned the CC and quote for one female 14 month old Yorkie was about £10 per month, but for the 9 month old male only it worked out at nearly £23 per month! Haven't got a quote on the other 8 month old female Yorkie as they are re-checking the quote for the male and will phone back on Monday. I think they may have inputted the date of birth year wrong for the male.
Also the site does not tell you what is covered as removing teeth from a 10 year old Yorky is common and normally costs in excess of the excess charge of £50 which is lower than Animal friends excess at £99 with monthly payment for the three at £26. What you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabout!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Sorry to hear about your dog Mel, always a heart wrenching time.
We used to be with Tesco and when we had both retired, to cut costs, we changed to a lower cost policy, still with Tesco. It was after this that Polly started with her pancreatitis so that policy only covered the first 12 months. When renewal came they also put up the price significantly so we shopped around and now both dogs are with the Caravan Club.

Phoned the CC and quote for one female 14 month old Yorkie was about £10 per month, but for the 9 month old male only it worked out at nearly £23 per month! Haven't got a quote on the other 8 month old female Yorkie as they are re-checking the quote for the male and will phone back on Monday. I think they may have inputted the date of birth year wrong for the male.
Also the site does not tell you what is covered as removing teeth from a 10 year old Yorky is common and normally costs in excess of the excess charge of £50 which is lower than Animal friends excess at £99 with monthly payment for the three at £26. What you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabout!

With the CC both of our two Schnauzers are on the highest policy although the eldest isn't covered for pancreatitis. The cost for both is £32 per month. This was cheaper than we used to pay with Tesco for a policy which wasn't so good. Whether anyone could do it cheaper now for the same cover I don't know but at the time we checked lots of insurers online.

 

[Di3]

Hi Mel
Puppies born yesterday!! Golden Retriever, from a very nice couple in Somerset about an hour away from where we live, met a few breeders before we settled on this couple, but everything just gelled with them, they also run a dog training school and also do agility classes. So quiet excited know won't get puppy for eight weeks but they look so cute!!
Don’t know if this link will work http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/Little.Orchard.Dog.Training.Academy
So will have to be puppy power at Stoword!! LOL Told husband though he's on doggy do's duty cause sorry I'm not even going there!!
Did you have any thoughts on the t-shirts!! If we are going to have pink shirts think the dress aught to be that royal blue colour!! … Also think we ought to have t-shirts for the puppies too (only joking - love winding HWMBO up).
Speak soon
Di

 

[Mel]

Congratulations Di. Look forward to seeing your pup at Stowalot. Our Jazzy will be nearly 5 months old by then.
mel

 

[Di3]

Hi Mel
We are very excited we brought home our new puppy Bramble today, Looking forward to catching up with you and Jazzy at Stowford

Di

 

[Mel]

Congratulations Di. Welcome to your new arrival, Bramble We have just got back from our first trip caravanning with Jazzy. We never took our old dog as she was hideously car sick, so it was our first time caravanning with a dog. Jazzy was brilliant, apart from a couple of escapes from the awning, she was no trouble, slept in her crate or in my teenage lad's sleeping annexe, hardly barked.
Looking forward to meeting Bramble, and you, at Stowford.
mel