How much to have a mini schnauzer in Helsinki?

[schnellv]

Anyone knows any info about raising pet puppy in Helsinki, please!

How much will it cost to get a new puppy, and what's the monthly costs?

Does Finland have school teaching how to train a puppy?

Thanks!

[rob34]

It depends if you want a quality dog or one from the Russian puppy mill.

Our new Mini Schnauzer was born last month and she will run us 1200€, but it comes with papers, and then my s.o. can trot it around at dog shows.

Most importantly, as is the case with any breed of animal, is variation in the bloodline. Hence, it costs € to ship / board / mate the little guys, do research on the bloodlines, etc etc.

Food is expensive, at least more so than in the US. Vet visits are not too expensive, but it is a good idea to have pet insurance so you can take your friend to a private clinic.

The biggest investment by far is time... Schnauzers get sad if you leave them alone too long. Luckily our schedules overlap, so the SO and I only leave the pups alone for about 6 hours a day.

Edit: But most of the time, if you get a quality dog, your pup will "pay off" if you decide to have it breed as a "stud" or "mare". All of our other Schnauzers come from and have been banged by dogs shipped in by a breeder that we know and trust.

[schnellv]

It depends if you want a quality dog or one from the Russian puppy mill.

Our new Mini Schnauzer was born last month and she will run us 1200€, but it comes with papers, and then my s.o. can trot it around at dog shows.

Most importantly, as is the case with any breed of animal, is variation in the bloodline. Hence, it costs € to ship / board / mate the little guys, do research on the bloodlines, etc etc.

Food is expensive, at least more so than in the US. Vet visits are not too expensive, but it is a good idea to have pet insurance so you can take your friend to a private clinic.

The biggest investment by far is time... Schnauzers get sad if you leave them alone too long. Luckily our schedules overlap, so the SO and I only leave the pups alone for about 6 hours a day.

Edit: But most of the time, if you get a quality dog, your pup will "pay off" if you decide to have it breed as a "stud" or "mare". All of our other Schnauzers come from and have been banged by dogs shipped in by a breeder that we know and trust.

Thanks! Really nice to meet an exprienced breeder!

Of course a purebreed will be prefered. and only 'pure' one can 'pay off' in the future.

I am working at Helsinki with a 'shabby' payroll. (I am also a big fan of coral reef system and spent a lot on it with the previous more shabby wage before I moved here in May). My wife is also here but has not find a job. She may apply for another master's degree if she cann't get a job. And we are thinking to have a baby in the next few years. We both love puppy very much. Since she have lots of time now, so...the question are:
1\ How much a nice miniature schnauzer will cost per month to supply a nice living stand., esp. in Helsinki? I need to make sure not go bankrupcy for the puppy/
2\Is there a list of kennels of schnauzer in Helsini/Espoo area? Where to find one?
3\Will the puppy raising thing be conflict with the baby plan? [I know it depends on oneself, but love to hear other views]

All kinds of additional info will be welcomed!

tks!

[sinikala]

Edit: But most of the time, if you get a quality dog, your pup will "pay off" if you decide to have it breed as a "stud" or "mare". All of our other Schnauzers come from and have been banged by dogs shipped in by a breeder that we know and trust.

The terms are sire and dam.

My folks had 3 pedigree labs, all with Sandringham in the pedigree, lots of FTCs in the pedigree. IIRC the first refused, the second and third had heavy seasons (they bleed) and needed spaying.

I've never heard of any amateurs making it "pay off" only professional breeders.

[isaluba]

This is an interesting subject for me because my daughter and I are considering getting a Bichon Havanais. I have been doing some research on Finnish kennels/ breeders. We have no desire to breed or turn our future dog into a show dog, we just want a nice family dog. How is it that they determine the price of these puppies from a particular litter? Do the breeders sell the " worst" of the litter at a cheaper price? For example the Bichon Havanais, knee's and eye's seem to be important in show quality dogs. We don't care about all of that, we will gladly take the "imperfect" dog. Will I be laughed at if I call the breeder and ask for the worst of the litter at the cheepest price?

[sinikala]

This is an interesting subject for me because my daughter and I are considering getting a Bichon Havanais. I have been doing some research on Finnish kennels/ breeders. We have no desire to breed or turn our future dog into a show dog, we just want a nice family dog. How is it that they determine the price of these puppies from a particular litter? Do the breeders sell the " worst" of the litter at a cheaper price? For example the Bichon Havanais, knee's and eye's seem to be important in show quality dogs. We don't care about all of that, we will gladly take the "imperfect" dog. Will I be laughed at if I call the breeder and ask for the worst of the litter at the cheepest price?

I don't know anything about the breed you mentioned, but generally, unless there is something obviously defective about the pup, it is hard to tell at 7-8 weeks which will be the best show dog, or which would be the worst. They should all be pretty similar, so will usually be the same price. And usually with pedigree puppies there is no shortage of people willing to pay the asking price.

If there is a runt in the litter, you might get it at a cheaper price, but that may end up being false economy as runts tend to have more medical problems later in life.

[Rosamunda]

A good professional breeder may have several litters on hand. Our flat-coated retriever came from a breeder in Kaarina, she had (IIRC) four litters when we went to get our dog. My guess is that she has a couple of "premium" litters that she sells at a premium price to people who want to show their dogs. These litters would come from a dam and sire that had seriously good pedigree and a string of awards. Then she would have a couple of litters from pedigree dogs without all the silverware. We wanted a good hunting dog but weren't too bothered about the looks. Our dog is fairly small for the breed, probably wouldn't win any shows. But she has a fab temperament and is a great swimmer. I think the breeder did a good job of matching us with the dog.

The kennel club breeding data base is here: http://jalostus.kennelliitto.fi/frmEtusivu.aspx

It's only in Finnish but not difficult to use.
You select your breed in the drop down boxes on the left.
Then when you have found the name of the breeders you can google to see if they have a website.

http://kaapiosnautseri.net/
http://www.ssnk.fi/

[Rick1]

Food is expensive, at least more so than in the US. Vet visits are not too expensive, but it is a good idea to have pet insurance so you can take your friend to a private clinic.

Yes those public clinics for pets are horrible.

[gladysmo]

We recently moved to Helsinki with our mini schnauzer. Food is definitely more expensive here, especially if you choose a brand that isn't sold at the supermarket. We feed our dog Solid Gold - it's good stuff.

Another thing to keep in mind in terms of cost is the dog tax. It's currently around 100 euros if you live in Helsinki.

And if you're interested to see what life is like for a miniature schnauzer who's new to Helsinki, check out my dog's blog:

http://www.hobietails.com

Good luck!

[rob34]

Food is expensive, at least more so than in the US. Vet visits are not too expensive, but it is a good idea to have pet insurance so you can take your friend to a private clinic.

Yes those public clinics for pets are horrible.

Nothing wrong with the public clinics, but the private clinics won't hesitate to do an x-ray, board the pet for observation, and they generally have more specialized equipment.

Pet insurance is not expensive. Why not do it?

[sammy]

We feed our dog Solid Gold - it's good stuff

I never thought I'd say this - but could you give me some, too?

/ I'll get me collar

[Rick1]

Food is expensive, at least more so than in the US. Vet visits are not too expensive, but it is a good idea to have pet insurance so you can take your friend to a private clinic.

Yes those public clinics for pets are horrible.

Nothing wrong with the public clinics, but the private clinics won't hesitate to do an x-ray, board the pet for observation, and they generally have more specialized equipment.

Pet insurance is not expensive. Why not do it?

Sorry Rob did not know that Finland had public healthcare for pets. I only see those commercials in the papers of private petdoctors.

[schnellv]

Sorry Rob did not know that Finland had public healthcare for pets. I only see those commercials in the papers of private petdoctors.

Finland has public healthcare for pets? More info, please!

[schnellv]

We recently moved to Helsinki with our mini schnauzer. Food is definitely more expensive here, especially if you choose a brand that isn't sold at the supermarket. We feed our dog Solid Gold - it's good stuff.

Another thing to keep in mind in terms of cost is the dog tax. It's currently around 100 euros if you live in Helsinki.

And if you're interested to see what life is like for a miniature schnauzer who's new to Helsinki, check out my dog's blog:

http://www.hobietails.com

Good luck!

I have bookmarked the blog

It seems your buddy has been a frequent flyer