Montanans, Adopt From Shelters If You Want A Puppy This Christmas

I don't know if you have looked at the cost of a new puppy these days but I was shocked. I love dogs as much as anyone but these prices are ridiculous. I found all of these puppy ads in today's paper and it might make you reconsider the details of buying a dog before you surprise your kids with a puppy for Christmas.

Do they like French Bulldogs puppies? They range from $4,000 to $7,500. How about a Miniature Boxer? They are running for about $1,900. A Springer Spaniel costs 900 bucks. German shorthaired pups are $1,000. Here is a dog everyone would like: A miniature Aussie for a mere $3,500.

I can't believe they can get that kind of money. I have a lot of money in my dog because of injuries but the upfront cost was nowhere near $3,500. One of the best buys was a Chihuahua, you can get one of those for $400 or 8000 pesos. But if you break it down by the pound, not so good. There is an old saying that there is no such thing as a free puppy, WOW no kidding.

Every Wednesday we host our Wet Nosed friends in the studio, brought in by Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. With all the cute dogs they bring in for me and Mark to say hello to, there's no shortage of dogs available to adopt that won't break your bank. And believe it or not, sometimes you can get lucky and find a purebred designer dog.

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Want to search adoptable dogs to put on your family's holiday wish list? CLICK HERE.

If you do get your kids a puppy for Christmas make sure you don't let that investment get ahold of a chicken bone or slobber his way into the chocolate candy dish. That would make any sane person say a dirty word. Kind of like I did when one of my $6,000 bulls got bit on the dingus by a rattlesnake. That was a great investment. Although puppies are easier to keep hidden from your kids than a bull.

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

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