Looking for Affordable Small Baby Dog for Daughter's Bday.

Having a dog is great for kids- teaches them a lot of life lessons.

BUT- there dogs are NOT "affordable". They are expensive! If you get a puppy, you will have several vet bills over the next year to make sure your puppy has all the necessary shots. After that, your dog will have yearly shots. Each visit can easily be a couple hundred dollars. Your will also need to get your pet neutered (not only to prevent more unwanted puppies, but for males it will help curb unwanted behavior) Add to that-dog food, monthly heart worm pills, grooming, supplies, training, etc etc etc.

And on top of the expense, getting a puppy is like having a baby in the home. They need constant attention for the first few months. They will chew things, destroy stuff, make mistakes, cry in the night. I've also told friends who are thinking about starting a family to get a dog first. It's a good training mechanism. (Not to mention the automatic floor sweeper you'll have in place when babies start self-feeding!)

Dogs are big investments-please make sure you are ready for that. Especially as a single parent-your kids may say "we promise, we'll feed it walk it you won't have to do a thing" but it WILL be all you.

I know- I've got 1 dog, 2 cats, and a lizard that I somehow got conned into taking care of. I'm a big softie.

We got our daughter's puppy from Paws in Chicago last July. They were wonderful. She also had a breed in mind but when we got there the breed did not matter anymore.

I do not where you live but city of Chicago has tons of gods for adoption some of them are very expensive breeds all for the price of $50 dollars. Already checked out by vet, with shots and healthy. I know that facility is on Western ave. I took dogs and cats and birds there for care but I do not remember the exact adress but you can always call the city info and they will tell you. Good luck.

Hi there, Just a note that a wheaten Terrier is not a small dog. We have a wheaten in our family and she stands at just above my knee and she is small for the breed. I'd say she is easily 30 pounds. Not in the same category as the other breeds you mention.

The best place is to go to PAWS - www.pawschicago.org. They even have postings on their website about the dogs. It is a great facility, the dogs have been tested for temperment (something you definitely WON'T get at a store) and they need homes. I wouldn't go to any other place. They also go through with you all the things it takes to be a dog "parent" and really get you prepared for that if you haven't done it before. Plus, you can have a good conscience about it all!

We found our wonderful dog as a puppy about twelve years ago on a teensy card up on Jewel's wall as we walked into the store. Look in the stores as you walk in. People post all sorts of availabe pets and items. Just never know...the dog was supposed to be the one that wouldn't survive. She has brought so much joy to our lives.

With all the foreclosures goingon, there are nso many dogs in shelters now. You should just go visit some. The Anti-Cruelty Society is one place to check out. A friend of mine got a 6 month black lab from there about 2 months ago. His family had to move out of a foreclosed building. She said there were a lot of dogs and puppies there. It's worth a shot.