[aggieAXO]

I hate to tell you this but 99% of the dogs are going to shed unless you get a mexican hairless which are about 1500-2000$. Golden Retrievers shed alot. I deal with golden rescue here in Austin and they love their dogs but spend a great deal everyday just vacuuming. Greyhounds are WONDERFUL. For the most part they are calm, shed a lot less than most dogs and there are plenty that need adoption. If you have small pets (ie cat) be aware that many of these guys were trained to race and just did not make the cut. They were trained to chase small furry things and many will run after and possible kill a small animal-some, not all. We have an animal blood bank at our clinic and 90% of the donors are greyhounds-they are awesome and if I didn't have cats and live in an apartment and didn't work so much I would get one.


I just want to reiterate that you need to make sure your parents are ready for a dog. Though they do not take as much of a commentment as kids they need lots of attention, depending on what breed -lots of exercise and almost any puppy you get will chew things up. Veterinarians are starting to charge more and more for their services unlike the old days where most charged minimally and ended up eating bread and water for their main meals. Thus, you have to make sure they are financially able to care for a pet. I tell people when I see certain breeds for ex. dachshund, start saving up for the back surgery b/c more often then not they will prolapse a disk (avg cost 1500-2000$ in Austin area to correct).

There is pet insurance but some of those companies do not offer very good deals-you must read the fine print.

Good luck with your decision and remember to spay or neuter to prevent pet overpopulation.