my_sibe_owns_me

Perhaps the vet does not usually have breeders in with breeds that have them removed. Lots of breeds get to keep their front dew claws so unless the vet sees a lot of litters they may not be used to doing it. I have never removed front dew claws and after reading up on studies that point to the fact that the wrist is more stable for activities like agility if the dew claws are left on, I'm glad I never considered it. When possible I try to breed them without back dew claws as I believe it is a dominant gene and at least one parent had to have had them to produce them in the puppies. Depends on the breed. I have sibes and they are active, WORKING dogs. The last thing you want is to be sledding/carting/mt biking and have one ripped off/half off by iced snow, ice itself, something sharp or big thats in the way. Its very dangerous once they are older. Yes, it does depend on the breed but I have Border Collies, a very active WORKING breed and very, very few BC breeders have ever removed front dew claws and most of us have never had a problem with them ripping them. Borders are more likely to rip their stopper pad and this is a very common injury, along with a long list of other common injuries Borders inflict on themselves but torn dew claws are very rare. Actually more than the breed I think the shape of the dew claws is the issue. Mine all have neat tucked in dew claws and if removed it would leave a large dent in the leg. I have seen other dogs though with dew claws that stick out away from the leg and these must be much more likely to get caught and damaged so I can see the need to remove them. On of my dogs has a "dent" but you cant see it. You can feel it tho. I think it would be a bigger issue for dogs with less coat like boxers ect but a declaw sticking out would be just as much of an eye sore. guess it would depends on the breeder.

Perhaps the vet does not usually have breeders in with breeds that have them removed. Lots of breeds get to keep their front dew claws so unless the vet sees a lot of litters they may not be used to doing it. I have never removed front dew claws and after reading up on studies that point to the fact that the wrist is more stable for activities like agility if the dew claws are left on, I'm glad I never considered it. When possible I try to breed them without back dew claws as I believe it is a dominant gene and at least one parent had to have had them to produce them in the puppies. Depends on the breed. I have sibes and they are active, WORKING dogs. The last thing you want is to be sledding/carting/mt biking and have one ripped off/half off by iced snow, ice itself, something sharp or big thats in the way. Its very dangerous once they are older.

Thanks for all the replies. I got a friend of mine who breeds frenchies and use to breed Airadales (she did tails and dewclaws on them). I didnt trust myself not to chicken out and stop after one clip lol. I'll watch more videos and read up on it more before i do it myself. thankfully thats not doing to be for another 3+ years! The forceps technic seems like it gets the job done best. Any thoughts about that?

I did a search but didnt find any helpful topics... Question time! Do you remove your own? Do you take them to vet? If you do them yourself what advice do you have and what procedure works best? Thanks in advance!

I suggest using the Nothing In Life Is Free method (NILIF). Has worked well for mine. Start it the second you get the dog no matter the age. If you get an adult you should be treating it like the 8-12 week puppy you would be getting. Start by crate training and watching it around the house to correct the wrong behavior and praise the good. This will A. help your bond and B. set up the foundation of your leadership. And sometimes when all else fails you have to make them think something is THEIR choice when really you have just out smarted them into thinking that. :rolleyes: Also keep in mind that by nature sibes tend to be possessive and if you let them get away with it it can lead to some pretty nasty aggression issues. Thats why I always suggest to people that they should do basic training (in their homes or going to class) with their Siberians when they get them and why I believe that NILIF method because it teaches them that EVERYTHING is YOURS. Your just being nice enough to SHARE with them. Also you have to look at the background behind your sibe. There is so many of them for sale from questionable lines that you really need to know what you are getting yourself into.

lol I did explain my price to one lady who freaked out about the contract (which is very simple. Just says I would like the dog returned to me and not a shelter if they feel they have no other alternative and it has health guarantees). I told her if she had an issue a contract that protected her and the puppy then she was not the right person for my puppy.

not insane at all if that's the breed you want, from the breeder who you respect and who has the lines you are after. What's wrong with buying what you want, even if it is only going to sit next to you on a chair. Why settle for something else just because there are a million dogs supposedly dying right now. Pedigree, expensive dogs also deserve a good home. No good getting something else and end up resenting it. I would hate to think how much Miller cost me to get him here, at least $3000, and he has ended up desexed and laying on the couch next to me. Again if people what to pay the price then fine. But I still think it is crazy and nothing anyone will every say will change my mind. I never said I dont think the said puppy deserves a great home. I just dont feel any puppy should/needs to be sold for that much if they are a pet puppy. Again this is my opinion. You can have yours. But I dont wish to keep flogging a dead horse. Not supposedly. Are

I am so sorry to hear this That must have be awful! And to be reliving it every day has to be killing you Do you follow a religion of some sort? You could tell her about heaven or reincarnation if that is in your religious beliefs.

Thanks for the insight

Thanks I am not a reg. breeder yet tho. AKC says I have to HAVE a litter before I can reg. This litter will be my first litter. I will be registering once they are born/send in their paper work. ETA: Parents are show dogs so they are reg. AKC. My kennel prefix is not.

I know this is Shaar but I would just like to say I think that would be a fair email. I dont think just a "how much" is fair.

I don't agree with this. I ask about price because I can't afford to spend $3000. There is no point wasting a breeder or my time when I can't afford what they're selling. I love my dogs very much, and while I'm not a perfect owner they are fed a good balance of raw and premium, they are walked twice a day, they are obedience trained and do agility for fun. I am, compared to many owners I see, a good dog owner. My dogs are well behaved and content. I think that when there are set "rules" and people get rejected for asking the "wrong" question to early on then good homes get passed up. I think you need to spend time talking to potential homes and getting to know them, rather than dismissing people early on. Fair enough. I understand. But I have gotten emails that JUST say "how much" and leave it at. That just strikes me as odd. There was a big debate about this a while ago. I got my head chewed off for saying people just asking "how much" got put at the bottom of my list. Yes, this does seem like a very touchy subject doesnt? But I am also desexing pups at 8weeks which a lot of people dont approve of so I will tread water and gather input. Yes, the people who have JUST asked me how much are put on the bottom of my list but I will give them a chance to redeem themselves. I think puppy buyers SHOULD shop around but they should also ask to see what they are paying for. If I added in the desexing price to my total price then my pups would be above average and people may write them off without every asking about them. If they dont want to put enough effort into scanning me then I dont feel I should make them a main priority.

Dju- I have found that to be the case too. I know a lot of "rare" breeds that are going for less then my breed just because they are not what most people think about when they think about getting a dog. I have seen a lot of "rare colored" sibes going for 2000+ because they have blue eyes and some spots. lol mind you those "rare colored" pups have NO coat, NO bone, NO structure, not bred to standard and none of the parents have had the proper health testing.

I don't agree with this. I ask about price because I can't afford to spend $3000. There is no point wasting a breeder or my time when I can't afford what they're selling. I love my dogs very much, and while I'm not a perfect owner they are fed a good balance of raw and premium, they are walked twice a day, they are obedience trained and do agility for fun. I am, compared to many owners I see, a good dog owner. My dogs are well behaved and content. I think that when there are set "rules" and people get rejected for asking the "wrong" question to early on then good homes get passed up. I think you need to spend time talking to potential homes and getting to know them, rather than dismissing people early on. Fair enough. I understand. But I have gotten emails that JUST say "how much" and leave it at. That just strikes me as odd.

I don't think anyone should be charging $3000+ for a handbag. But if there are buyers happy to pay that for the very one they want, who am I to stand in their way. That doesn't mean all the other handbag makers should lower their prices to make handbags affordable for everyone. Edit: I dont want to fight about puppy prices. The point of my thread was to find out how people view breeders and their prices. I am looking for the BEST homes for my pups and I know a lot of GREAT homes who just cant afford "average' pet prices.

I guess the thing I am learning here is the people who are mostly likely to be good homes and understand the breed are the people who are not going to ask about price till they have "proven' themselves and scooped me out in return.

Makes perfect sense. Thats what I was sorta thinking people would be thinking. I started the thread to see if that was the general thinking.

I dont feel anyone should be charging 3000+ for a pet. If it is a guarantee working dog ect. then yes, I can agree. But come on. On a puppy? Theres a million dogs dying right now if you just want one to sit on the chair next to you IMO. IF people want to dish the money then its their money and their choice. I just happen to think it is insane. Yes, my pups WILL be desexed at 8 weeks. I have done a TON of research on it and to be honest I haven't found a con that holds up. If someone refuses to buy my puppy because it is already desexed then to be honest it is their lost and not the right home for my puppy. I have sibes. Theres a million of them for sale and a million of them just going to whoever thinks they are "cool" when really they are not an easy, everyone kind of dog. I dont care how much money someone can and can not give me. I just care about the home they will give my puppy. I would be THRILLED to break even with this litter but if not breaking even means all of them have great homes then I will be able to sleep at night. If breaking even means giving a puppy to a shaddy home that paid a good amount of money...well then I dont see me getting a whole lot of sleep ever again.

the medical expenses involved with whelping. To be honest, if you are selling 2 or more pups for $3000-3500 each and are not making money due to high veterinary expenses then you seriously, SERIOUSLY need to look at the quality and health of the dogs you're breeding from. $3000-3500 for a PET? Thats CRAZY! I cant believe people are ignorant enough to pay that!

From what I gather the AU 'market' seems higher then US. $500 to 800 is normal here but the $500 tend to be the ones without papers.

how much does it cost for desexing in the states? When I talked to my vet they where saying around $200-250 per pup. Most pets go for $800 here so it would have been $1000/1050 if I added on the desexing cost. BUT I think I just found a place that will do them for $80 and do a lot of pediatric spay/neuter so I could just up it to $900 and then they would be "even" with the rest. Just need to do my research on the vets to make sure its not 'slaughter house'. ETA- Most rebates are $200 upon showing the dog is desexed.

Fair enough.

Is adding the desexing fee to the puppy price fair? I know some breeders will give rebates if you show all the proper paperwork so I guess that would bring them down to the same price as those puppies if people follow through.

Im not charging half price. Same price but it also includes then being desexed before they leave.

I'm interested in what people think about puppy prices. I have a litter on the way and I think I am selling them pretty cheap considering they are getting desexed before they leave along with the proper vaccines for their age/s.. reg. with the AKC and coming from two nice dogs. I dont care about the money. I just want the best homes and I know the 'best homes' have nothing to do with how much someone can pay. But I wonder if I am scaring off educated buyers due to the lower price. Being in the dog world I know I would never pay over $800 for a pet puppy (USA) and I see lots of BYBer trying to sell pets for 15-2000 And I know pet stores sell them for just as much and people buy them every day.