battycatlady

I fell in love with my first great dane - a merle. She died 7 years ago and I'm ready to get another. Occassionally, I see ads for colours outside the standards such as a fawnequin or a mantle that is blue rather than black. Maybe I'm just the suspicious type but I'm wondering if there is somewhere I can go to find out about these non-standard colours and what health implications they might have. For example, I did some research and discovered the double merle gene. I was offered a great dane who was deaf but after consulting our vet who advised of other complications, we decided not to go ahead. We intend to purchase a mantle or a blue this time but I'd really like to know more about the breed for no other reason than I'm curious. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Wow what a fascinating discussion. I'm not a breeder but am looking to buy a Great Dane puppy soon. We had previously owned a merle (great dane). Can anyone recommend a book I could read. I'd like to be an informed purchaser. I have tried very hard to purchase my dogs (I am 62 years old) from breeders with good reputations but I'm sure some extra knowledge would help. I do not intend to breed dogs ever; I'm just curious about the issue. I have been interested in this subject for a while but I'm not sure where to go for more information. (The breeder who breeds my Burmese cats cannot breed a red female - only male reds - and I've often wondered why.) Thanks for your time and attention.

Thanks JulesP. Haggling is way outside my comfort zone. I've never haggled for anything in my life. In seriousness, I believe a breeder sets a price based on many things. Some things I probably don't even know about because I'm not a breeder. But I do believe they care about their dogs and puppies and therefore set the price accordingly. If you set the price too low, you run the risk of people loving the idea of a puppy but unable to fund its proper care. No amount of love will make up for an inadequate diet or vet treatments. I'm sure it's not always easy to weed out this type of buyer but I'm sure that price is one way to do it. I have trouble using the word pet - to me anything with a heartbeat is a family member (including the blue-tongue lizzard who sometimes lives under my verandah). And that makes it a life long commitment. I promise each animal that comes into my house that I will give it the best care I can for the rest of its life and I work very hard at honouring that commitment. Haggling over price is not an option for me. I choose to believe that the breeder has set the price with the best interests of the pup (or dog) in mind and therefore the price is not negotiable.

Hi, I'm sorry. I worded that sentence badly. I didn't mean to imply that breeders don't treat their dogs as family members. Certainly, from the few breeders I have contacted, they do. Hence, as I stated, my willingness to answer any questions a breeder has about our family as an potential owner of one of their pups. I was simply trying to explain that at 61 I'm not interested in breeding or showing a dog - I don't have the skill set. I was trying to indicate that I'm not wanting to purchase the next Australian Champion and that limited registration was OK for me. Thanks for your response. I will be more careful about how I word that sentence next time. I appreciate your help.

Hi, Is there anywhere that anyone knows of where I can find out the average cost for a particular breed? I'm interested in buying a puppy as a companion to my 18 month old Labrador and for 2 disabled members of my family. Our needs are quite specific so I've been looking at several breeds but I hesitate to enquire about a puppy because I don't know how much I would be expected to pay. I'm not in a hurry to buy a puppy and I'm happy to answer any questions from a breeder. To me it's about making sure that we blend as a family with our new dog. I believe we need to meet our new dog's needs just as much as our new dog needs to be able to meet our needs. I'm happy to take on a disabled dog because obviously disability is already part of our lives. I want a dog as a family member so definitely not for show or breeding. I really do believe a dog is for life so we will keep and love our dog no matter what happens. The breeds I'm interested in are: Labrador Golden Retriever German Shepherd St Bernard Great Dane I have owned some of these breeds before but prices change over a dog's lifetime. For example, it's been 13 years since we bought our Great Dane and it took us 4 years after she died to find her replacement (our current Labrador). I'm just after an average price. I'm not in any hurry to buy a dog because it has to be right for all of us (including the puppy) and I'm willing to wait until the right puppy comes along. One breed I was looking at (but have now discounted) had considerable variations in price (from $2000 to over $6000). Most breeders don't advertise their price and I feel really inhibited about asking each breeder for a price just to work out an average. Really I just want a ball park figure. Please can anyone help? Thanks