How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

[Flight]

I've only just purchased a pup from a registered breeder, and to be honest I was quite surprised at how expensive dogs are.

My last girl died, and I paid $1000 for her 7 years ago, she was 1 1/2 yrs old and an ex show dog. So I thought fair enough.

Now this is about the price for a pup with a limited registration.

I dont have a lot of money and yep price was a big factor in what dog I had. Sorry, but I don't have 2k to spend!

While I'll always buy from a reg breeder and prepared to travel distances to buy one, in all honesty I can see why people buy theirs out of petshops/papers.

[Bow Wowy]

I paid $500 for my Husky 11 years ago - She was from a byb who had the 2 registered parents.My new boy I got free (not with all I have spent on him though )

[Sayreovi]

I've only just purchased a pup from a registered breeder, and to be honest I was quite surprised at how expensive dogs are.

My last girl died, and I paid $1000 for her 7 years ago, she was 1 1/2 yrs old and an ex show dog. So I thought fair enough.

Now this is about the price for a pup with a limited registration.

I dont have a lot of money and yep price was a big factor in what dog I had. Sorry, but I don't have 2k to spend!

While I'll always buy from a reg breeder and prepared to travel distances to buy one, in all honesty I can see why people buy theirs out of petshops/papers.

Dogs are just as expensive, sometimes more depending on the breed or mix, as ones in the pet shops though. What breed did you recently get?

That argument just doesn't fly that pet shops are cheaper than registered breeders anymore IMO, a friend impulsed bought a little pom mix something for $1500 and were impressed with a 3 day health gurantee until I told them I paid significally less for a rare purebred with lifetime gurantees and support.

[dancinbcs]

As a child my dad got me a Rough Collie in 1983 for $100 with paper (main) from a register breeder …..I don’t know what the going rate for a Rough Collie may be these days. The papers didn’t mean much to us only that he was a pure bred dog…and a point to boast to my friends … that my dog had Champion parents ,grandparents and great grandparents.

Our dog was never use for breeding or showing. I think $100 was too cheap even for those days. We loved our Duke dearly

I bought my first registered Border Collie in 1983 for $180 and my second in 1986 for $250. The first dog gained his Championship and CDX and won Best in Show at a BC specialty from an entry of 170 then went on to be my foundation sire, so he was very good value. I think I paid $600 plus an airfare from Qld for another show/breeding bitch bought in 1998.

Rough Collies are still pretty cheap compared to most breeds with many breeders currently struggling to get about $800 for top quality puppies. No idea why this lovely breed that makes a wonderful family pet, has gone out of fashion. The current trend for "tough looking dogs" probably has something to do with it.

[Flight]

OK yes well thats just a crazy amount of money for a petshop dog.

[Sandra777]

OK yes well thats just a crazy amount of money for a petshop dog.

Those ''crazy amounts'' seem to be the going rate though for the fluffies

When OH is with me I'm not allowed to look as I may cause a riot, but the other day I went past our local shop in the mall and they had short coated random yellow coloured rats they were selling as "staffys'' for $950. They were mutts, and not very good ones at that - you can buy a fabulously bred reg'd Staffordshire Bull Terrier for that sum.

Another one that advertises on line a lot sells ''staffys'' for a bit cheaper and they are usually distinctly hairy and look suspeciously like Kelpie crosses with the eye set, face and fluff.

People are idiots and make assumptions about things they know nothing about (like the price of a GOOD puppy!)

Edited April 18, 2011 by Sandra777

[sas]

I paid $300 for my rescue girl who is just perfect in everyway.

I paid $2,500 for my main registered boy whose had health and temperament woos since the start.

Is there a limit to what people should spend? People will spend what they want....only that person can deem the value of it.

[anna]

Our girl wasn't cheap, but she was worth every cent. She's perfect in every way - if I had known she was so brilliant, I would have paid 5 times as much for her

As some PPs have said, price is the last question I would ask a breeder.

[minxy]

Our girl wasn't cheap, but she was worth every cent. She's perfect in every way - if I had known she was so brilliant, I would have paid 5 times as much for her

As some PPs have said, price is the last question I would ask a breeder.

I didn't bother to ask my breeder how much Kyojin was going to cost until after OH and I had already decided that we wanted him. Price really was the least of my concerns. Yes he did cost a fair bit of money, but I'm going to have 10 or so wonderful years with him, which to me is worth every cent.

[Boxerheart]

Anything up to $2000 is reasonable at the cost of living prices for dogs and their needs vet bills etc now days. Anything less than $1000 is literally giving money away. Vet bills, equipment, registrations, cost of meat and premium dog food, health testing even the most basic is sky high now.

Those who want to pay nothing for a dog because it's a dog and a "pet" should perhaps stick with their computer games..because it will cost a lot more annually to keep than the initial purchase price and once you have it you can't skimp (though many do and sadly thats why there are so many ill cared for dogs out there.)

Edited April 18, 2011 by Boxerheart

[Oceangirl]

My gorgeous dog was a bargain!!! $350 adoption fee from a foster rescue organisiation. Included his vaccinations, sterlisation etc.... Wouldn't even have covered the costs for him I don't think. Can't get better than that. Though I gotta admit, cost of the dog is not the big deal for me. I would be more than happy to pay more for a great pup/dog from a fantastic breeder any day (within reason). My dog costs me way more in 'must have' items such as dog treats, quality dog food, beds, toys, and the list goes on.

Edited to add, in the past:

Old English Sheepdog (ex show dog) was free when we got her as a 2year old.

We got a purebred toy poodle from a registered breeder in 1985 for $180.

My border collie was bought from a registered breeder in approx 1995 for $450.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Oceangirl

[Guest Panzer Attack!]

Tucker cost me nothing, but cost my ex $200. He was due to be put down the day we purchased him, and only over the last month has cost us more than a yearly vet check. He's a sturdy little dog and worth every cent.

Bambi cost me $300 purchase price and I think I spent $1000+ in vet bills the first week I had her. I was advised to take her back to the RSPCA but there was no way in hell I was going to throw her back to be given the green dream. I dread to think of how much she cost me in two short years before we said goodbye. :D

Scooter cost me $1000 - I was expecting to pay less, to be honest (I was offered a pup by a different breeder for $600), but he's mains registered and has turned out to have the exact temperament that I was after and his colouring and structure is divine. I've had him for almost three weeks but am really starting to get attached already. Most importantly, he was from the first litter of the bitch that got me hooked on the breed and I would have paid at least another $500 to get him. For a somewhat uncommon breed, I think he was definitely worth the money. Yes, I did balk at the price, but I think he's going to be worth it.

I would have paid another $10,000 to have Bambi for another year :p But hopefully Scoots will be around for a long time to come.

[saradale]

Can't help but notice people think it is a no no to charge more for pups of a popular colour, or for particular gender. There is nothing wrong with this. If the demand is there. I waited nearly 10 years to get my first red Boxer in a litter from my lines. Finally I had both a red male and a female, the male I had a home lined up and sold the same price as my brindles. The female I kept. You have no idea the number of calls of people insisting they wanted those pups, that they would pay more etc etc. They really tried to twist my arm. I did not budge.

But had I not planned to keep the bitch and if the red male had not had a home lined up already..there would have been nothing wrong with a higher price either.

Just my thoughts on this matter. Supply and demand drives it. Sorry to sidetrack.

The problem with this (in my breed anyways) is there are breeders cropping up everywhere who are breeding solely for these fad colours so they can cash in on them and unfortunately are not taking much else into consideration. Some of these breeders are advertising these colours as "rare" and are making a point of breeding for colours that are not in the ANKC standard.

So in the overall picture, they are not doing the breed any favours by producing inferiour dogs and selling to unsuspecting buyers.

[tooch]

Before I signed up on here a month or so back, I didn't know much about registered breeders etc. I was always anti-pet store and puppy farms though.

We bought Izzy from what I now know as a 'backyard breeder', but I felt totally comfortable with her seller and the conditions she was brought up in. It was obvious that the seller cared for the puppies, and they were all very healthy and happy puppies, all very lively and sociable. Both parents were there and both appeared to be in very good condition, and had excellent friendly temperaments. The seller informed us on the food that he had been cooking and feeding the pups, and they had been wormed before we picked her up. Our friends bought one of her brothers, so they get to remain in contact

We've had her around 2 months now, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. Everywhere I go she gets comments on how good looking and what a nice colour she is. If I knew how good of a puppy she has been, and how much I adore her, I would have probably paid 2-3x her $300 asking price

I wouldn't mind getting her a friend some time in the future, and if I do it will most likely be a rescue this time.

Edited April 19, 2011 by tooch