As Breeders, Do You Charge More For Main Register Pups?

[Bokezu]

All my pups are sold for the same price, they are all quality puppies, I sell on main register for show prospects, if I had a puppy with a fault I would drop the price.

[Tapua]

There is a $100 difference between Main & Limit for me - I breed the litters with the intention of keeping bitches at this point in time, of the 5 Lab litter I have bred in the last 3 year I have only kept 1 bitch the rest have been sold as pet or re-homed becasue I wasnt happy with them. I breed for my kennel first I am not particularly interested in males - later I might consider keeping a boy but to be honest there is plenty of sperm out there in my breed. It is easier for me to just keep bitches. If I am offering a MR male for sale then I place NO expectation on my part to control the owner to whom's bitch that dog must or must not cover. I just dont see the point in being that controlling. If I want a service from one of my dogs I bred I will offer them a fee or pick pup in return.

Certainly colour is a factor and I have seen rediculous prices for chocolate Labs but they are the same attention as all the rest of the litter and I dont think the colour is all that relevant if the conformation of the litter is crap. Pet puppy buyers expect to pay much less for pets yet I treat all the pups the same, all get the same attention, same feed, same neurological stimulation, the sire and dam are all health checked with the relevant DNA tests, hips/elbows, all buyers are given info (once they have paid a deposit) and photos each week about feed, crates, vets, vaccination, puppy pre-schools and various do's & dont's so they are well prepared before the pup even arrive. So the price reflects not just the pup but the service which is on-going and available via email or facebook. At this time I will happily MR 1st & 2nd male if they are good enough - but after that I think I would be kidding myself. Any quality females stay with me at the moment.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Tapua

[angelsun]

I don't have a large gene pool in my breed so every decent dog/bitch out there must be considered as we (as a breed) fell close to extinction in the mid 50's. However, I can not agree with the ideal that because I prefer black and tan as my colour of choice and it sells more (in some areas) easier than others, that I would pay more for this colour than a red (or dilute) I look at the dog first, the colour is always second, however I draw the line with dilutes.

In my breed, they are bred without consideration as to breed type, specific improvements or other such considerations. They are sought for their colour because there are breeders who know that they can get THREE times the price for them. That is the ONLY reason they are being produced. In Canada, they can not be shown. In some European countries although eligible, no one of any reputation will show them as they are considered a severe fault. We are allowed to show them here...has anyone out there seen one in the show ring? to my knowledge and research, there has never been one exhibited in this country.

We do genetic testing to eliminate the possiblity of having dilutes. Some would say "who cares...get one or two, make more money!" We care...those of us that hold our breed close. We also know that the dilutes have lots of health issues the non dilutes do not. We also realize that purchasing a dog based on colour alone is usually not something that will result in a happy ending. We do not wish to see our breed degraded by breeders that cash in on an uncommon or unhealthy colour, call it RARE and rake in money off unsuspecting buyers.

I have my prefered colour of my breed but I will also breed or own reds if they are good enough. I will not however breed dilutes or breed for dilutes. I also will not promote my prefered colour as the ONLY correct colour or the colour that MOST people go for....do they? I personally don't have any facts or data to support such a statement. I let people know straight up that I have my preferred....but I also do not diminish the other main colour in my breed simply because it doesn't tug at my heart strings like my B/T's do. I would not consider selling reds at a lower price, implying they inferior to my b/t's either.

[Boxerheart]

I don't see the reason behind charging more for a main register pup and for me one price fits all. Colour, sex, breed. In the end each pup in the litter should cost you the same to raise from birth to sale.

I would think that by charging more you are saying you guarantee that pup is going to do well in the ring and I know just about every breeder states in their contracts that they don't guarantee the dog will be successful. Also by charging more for your main register pups prospective puppy buyers feel that a limit register pup is of lesser quality. And I have had several puppy buyers query the reasoning behind two prices.

These are just my thoughts on it.

What a lot of Rot and assumption on your part here.

End of the day, the puppies belong to the breeder who will sell the puppies according to demand and the suitability of the home at the price they wish to set. PERIOD.

Limited register = cant register progeny or show, but can do obedience.

Main register = can show and register progeny

Both registers may include excellent examples of the breed, and pets may also be excellent examples of the breed. Both registers may also include very poor examples depending on the breeder or the dogs used.

Both registers are entirely the discretion of the INDIVIDUAL breeder and what they want to sell their puppies on as.

Buyers must do their research and know what they are looking for in their breed as it is not possible to use the registers as a guide to quality.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Boxerheart

[Boxerheart]

I don't charge extra for Main Register. All Main Register pups are co-own. No ifs or buts. Too many disreputable colour breeders or puppy farmers popping up in my breed who don't give a brass razoo about what they are breeding. As long as it carries colour and they can breed from it.. Yipeee.

If I "stash" a dog for breeding, they pay the full price up front. I pay all the health testing at the relevant time. Once I use the dog/bitch, I refund their purchase price or give them a puppy (limit reg). Once the dog is desexed, I am happy to sign it over. At least this way, if they decide to desex the dog early, I have still got my pet price.

Too many people popping up in my breed who do not spend the time actually researching the lines they have. If they did some basic research, they would not be doubling up on certain dogs in their pedigree. All they see is a "nice" chocolate/white dog.. not what hidden dangers are carried in the line..

The funny thing with that.. is mostly where these same people have gotten their coloured dog from is a colour breeder to start with... Some breeders still sell everything on Main Registration and the coloured dogs flooding the market are from the same few kennels who do sell all their pups on Main Registration. So the quality never really improves. As generally speaking, the same people who are buying these dogs are only interested in selling coloured dogs, and anyone with quality show dogs will not allow their studs to go to these inferior bitches.

Too many border collies are coming up with other varying health issues that are not able to be DNA tested for, and the number of puppies I have seen recently who are missing significant pigment on their noses at 8 weeks is disturbing. (these are non merle puppies too). Or the number of dogs with blue eyes appearing on Main Register and then some breeders making a feature of it in their advertising for "show quality" puppies when the blue eye is an actual breed fault!

Maybe if some of those breeders actually went to a show and tried to show their dogs, they may get an idea of what show quality really is. Just because it is capable of being bred from, does not make it show quality.

If these new breeders are there for the right reasons.. then I am sure most of us will be supportive with their endeavours. But the number of ones who are breeding for other reasons is getting disturbing.

However, just because it is capable of doing well in the ring doesnt make it suitable for breeding either.

Yes, but at some point the buyers being armed with the knowledge that a show potential dog is not the same as a good breeding prospect must take some of the risks we breeders have to take too. We all set out to buy or breed the best but we are not God, we cannot have perfectionism (and even God FKss up - how much in the rest of the world is wrong)..that aside how much money do we breeders spend on dead ends. People need to get a reality check and realise we are dealing with living things and with life is risk.