Breeder Unhappy With My Questions

[angelsun]

There is nothing wrong with asking the price for a pup. There is nothing wrong with asking for an estimate on shipping, simply because a breeder that routinely ships interstate would have an idea, the average new pet owner, won't.

What I would bristle a bit at would be the 'knock off some money' because one less vaccination will be given. Depending on the day, lack of sleep, other emails and life in general, I might go off a bit half cocked in response.

Some breeders are in fact more testy than others. Some breeders are used to getting everything their way without debate. In the end, YOU are the consumer...you pay the price if you want the product....

If the breeder hasn't said, 'here's your deposit back...seeya' then perhaps you also need to accept that if you want to stop the deal, the ball is in your court. Losing a pet over a vaccination for example, is pretty silly....but that's just my opinion.

[angelsun]

(double post)

Edited April 13, 2013 by angelsun

[Rosetta]

There are 5 pages of people mostly agreeing about the 'haggling' thing, so.. moving on.

What I always find weird is the 'what would a breeder think of this' etc. Breeders are just people - approach them as you would approach a person you don't know. The way they respond to anything you ask is going to vary in the same way that you ask anything of ANY PERSON. Some people are terrible at reading and conveying emotion or humour in writing, some come across as rude and abrasive in email, some people hate the phone, some like to chat and keep in contact a lot, others want to keep communication to a bare minimum.

So whatever discussions anyone has with a breeder will be partly to do with the fact that they're talking about dogs, but underscoring that is the fact that they're a person you don't know. Some people will think a particular line of questioning is fine, others will think it's rude/unnecessary/unnerving - that's not because they're a breeder, it's because they're a person.

Totally agree - I don't understand these "how to talk to breeders" threads at all. Communication between people is a two way street - and people differ on how good they are at it :)

[mixeduppup]

I recently said no to a person who asked me to knock back the price because they had bills and shipping was expensive. Their email read something like this "I have a house payment coming up and was wondering if you'd take $200 less as transport is also quite expensive." My response was "Sorry but the dog's price is not negotiable (we've discussed this before), perhaps you should look for a dog more local to you if transport is too expensive and wait until you can find a dog in a more suitable price range for your circumstances. Good luck with finding the right dog but mine will not suit your needs. Thanks"

I normally have the price of my dogs on my ads, sometimes they're slightly negotiable depending on the dog and the person interested but normally they are not. Having someone keep bringing up the price of the dog and transport always makes me wary about the dog's future.

[Loving my Oldies]

There are 5 pages of people mostly agreeing about the 'haggling' thing, so.. moving on.

What I always find weird is the 'what would a breeder think of this' etc. Breeders are just people - approach them as you would approach a person you don't know. The way they respond to anything you ask is going to vary in the same way that you ask anything of ANY PERSON. Some people are terrible at reading and conveying emotion or humour in writing, some come across as rude and abrasive in email, some people hate the phone, some like to chat and keep in contact a lot, others want to keep communication to a bare minimum.

So whatever discussions anyone has with a breeder will be partly to do with the fact that they're talking about dogs, but underscoring that is the fact that they're a person you don't know. Some people will think a particular line of questioning is fine, others will think it's rude/unnecessary/unnerving - that's not because they're a breeder, it's because they're a person.

Totally agree - I don't understand these "how to talk to breeders" threads at all. Communication between people is a two way street - and people differ on how good they are at it :)

I think it is more to do with the fact that a prospective buyer is buying a living creature, not a piece of furniture and if it is the first time someone has bought a puppy, I think it is fairly reasonable that people should be asking how to do it.

That said, if someone asked me to knock off $200 from the purchase price because they had house payments coming up, red flags by the dozen would be popping up.

And even more so if they wanted a reduction because of the number of vax a puppy/dog had had.

[littlesev]

I think that this is merely a misunderstanding that can easily be straightened out with proper communication. The OP may have thought that the price includes the second vaccination and didn't know that the breeder is including the second vacc at no cost. I know pets are not things, but talking about pricing in general, if one assumes that X price includes A & B, it's reasonable to expect a price reduction when one feature isn't included. Naturally, buyer doesn't think of the extra cost the breeder would have incurred in the 2 weeks, because they are buyers. I don't think either side means anything bad so I hope they work it out in the best interest of the puppy.

I know it's not a very popular opinion here to ask breeders for price or have price as a major factor in getting a puppy. I was very cost focused when I looked for puppies, but once I have my dog, I spare no expense on him. It's like: $1000 for a silky pup? Expensive! $1000+ for puppy expense in the first two months? That's to be expected.

[mr.mister]

Hey there ziggy, and welcome to DOL. :)

You have repeated throughout your posts that you did not know about the vaccinations, transport costs and how much it costs a breeder to breed (they're lucky to break even, usually!). Well, now you know, so I would suggest giving the breeder a phonecall like others have suggested, as it's easy for things to get lost in translation over email. Perhaps apologise to them that you were not aware of these costs and that you are still very new to all this puppy buying business. We all make mistakes, after all.

I, too would have been suspicious after reading what you've said in your emails - it would have given me the impression that you weren't prepared to spend money on the pup to adequately care for them. Give them a call, it will be a lot easier to explain what you mean over the phone than through the internets.

Edited April 14, 2013 by mr.mister

[ziggyboy]

Thanks for all your responses - both negative and positive. I've taken all of them on board.

I realise that I may have come across as being too concerned about costs. Maybe it wasn't what I said but how I said it. My communication with the breeder has been both over the phone and via email.

Just to be clear I am not trying to cut corners. I merely just try and find the best value in everything, and "value" doesn't always mean cheap. Like I've already said, I went with Jetpets, who aren't the cheapest (I have read breeders in this forum use cheaper pet transport companies). I think the breeder misunderstood my search for value as trying to be cheap.

[WoofnHoof]

As others have said a live animal is quite different to pretty much every other product out there, it's a little bit like an interview process, you are both aiming to achieve a good match. Asking for discounts can be perceived as devaluing the work the breeder has put in to produce quality animals, I realise that's not your intent but you do have to approach this purchase with a completely different mindset than you would the purchase of an inanimate object.

I know plenty of people who earn far more than me who have said they would have put my dog down instead of get him the specialist surgery he needed to survive, so the size of your pay packet is irrelevant it's the value you place on it relative to the value placed on a living breathing creature that a breeder has brought into the world with care and love. Paying the asking price is showing respect for the breeder and for the puppy that is likely to be the result of generations of breeding for health, temperament and quality, you aren't just paying for this pup you are paying for the expertise and experience which has led to this pup, it's parents, it's grandparents etc. Many years of dedication to the breed and to dogs is priceless in a lot of ways, so that is why people have a very different view of prices of pups as opposed to other things.

Hope you can sort it out and welcome home your new pup :)

[Starkehre]

For me personally, the "value" (if you like) in the purchase of a puppy/dog comes into play with such things as health and temperament (if you are a pet puppy home). Not so much about the initial costs. You may find a breeder that is happy to "mark down" a puppy or offer extras off here or there, but if that puppy becomes ill later on with a serious issue that may have been avoided purchasing elsewhere, then there goes all that small saving and some.

If it was me I would be researching everything you can regarding possible health issues in the breed/lines, longevity and ask as many questions as possible to find out the very best way to raise the puppy regarding diet/nutrition, exercise, training etc to ensure you get the best "value" out of your dog in the long run.

Those initial outlays such as transport, vaccs etc are such a small component of the overall costs.

I totally understand that you are the type of person that feels value is a very important part of every purchase you make. And normally that would be fine. Puppies are different. IAs a puppy buyer I look for he perfect fit of puppy, breeder, breed etc and then just pay whatever it costs out of respect and appreciation. At least that is how I look at it.

And remember, for those extra couple of weeks the breeder was happy to hold onto the puppy for you initially, she could well have charged you for housing - food/boarding, but she didn't... not saying that all breeders would do this, but holding onto the puppy was offering a huge favour to you.

I hope you can sort it all out. :)

I think things would go more smoothly if you try to shift your focus away from money a bit (a lot) especially seeing as it is not an issue for you to raise the funds and focus more on everything else.

Good luck.

[julesluvscavs]

Any updates Ziggyboy ?

Another post i was reading reminded me about yours, so thought id come back and ask ;)

[BJean]

To be blunt, if you sounded in your emails the way you sound in your post, I would be concerned that you couldn't afford the puppy. Never mind that you earn a six figure salary. Unless you've said that to the breeder, she wouldn't know. Honestly, asking for a discount because of the second vaccination just makes you sound like a cheapskate. You may be, I don't know, but I certainly wouldn't want to sound like that to anyone let alone someone I'm getting a dog from. It would raise too many alarm bells where none are needed.

This

[BlackJaq]

A vacc is pretty cheap, it does sound odd to me to ask for money off the purchase price for that, and I can see her concerns.

*nods*

I'm not a breeder but this is what I was thinking as well.

It also sounds a bit odd that you are apparently not looking for the cheapest price yet you seem to be quibbling over small expenses like vaccination and the trip to the airport when you are happy with everything else. A dog is not like "other nice things" where you shop around because all the products are the same.... If I was a breeder I might also get concerned that you may be unwilling to fork out for some things regarding the puppy after these kind of things were mentioned... The salary you actually earn is not necessarily an indicator of how well the puppy will be taken care of.

ETA: Sorry I didn't realise there were 7 pages on this already! My bad

Edited May 5, 2013 by BlackJaq

[Silvawilow]

As a breeder, asking for a discount would raise some concerns as to your financial capabilities to afford the dog throughout it's lifetime.

In our conversations/emails to potential owners we give purchase price and what's included (chip, 1st vac, transport to airport if required on one day chosen by myself, etc). We do understand that not all buyers are as well researched as some, had a lady ask if I could tell what colors the puppies were from the u/s - that was a bit cute!