Prices Paid In Pet Shops

[Missymoo]

what gets me is registered breeders struggle to sell dogs for this amount...and get the shocked "how much"...

[dotdashdot]

This is so bloody frustrating. I work at one of 3 pet shops in my city, one nearby sells pups and kittens. The number of calls we take a week or people in store asking "where are the puppies?" is astounding, like it's the only place to get them or a zoo visit. What I hate even more is the signs this pet store have put up on the enclosures dismissing how they get pups from mills and how breeders are the biggest causes of unwanted pets. Pfft. They have been reported to the RSPCA once already by me for selling pups with KC (they had signs SAYING the pups had KC but were still for sale)

We now respond with the line "we support the RSPCA", I'd love to refer them to DOL but most people want those "purebred" oodles and no way in hell will I enable anyone to find them (if somebody wants an actual PB I jump on DOL and show them).

My pup i'm getting in 4 weeks will be registered, show potential, flown to my nearest capital city and vacc/chipped and all for the bargain price of $1100. $900 if I went to pick her up but it's a two day drive and a trip on the Spirit of Tas, not good for a pup.

[Dame Aussie]

I know people often say when i said how long we waited for our current girl that they wouldn't want to wait a long period on a waiting list and still not know if they are definitely getting one or not from the breeder. So thats the thing they can get one straightaway from a petshop or byb (when they are advertised everywhere) and the bonus is they don't have to be interviewed etc to be able to get one.. but thats the reality of it i guess ..

THIS!

The amount of people that would go on and on to me about 'How ridiculous' I was by waiting for so long for a puppy I 'Don't even get full choice of', before I even got Nova was astounding. Now that I have him I get "Wow no wonder you waited he is beautiful and so lovely, he's going to make some great puppies for you". When I tell them that he will never be making any puppies you should see their faces.

Oh and not to mention, being an Aussie Shep and most people around here looking at them think he is a Koolie cross, then go on about why would I spend so much money when I could've gotten one of What's His Names koolies x kelpie x border pups for a carton of Extra Dry.

A guy on my block has Koolies and whenever he sees my Aussie he comments on the 'Koolie' even though weve told him she's an Aussie.

His Koolies have pups that he sells via a sign in his front yard.

Quality.

[LisaCC]

I know people often say when i said how long we waited for our current girl that they wouldn't want to wait a long period on a waiting list and still not know if they are definitely getting one or not from the breeder. So thats the thing they can get one straightaway from a petshop or byb (when they are advertised everywhere) and the bonus is they don't have to be interviewed etc to be able to get one.. but thats the reality of it i guess ..

THIS!

The amount of people that would go on and on to me about 'How ridiculous' I was by waiting for so long for a puppy I 'Don't even get full choice of', before I even got Nova was astounding. Now that I have him I get "Wow no wonder you waited he is beautiful and so lovely, he's going to make some great puppies for you". When I tell them that he will never be making any puppies you should see their faces.

Oh and not to mention, being an Aussie Shep and most people around here looking at them think he is a Koolie cross, then go on about why would I spend so much money when I could've gotten one of What's His Names koolies x kelpie x border pups for a carton of Extra Dry.

A guy on my block has Koolies and whenever he sees my Aussie he comments on the 'Koolie' even though weve told him she's an Aussie.

His Koolies have pups that he sells via a sign in his front yard.

Quality.

Just had another guy try and convince me my own dogs a Koolie while I was having coffee. Because apparently "only Koolies are Blue Merle"

[D'smum]

I'll never forget a woman that walked in to a pet shop where i worked years ago on xmas eve and actually abused me because the shop did not sell puppies. When i recommended either a shelter/rescue group or registered breeder, i didnt even get to explain why before she asked me how the F she was going to have time for that at 4pm on xmas eve. Apparently the nice lady wanted to buy any old puppy she could find for her daughter for xmas...breed probably is irrelevant when you know youre most likely going to dump it before the end of the school holidays. Its not often I'm speechless....

[Steph M]

I'll never forget a woman that walked in to a pet shop where i worked years ago on xmas eve and actually abused me because the shop did not sell puppies. When i recommended either a shelter/rescue group or registered breeder, i didnt even get to explain why before she asked me how the F she was going to have time for that at 4pm on xmas eve. Apparently the nice lady wanted to buy any old puppy she could find for her daughter for xmas...breed probably is irrelevant when you know youre most likely going to dump it before the end of the school holidays. Its not often I'm speechless....

You have more resolve than me. I would have struggled there…

[tdierikx]

It's amazing how many calls our rescue gets on Christmas Eve wanting a last minute gift for their kid... *sigh*

We just advise that we are all sold out and leave it at that.

T.

[Nevafollo]

The part of it I find most annoying is that, I am LUCKY to sell my pure bred, well raised, beautifully socialised, pointer babies for $800-$1000 but people think its okay to pay these stupid crazy prices for poorly bred, poorly socialised cross breed dogs... I'd call them mongrels but people always seem to find that word so offensive!!!!

You get so many people say oh i wont get a purebreed I couldnt afford one... There ARE very affordable beautifully bred pure breeds out there if you look hard enough!!!

[cassie]

I think that's just the problem though, people (the average Jo Bloe) don't want to look hard. They want a puppy NOW, they don't want to go on a waiting list, especially when they can't be guaranteed a pup. They also don't like to be asked a million questions about what they intend to do with and how they intend to raise "their" puppy.

Think about it, the pet shop owner is HAPPY to sell them a pup! But with most breeders you have to prove you're worthy and knowledgeable enough for one of their pups. To the average lazy person, I can see the appeal of a pet shop pup who is ready to go right now no questions asked.

[kelpiecuddles]

I'd call them mongrels but people always seem to find that word so offensive!!!!

I work in a pet store and I call them mongrels when talking to customers :laugh:

I mainly care for the fish in the store but sometimes I find myself stuck in a conversation about the puppies, conversation often goes as follows:

customer: What sort of dog is a 'groodle'? (because of course that's what the store puts on the sign)

me: it's a mongrel, a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle.

customer: Oh, I see, so how big will it be?

me: It will be big, about so tall *gestures somewhere up around my waist*

customer: Oh really, wow we didn't realise it would be that big

me: yes

customer: but they don't shed do they cos they've got the poodle in them

me: well actually because they are a cross breed you really won't know whether they will shed or not until you see how their coat turns out

customer: *wanders back out the door... LOL

People assume anything crossed with a poodle will automatically be non-shedding and small??

The store really has it's work cut out for it selling puppies with the current staff, we aren't afraid to tell people their situation is completely unsuitable for X breed and one of the staff there is the local contact for AWL and we have a registered breeder/showie plus me on staff. We've made it as far as getting AWL cats in to the store, it'd be nice to be able to have us as a rehoming contact for dogs as well instead of selling puppies.

[OSoSwift]

The other thing is each person wants pick puppy. Which is usally chosen by sex then colour.

They don't want the pup that is the best match for them and their situation.

I recently spoke to one person who was extremely miffed that he had to go on a waiting list adn then they got to decide if he was good enougha dn they got to choose which puppy. He didn't like that at all. So he got one of scumtree as he could pick the one he wanted and no-one questioned if he would be good enough or if the pup was the right one. The breed he has I will be suprised if it has any health testing so I hope the kids hearts are not broken in the next 6 years or so.

I put some photos up on my website of my current litter - all sold. The amount of enquiries I got for a particular puppy becasue of her colour was astounding. I explained they were all sold and the puppies were chosen in regard to temperment as matching the home they were going to. Some people did not like that at all! Those who did get my babies were all very happy with the fact I was going to match a puppy to their families, others just want what they want with no regard to anything than that looks good I'll take it thanks!

[kelpiecuddles]

I like that breeders make an assessment of which pup/s they thin would suit you. When I got my basset she was one of a large litter(11 or so from recollection!) and he chose two pups that he thought would suit our family. I then sat and watched all the pups play for about 30 minutes before I decided for sure, it's so much nicer to have a dog that suits your family than one that's the 'perfect' colour but is a poor fit for you!

[Ryami]

I think the more they charge, the more people assume it's a quality dog. It's like horses, a horse breeder told me once that if she tried to sell a horse with poor conformation for $2k she didn't get any enquiries because people assumed it wasn't any good. Put a $10k price tag on the same horse and people are queuing up to buy it.

[Dame Aussie]

I think that's just the problem though, people (the average Jo Bloe) don't want to look hard. They want a puppy NOW, they don't want to go on a waiting list, especially when they can't be guaranteed a pup. They also don't like to be asked a million questions about what they intend to do with and how they intend to raise "their" puppy.

Think about it, the pet shop owner is HAPPY to sell them a pup! But with most breeders you have to prove you're worthy and knowledgeable enough for one of their pups. To the average lazy person, I can see the appeal of a pet shop pup who is ready to go right now no questions asked.

Yes, this is one of the biggest issues, the "I want a dog today" attitude.

[Remarkabull]

While out walking my 2 a few months ago I was stopped by a middle aged couple with a large, aggressive bull breed cross. They asked a few questions about my dogs and then went on a tangent that the next pup they brought would have to be from a breeder who let them have their pick of the entire litter. I tried to explain that with many breeders this would not be possible and then tried to explain why but they would have none of it and said that the 'will be picking the best one for ourselves before anyone else does' and would only be dealing with a breeder who would give them first option over anyone else. I wished them luck and continued on my walk :)

[Steph M]

I like that breeders make an assessment of which pup/s they thin would suit you. When I got my basset she was one of a large litter(11 or so from recollection!) and he chose two pups that he thought would suit our family. I then sat and watched all the pups play for about 30 minutes before I decided for sure, it's so much nicer to have a dog that suits your family than one that's the 'perfect' colour but is a poor fit for you!

This.

We never met Gus, or his parents so went against all the rules there but I could find loads of mention of his parents, grandparents and breeder online. She came highly recommended and asked us a thousand and one questions and voila! We’ve ended up with the ideal dog for us. He’s got a different personality to his siblings and it’s quite evident as we all keep in contact and each has been fitted to us and fitted right in.

I mentioned I’d like to try out some retrieving and he has a much higher drive to carry and fetch than a few of his siblings.

We’re not runners, and nor is Gus. He’s comparatively lazy when put next to his sister who is itching to start running with her owner.

A lot of that is nurture as well as nature but we’ve all commented how easy the transition was and how well the pups have fit in which can’t just be dumb luck!

[Alibi]

A groodle to me is a cross breed, while a mongrel to me is a bitsa. I like the name bitsa better than mongrel.

[tdierikx]

I have a true blue Aussie Camp Dog here (literally born in an Aboriginal camp)... makes a Heinz 57 look purebred... lol! When people ask what breed she is, I say "take your pick, it's probably in there somewhere"...

When we chipped her, it was a nightmare picking from only 2 breed selection boxes for her cross/mix - we picked ACD and Greyhound from memory, 'cos that's what she looked most like (although she's more Whippet sized now). There was no selection for Unknown in either box on the chip website when she was done... grrr!

Mongrel and Mutt are taken as derogatory terms - and usually delivered as such by those using them to describe someone else's dog. Bitsa or Crossbreed are much more user friendly terms IMHO, and are a lot less likely to get you a negative reaction from the person whose dog you are describing...

The fascination with labelling certain crossbreeds is because the average Joe would like to think that their expensive new dog is a particular "breed", as opposed to the mixed bag it may actually be... and the unscrupulous "breeders" of same will happily keep perpetuating the myth that their crossed pups are something special, and keep charging big bucks from the gullible buyers for them.

T.