How much should a puppy cost?

Whatdo

Hi alll,

I found myself in the unenviable position of accompanying the parents of a family of non dog owners who have succumbed to their children s pester power to visit the home of a person selling puppies, the whole family having visited the day before.

I found the experience most uncomfortable and forced the couple to leave the property almost immediately. Later at the diner table I set out my reasons for my disapproval, and had to account for my actions, especially to the two daughters.

A number of ethical issues arose and I wondered if any of you guys might be able to help quantify some basic facts.

A starting point could be the pricing of a puppy, It is not uncommon to hear the argument from any seller " I do not make any money I am just covering costs". Does anybody have a basic SOA for raising and marketing a litter of say 5 puppies? Are there any hidden costs that might not be apparent to novices. This is simply to make the fundamental distinction between a hobby and a business or indeed distribution of an accidental servicing.

Many thanks for any replies.



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ka7e

Goodness, it varies so much due to all sorts of factors!

A litter from an unregistered, untested pet can generate a profit quite easily, if all goes well.

Different breeds have different stud fees and relevant health tests. Litter sizes can vary hugely and you may have to factor in the cost of a c-section (£1-2k). Pregnant and lactating !!!!!es have big appetites and may have to have special diets. A proper whelping box and hygienic bedding are expensive. Pups have to be weaned, KC registered, vet checked and maybe have early eye tests. Some breeders microchip and supply 1st vaccinations as well as comprehensive puppy packs.

B1tches and pups may suffer post-whelping complications requiring veterinary attention.

And finally, most good breeders will devote 8 weeks of their time to the litter, it is a 24/7 commitment!

If you visit the Champdogs site forum you can find a long thread entitled "Making a profit on a litter" 19/7/11 where there is lots of discussion about the topic.

Person_one

I think the biggest expense would be that if you stay at home all the time to properly take care of a pregnant !!!!! and then a litter of puppies, you haven't got time to go to work.

I hardly think that overpricing counts as one of the more important ethical issues related to pedigree dog breeding. Its minor compared to the rest, although admittedly if there weren't money to be made from it then the other issues would probably never arise in the first place.

Caroline_a

Breeders who do it right will be feeding the b itch additional food and supplements while she is pregnant. There will of course be stud fees, travel to the stud dog - usually more than once. Then there will be testing fees if the b itch is a novice - hip scoring, elbow scoring, plus plus plus... depending on the breed. There will then be any resulting vet fees from the pregnancy, plus if there are issues with the birth.

For any breeder you might have spent all this... and no puppies! Or just one! Then additionally there might be vet visits for any puppies who aren't thriving, plus initial vaccinations (although not all breeders give those). Added to all this, of course, is the time to look after these puppies, any advertising... and a risk factor in case any pups are not sold.

However.... unscrupulous breeders probably do none of this. And will probably still charge the same as an authentic breeder.

I would, however, be concerned about your friends who you say were getting a pup because the kids wanted one. That is not a good enough reason to get a puppy - the kids will not and should not be responsible for the puppy's care, that will fall to the adults. Those are the things that they should be asking themselves - do we want to take on responsibility for the next possibly 15 year of this dog, who will need training, health care, insurance, feeding, exercising, etc etc etc.

bagginslover

Was the price of the puppies your only reason for wanting to leave? For me, the cost of the dog would be WAY down on my list of reasons for getting/not getting the dog. Much higher would be the condition of the pups,are they with Mum, why were they bred in the first place, did the parents have all the relevent tests for their breed. Whilethe initial cost of buying a pedigree dog might be high, it is well worth it when buying from a good breeder, and should never be the first consideration.

Obviously as they dog isn't even for you, but for another family this is may be a little pointless, but why were you asked to go along with them? Were they looking for someone to be the 'bad guy' in front of their kids do you think?

rising_from_the_ashes

As others have mentioned it depends on many things such as breed, whether it's a professional breeder of someone who has the odd litter, whether their were complications, stud fees, what vet treatment was needed during pregnancy, delivery & afterwards, food, care of mum & pups, number of pups etc etc.

Why did you feel uncomfortable? (was it the condition of the dogs/house/attitude of breeder?)

What were your ethical reasons for leaving?

Was it a professional breeder or someone having an odd litter of pups?

welshmoneylover

Price shouldn't really be an issue when buying a pup. The most important considering is health testing of the parents. Many dog breeds are prone to genetic dispositions and if the parents aren't tested and are carriers and then bred from, the resulting pups could potentially have life threatening/lifelong illnesses which will lead to expensive vet bills.

The price of a well bred pup from health tested parents is always more expensive than a pup from a back yard breeder or puppy farm and is a price well worth paying in the long run.

Raising a litter of pups for 8 weeks is a 24/7 commitment, and the price will reflect this plus the cost of the feed, disinfectant, cleaning the whelp area etc.

Other things to consider when checking a pup is the jaw, make sure the bite is correct. Lift the ear flaps back to ensure the pup has a proper lughole, make sure its not infested with fleas etc.

If in doubt, walk away. You'll be walking away from expensive vet bills and heartbreak when things go wrong.

Hoof_Hearted

A cheap dog may end up costing a fortune.....

Most reputable breeders let you buy the dog and have it checked over by a vet within 48 hours. If any problems are found, the money will be returned.

A puppy is a huge amount of work so should not be taken on lightly.

We paid a lot for our dog but he is fit and healthy and matched our requirements.

Raksha

What research have the family done on the type of dog who would suit their lifestyle? Have they taken into account that puppies have VERY sharp teeth, which they use to test the strength of their bite on their litter mates - in the abscence of litter mates, they WILL use the children for this purpose until they are taught otherwise.

Person_one

A free muttley pup from a rescue centre has just as much chance of being healthy and well behaved as an expensive pedigree, if properly socialised and trained. No amount of health testing will keep pedigree breeds healthy forever.

bagginslover

Since when have rescues given dogs away for free?! they cost at least £100 from rescues in my experience.