Breeders Please Answer?

Question

I've already posed this question before, but am now seeking imput from reputable breeders. Please explain to me, from your point of view, why puppies are so expensive? Especially toy breeds. I went to adopt a little doxie from an agency like my fellow yahooers suggested on my last question, but he was the same price. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to spend 500 dollars to purchase a dog and 500-700 more to take care of him too. I would treat him like any other person in our family. We work to provide for ourselves and I would work to provide for him.

Apologies for the rambling, truly sorry, but I would honestly like to hear from some breeders as to why puppies are so expensive to purchase.

Thank you,

Jai :)

As a breeder, how much do you normally charge for the purchase of one of your pets?

Answer 1

I haven't bred for several years, but used to breed show/working Dobermans. Puppies from a good breeder are expensive for many reasons. Most reputable breeders also show or work their dogs. When you buy a puppy from a kennel like this, you are also buying their expertise, and the assurance that this puppy is sound, healthy and free from the genetic defects that often plague poorly bred pedigreed dogs. The titles in the pedigree assure you that YOUR puppy comes from only the best genetic stock, and two dogs weren't just thrown together to make a buck.

1-The expense of the actual breeding. When you are breeding for excellent health & breed type, you often do not have the ideal father for this litter at hand. You have to pay, and generally the cost is the same as the cost of a puppy. I never had a puppy come back for health issues or genetic disease.

2-Pre-natal care for the mother. Just like a human, to product the healthiest puppies, she needs special food & vitamins. She needs regular vet visits. Plus genetic testing for the Mom is incredibly expensive, but it has to be done to make sure you don't have markers for certain diseases, as well as OFA hip and joint certifications.

3-Neo natal costs. New puppies get alot of attention from the breeder. They get (expensive) vitamins & calorie supplements, daily weighings & handling. This is really a full time job.

4-When I bred, my puppies saw the vet a minimum of three times before they left me. Soon after birth, about 4 weeks for early vaccinations, and again at 6 weeks for a general health check and more shots. Even when I did my own shots, this was several hundred dollars per litter for health care. They also ate premium foods (no crappy Puppy Chow), and they ate ALOT.

5-Testing & handling. I spent a lot of time handling my pups, giving them temperment tests & socializing them. Again, lots of work. This is of the ultimate importance for the puppy to be a happy well adjusted dog, well suited to its new people. Proper testing assures that the puppy goes to the right home. I never had a puppy come back from a pet home because of bad matching. The day they went to their new homes, they were already paper trained, used to having nails cut and ears cleaned, partially trained (this really depends on the puppy) to sit & walk on lead. They were familiar with a variety of situations and kinds of people; very well socialized. I gave them the best start I possibly could.

As you can see, lots of time and money goes into a litter from a truly reputable breeder. I sold pet puppies for over $600 ten years ago (the show quality, generally 2 out of a litter of 8, went for $1,000 to $1,500), and I never even broke even, when you consider I paid $1,200 for Mom myself, and another grand for Dads services. Not to mention the time & money it cost to get Mom her Championship, her SCHII, her Obedience titles, and to keep her in prime health.

The problem is, not everyone out there charging $600 a puppy IS a reputable breeder. Many of them are charging that because the market will bear it. That is sad, that is why you see pop-eyed chihuahuas, and vicious Dachshunds, and hobbled German Shepherds. If you are buying a family member, for which I applaud you, save up for a few months more, and take that time to do your research. Look for show kennels, and in the case of a Dachshund, kennels with Earth Dog titles. You will be assured of getting the very best dog for your money, healthy, even tempered and sound.

Answer 2

Puppies are expesive because as a concerned breeder before I ever breed two dogs I do the following things.
Raise them for two years.
Provide vet care and all meds for two years.
Feed a very high quality dog food for two years
I then have the dogs hips xrayed and send the films in to OFA and pay them to give my dogs hips a rating. If it comes out good or excellent I can breed the dog if not then the dog can not be nred.
I have the eyes checked and the info sent to get a CERF certificate and I do it every year.
I have my dogs tested for VonWilldebrands and cardio myothopy and thyroid levels.
I also would show the dog until it has earned its title CH at least or the equvilant of a championship in the field trials or other work that that breed of dog does.
All of these things cost money and so if I breed a litter my puppys are expensive but I am going to give a health guarantee for the life of the dog and will tempermant guaranteed it also.
I take deposits before I breed a litter and need to have at least five per screened homes with a deposit down on a pup before I will breed a litter.
So puppies are expensive becasue I care about where mine are placed and I am doing all the proper vet work and genetic testing before I breed.

Answer 3

As a PREVIOUS Cat Breeder (Russian Blues), I can tell you that the ONLY means of re-grouping your costs in housing, vet care, feeding, showing, and all else that goes into it are through either your stud fees OR your puppy/kitten sales. Showing is necessary so that people do not breed a particular breed to look like a monkey or something. Some breeders are famous for breeding 2 breeds together and then cannot give any genetic guarantees on the offspring.

However, I would NEVER buy any kind of animal from ANY breeder without a written contract that gives you detail health, genetic and temperament guarentees. This protects you and the animal. Reputable breeders should not have an issue with this.

Understand that NOT ALL PEOPLE who buy from Breeders are as careing as you appear to be and sometimes they just want to buy a purebred to start a puppy or kitten mill with. These mills torture those animals and mistreat them. Mills only bottom line is produce and sell fast. They have no regard to the health or welfare of animals. Reputable Breeders have put time, love and money into these little creatures and do not want to see them in the wrong hands.

Yes, it is expensive, but there are many reasons for it. Most of them are justified.

Answer 4

Small breed dogs tend to have have small litters and a high rate of complicated births and casualties. Breeders must pay a stud fee (one puppy or the profits of) and they must also pay for care of mother and puppies, which can include food, tests, meds, vet, etc. With some pups, the owners of the parents may have put lots of money into competitions and such, to prove that their dogs (and hopefully the resulting pups) are the sort you would like to own. There are also some paperwork fees to register the litter and stuff like that. When you do all that and only have 1-5 puppies, a breeder wants to try and recoup.
There is also supply and demand. If a certain breed is not easy to find in your area, the few who do breed them can ask more, because there is less price competition and people will pay, and possibly because it costs them more to produce pups (such as travel expense to get to the stud or scarcity of stud dogs).
I'm not sure why an agency would be so expensive (do you mean shelter or pound?).
Hope this helps!

Answer 5

The reason dogs from breeders cost so much is this. First of all if you have just a female, you have to find a male to breed with. Then the cost of stud service can cost any where from $300.00 and up, depending on the person owning the male, and the bloodline. Then the female being pregnant for up to 63 to 65 days. Then if you incounter a problem, you have x=rays for the female. To see how many puppies she is carrying, and to make sure all is right with her. Then if their is a problem, she might have to have a c-section, which isn't cheap. So another vet bill.

Then when the pups are born, the up keep of them. The food for the mother, because of her nursing the pups, she will need the nuitrion to be able to keep nursing. Then if some mothers won't nurse, then you have to but the formula to feed the pups. Then certain dogs owners, depending on the breed, have the dogs dew claws clipped, tails done, ears done, and what ever else needs to be done. Then you have to figure in the shots and wormed, before they are sold. And if they do have the papers with them, the cost of getting them for you. A litters has to be registered even before you can register them your self. Then you get into the blood line of the male. If he is a champion, and show dog, they run much higher, plus being an AKC dog. Then if the breeder also supplies the pedigree, that will cost also.

Dogs are not cheap to raise. My dogs are ACA-American Canine Association, and I also have an AKC male.

Then you have some breeders with the smaller dogs, who check out the buyers, and if they feel you are not worthy enough they will not sell you one. Then some will not sell to families with children under twelve. Because some parents don't pay attention to the smaller kids, and they can hurt the smaller dogs, and might kill them. Then also some breeders will make yo sign papers stateing that you will not breed the pup, and that you have to get them fixed. they also give you time, about three days to take the dog to your own vet, to make sure that once you have them that they are in good health. If something is wrong with the pup, then you will get your money back, if you wait longer then the three days or however long they give you, then it's your problem.

Now if you go to a place that is a puppy mill, they don't care about the dog, and will still charge you the money, but they dog care about the dogs health. So any number of problems could arise with the pup. You might think you are getting a certain kind of breed, then find out it is a totally different kind then what you wanted.

So all breeders are protecting them selves, at least the good ones are, the puppy mills don't care at all.

It takes a lot of money to raise good quaility dogs, and if you think that $500.00 is a lot, well then you should check out some others, which can run into the thousands. This one dog that I have heard about was running twenty five thousand dollars.

I sold mine for $450.00, with papers and pedigree. Male or female, and I got the money for them. I was firm. But if you go to an adoption agency, they will also charge you so much, for the up keep of the pet, and for any vet bills that they might incur while having the pet.

I have mini dachshunds, the cost of them is this. First I paid five hundred for my female. The cost of the shots, every month untill she has them all. Then it depends on the vet you go to. Then you have to get the license. If they aren't fixed, you pay more for that. Then every three years you have to get the rabies shot, in order to get the license. Then you make sure they don't get fleas, so you have to buy the meds for that. Then heartworm meds, every month from may untill october. Then if they get other worms, you have to have the meds for that also.

If you really want to take good care of your dogs, that is why they cost so much, to buy and take care of. Good breeders charge that much because there reputation is on the line, and they will not sell inferior dogs, if they can help it.

If you can find a vet who is willing to work with you, you can get all this done, for a fairly decent price. Or get the things you need from a grocery store. The heart worm, and regular worm pills. Or get the things you need from PetSmart, if you have one.

But that is why dogs cost so much, unless you get one from an adoption place. I was looking into one, for a dachshund and bassitt hound mix, they wanted $85.00 for the pup. Just check around, and look at the other places for one, if you don't want to spend that much. Pet finders.com has dogs and puppies on them for adoption.

Hope this has helped you some, and has answered your question the way you wanted it. Have a nice day.

Answer 6

Toy breeds are the most expensive of all. 500 is a good price for a purebred doxie. We have a Yorkie and they can be sold for 1000 dollars or more .We have 8 dogs right now just had a litter of 4 pups.

Answer 7

The care of the mother during pregnancy. Care of the Puppies. Toy breeds are more expensive because they have smaller litters than big dogs.It's all labor intensive and if the dog has to have a cesarean section or other interventions during delivery that costs the breeders money.

Answer 8

because people pay it for one. I see the price of dogs in the pet stores and totally crap. You do have certain expenses with raising a litter but it is rediculas sometimes. Certain pure bred AKC registered dogs are high priced but the parents make the dogs not the papers. I sell my Mountain Cur pups for about $150 to $200 dollars depending on the shown hunting ability.

Answer 9

Listen, if you want a dog there are plenty of homeless dogs. go to your adoption center and get one. Purebreds are bred for a reason, to show. This is a very expensive hobby. That is just the dog world. Sorry.

Answer 10

most take in consideration,of the cost to breed the mother,vet bills,keeping her healthy then when the pups are born there is also a cost in caring for them and also the vet bills of getting them checked,first vaccinations,wormings,and of course they also want some profit for the efforts they put into it.I would go to the animal shelter,there are plenty of pure breeds people throw away there and you'll save a life and gain a new happy family member for little cost:):):) good luck in your search!