Do good dog breeders charge extra for....?

Question

the gender and color of a puppy? I am looking at several Italian Greyhound breeders and a few of them charge extra like $300 for those things.

I would love to adopt a dog from the pound and save its life, but the only dogs that don't cause me severe allergic reactions are IG's and poodles! Well, poodles scare me so my only option is an IG and I really want a dog!

The females are *always* more expensive than the males no matter what, and if the puppy has interesting markings or is almost all white it will cost more. I have only looked at 3 breeders so far.

Answer 1

NO NO NO!

If it is an acceptable breed color, then all colors should be equally priced.

And when selling a puppy as a pet, it should be with a spay/neuter agreement so male or female is a personal choice only.

If the breeder is charging extra for "rare" colors (which are usually rare because they are considered undesireable by reputable breeders), "rare" coats (in my breed we occasionally get long-hairs, a disqualification under the standard but sleazy breeders will often charge extra for that) or for females (why should she be more unless people intend to "make money (ha!)" by breeding her?) they should be avoided.

The only reasonable price differential should be between show potential animals and pets. I don't even charge a difference there, I feel that my pets are just as good as my show dogs, and since I'd love to have my puppies shown why would I penalize someone who wants to do that by charging them extra?

Answer 2

NO ethical, responsible breeder will charge more for a puppy due to color or sex.

If you are talking to a "breeder" who wants to charge you more for some "rare" color, or because the puppy is female, RUN! DO NOT WALK! away.

Only Backyard Breeders and Puppymills place value on something as superficial as color. Color has little to do with a dog's quality or original function.

You are wrong about "everybody" charging more for a female. Again, only BYBs/puppymills -- people who believe a female is "worth more" because she can produce puppies for her owner -- will charge more for a female. Again, these are not the people you want to buy from.

Unfortunately, "A Veterinarian" is wrong, too. No ethical breeder I know, in any breed, charges different prices for different puppies in a litter. Again, I say unfortunately because I really wish Vets knew more about this stuff. I really, really do. :(

All of my puppies are worth the same amount, regardless of color or sex. They are healthy, sound puppies from genetically/mentally healthy and sound parents, and that is what is important. And, of course, I sell on spay/neuter contract, so the "reproductive value" is not even an issue.

And "Just another..." is utterly wrong, because for RESPONSIBLE breeders breeding is NOT a "business", and (my personal pet peeve) the evidence against mixes being "healthier" than purebreds due to some magic transformation in mixed genes is massive...but that's another topic.

To find responsible, ethical IG breeders in your area, start here:
http://www.italiangreyhound.org/aboutigs/referrals.html

Good luck!

Answer 3

Breeders I know charge LESS for mismarks who do not meet breed standards. I don't personally know anyone who breeds Italian Greyhounds, but the goal of any responsible breeder is to meet the breed standard. Pups who fail to qualify, for whatever reason, are lowered in price and sold as 'pet puppies' for reduced prices, along with a spay/neuter contract.

I'm not sure what colors are being charged extra for, but there are a couple of colors that are disqualifying in Italian Greyhounds:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/italian_greyhound/index.cfm

I do know that some backyard/unscrupulous breeders who end up with pups who blatantly fail to meet the standard due to colors, rather than charge less actually call these RARE pups and sucker uninitiated people into paying more.

I can't say if this is the case with the breeders you are talking about.

I also don't personally know any breeders who charge differently for different sexes.

I would do a lot of research into IG's and discover whether these breeders you refer to are on the up and up, or trying to sucker people in.

Answer 4

www.italiangreyhoundrescue.org/
Here is the Italian Greyhound rescue club website - they have pleanty of info on what the breed is like & what to look for in a breeder as well as offering dogs for adoption.

Now for the question: I HAVE heard of breeders charging more for one sex or another, if there is a definate tendency for buyer to want one sex over the other, in an effort to sway a few buyers over to the other sex so they all get homes. And certainly they are going to ask more for a top show prospect but I would worry if the COLOR is the only credential for a price increase.

Answer 5

Breeders are a business. If they can sell the same product with just different coloring at a higher price, of course they will up the price. Look at the price difference between a silver and a black razr cell phone. If you are thinking about getting a dog, do yourself and others a favor and adopt from a local shelter. Mutts generally will have less health problems because they don't carry over all the genetic deficiencies that the "pure breeds" have developed.

Answer 6

This sounds fishy to me. Why would one gender be more unless they are selling you a female without a spay contract so you can breed her?

As for color, all are equally okay except for brindle and certain black and tan markings...

why not contact the national IG club and see what they say and who they list as reputable breeders?
http://www.italiangreyhound.org/health/

Answer 7

Whether they're good dog breeders or not cannot necessarily be told from the prices they charge, but any professional breeder is going to try and charge more for something that will be in demand or sought after, such as a pedigree mother whose litters will be both handsome and valuable.

Answer 8

Yes, breaders do charge more based on specific charachteristics that a breed has.
My female sheltie cost more than my male. They are both sable. A bi-colored would have cost an additional $300-$400.00 as this is a rarer characteristic/breed attribute.

Answer 9

some do base their price on the akc breed standards, or any testing they have done on the animals like having the hips, heart ..ect. also they will charge more if there is a champion in the family

Answer 10

Yes