Whats the most I should spend for a labrador retriever?

Question

Ive contacted three different breeders and one wont respond, I guess because I asked for a price? (these dogs arent cheap, I think I have a right to know how much I'll be spending) and the other two breeders asked for different prices. 2 breeders show their dogs, one does not.

And Im in New York, if that even matters.

And Im not going to the shelter this time around, I already own two rescue doggies. I would like a full pure bred labrador.

Not a thing, wine and window guy. But, like it or not, this is my business. Now unless your here to answer my *question* like the other people graciously did, you can leave. =)

Answer 1

A pet-quality puppy from a reputable breeder will typically cost between $600-$1500. (Sometimes more, depending on the breeder and the lines.)

Many breeders won't respond if you email just asking "how much for a dog?". Instead, when you send an inquiry, try to tell the breeder about yourself, what you are looking for in a dog, etc. I typically write 3-4 paragraphs when inquiring about a dog. Sure, one of my goals is to see how much the puppy is, but I also want to make a good first-impression so the breeder isn't hesitent about selling a puppy to me.

Answer 2

Go to akc.org and look at their list of breeders. Or go to the Labrador Retriever Club(the national breed club), they willl have a list of breeders by state. A breeder here in Tulsa charges $800 for her pups on a Limited registration. After the dogs have their clearances nad she can evaluate their appearance she may authorize that dog to be bred. It all depends on the breeders' contract.
You could also look for a younger dog(2 y/o) that the breeder kept from a litter that didn't meet their expectations in regards to the conformation. Those are usually cheaper and have to be spayed/neutered.

Answer 3

The truth is, when you see that perfect puppy $ become secondary. We got our Yellow Lab 11 years ago. Sadly we had to put him down after 8. (Long story, but had nothing to do with the breeder) Any Hoo, We looked and looked and looked some more. The prices varied from 400 to over 1,000. Crazy. From word of mouth we stumbled upon a place where we found Bailey. From the moment we saw him it was love at first sight. I couldn't care less if he was a million, I wanted him. My husband on the other hand was more concerned with the cost and broke out in a sweat. After a few heated exchanges and tears from the kids (which really worked) we drove home with our new pup, blue bow and all. Worth every penny of the $800 we spent.

Answer 4

You need to go visit these people and their dogs and not take any money with you. Showing them doesn't necessarily mean anything about them being responsible. The breed has a number of health issues and the breeders need to be knowledgeable about them. For a pet quality pup from a nicely bred litter by a knowledgeable and conscientious breeder, I would expect to pay around $1000 - maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less but the most important thing to the breeder should be YOU -- what sort of home the pup will be going into and if they don't ask about you or care about the home situation, find another breeder. The RIGHT breeder will be one that you will totally trust -- that will be a resource for you for the rest of the dog's life -- they will want to be very thorough in seeing what you want in a dog and not just want to sell you a pup as soon as possible. You might have to wait a while as responsible breeders don't have litters constantly and they don't breed to order or just to make puppies because they have so many people wanting them. They breed for specific reasons related to the future of the breed and they should be willing and able to tell you these things. First off, what matters to them is that you are a good home and if you aren't, they will blow you off because essentially, you don't need to be owning a dog if you are not a good home and they won't jeopardize their puppy placing them with you. I hope you are (and given you are asking instead of just buying, odds are you are going to continue to learn and quite possibly be a good, responsible home) and that you locate the good responsible breeder for you :)
Good luck!!

p.s. Odds are you are not going to find this sort of breeder selling puppies on the internet - the internet is the new cheaper newspaper ad which most good breeders don't utilize. Check out the Lab parent club site and see about breeder referals (just because they are refered doesn't mean they are good responsible breeders though, just a place to start!) - talk to other breeders around the country and find out everything you can about the breed -- the temperament issues, the health issues, the structural issues, and learn how to spot red flags that someone is not a responsible breeder -- it really isn't hard once you stop and think about it -- it is the difference between someone who breeds because they care about their dogs/breed and its future and someone who is making money off their dogs.

add: Both parents should not be at the same place -- that is a huge red flag that someone is a byber or mill. A responsible breeder seeks out and finds the best possible male to breed to and that is rarely if ever conveniently in their household but is more often than not halfway across the country! You should, however, be able to see photos and hear everything about health and temperament and structural testing of the sire from the breeder and why that particular stud was selected.

Answer 5

You will get more of what you are paying for but going to the reputable breeder that shows and is patient and will discuss with you what exactly you are looking for and expecting from a dog. Reputable breeders will have many questions for you as well as being willing to answer your questions.

What will one cost? Actually, depends on the area of the country you live in and what the market will bear. Prices can vary extremely.

Answer 6

Whether the breeder shows or not is not an issue for me, what is, is how the sir and dam appear, how the animals on the property are treated and raised, and if there is a health aggreement/gaurantee. Dont spend a crazy amount on a dog that doesnt assure you a healthy pup for atleast 2 years (retrievers are prone to hip dysplacia)

omg, keep your know it all pants on nancy, I never said the sire had to be on the property, now did I? People absolutley have the RIGHT to see these animals if they choose to. I traveled to another city to see the sir of my puppy. So calm down

Answer 7

I feel for you and hope you find the best, healthiest pup possible for a great fit with your family.

As a firm believer of registered dogs
my belief has always been it helps in weeding out any genetic disabilities.

But here's my story with the last/only purebred lab.
Beautiful yellow female for a Christmas present for our spec needs son. She was perfect--her dam was perfectly laid back, bomb proof as horse folk like to say...Great breeder reputable (i called the local spca to make sure, since she was hours from our home)... one THOUSAND dollars...

she died before she was TWO years old!!!
Genetic heart disease what a horrible ordeal...and yano both breeders swear there's absolutely NO records of any of their bloodlines having heart disease...

so I still believe in purebreeds but don't think I'll ever go for a lab again...

Guess we were just unlucky this once

Answer 8

Nancy M, is right. Although I agree with the health agreement, especially if your paying a lot of money, I do not agree that BOTH parents should be on the property. I would automatically think it was a byb.

Before i got my lab, I visited a couple who didnt show their dogs, didnt offer a health gaurantee and had both sir and dam on the property. I think they had 11 females and 4 males...

I just dont think so.

The price will probably be 800+

Answer 9

I love my black lab! She came from the spca, and appears to be purebred. That wasn't important to me; I just wanted a sweet one, but she has all the right lines and temperament.

I'm in central CA and I have seen prices anywhere from $250-1500, from backyard breeder dorks to professional breeders across the country with websites.

Answer 10

the one that doesn't show should have puppies bought from him. the reason for showing is to make sure that they are only breeding the best dogs. if one does not respond, don't worry about them. go and visit the one that shows and responded. make sure that you see the living conditions, the parents of the puppy you are going to get, and get the bloodline which the breeder should have since he shows them. if it is a good quality puppy and has a good bloodline, spend however much you think is reasonable.