Why do dog breeders price puppies by gender, color, and markings?

Question

This is a question for all the dog breeders out there of all breeds.

I read somewhere once that a reputable breeder can be characterized (amongst a long list of other things) as pricing their puppies the same. Not $300 for males and $400 for females. Or $900 for blue eyes, $500 for black and brown.

Everytime I look around at dog breeder websites who seem to have everything that makes them "reputable", such as background checks, vet checks/health guarantees, signed contracts, etc...I still can't think of why gender, coloring, and markings should be included in the price.

Isn't a puppy a puppy, despite all their physical appearance? People say it's for the betterment of the breed and so on, but it sounds to me like getting these "rare" traits just equals a gold mine for a breeder who says they make no profit.

Who's to say a"high quality, rare color" female is any better than the runt in the corner who is almost a year old already about to be a freebie to whoever will take him?

As for the issue concerning show dogs...if the puppy is on a spay/neuter contract...why still charge for gender, color, markings? Once altered, they can no longer be bred and maintain their bloodline. And don't dog shows require studs and dames to be unaltered?

While I agree some traits are rare and hard to come by, isn't that just price gouging charging more? " Dedication to producing quality dogs is serious avocation. Has so much invested in dogs that he struggles to break even, not make a profit." <-- Price gouging rarities = Profit. Profit = Not reputable?

Answer 1

Most breeders I know only charge different prices for show and pet pups.

Answer 2

Because the general uneducated public usually prefers males, I'm not really sure why. I have a male and female of the same breed and I find that the female was much easier to deal with, easier to train, and has a much better temperament than the male. Then there are the others who believe females are easier b/c mark and things like that. Take this as a clue that this person is an irresponsible breeder, most likely a BYB and a good breeder would not price his puppies according to sex. Like someone else said, reputable breeders will not charge according to color in a breed that color doesn't matter, like a chihuahua. They come in all difeerent colors and normally one is not preferred over another. When you get into breeds like Bostons sometimes reds and blues are more expensive because they are rare and highly desired. In other breeds such as Boxers who sometimes come in white, this is actually an undesired trait and a BYB will sometimes try to charge extra for the white one bc they know someone will be dumb enough to buy that dog at an inflated price.

Answer 3

Most responsible breeders I know price all their pups the same. They may occassionally charge more for an older pup or dog that is going into a show home.

All pups sold as pets are sold on spay/neuter contracts anyhow, so sex makes no real difference. Thus, price is the same. I happen to have 2 breeds where the males are more in demand AS PETS simply because they are more physically impressive.

Frankly, the only time I've ever had a price difference was a show pup going to a Jr. Handler... and I charged her half price and remained on the dog as a co-owner. Her parents talked me out of gifting the dog to her as she had earned the money to buy the dog and they wanted her to learn the lesson of working hard = getting what you want.

RUN from any breeder who is selling a dog based on "rare" traits.

Puppymills, petstores and backyard greeders are the people who see value and thus an increased price for females, rare colors etc.

FWIW- Rare, allowed colors in most breeds often do not do as well in the show ring... Ask anyone who has tried to show a Red or White Malamute... or a Bisquit Samoyed.

Answer 4

The good ones don't. It's that simple.

You're absolutely right -- no puppy is more valuable than any other in a litter due to sex or color, and no good breeder changes the price for these things. In fact, if they are using the term "rare" to describe any color/markings, then RUN.

Honestly, some people are getting "wise", and there are some breeders out there who are doing the genetic testing (or at least saying they are), but still have other hallmarks of the BYB. I applaud them for at least getting the testing done, but that alone doesn't make them "good breeders". Buyers should consider everything when looking at a breeder.

I have said it before, and I will repeat it -- no ethical breeder that I know of charges different prices on the basis of sex or coloration. Some may charge different prices for pet versus show quality, but there will be heavy contracts involved.

ADD:
I think you misunderstood -- puppies sold as "show" potential dogs are not spayed or neutered -- thus the reason for the heavy contract.

Answer 5

Most breeders charge more for females cause people want them more some to breed with others just like the females best so they put the males less so people will buy them and help them sell sometimes as much as $100.00 less as for color it really should not matter the same for the size you are right it is the same work for you with both but if you don't put the females higher you will end up with all males left in a litter and may not sell them but also if you have the female fixed the breeder will refund some of the money if you bought it on a spay contract

Answer 6

Well a well-breed female is essentially a money factory. They're assuming (I assume) that somebody being that critical of a puppy most likely has intentions of showing it or breeding it further so "ideal" features make for a "better" dog thus a higher price.

I totally agree that it's pretty silly to pay a premium for a dog/puppy especially when there's no end to animals in the shelter or locals giving away puppies.

Answer 7

All my puppies are priced the same. All the pups in the litter have the same parents, they are all raised the same, I've put the same amount of work, care, money and love into each and every one of them. They are all equally wonderful to me.

Older puppies tend to go down in price simply because after a certain age there is little demand for them.

With the breeders who charge different prices for gender, color or markings (or size), it's just about money and how much they can make. They figure people will pay more for a female, because you can breed them (or sometimes because they think the female will be a better pet). People will pay more for "rare" colors (often colors which are rare because responsible breeders consider them undesireable for a variety of reasons). People will pay more for "special" sizes (i.e. "king" shepherds, "royal" standard poodles - considered oversized by good breeders, or "teacup" yorkies, "miniature" basset hounds - undersized and often sickly animals). In many of these cases people are actually paying more for faulty animals!

Some breeders will charge more for a "show" puppy. I don't because I LOVE to have people show my good puppies, and I want to encourage them in any way possible. Besides, at 10 weeks it's impossible to know *for sure* that a puppy will be a show dog, so many things can change before maturity.

Answer 8

All my puppies are priced that same. They all cost the same to raise, so why should they be different? Poor breeders sell females for more beceuse they are not putting them on a limited registration and feel they should get more since people can breed them and make some bucks! Mine go on a limited with a S/N agreement. Show puppies are co-owned, and they are not priced more than pets.
My breed does come in four colors, but I would not charge more for Landseers than I would a black. I may place a well marked Landseer in a show home for that reason, but it would not cost more.
All puppies ONE price!!!

Answer 9

IMO if you are talking pup sold on neutering contracts then they should all be the same. I know that is what I do. On the other hand since I offer rebates to the owners of my dogs (show or pet) for things such as doing health test and earning titles on their dogs so when all is said and done two pups of the same quality may end up having cost their owners a vastly different amount.

If a breeder is charging more for a pet on a neutering contract simply because it is a different color then I would suggest looking for a different breeder.

Answer 10

The most in demand features will of course cost more. Like anything else. To get the most money they can for there trouble. They keep up on other breeders prices, and some blood lines are just better so people are willing to pay more. After all you get what you pay for....