would you pay $2,000+ for a dog?

Question

Just wondering...my sister just bought a Bulldog for $2,600..
but she shows them..

Merry Christmas!

Answer 1

If what I'm buying is worth it.

If all I'm looking for is a pet, of course not. I can find a great pet at an animal shelter.

If I want the beauty of a purebred animal, the knowledge that I have a structurally and mentally sound animal and want to know what I'm getting (i.e., the coat of a Poodle or the hunting instincts of a Brittany), I'd be willing to pay more. But if I just want a purebred dog, even that can be fairly cheap if I get one from a shelter or purebred rescue.

If I want a dog that's worthy of a breed championship or a stellar animal that can be bred, of course I'd be willing to pay quite a bit more. Not all dogs for the show ring are worth $2,000, but again, it just depends on their quality. A breed like the Bulldog is often more expensive to breed since they often require C-sections, which makes all such pups more expensive, whether they're being shown or not.

If I want a serious working animal, such as for Search and Rescue, police work, etc., then $2,000 plus would be well worth it for a dog with a strong work drive, good structure and well-bred. I think people who train for this often pay much more and import dogs from other countries.

It all depends...

ADD: To all the people who said that she could make money from winning shows, it's not going to happen. She might win a tea set, a silver dollar or stained glass Bulldog... those are the kind of prizes you see at dog shows. If you're lucky, you break even with showing dogs. Dog shows are a hobby, not a job. But hey, there's more expensive hobbies out there.

Answer 2

purebred rescue.

If I want a dog that's worthy of a breed championship or a stellar animal that can be bred, of course I'd be willing to pay quite a bit more. Not all dogs for the show ring are worth $2,000, but again, it just depends on their quality. A breed like the Bulldog is often more expensive to breed since they often require C-sections, which makes all such pups more expensive, whether they're being shown or not.

If I want a serious working animal, such as for Search and Rescue, police work, etc., then $2,000 plus would be well worth it for a dog with a strong work drive, good structure and well-bred. I think people who train for this often pay much more and import dogs from other countries.

Answer 3

If I want a dog that's worthy of a breed championship or a stellar animal that can be bred, of course I'd be willing to pay quite a bit more. Not all dogs for the show ring are worth $2,000, but again, it just depends on their quality. A breed like the Bulldog is often more expensive to breed since they often require C-sections, which makes all such pups more expensive, whether they're being shown or not.

If I want a serious working animal, such as for Search and Rescue, police work, etc., then $2,000 plus would be well worth it for a dog with a strong work drive, good s

Answer 4

There are several reasons that you pay more for Bulldog puppies. The primary being the fact that bulldogs are not easy to breed. It is rare to find a male that can naturally mount a female (due to body structure), and a female that can whelp her puppies without a c-section (due to big heads). What this means is there is several steps, and a lot of veterinary expense, and special paperwork, just to get your female pregnant. I am talking, target testing to see if the female is ready, semen extraction from the male, once she is ready, artificial or surgical implantation, and regular check ups and ultra sounds to make sure all is well. Providing all went well you still have the c-section, and the pup checks to make sure all are healthy, and there are none that need immediate veterinary attention, or require medication (bulldog puppies have a high mortality rate, and bulldogs are known to have water puppies). Now you get to take your sleepy mom and her new litter home. Where you get to play mom for the first 2 wks, as bulldogs have a tendency to non intentionally squash their babies. So for 2 wks you are up every two hours putting puppies in with mom so they can feed. You sit and watch while they feed, making sure that all is well, none are in danger, and they are all eating well, so you do not end up having to bottle feed. Hopefully your female has enough, and good milk or you end up feeding several puppies, or the whole litter. All this time and expense, and you may only have a litter of 2-4 puppies, or you can lose the whole litter and have to wait for your females next cycle to try all over again.

Plus for a show dog obviously it is going to be more than the average shelter dog. I would pay more than that for a dog to tell you the truth if I had the money haha

You get what you pay for, thats how I look at it - I'm telling you if it comes from a good breeder its going to be a good dog and you get what you paid for.

Answer 5

That is not unreasonable for a show potential, fully health tested, potentially free whelping EBD. I paid $2500 for a Doberman that is a breed champion, an obedience and schutzhund titled b*tch, unbelievably temperamentally stable still competing at over 8 years of age -- would do it again in a heart beat. You tend to get what you pay for in this world -- not that there are not very nice dogs for less money but if you do your homework and know what you want and are looking for, it can often cost more than the average dog and will be worth it for you. I hope your sister has done her homework and gets precisely what she is going for in her new b*tch! BTW, it works the other way as well -- just because a dog costs that much doesn't always mean it is worth it -- again, person needs to know what they are doing and what they are wanting or it is burning money... Merry Christmas :)

Answer 6

Yes, I would, depending on pedigree, and the quality of the animal.

For a show quality bulldog, that's about average.


You all don't realize that you get what you pay for: Quality isn't cheap....it's PRICELESS.

A super pedigree, with health tested parents, temperament, and a lifetime commitment from the breeder....
I've spent it before and I'll probably spend it again.

But buyer beware: you need to know what you're looking at pedigree and health wise before you spend a cent. Some of these "breeders" are charging that much for a non-health tested pet.....

And, no, I didn't spend that much money with the intention of making a cent....I love showing and the money I spend on my personal dogs is worth it...

The only way I make money in dogs is by handling for others.

Answer 7

I have paid more in the past and will again but these were dogs I purchased because I was going to be training, showing and trailing them. They were dogs I purchased for a specific reason and specific traits.

It also depends on if you are purchasing a puppy or an adult dog with a proven record. It is not uncommon for a titled SchH or KNVP dog to go for well over 10K, the higher the title and the higher the score the higher the price. The same is true for top Conformation dogs. If you have a dog who is highly titled in working events and conformation then the sky is the limit.

However if I was just looking for a pet, I wouldn't.

Answer 8

Yes, I would. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of money because I spend it all on showing my dogs, but if, and I mean if I did, I would pay top money for the best (non-inbred) champion bloodline show dog I could fine. I love showing dogs so much that just for an opportunity to have a definite dog that shows itself would be worth it.

Answer 9

Yes if I was into dog shows and such then your really making an investment for your choice of interests like dog shows and the breeding/studs that can come of a good dog. But for a pet nope I would not spend that much, I paid 500 for my rottweiler and I am looking at buying a bull mastiff in the spring around 1,000 but anymore than that for a pet is a little much. And I would never pay even 1,000 for a small breed like some do.

Answer 10

No.

I would if I were into showing/breeding dogs as a hobby, but I'm not; my first and foremost goal is to adopt. I have nothing against breeders; as long as they are ethical and working to improve their breed, not make money, I actually support them. After all, if there were no breeders, that would mean no dogs soon, right? I'm just saying I want to adopt before I buy, so as to save lives. I wouldn't pay that much to buy or adopt a dog.

Answer 11

Yes, I'm a believer in quality. When you buy from a reputable breeder your getting the best. Best temperament, best conformation, best health. You won't have to deal with the behavioral problems associated with petstore puppies or backyard breeder puppies, because they will have been socialized from birth with humans and their littermates and mother. The biggest problems pets face today are health related, hip dyspalsia, thyroid, cardiac, joint disease... all preventable problems that are being bred into dogs because there is a huge market for cheap crappy dogs. People now make a lot of money off breeding their junk dogs without doing any health testing. If you buy from a good breeder who test their dogs for known diseases in the breed, you don't have to deal with these problems and shell out the money later on in life. I think the initial investment is totally worth it. If I pay $2500 for a dog that had both parents and grandparents OFA certified, I'm never going to have to spend the $5000 or more that it costs to have surgury to fix the hip dysplasia. If I buy a puppy that's parents come from lines without Dilated Cardio Myopathy, I'll never lose a 5yr old dog without any warning, or spend hundreds of dollars to find out that they have a problem and then lose them within 6 months. I won't have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on training for an unstable dog that was bred from dogs with temperament issues, I would be paying for backup from the breeder, often if something happens to the dog and you can't afford it, they will help you care for your dog, and you can always ask them questions first before rushing off to the vet to find out nothings wrong and it's part of the breed....

It may be more expensive initially but in the end it's ALWAYS cheaper.