Why are adult dogs more expensive than puppies?

Question

Considering the fact that:

-he/she might not live long with you like a puppy will,

-he/she might dislike you because he/she prefers the owner, and;

-some adult dogs are "untrained", and will be harder to be trained because they're already adults..

Answer 1

Basically what it comes down to is some idiot thinks the dog is more valuable as an adult because its ready to breed and bring a buck in someones pocket for puppies cha ching

bad idea get your self a puppy for the reasons you listed above

Answer 2

Normally adult dogs at shelters or through rescue are cheaper than a puppy would be.

On the other hand if you are talking about getting an adult dog for showing or one that is trained, etc it is because you know what you are getting. A good breeder has a pretty good idea how their pups are going to mature but there is still always the chance that they won't turn out exactly as you think they will. They may end up with health problems even if their parents are certified free because many of these conditions are recessives. On the other hand with an adult who has been tested you know if the dog has passing scores or not, also don't forget those test have already been paid for. If the dog is train, then someone trained it some they have put time into the dog making in more valuable. If the dog it titled or has been shown and done well again those things cost time and money. Basically you pay more because you know what you are getting.

Answer 3

That's not necessarily true... though it can be in some cases:
a) if the dog's an LGD and has had training
b) if the dog's a guard dog and has had training
c) if the dog's a show dog and has had some training

Your facts are:
1) true, an adult dog may live a shorter number of years after you get it
2) unrealistic "fact", unless you are cruel to the dog
3) most dogs are "untrained", but that doesn't automatically mean they will be harder to train.

The only adult dogs I found that were more expensive than pups were those which had specific KINDS of training as I mentioned in a, b & c

Answer 4

Ok, adult dogs are more expensive because their owner has spent a considerable amount of time and money in the dog that would not have spent on a puppy.
They will live as long as they will, so that has nothing to do with anything.
As to whether or not the dog likes you or not, that is a myth. No dog that you first get KNOWS you, not likes you, and will take some time to get used to you. Dogs do not sit back and daydream of their owners, they are creatures of the moment and not equipped like us humans to think of the past or project themselves into the future.
Even an untrained adult dog, if bought from a reputable breeder, will have had foundation training and that costs money!!!
Hope I helped!!!!

Answer 5

I've never come across this. Well except maybe some shelters charge more for adults because they have to pay for sterilization, vaccinations etc etc. And people who are rehoming an adult pet may charge so they get genuine pet owners and not someone wanting a free pet to on-sell or use for breeding or whatever. Mostly though breeders and pet shops charge a fortune for puppies!

And I have disagree with some of your points. OK, an adult might not live as long but you may be only talking a year or two. Adult dogs will usually attach to the person who feeds him or her and gives him or her love and affection. And it's a myth that adult dogs are hard to train. In the film Underdogs the dogs were shelter dogs trained specifically for the film and I think you'll see just about all of them are adults.

The bonus with an adult dog is that they are often housetrained, have gone past all the destructive and annoying puppy behaviour and you know how big they are going to get! You can also judge their temperament. Puppies are wonderful, but don't discount the older dog :)

Answer 6

In my experience puppies have always been more expensive than adults.


Now if you have a nice show dog who has earned its CH titles and has passed genetic health testing.. that adult would be more valuable than a puppy. There was a lot of time and money put into earning those titles.

An adult dog who has been trained for something specific may be more valuable than a puppy too because of the expensive training the dog has had.

Answer 7

Personally, I think that puppies tend to be more expensive. Most people are willing to put forth more money for a younger dog than an older one. At the shelter where I volunteer, a puppy goes for about $100, while an older dog goes for about $60. I believe that they lower the price in an attempt to attract more people to the older dog.

The only time I could see an older dog being more expensive is if that dog has been professionally trained to do something. If the dog is already trained, it may add onto the price.

Where is it that you are finding expensive adult dogs?

Answer 8

My experience has been that adult dogs offered by quality breeders are:
1. Already trained - meaning at minimum 5 commands and housebroken
2. Have not only health guarantee, but the documentation to back it up on hips, eyes, etc.
3. Have 'proven' the dog either by field trial, conformation, or other independent evalulation that the dog is breed standard.

Most people have no idea how much it really costs to be a 'breeder'-I am not a breeder, but the costs associated with what I consider routine maintenance for my dogs is substantial enough, so I can only imagine what quality breeding programs cost.

Answer 9

adult dogs expensive puppies

Answer 10

I have never come across adult dogs being more expensive than puppies. Where did you get that?
A dog will not dislike someone if it has had other owners.
Any dog can be trained.
Who is telling you all this stuff?

Answer 11

Adult dogs should always be much cheaper unless they are fully trained or have won a dog show or a hunting dog that is trained (trained hunting dogs are 10 times the price of an untrained hunting dog)