Price of puppies
Discussion
Chubbyross said:
I was out walking Lila this morning and a neighbour saw her for the first time. “Get her off the internet?” she asked - as if everything comes from the internet these days. I thought that was rather sad. She then went on to tell me she’d been ripped off by a dodgy chap who did a runner with her £300 deposit. She’s not very bright.
On another forum I use, a member's parents got a lab puppy for £2K cash after finding it on pets4homes. No documentation at all. After 3 days it became ill and eventually died. Vets bills were £5K.They reckoned they tried rescue centres but "there's 100 people after every dog".
I'd been looking to get a golden retriever back in January, got delayed due to my availability.
Covid hit, and prices have rocketed so have put off buying. Was hoping it might of stabilised a bit now but still absurd.
I wholly get the supply and demand, but I feel breeders capitalising on it aren't the sort of breeders I'd want to get a dog from anyway. Contrary to a few other posts, whenever one of our family has bought a dog, it's typical off someone who's comfortably middle class, where one of the partners doesn't need to work/retired, and they do it as a hobby which tops up their income, rather than a business per se.
Litters have come up priced pre-covid levels, it's just a case of getting there first, or getting to know them through a friend of friend type thing.
Covid hit, and prices have rocketed so have put off buying. Was hoping it might of stabilised a bit now but still absurd.
I wholly get the supply and demand, but I feel breeders capitalising on it aren't the sort of breeders I'd want to get a dog from anyway. Contrary to a few other posts, whenever one of our family has bought a dog, it's typical off someone who's comfortably middle class, where one of the partners doesn't need to work/retired, and they do it as a hobby which tops up their income, rather than a business per se.
Litters have come up priced pre-covid levels, it's just a case of getting there first, or getting to know them through a friend of friend type thing.
Sway said:
My other half's aunt and cousin are breeders. Have been for years, all certified to the highest standards - but to be honest I'd not have one of their puppies.
However, this year they've done insanely well. Over £250k well.
The cousin is a useless sack of s
te, yet is now lording it with his two new motors, watches, holiday bookings and PS5s (three, one each for the 4 and 6 year olds, one for him).
For some people, covid has been a blessing.
He'll probably blow it all by this time next year.However, this year they've done insanely well. Over £250k well.
The cousin is a useless sack of s
te, yet is now lording it with his two new motors, watches, holiday bookings and PS5s (three, one each for the 4 and 6 year olds, one for him). For some people, covid has been a blessing.
Please do speak to the secretary of breed clubs . They often know who to avoid and who has a litter planned . It is a bit of a nightmare at the minute so don't rush in. Proper breeders will also want to assure themselves that you are not just going to sell it on at a profit.
But absolutely I wouldn't want to buy a pup from breeders who have doubled or trebled the price this year .
Even if you don't care for showing dogs, the proper established breeders are the ones who hold the future health and conformation of breeds in their hands . I have this year seen the most strange looking example of pedigree labradors ( weird gait and shape) and french bulldogs ( way too big ) to name but 2.
When dog shows return it's well worth visiting a breed club open or championship show as a good way of meeting breeders and learning more . Mostly, as long as they are not about to go into the ring, you will find them happy to chat about their dogs and breeding plans. In this ' I want a dog and I want it now ' world unscrupulous people are satisfying this demand, and Pets4Homes/Gumtree/Facebook attracts some of them. The Kennel Club Find a Puppy page or joining Champdogs is better but all that glitters is not gold.
But absolutely I wouldn't want to buy a pup from breeders who have doubled or trebled the price this year .
Even if you don't care for showing dogs, the proper established breeders are the ones who hold the future health and conformation of breeds in their hands . I have this year seen the most strange looking example of pedigree labradors ( weird gait and shape) and french bulldogs ( way too big ) to name but 2.
When dog shows return it's well worth visiting a breed club open or championship show as a good way of meeting breeders and learning more . Mostly, as long as they are not about to go into the ring, you will find them happy to chat about their dogs and breeding plans. In this ' I want a dog and I want it now ' world unscrupulous people are satisfying this demand, and Pets4Homes/Gumtree/Facebook attracts some of them. The Kennel Club Find a Puppy page or joining Champdogs is better but all that glitters is not gold.
I'm not sure I can see why people would take issue with breeders upping their prices - perhaps it is because people get emotional around pets? To the people bemoaning them, what would you actually like the breeders to do? Sell the puppies at less than market valve? Why?
Its simple supply and demand, no different to grail Porsches, Rolex sports models etc. etc. - if you have something desirable for sale and there is a very limited supply, it has a value - you can of course sell it for much less than the market rate - nothing is stopping you. You can also try and get above the market rate and will probably struggle to sell.
There will be unscrupulous characters cashing in on the situation, but that really is a case of buyer beware - people buying dogs should be at least capable of the most basic research - what are the parents like, are they KC registered, are the pups, where are they kept, how many litters does the breeder have a year, do they come with their first set of jabs etc. etc. etc.
We have wanted a dog for a while and despite "test driving" one of the father in law's older dogs for a few months while at work, we were unsure if we could devote the time needed to raising a pup - now with us both WFH (me permanent, her potentially permanent) we can - plenty of others will be in the same situation, so the demand for puppies has risen accordingly.
Over the course of a dog's life, a couple of thousand at the outset is nothing - to use a car analogy, its like saying a couple of hundred quid on car tax is expensive, ignoring the £80 a week you need to spend on fuel.
Its simple supply and demand, no different to grail Porsches, Rolex sports models etc. etc. - if you have something desirable for sale and there is a very limited supply, it has a value - you can of course sell it for much less than the market rate - nothing is stopping you. You can also try and get above the market rate and will probably struggle to sell.
There will be unscrupulous characters cashing in on the situation, but that really is a case of buyer beware - people buying dogs should be at least capable of the most basic research - what are the parents like, are they KC registered, are the pups, where are they kept, how many litters does the breeder have a year, do they come with their first set of jabs etc. etc. etc.
We have wanted a dog for a while and despite "test driving" one of the father in law's older dogs for a few months while at work, we were unsure if we could devote the time needed to raising a pup - now with us both WFH (me permanent, her potentially permanent) we can - plenty of others will be in the same situation, so the demand for puppies has risen accordingly.
Over the course of a dog's life, a couple of thousand at the outset is nothing - to use a car analogy, its like saying a couple of hundred quid on car tax is expensive, ignoring the £80 a week you need to spend on fuel.
Parsnip said:
I'm not sure I can see why people would take issue with breeders upping their prices - perhaps it is because people get emotional around pets? To the people bemoaning them, what would you actually like the breeders to do? Sell the puppies at less than market valve? Why?
Its simple supply and demand, no different to grail Porsches, Rolex sports models etc. etc. - if you have something desirable for sale and there is a very limited supply, it has a value - you can of course sell it for much less than the market rate - nothing is stopping you. You can also try and get above the market rate and will probably struggle to sell.
There will be unscrupulous characters cashing in on the situation, but that really is a case of buyer beware - people buying dogs should be at least capable of the most basic research - what are the parents like, are they KC registered, are the pups, where are they kept, how many litters does the breeder have a year, do they come with their first set of jabs etc. etc. etc.
We have wanted a dog for a while and despite "test driving" one of the father in law's older dogs for a few months while at work, we were unsure if we could devote the time needed to raising a pup - now with us both WFH (me permanent, her potentially permanent) we can - plenty of others will be in the same situation, so the demand for puppies has risen accordingly.
Over the course of a dog's life, a couple of thousand at the outset is nothing - to use a car analogy, its like saying a couple of hundred quid on car tax is expensive, ignoring the £80 a week you need to spend on fuel.
People moaning about puppy prices, but at the end of the day they are not forcing you to hand over the cash. Like you said there will always be people looking to extract every last pound from buyers, but they can be avoided. Worst case scenario waiting till 2021 is not the end of the world, and if things go back to normal puppy prices will start to slow down. Its simple supply and demand, no different to grail Porsches, Rolex sports models etc. etc. - if you have something desirable for sale and there is a very limited supply, it has a value - you can of course sell it for much less than the market rate - nothing is stopping you. You can also try and get above the market rate and will probably struggle to sell.
There will be unscrupulous characters cashing in on the situation, but that really is a case of buyer beware - people buying dogs should be at least capable of the most basic research - what are the parents like, are they KC registered, are the pups, where are they kept, how many litters does the breeder have a year, do they come with their first set of jabs etc. etc. etc.
We have wanted a dog for a while and despite "test driving" one of the father in law's older dogs for a few months while at work, we were unsure if we could devote the time needed to raising a pup - now with us both WFH (me permanent, her potentially permanent) we can - plenty of others will be in the same situation, so the demand for puppies has risen accordingly.
Over the course of a dog's life, a couple of thousand at the outset is nothing - to use a car analogy, its like saying a couple of hundred quid on car tax is expensive, ignoring the £80 a week you need to spend on fuel.
Speaking as a 'hobby' Labrador breeder, the world has indeed gone mad...We had a litter back at the start of the year, and being top quality health tested puppies charged top money (1200 IIRC) and found excellent homes for all the puppies. At that time the price of non health tested poorly bred puppies was , I guess approx 800.00. Since lockdown you cannot believe the number of enquiries for puppies, anybody that registers a litter that is 'made public' by the KC is just bombarded with prospective owners - it has put a number of people off breeding. Add to this new breeding licence regulations which are being aggressively enforced by a number of councils and the supply of well bred litters is being restricted.
So, you have ended up with a situation where all experienced breeders can pick and choose the homes they want, at a price they are happy with, by word of mouth / facebook etc. The only litters being advertised are the ones where people are asking top money, often for second rate dogs. But if you have lost you dog and youare ready for another one to take over your house then waiting for months is often not an option, so people end up paying 3000.00+
I am not sure where we go next - hopefully back to somewhere like normal and there are not lots of dogs ending up is rescue, but who knows...
So, you have ended up with a situation where all experienced breeders can pick and choose the homes they want, at a price they are happy with, by word of mouth / facebook etc. The only litters being advertised are the ones where people are asking top money, often for second rate dogs. But if you have lost you dog and youare ready for another one to take over your house then waiting for months is often not an option, so people end up paying 3000.00+
I am not sure where we go next - hopefully back to somewhere like normal and there are not lots of dogs ending up is rescue, but who knows...
During my dog-walk this morning I came across a young lady with a 12 week old Springer Spaniel pup. We discussed this topic. She didn't tell me how much she'd paid but did say that she hadn't been too 'ripped-off' by the breeder. She did however mention someone she knew had paid £3000 for a Cockapoo in recent months!
We are 'guilty' of getting a puppy this year - something we have considered for a long time but until now it wouldn't have worked.
It is worth putting the price into context though, a dog will hopefully be with you for 10+ years. By the time you pay for food, insurance, vet bills, grooming etc... the purchase cost is actually not that significant!
It is worth putting the price into context though, a dog will hopefully be with you for 10+ years. By the time you pay for food, insurance, vet bills, grooming etc... the purchase cost is actually not that significant!
8 years ago we bought Dave, a cockador £250. Last year we got Mabel, same make £400. Now they are £2000. My bro sells KC registered Retrievers with great background for £1400. The market is a joke and those fuelling it by paying these prices should take a look at themselves.
I fear that those taking advantage and knocking out pups at a fair rate could end up creating an issue whereby there are a lot of pups being rehomed.
I fear that those taking advantage and knocking out pups at a fair rate could end up creating an issue whereby there are a lot of pups being rehomed.
Edited by bonerp on Wednesday 25th November 15:08
Barry and Daphne, both Yorkie/Jack Russells or Yorkierussels as they are now termed.
Barry is 6 he was £nil just less than 6 years ago, Daphne was £200 just less than 4 years ago, they both came from the same family and have the same parents; dad is Yorkie, mum is a Jack Russel.
Just had a look, the first ad is advertising 3 puppies, 2 have now gone so 1 left; £1500, zero mention of any official registration or standard, if there is such a thing for such a make of dog....... doubtful!
Absolute madness.
Barry is 6 he was £nil just less than 6 years ago, Daphne was £200 just less than 4 years ago, they both came from the same family and have the same parents; dad is Yorkie, mum is a Jack Russel.
Just had a look, the first ad is advertising 3 puppies, 2 have now gone so 1 left; £1500, zero mention of any official registration or standard, if there is such a thing for such a make of dog....... doubtful!
Absolute madness.
My worry is not so much the process being charged - but what it indicates and could lead to...
It implies a staggering increase in demand (understandably) - but is it real "a dog is for life" demand?
Are we going to see a bow wave of rejected or mistreated animals - and lesser ongoing demand for rescue dogs?
It implies a staggering increase in demand (understandably) - but is it real "a dog is for life" demand?
Are we going to see a bow wave of rejected or mistreated animals - and lesser ongoing demand for rescue dogs?
Sway said:
My worry is not so much the process being charged - but what it indicates and could lead to...
It implies a staggering increase in demand (understandably) - but is it real "a dog is for life" demand?
Are we going to see a bow wave of rejected or mistreated animals - and lesser ongoing demand for rescue dogs?
No idea, but I would hope not.It implies a staggering increase in demand (understandably) - but is it real "a dog is for life" demand?
Are we going to see a bow wave of rejected or mistreated animals - and lesser ongoing demand for rescue dogs?
We want a lab, we have wanted one for ages, previously we weren't sure if we could manage a puppy due to work. Now with WFH we are pretty confident we can. I can imagine there are a huge number of people in a similar position.
Over the course of a dog's lifetime, a couple of grand is hardly a deal breaker. We want a KC registered lab with good hip scores, good eyesight and a good pedigree, raised in a healthy environment by an experienced breeder who knows what they are doing - the price comes a very distant second to all of that.
While I'm at it, do any of these generous breeders charging percentages of the market rate have a decent 993 for sale? The market is a joke and prices have been fueled by people who need to have a look at themselves.
Parsnip said:
While I'm at it, do any of these generous breeders charging percentages of the market rate have a decent 993 for sale? The market is a joke and prices have been fueled by people who need to have a look at themselves.
It is not 'generous' breeders, but breeders that want to be able to look their puppy owners in the eye after the current madness has subsided without felling like they have taken advantage.If prices do not return to normal by the middle of next year, I expect that established hobby breeders will review the prices they charge in line with the fact that they are selling the best quality puppies
PHlL said:
Litters have come up priced pre-covid levels, it's just a case of getting there first, or getting to know them through a friend of friend type thing.
The answer to this is to do some research and find somebody who works / exhibits their dogs that you like to look of.Then email them answering all their questions ( before they ask them) family circumstances, garden suitable for a dog, support network to look after the dog when you are away, your previous ownership + love of dogs ( soppy photos of you with happy dogs a bonus), assurances that there will be somebody at home all day.
You need to stand out from all the other emails! Don't bother emailing asking for price and availability, you are wasting your time!
Even if the person does not have a litter due, they may know somebody who has ( it's a small world) , or if it is somebody with a stud dog,they may kny put you in touch with somebody who has used their dog.
Or browse the classified adverts and pay top money for an average dog
Rh14n said:
During my dog-walk this morning I came across a young lady with a 12 week old Springer Spaniel pup. We discussed this topic. She didn't tell me how much she'd paid but did say that she hadn't been too 'ripped-off' by the breeder. She did however mention someone she knew had paid £3000 for a Cockapoo in recent months!
Our Springer Spaniel puppy arriving next week from an excellent specialist breeder was about £1k. I have looked with horror at some adverts for the ubiquitous cockerpoo type dogs and see many prices over double that another don't seem like pro breeders.Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff