# Puppy Prices



## JYDOG (Aug 9, 2002)

top secret said:


> There is not a dog walking worth a grand that's just crazy
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


That's like saying there is not a truck out there that is worth more than $20,000.
They all carry stuff. If you want the best or at least one of the best you stack the odds and that means pedigree. If you have owned a great dog, an average dog is a let down. If you have never driven anything but a POS you don't know what it's like to drive a luxury vehicle. You don't know what you are missing. 
If I'm gonna have a dog for 10 years I want the best I can afford.


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## Merimac (Jan 17, 2006)

I understand why. I did an AI with one of my setters. I had lots of expenses that went along with it and ended up with zero pups. All of the progesertrone(SP?) tests, AI 2x and time away from work etc. It cost me a crap load. Not to mention time into the litter that works, Stud fees and getting your female back into shape etc..

If you cant afford a dog that you want, well then don't buy it.

Its pretty simple.


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## Steelheadfred (May 4, 2004)

omega58 said:


> Between Pennhip, OFA hips and elbows, thyroid, heart, CERF, and brucellosis tests, I had almost a grand into tests before I studded my dog....so the first time was a wash.
> 
> The thing we see in the weim world is people without the hunting titles, accomplishments, and research into breeding selling their pups for about the same price. Another one is trying to say that the blue weim is rare and special!! While there are some good blues out there, mostly out west, they are not "rare". And if they do health tests, most likely it is just hips and elbows.
> 
> ...


Much less supply of proven Hunting Weims.


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## omega58 (Sep 3, 2003)

Steelheadfred said:


> Much less supply of proven Hunting Weims.


And that was my point of other pet home weims or "hunting weims" with little or no titles selling for close to same price, might be a couple hundred dollars more, but not much.

And to go off Merrimacs point, those AI breedings can be expensive and if it doesn't take or winds up with a small litter you are losing money.


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## Merimac (Jan 17, 2006)

WestCoastHunter said:


> I think it has a lot to do with who is buying.
> 
> Sure, 95% of Pointers in the country are from some sort of field trial breeding and some of those go for top dollar, like a dog descended from a champion at Ames. But the vast majority are "average" and will go to hunters, many of whom are not going to be willing to shell out $1000-$3000 for a pup.
> 
> ...


Pointers in general are relatively cheap puppies to buy. Who is selling a $3000.00 pointer puppy? Actually where are you getting any of your prices? 

My guess is the highest prices paid for a well bred pointer comes from a guy who hunts usually less than 10 days a year, reads Gun & Garden and has a sweater collection from Orvis.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

Merimac said:


> Pointers in general are relatively cheap puppies to buy. Who is selling a $3000.00 pointer puppy? Actually where are you getting any of your prices?
> 
> My guess is the highest prices paid for a well bred pointer comes from a guy who hunts usually less than 10 days a year, reads Gun & Garden and has a sweater collection from Orvis.


You're misunderstanding my post. No one in their right mind will buy a field bred Pointer for $3000. People will however spend close to that for a Spinone Italiano or some of the other rare breeds.

Bench Pointers are a whole other ball game if you're talking strictly Pointers. $1000+ is not at all uncommon in that world.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

Steelheadfred said:


> What's the responsibility in demand of the breeder for pre sale?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Fritz makes an excellent point. One which is often overlooked by the first time or casual breeder.

We bred a few litters of American Britts back in the day. Whether it was my stud or my female, I always made sure we had 2-3 pups pre-sold and solid commitments too. And I always kept at least one pup for myself. I wanted those pups to go to their new homes at 7-10 weeks old.

You might have a very big litter, or it comes at the "wrong time" of year, or you have no females this time and everybody wants a female, or whatever. And you might have a very hard time selling puppies in January. Just my two coppers.

NB


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Price is way down the list If I'm in the market for a pup.
If the breeding does not intrigue me then price is meaningless.
When buying blood you better know the breeding pair and their background well.
There is a litter of pups that I'm aware of in the market, and I would not care if the price was $1.00 or $1500.00, I donot know the sire, I know his background, I do know the Dam, but I donot know her background, it is a breeding that I can not get excited about because of all the unknowns.. I hope the breeder gets every penny he can for the babes that wishes to place.

When buying blood price can be a mute point. I have never failed to buy a dog that I was intrigued with because the price was not to my liking.


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

JYDOG said:


> If you want the best or at least one of the best you stack the odds and that means pedigree. If you have owned a great dog, an average dog is a let down.


Very true, and keep in mind, the average dog is well, very average. 
The premium (usually no more than a few hundred $) that you might pay for a chance at a dog of a lifetime is worth it to a lot of people. 

I do agree with Brent, you see a lot of price variance for different litters that doesn't seem to make sense. I have seen some crazy prices on some extremely mediocre litters/lines of bird dogs. 

From a different perspective, field trialers in certain venues will sometimes pay more for pups. It can cost $15-20K/year to train and campaign an AA dog--relative to the cost of competition, the puppy cost (even for expensive pups) is a relative pittance.
Here's a guy who gets a few $$ for his pups and I moves them quickly because he produces a lot of champions:
http://erinkennels.com/about.php


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## Jon Couch (Jan 10, 2011)

gundogguy said:


> Price is way down the list If I'm in the market for a pup.
> If the breeding does not intrigue me then price is meaningless.
> When buying blood you better know the breeding pair and their background well.
> There is a litter of pups that I'm aware of in the market, and I would not care if the price was $1.00 or $1500.00, I donot know the sire, I know his background, I do know the Dam, but I donot know her background, it is a breeding that I can not get excited about because of all the unknowns.. I hope the breeder gets every penny he can for the babes that wishes to place.
> ...


Don't worry Hal I will bring one down to you in 7 weeks 

To the OP's original question. Anyone can throw two dogs together and produce puppies. The one question I ask any breeder is "what made you decide to do this pairing"? If they don't have a good answer I won't buy said pup, unless like Hal pointed out, I know the pedigree very well, and like how the lineages come together. Using myself as an example I just had two litters of Labs hit the ground within a week of each other. Both litters had at least 2 puppies pre-sold. The first litter only produced one pup and we kept her. I have in expenses close to $1500 invested in a 1 pup litter. The second litter I had 3 pups pre-sold and 2 of the first litters buyers opted to transfer their picks to the second more expensive litter. All of the original buyers backed out for one reason or another. 

The price is determined by many factors but for me it is primarily determined by pedigree and performance. Which will give the buyer a better chance at getting what they are looking for in a pup. I have turned buyers away because I knew based on information they gave me that the litter they were looking at would not be right for their situation. example a family that wants the typical family pet, and they are not very active, and this is their first dog. I am not going to let them buy a pup from a high powered performance bases breeding. it wouldn't be fair to them or the dog. 

Point is for a breeder it is not about $ it is about producing the best possible dog you can. We just do the best we can to recoup our initial investment if we can.


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

You can buy a lot of dog for $350. Depending on who you know the best dog could be free. There a lot of dogs out there for $500 that will have more potential than 99% of the people reading this thread today. 
If at 8 weeks you still have puppies left to sell you're doing it wrong, either a poor pairing that the dog buying public took little interest in or you asked too much money. 
I hate puppies.


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

2ESRGR8 said:


> There a lot of dogs out there for $500 that will have more potential than 99% of the people reading this thread today.
> I hate puppies.


I was just thinking how much thought goes into breeding dogs and how little goes into breeding each other. 
I love puppies


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## Double Gun (Feb 22, 2005)

Grush, I was thinking the same. Not much reason for a grouse hunter in our state to more than $500. 


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## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

Double Gun said:


> Grush, I was thinking the same. Not much reason for a grouse hunter in our state to more than $500.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


You are probably right but there are a lot of reasons to buy a dog other than just grouse hunting. There are also a lot of reasons to buy a unique dog other than just to be different.

Not everyone wants a GSP, heck some people don't even like the taste of porcupine! :lol:


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

I guess I value the CH,FC or VC a little more then $500 they just don't give those away
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TrekJeff (Sep 7, 2007)

It's all relative. What are your intended purpose for the dog...hunt, investment (income from future litters after gaining titles and recognition investment etc), family pet etc.

Adoption fees can range between $100-$300 for a shelter dog without papers and no concrete history of hunting potential. So a price of $500 for a pup with a pedigree seems just fine.
If my intent was to continue to breed the dog, then building the dog's name through titles etc would justify the higher upfront cost for the long term potential of income.

But I'm thinking I found a 1 in a million with the ES I was able to pick up this past January at the Gladwin County animal shelter. The only papers are the adoption, micro chip, shots but seeing how she works and learns, I would have paid $500 in a heartbeat for her.


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## BIGSP (Sep 16, 2004)

Don't get me wrong. I don't care much about the initial cost if the dogs. I've paid premium prices for a few of my dogs because of the way the litters are raised and the paper. I've steered clear of places that have dirty kennels, don't do a great job socializing etc. To me how puppies are raised is more important than the paper. Typically if someone is going to go the extra mike to socialize their dog they're probably doing it for the right reasons. Just kind of wondering how people decide to price their pups.


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## bbutler (Sep 3, 2008)

From what I have seen owners that are willing to pay the premium are the ones that will utilize the dog in the way the responsible breeder intended. If someone is looking for a 1000 dollar plus dog it most likely gives the breeder some hope that the dog will go to a home that will enjoy the traits the breeder bred for.


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Jon Couch said:


> *Don't worry Hal I will bring one down to you in 7 weeks *
> 
> To the OP's original question. Anyone can throw two dogs together and produce puppies. The one question I ask any breeder is "what made you decide to do this pairing"? If they don't have a good answer I won't buy said pup, unless like Hal pointed out, I know the pedigree very well, and like how the lineages come together. Using myself as an example I just had two litters of Labs hit the ground within a week of each other. Both litters had at least 2 puppies pre-sold. The first litter only produced one pup and we kept her. I have in expenses close to $1500 invested in a 1 pup litter. The second litter I had 3 pups pre-sold and 2 of the first litters buyers opted to transfer their picks to the second more expensive litter. All of the original buyers backed out for one reason or another.
> 
> ...


Did I miss the memo,:evil: are Labradors now qualified to run and compete in English Springer Spaniel trials.. if *so* bring it on, if* no* I would not be interested, no matter how black your beautiful babies are:lol:


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## omega58 (Sep 3, 2003)

BIGSP said:


> Just kind of wondering how people decide to price their pups.


Brent, Camille has actually had people call her and tell her she should charge more for puppies. She pretty much tells them if she was trying to make a bunch of money on animals, she would go back to horses. Her main concern is finding good hunting homes....as is anyone I stud Lowgun. 


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