why does my puppy cost so much?
To produce a litter of puppies, a reputable breeder of PWDs will do the following:
In addition, the fee you pay for your puppy includes the time and energy the breeder puts in to ensuring well-rounded, temperamentally sound puppies, initial grooming exposure, and a lifetime of help and advice whenever you need it.
BYB puppies are cheap because almost none of these things are done. In the worst cases, the dams and sires live in cages their entire lives -- they have no lives other than to breed. They aren't socialized or allowed to use their mental faculties in the way a working breed should be stimulated. Their puppies may be seen by a veterinarian but their parents are rarely health tested in any meaningful way. In the best case, the dams and sires may live in the BYB's house and be raised by the family, but again, the dogs aren't given the mental stimulation that a working breed needs and the dogs typically aren't tested for genetic diseases and dysplasia, so breedings are done without much thought to avoiding disease.
So, ultimately, you get what you pay for...
- Raise the dam and/or sire from puppyhood using the finest nutrition and supplements
- Take the time to expose the dam and/or sire to various environments, situations, people, noises, and smells
- Train the dam and/or sire for basic manners in group classes and in basic handling techniques at $150-190 every 6 weeks
- Expose the dam and/or sire to expert grooming at a cost generally of $95 to $120 per grooming session every 4 to 6 weeks
- Have regular veterinary care - annual exams costing about $200-300; vacinations and heartworm medications costing $200-300
- Train the dam and/or sire in conformation, obedience, rally, agility, water, scentwork, and/or other sports
- conformation classes are generally $15 per class
- obedience, rally, agility, and scentwork classes are generally between $150 to $200 per 6-week session over a period of several years to acquire competency for trialing in those venues
- water requires the use of boats and platforms that breeders need to own or to use regularly via a club
- other sports may require classes or seminars costing up to $400 each
- Show the dam and/or sire in conformation trials at a cost of multiple entry fees ($35 per day) and cost of a handler ($100-$120 per day; higher fees for showing at regional or national specialties) -- thus, achieving a championship can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. This ensures that the breed characteristics are maintained over generations.
- Show the dam and/or sire in a variety of sports with entry fees of $30+ per day per class entered; titles in obedience, rally, agility, and tracking may cost between $100-200; titles in scentwork cost $300 or more; titles in water may cost $50 each. This ensures that the breed working nature is maintained over generations.
- When dam and/or sire reach the age of 2, have OFA or PennHip x-rays taken of hips and elbows to screen for dyplasia -- at a cost of >$500
- Have genetic screenings done for Juvenile Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Microphthalmia Syndrome ($125), Gangliosidosis, Progressive Retinal Atropy, and Early-Onset Progressive Retinal Atrophy ($100), CDDY/CDPA ($50)
- When dam is at least 2 years and ready to breed, do brucellosis testing prior to breeding for each breeding cycle at a cost of $120-$185 per test; a sire will be tested annually for brucellosis
- When the dam is in heat, have a reproductive veterinary exam to examine her health ($300); several progesterone tests to time the mating properly ($110-140 per test); ultrasound to confirm pregnancy ($150-$200); x-ray a week before whelping date to confirm number of puppies ($200-$250)
- If AI rather than a natural breeding is to be done, this can cost >$500 for collection and shipping of sperm; transcervical or intrauterine surgery is used to insert sperm, this can cost >$250-800
- If breeder does not own the sire, a stud fee is generally the cost of a price of a puppy ($3000-$4000)
- If a C-section for the dam is required, this can cost $2500-$5000
- Proper nutrition for dam during first three weeks after whelping can add $300-$500 to normal feeding costs
- Nutrition for puppies while weaning and post-weaning can add $500-$800 to normal feeding costs
- Extra laundry, pee pads, cleanng supplies, and toys for puppies add >$200-$400
- Registration of litters and individual puppies generally cost >$50 per puppy
- Puppy packs for each home (toys, leash, collars, food, samples, and blankets with dam's smell) cost >$50 per puppy
- Eye exams for a litter at 7 weeks cost >$500
- Veterinary exams and first vaccinations cost >$60 per puppy
- Microchips are $28 per puppy
In addition, the fee you pay for your puppy includes the time and energy the breeder puts in to ensuring well-rounded, temperamentally sound puppies, initial grooming exposure, and a lifetime of help and advice whenever you need it.
BYB puppies are cheap because almost none of these things are done. In the worst cases, the dams and sires live in cages their entire lives -- they have no lives other than to breed. They aren't socialized or allowed to use their mental faculties in the way a working breed should be stimulated. Their puppies may be seen by a veterinarian but their parents are rarely health tested in any meaningful way. In the best case, the dams and sires may live in the BYB's house and be raised by the family, but again, the dogs aren't given the mental stimulation that a working breed needs and the dogs typically aren't tested for genetic diseases and dysplasia, so breedings are done without much thought to avoiding disease.
So, ultimately, you get what you pay for...
|
|