You don't have to answer, obviously...!!

What do you consider a 'reasonable' price for your breed?

hector my liver in white cost £100 as 18mnth old
the breeder had sold him as pup i think she £800 for pup
the couple that bought him as pup retured him in hell of condion
it cost us more in deisl and one night in b n b to collect him and bottem of england
hes such great all round family dog
lord h cost me nothing as got him.from my best friend
again he prople cost £800 as pup
i am saving up for another pup hopin to get pup next year

Looking at this and your previous question, is it right to come to the conclusion that you are collating answers for a reason, eg you are at college or university. If this is the case don't you think it would be better to 'come clean' as there have been posts from students on here in the past that members have been pleased to help.

agree with Biffsmum some unusual questioning or at least the style you are doing it is unusual. I would suggest that if you  explain why you are going down these lines of questioning and the reasons behind it you may get better answer and people more likely to want it help.

I've answered by ticking the box for the price I paid for my last puppy - over 11 years ago!  No idea what I would be expected to pay now.

Being as how my last dogs have all been bred at home its not one I can answer as its been at least 15 years since I bought a puppy. I too am interested in why you are conducting these polls. There is also a massive difference in price depending on breed, health, popularity etc..
Aileen

I too am wondering about your unusual style of questioning Jessica B. Are we providing information for some kind od research project or thesis. Why do you need to know how much we all paid for our puppies?

Hi everyone - in response to my 'unusual' style of questioning, I'm simply curious is all! I am not a student, I left school quite a while ago now :) There is nothing to 'come clean' about. I have two pedigree dogs but I don't know anyone (apart from the breeders of mine) to talk about dogs with!

So the answer is I'm lonely!! And I like asking questions and receiving honest answers.

As well as asking questions, it would be interesting to hear your views too.

Yes, I agree with golden mum. Why not tell us a little about yourself and your dogs? introduce yourself a bit :)

She did a little on another post, has a Cocker and Field Spaniel at least.

OK, I just don't see why you are interested in how much our dogs cost. You only have to look on Champdogs at the litter listings to get an idea of the average pedigree dog price. Have you thought about joining some dog activity clubs. We do ringcraft, agility and obedience with our lot. Plenty of people to talk to about dogs.

So a little bit about me:

I'm from the UK but now in Australia, four hours from the nearest place that offers puppy school/training/ringcraft etc. I have two little girls, a Cocker age 2 and a Fieldie age 18mths. I don't currently show as most shows are 5-8 hours away, but I would like to one day. I know I've left it a bit late though...

I'm interested in price because obviously here in Aus its dollars, which roughly amounts to double the amount in pounds. It's just interesting because most people have voted their dogs cost them £750-£1000, which would equate to $1500-$2000, which is more than most pedigree dogs cost here. The Australian equivalent to champdogs is dogzonline.

Hope that answers some questions :)

sounds pretty much an average price for pedigrees in my experience.  Difficult to equate one to the other because cost of living is different too.
What you also need to be aware of is the number of pedigrees being sold here for well over the right price due to breeders selling as "rare colours etc "  often without proper health tests  and scant regard for the lines they are breeding from or bearing relation to kennel club standards
There is a world of difference imo from a good responsible breeder and one that is breeding for money or the next holiday even if they are breeding a pedigree ( aka purebred) and not one of the many designer crosses
Thank you for responding to queries about the reasons for you questions . If you have Fb why not join some of the dog group son there as well There are loads of them with different interests and often breed specifc too. Also some on positive training

Also bare in mind that the age of the dog is relevant when thinking about price. My oldie (12.5y/o) was £450, price is now double that.

We all forget how lucky we are in the UK, with most places having a dog club of some sort fairly near. Have you thought about setting up a dog walking group yourself or are you still miles away from other dog owners. The Face Book suggestion is good as well. I speak to people all over the world who own Vallhunds.

Furrie friends,

That's ok, I see that I must come across as a mysterious stranger!!

Yeah I hate when breeders try to sell puppies at a higher price just because they are a rare colour, or distantly related to some overseas champion!

Biffsmum,

Oohh I don't know anything about Vallhunds but that's very interesting :) Did you meet most people you chat to through champdogs?

All suggestions given are great ideas, but not entirely practical for a little outback town. Nonetheless, I am determined to make it to a dog show this year with at least one of my little girls. Thanks for the support though :)

in my case Would say the people I have met have been partly through here and partly the fb groups. A number of which I have now met in person but also there are people I regularly speak to all over the world and that has been due to fb dog group

The Australian equivalent to champdogs is dogzonline.

I've been a member of that since around 2003 or 4, is 'Ernie', 'Rom' & Steve K9 still post on there?....Im in UK by the way.
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Oh how nice, good to see how the Aussies do it haha!

To be honest I don't look at their forum much, I mainly follow pointscore but I'm not a member at the moment. Champdogs appealed to me more!

At the time we stopped breeding (1997, last litter), my main breed was selling for around £400. (pets /pet quality, at 10 weeks, male or female).   Obviously if the hound was older and with early success in the ring, it would be correspondingly more.  These days the same breed is (apparently! - asking and getting - two different things) going for £800 and up for the same pet/pet quality puppy.   Such is the increase in the cost of pretty much EVERYTHING.   However, I have heard that breeders are putting the 'upper figure' on their puppies, expecting to be bartered down!!   And that didn't happen 'in my day' either.   So whether puppies are selling for £800 and up, I don't know.

As a buyer who has been looking for around two years I would say the majority of well bred pedigree puppies are going for £800-£1200 just now (obviously depending a bit on breed with giants more at the upper end and toys more the lower). The internet BYB and puppy farmed puppies are more like £500.

There are some apparently "special colours" advertised for extortionate prices BUT I actually know someone who had a "special colour" and the breeder had put the price that high to dissuade puppy farmers from trying to buy them. Pups were advertised online at £2500, my friend is a pet-home and once the breeder had thoroughly vetted her (including Skype home check and separate interviews of her and husband and asking for various references!) told her the price was actually only £1100 (giant breed). So it's easy to be quick to judge the adverts but they don't always reflect what is actually being paid.

Wow what a story! Was it for a harlequin Great Dane or something?

I paid $1500 or roughly £750 for my Field Spaniel, which is standard price for Fieldies in Australia. Mine is liver, blacks obviously cost a bit more, and roans are yet to be introduced but if they were, they'd be well over $2000 / £1000.

Thanks for your input :)

No I'm not sure what she was - some kind of mastiff (american maybe?) and she was enormous (and unfortunately recently died of old age at only 8!). A big soft love of a dog, very well brought up by all concerned. The listed price was a response to some of the interest she was getting when listed alongside the rest of the litter, some of whom were whatever the "normal" colour is (i can't even recall what colour she was listed as - they are all "some kind of brownish to me" (in not a dog person, I'm a puppy buyer here to glean information and too chatty to stay out of these things!)) as a bitch and this different hue and the breeder was concerned about her ending up in the wrong hands and almost kept her until the person I know showed up.

Mmm interesting, although I'm not sure I would employ the breeders tactics! I guess they were just trying to make sure they got the best owner for the puppy, and it sounds like they did :)

Why do black field spaniels cost more than liver in Aus?

That's what I'm wondering, each puppy cost the same to raise so colour and gender should make no difference to price. Its like when puppy farmer charge more for bitches and 'rare' colours. A ploy to make more money out of something which no reputable breeder would or should do

I wasn't thinking so much of that, though that's of course true, but there's someone who shows a black one around here and he told me they're less desirable. He might be wrong of course but certainly it's mostly livers in the show ring here.

There are approx only 10 Field Spaniel breeders in Australia. Can't be sure but I'd say only three have "the black genes", as its called - and as black should never be bred to black, even a 'black' litter often has only one or two black puppies. Obviously this makes it extremely hard to get hold of one.

Say there's only one or two black puppies in a litter, the breeder keeps one and the other would go to another well-known kennel to show. If you get a black puppy, it won't *necessarily* cost more, but it probably will

Hope that makes sense.

Tectona,

Yes definitely, livers are the most common colour, roans are the rarest.

A Coton de Tuléar (FCI pedigree) costs around EUR 2'000.  This is what I have paid for puppies in Spain, France, Germany and Denmark.  In Switzerland cotons cost between CHF 2'000 and CHF 2'500.

When it comes to buying a 'Puppy' I would be happy to pay over what people consider 'A Reasonable Price' for that breed (whatever that may be ?) if I believed the Dam & Sire had superior conformation and more satisfactory 'Health Test Results' (better bred).
In my opinion, its better to buy from the very best breeders who breed for 'Quality' (Health Tested and with better conformation etc etc) and it could save you a lot of heartbreak in the long run (although no guarantee) but if it stacks the odds in your favour, then its worth it.
I appreciate that there are probably plenty of good breeders in any given breed that breed for good conformation and health (Satisfactory Health Test Results) that do sell pups for a 'Reasonable Price' whatever that may be.
One thing I would prefer not to do is buy a cheaper puppy from parents that had not had any relevant 'Health Tests' done etc etc.

Just a figure of speech, a good quality (health tested puppy) is not expensive, its priceless.

This is exactly what I think as well.  I NEVER haggle with breeders (selected because I know who they are and would like to have a puppy from them) over the price.  I either pay it or I go to someone else.  I also never allow anyone to bargain with me about what I charge for my own puppies.  My price is justified, take it or leave it.  Health-testing and quality are a given.  In fact, in Switzerland we FCI-breeders must adhere to very strict regulations, about which I have already written.  I am amazed at what I have learned about Britain's lack of them.  I have been breeding only in Switzerland, and so I've just assumed all along that it was the same everywhere.  Not that we are perfect here.  Of course there are the BYBs, as there are everywhere, sadly.  But for registered FCI breeders and their kennels and puppies there are in this little country tight and frequent inspections by the breed clubs, there are the official exams for breeding-qualification at which one presents the dog one hopes to breed with to an international judge (conformation), must pass a temperament test as well and must present veterinary proof (official form) that the dog has been checked for PL or HD or PRA or whatever is required.  Naturally, this qualification test is something everyone basically dreads, as it can turn out that the dog you bought a year ago (transcontinental flight perhaps), groomed, trained, loved and entertained high hopes for developed patella or did not pass the qualification exams in some way or other.  This is, of course, just awful.  It's a really high risk for us when we purchase a dog we hope to breed with.  But this is exactly what (it is to be hoped) provides us and others with really good dogs, and which justifies a high price.

Nimue
In fact, in Switzerland we FCI-breeders must adhere to very strict regulations, about which I have already written. I am amazed at what I have learned about Britain's lack of them.

Those who buy as dogs as pets don't trawl the net to get the in depth knowledge on such things as mainland european breed registration clubs 'fit for purpose' breeding tests for the different working breeds, they would have no reason to do that because they have no way of knowing such things as ZTP type tests exist, they simply draw their knowledge from what they see around them locally.

Here KC is the breed registration club for all breeds, if you pay your money to register a litter thats fine by them, no awkward questions asked then if the buyer wants to register the same pup under their name they just pay another fee to KC, great scam init? in case you have not seen the social documentary on the consequences of KC uks' commercial strategy follow the link below

https://vimeo.com/106725584
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It is to our shame and that of our KC and breed clubs that our regulations fall so far short of what you describe Nimue.
As of 2013 our KC as been a member of the FCI. There was hope of change and a more rigorous enforcement of breeding practice and standard when this happened, but sadly this has not occured .The change of name from Accredited Breeder Scheme to Assured Breeder Scheme -the former rolled out about 10 years prior to FC1 membership as setting a gold standard in breeding practice - has just meant  the 'Scheme' is easier to spell. Same bad breeders continue to flourish within the scheme, same bad practice permitted. Breeders breeding from bitches in consecutive seasons, health testing done but results ignored if it suits their purpose to do so,obfuscation , deceit and greed appear to be acceptable within and without the scheme. Inspections wholly inadequate and very dependent on where the breeder is located. I've been inspected twice, living as I do in the South East of England. I have no complaint about the inspection. It was pretty rigorous but I know of breeders elsewhere who have never been inspected, despite complaints about the conditions in which they keep their dogs and puppies. I could say a lot more but this is a topic for another thread.

It is to our shame and that of our KC and breed clubs that our regulations fall so far short of what you describe Nimue.
As of 2013 our KC as been a member of the FCI. There was hope of change and a more rigorous enforcement of breeding practice and standard when this happened, but sadly this has not occured .The change of name from Accredited Breeder Scheme to Assured Breeder Scheme -the former rolled out about 10 years prior to FC1 membership as setting a gold standard in breeding practice - has just meant  the 'Scheme' is easier to spell. Same bad breeders continue to flourish within the scheme, same bad practice permitted. Breeders breeding from bitches in consecutive seasons, health testing done but results ignored if it suits their purpose to do so,obfuscation , deceit and greed appear to be acceptable within and without the scheme. Inspections wholly inadequate and very dependent on where the breeder is located. I've been inspected twice, living as I do in the South East of England. I have no complaint about the inspection. It was pretty rigorous but I know of breeders elsewhere who have never been inspected, despite complaints about the conditions in which they keep their dogs and puppies. I could say a lot more but this is a topic for another thread.

Very good post Jan bending
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> As of 2013 our KC as been a member of the FCI.

The Kennel Club has never been a member of the FGI.

There are some general rules, as to age of bitches, number of litters, no more than two litters if born by C section, no first degree matings (siblings or parent to offspring) and of course we have the endorsements that an owner (usually the breeder) can place on a dogs record, progeny not eligible for registration, and ineligible for an export pedigree.

There is at least one breed where they will not register puppies unless parents DNA tested, Irish Setters and CLAD, and I believe in some that carriers are no longer allowed for breeding (which rather goes against geneticist advice).

So it's not a complete free for all, and may breeders are bound by their own breed clubs voluntary codes of ethics (which the KC has to ratify) which is what the kennel club required breed clubs to do about 25 years ago, but largely it does mean that puppies can be bred from any KC registered parents that do not have endorsements.

There is at least one breed where they will not register puppies unless parents DNA tested, Irish Setters and CLAD, and I believe in some that carriers are no longer allowed for breeding (which rather goes against geneticist advice).

It was agreed by ALL the breed clubs for Irish & Irish Red &  White Setters that for 5 years genetically normal to carrier matings would be allowed & the off spring had to be DNA tested. After this only genetically normal dogs' offspring would he eligible for registration. This was the agreement because of the large gene pool of the breeds.

As CLAD is a life shortening condition I can see the reasoning behind removing carriers from the gene pool. If the breed did not have a large gene pool I can see the the reasoning behind breeding from carriers.

'The aims of the F.C.I. are to encourage and promote breeding and use of purebred dogs whose functional health and physical features meet the standard set for each respective breed and which are capable of working and accomplishing functions in accordance with the specific characteristics of their breed; to protect the use, keeping and breeding of dogs in the member countries; to support free exchange of dogs and cynological information between member countries and initiate the organization of exhibitions and tests.'

I must have been misinformed. Will check facts before writing in future.
However, the above mission statement of the FCI  should be what we and our KC aspire to. Why do we not ?! Of course puppy farming /byb etc will continue but the puppies cannot be registered. The breeders will not have the credibility that they currently undeservedly have.

Re. DNA testing. In my main breed we have a couple of lethal hereditary conditions .Carriers of this condition are now routinely bred from ,despite the wide gene pool we are fortunate to have. Sorry, but a dog's success in the show ring is no justification for continuing to' feed' the gene pool with carriers of such conditions. I know about CLADs in Irish Setters. My feelings were always that the breed club made the right decision. I'm not familiar with how this has affected breeding/coefficients of inbreeding etc. Does anybody on the forum know ?

JB
Of course puppy farming /byb etc will continue but the puppies cannot be registered.

HP
I am not sure about the registration bit...because....Back in 2003 a UK dobe owner, who always bought a Roanoak, was talking about the originator of a UK dobe line, whom I think Brainless has some familiarity with  (cobwebs of distant memory), the line was 'Roanoak' dobes, a line created by a breeder named 'Jimmy Richardson', apparently a UK respected Dobe breeder - she told me, in a casual conversation, that the Roanoak kennel had around 60 dogs, I was quite surprised, apparently he also bred other breeds not just dobes.

I know that her Dobes were KC registered so I assume whatever other breeds he bred were as well, I also know (from her) that her previous Roanoak dobe died from V Wilderbrands, which is easily avoided by not mating the wrong dogs.....the last I heard of the  pup she bought in 2003 was around 4 years later when I bumped into her husband & he told me that dog had been diagnosed with CM, not yet well understood......

So, JB, as far as I am concerned (so personal opinion) anyone owning 60 dogs, of different breeds (I 'think' another was Akitas) for breeding is a puppy farmer what else could you call them?..........Roanoak Dobes were registered with KC.
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There are no truly large gene pool sin any pedigree breed and therefore all dogs worthy of being bred from should be considered regardless of DNA status as log as they are paired in such a way as not to produce affecteds.