[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Puppy Pricing
- From: Leslie Hartten CU <hartten@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:21:13 -0700
Interesting, because there was just a discussion along these lines on
the SETTERS-L list. Anyway, here are some comments from a pet owner, in
the style of NHANSBURG:
1) In 1996, I paid $400 for a 9-mo old English Setter puppy whose
breeder had kept 2 back but decided the other was a better show
prospect, and $400 for an 8-wk old pet-quality GSD puppy from show
lines. I'd have to dig for details, but from memory the ES had 2 CH
parents and the GSD had 1 CH parent and a lot of obedience titles in the
family. Both pups had pedigrees full of OFA numbers. Both breeders
were active in their Denver-area breed clubs. We'd visited the ES
breeder at her home the year before to discuss the breed, the dogs, our
lifestyle, etc. We met the GSD breeder at a "meet the public" event and
I think at an all-breed show, talked some on the phone, and visited the
litter 2-3 times to help socialize them and continue talking with the
breeder.
2) With 5% annual increase in cost, $400 in 1996 would translate to
about $650 in 2006.
3) I know that these breeders are not making money on pups. I don't
think it's fair to factor in costs of championships into "cost of pups",
because I assume these folks are pursuing their championships (in
conformation, obedience, herding, or hunting) for themselves and their
love of the dog/sport rather than to increase the monetary value of
their "product". But I do understand that health clearances, breeding
fees, vet services, food, whelping materials etc. add up. (Steve & I
didn't get OFA'd before we began Kate, but there were a variety of tests
and lots of prenatal visits, not to mention that unplanned C-section ;)
I'm sympathetic!).
4) I assume that the breeders are having litters for some combination of
the following: desire to produce a better dog/bitch than they have
(i.e. improve their lines), desire to improve the breed by passing along
their idea of what's good in the gene pool, desire to smell puppy
breath. I view my part in things this way: I end up with a
not-quite-standard dog with a solid background and a very good start on
life (health & socialization), while the breeder places one of the
inevitable not-quite-standard dogs in a thoughtful loving home. My home
is not perfect, but everyone is clean, well-fed, loved, more-or-less
obedient, and gets regular medical care -- and only my husband got given
away during the divorce :).
5) I have a full-time professional job, a modest 1960's house, a
12-yr-old minivan, 1 kid, 2 dogs, 2 cats. This year the amount I
budgeted for my pets worked out to 7% of my net income; that's 7th place
after housing, savings, charitable giving, transportation, child care,
and groceries. I know that one local GSD breeder's web site lists $1000
for pet puppies; that may be fair, but it's more than I believe I could
responsibly spend, knowing who and what I already have committed to care
for. (And one thing I keep in mind is that a new 2-20 month old dog
always comes with start up costs, usually a spay/neuter plus maybe hip
x-ray plus 1 random extra medical problem.)
Cheers,
Leslie
--
Leslie M. Hartten web: http://spot.colorado.edu/~hartten
Indi (TerraNorte's Midnight Indigo, German Shepherd Dog) & Brittany
(Upland Sweet Baker, English Setter)
--
Disclaimer: The contents of this message are mine personally and do not
necessarily reflect any position of the Government of the United States
of America, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the
University of Colorado.
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