Question about Breeders?

Question

If a breeder does not breed for profit...then why are purebred puppies so expensive?

I would think that the breeder could sell their puppies for the cost of initial care and nothing more if they truly were not in it for the money.

What is the $500-$1500+ for?

Answer 1

Besides the initial investment in obtaining a HIGH QUALITY breeding pair, there are other things to take into account:

1.)  Heatlh testing- that can include (but not limited to)- in my breed--- OFA of hips, CERF of the eyes YEARLY, 2 punch biopsies to certify clear of SA, thyroid blood testing, and echo to clear of genetic heart condition.  

2.)  Showing of the dogs- in poodles, it's hard to finish a poodle unles you are either a loooong term breeder/handler OR hire a professional handler- this can cost $10,000.  (that's PER DOG)

3.)  If you have 1 male and 1 female- you should, theoretically, only breed them once- twice at the most.  So, in order to keep diversity in your lines, you have to pay stud fees- and/or pay for frozen s***n.

Once all this is added together and figured up- most breeders lose LOTS of money breeding!

But, that's if you do it the RIGHT way.

Answer 2

$1500 is nothing when you actually find out how much reputable breeders spend on their dogs.. like the other person said for shows and testing, its not cheap..if you want a dog that comes from great lines, close to perfect health, great standards then thats not a lot to pay.

reputable breeders usually lose money or barely make it back  on a breeding.

Answer 3

Right now, I have a b*tch who has had 2 litters (all she'll have in her lifetime)- her current litter is 4 weeks old.  She has had a total of 10 pups- 5 of which in total will have been sold at $1800 each.  We've kept 2, 2 went to the stud owner (one per litter) and 1 will be placed as a Service Dog

Price for 5 pups= $9,000

Health clearances-

Hips/Elbows $350

Eyes-$64 (2 CERF exams & reg- other breeds may cost more due to yearly CERF needs)

Cardiac- $30

Thyroid- $30

Getting to/from the Stud Dog-

4 nights hotel - $350

Gas- $680

Veterinary expenses related to pregnancy-

Pre-pregnancy check ups $100

X-rays- $180

Treatment for pyometra (successful) - $650

Antibiotics- $240 (following treatment of pyo- in order to sustain pregnancy

Emergency vet for stuck puppy 1 litter- $540

Emergency c-section 1 litter - $1100

Veterinary expenses related to pups-

Dewclaws- $7 per paw x 40 = $280

Worming- $70

Well-puppy check up $30/pup x10= $300

Shots - $13/pup x 10 = $130 (cheap because my vet likes me)

Food

Increased intake for Dam - $240 over course of pregnancy and raising 2 litters of pups ($120 per litter)

Food for pups for 12 weeks- $300

Supplies

Whelping Box - $100

Ex-pen - $140

Blankets- $40

Towels- $40

Potty pads- $60

collars-$50 ($5 per puppy- I know I spent more.. but..)

Toys- $50

Utilities

Heat- $100 (had to turn the HEAT on in Seattle in July)

Lights- $50

Laundry - $150 (gotta wash those blankets and towels)

Incidentals

Gas to/from vet- $50

Registration - $180

Advertising- $75

DNA for Dam $45

Puppysitter - $320 (someone had to stay with dam to make sure pups didn't get squished)  (I flew my daughter in--- and am not counting HER missed work)

Two days missed work (one litter) - $28/hr x 16 hr = $448

3 weeks missed work (one litter) - $3000

Ok-- We're at -$1532 and I haven't accounted for the price of the b*tch, the price of maintaining the b*tch, the cost of fencing etc..., the price of showing the b*tch

The list goes on and on and on.

None of this includes gas and incidentals for the 2 breedings we attempted that she didn't get pregnant with.

By the way--- I was audited by the IRS after I refused to sell a puppy to a jerk (he believed I was making tons of money breeding since the pups are $1800 each).  The IRS said my records are some of the cleanest they've ever seen... and no, I didn't make $$ breeding.

At present I own ONE b*tch of breeding age... and she's just had her last litter.

Edit:  FWIW- the price of my pups has absolutely NOTHING to do with what it costs me to raise/produce them.  It is the median price nationally for dogs of similar bloodlines.  Is there a chance I could make money?  Sure- I once made a whole 19 cents an hour on a litter- and it didn't include my time off work or the time of my husband, children and neighbors.  *IF* my b*tch's daughter manages to have a litter without any issues.. I may break even on a litter, since I didn't "pay" for her---- unless you count the money I've lost on her mother's litters, the cost of raising her, her health clearances etc etc.  

A responsible breeder's goal is to produce high quality pups that fit the breed standard.  Making money (or losing it) is incidental.  Yes, there are some breeders who make money-- but its a 365 day a year job.  I have a friend who, in 2006, made 64K selling pups.  By the time she got done doing her expenses, including paying sales tax etc she had CLEARED 14K for a job that was 365 days a year.  

Frankly, I just don't want to work that hard!

Answer 4

That is an excellent link posted by SG Brittanys showing the breeder's cost to raise a quality & healthy litter.  I don't know how old that chart is, but the fee for OFA may be even higher than $240.  I know of breeders who have paid close to $500 for PennHip hip screening per dog, because it includes anesthesia/sedation, 3 radiographs, and interpretation of the films by the certified PennHip vet.

Answer 5

The money the breeder charges IS the cost of the initial care.

They pay for EVERYTHING with those puppies. The care of the mother, the emergency vet, the whelping, the medication and care required for the mother to properly birth the puppies, the shots of the puppies, etc.

Answer 6

Breeders spend a lot of time, effort and money on their dogs. They not only have the initial costs that you would have for a puppy but then the health screening for all the genetic issues which go along with the breeds. Then you have the shows that you attend as well as certificates that show that the dog is a good representation of the breed and has a stable, healthy temperament. They then have to search for a male/female that may or not be close at hand that compliments the faults or weakness of their dog. Fly/drive the dog there for the breed (stud fees,hotel, airfare or gas for car, meals, etc) then cross your fingers that the breeding took and return home. Nourish and look after mom until puppies come...hopefully naturally but if not C-section then the vet care and home care of pups and mom until they leave. Does this sound like a cheap process to you. They have to screen all the puppy buys, which could mean phone calls to references, doing a home check, etc. and then be willing to take the dog back in case the person doesn't want it or a circumstance beyond their control arises.

I don't think they ask too much for all their hard work. And if maybe they deter someone who has less then honorable intentions for the breed because of the high cost then so be it.

Answer 7

The genetic screening of the parents

Prenatal care

Food

Other Vet bills

AI if need be

Showing the dogs

the time

the effort

A show prospect is obviously going to go for more than a pet quality animal

puppy care

stud fees

You are paying for the years of research this breeder has put into learning about the breed from its standard to its genetics. A breeder still has to run their daily lives and have a day job as well.

ADD- c-sections alone are 2000 and up.

Answer 8

Showing costs (travel costs, entries, hotels, etc.) Health tests for the parents, to help cover both past and future tests (hips, eyes, thyroid, patellas, elbows, etc.) DNA tests for frequently used stud dogs, basic vet care such as heartworm pills, flea + tick prevention, shots, other basic checkup care.

Cost to travel to stud dog, ovulation test costs, pregancy care (high-costing foods including chicken, yogurt, etc. to provide extra nutrition) whelping supplies, neonatal puppy care costs (the first checkup for a litter to ensure everyone's healthy itself can cost several hundred dollars) possible vet care for the mother - for an example, an emergency C-section, extra high-quality dog food for the puppies as they grow (not including extra milk and nursing supplies in case there's a weak puppy) additional vet care including shots and worming for the puppies, on and on and on...

This page charts it out pretty well. Reptable breeders are lucky to turn a few hundred dollars in profit from any given litter...and that usually ends up going back to the dogs anyway. Reputable breeders don't breed for the money, they breed to preserve the breed standard and produce the healthiest puppies possible.

BYB puppies are so cheap because the parents were slapped together (no health test costs to cover) and then sold off early to make a quick buck. No cost of high-quality food, vet expenses, show costs, or anything like that to cover.

However, you get what you pay for. A good breeder's puppies will come with a health gurantee, and will be as healthy as they possibly can be for life. A BYBs 100 dollar pup will be your responsibility, and since no health testing was done, there's no gurantee that it isn't going to drop dead from a crippling illness at 3 years old.

A reputable breeder's puppies are their beloved babies that they entrust to you. A BYB's puppies are objects to sell off to line the 'breeder's' pocket.

http://www.omalmalamutes.com/omal/litter...

Answer 9

If a breeder who doesn't breed for profit sells their puppies for a lower price than others breeders who sell the same type of dog, they will have a very long waiting list for their puppies. This is good but the breeder will not want to breed her dog so often to sell puppies to everyone.

Also, breeding dogs is a very expensive business. Vet bills, puppy food (expensive even with discounts), new toys, etc. Genetic health testing for every single puppy is especially expensive.  Sometimes she may have to sell her puppies for the same price as other breeders, even if she isn't in for the money. The breeder might just need to sell for the cost of the breed.

Answer 10

$1500+

that IS the cost of care. It is also the cost of the genetic health testing, like hips, ears, eyes, heart, allergiesand STD's.

it is also helps to cover expenses aquired during the dogs show and working career.

you get what you pay for.