Expensive Pets

[mixelate]

Lately just out of interests sake I have been looking at online sites ( like kijiji ) at the pets. I would like to think of myself as fairly knowledgeable about breeds, etc. As well, I was recently at a pet store and saw some pretty cute puppies.. however... there was one litter of pom x's. They were $2,250! I would never buy a puppy from a pet store, but I wonder.... are people actually willing to pay this much? IMO you could get a purebred puppy from a breeder for much, much less than that! People online seem to be asking quite high prices for their puppies online as well, for things that IMO sound like " accidents" that they are trying to get some money for. I could be way off, but am curious as to what others think.

What happened to the days of the free puppies sign on the side of the road? :)

[gauvin4]

When I got my Pom x almost six years ago, I paid $250 for him. I started looking for another puppy last fall and couldn't believe what they are asking for mixed breed dogs now!! (The prices I saw were around $800-$1000) I ended up finding a Maltese/Bichon for $350. He was just what I was looking for. I love my dogs, but $350 was pushing the budget. Maybe its because they call them designer dogs now.

[MNNHFLTX]

I have seen the same prices you mention and it makes my head spin. All the dogs and cats I have ever had, from childhood forward, have either been strays or from the Humane Society or a shelter. I figure I would rather give them a good home and spend the money on their health and welfare down the road.

Incidentally, my MIL bought her miniature poodle for $600 a few years back. I thought that was expensive at the time, but not so bad by today's prices.

[merlinmagic4]

I agree that price is extreme for a dog! Thankfully, though, most people spay/neuter their pets so we don't have as many "free puppies" (or kittens) anymore. I guess the one good thing about charging for pets is that it may stop people from making impulsive decisions and taking on pets they can't take care of. There are far too many abandoned and/or neglected pets around here.

On a another note I paid only 400.00 for my Golden Retriever whose parents were champions. I also paid 400.00 for the lab who has cost me a lot more than that in stuff she has destroyed!!

[DizNee143]

i paid $400 for my beagle..i thought that was pretty good..my husband thought i was nuts for us paying that..he was so use to his parents getting them for free or a shelter or something..lol
but i do have to say the price for some dogs now is unbelievable!!
if no one is gonna pay that ridiculous price what happens to the doggies? its not right!

[tinksmom02]

Our friends just recently got 2 toy poodles. They paid I think around $4K for both of them.

We got our first lab from a farm for $400, and the second one was a bargain at $150. (we should've known he was trouble then!! ;))

[LandFan]

We always get our dogs from shelters or rescues. They have to be purebred (miniature schnauzers) due to my alleries - which is a good thing or I would own waaaay too many of them! Our last young dog, Baxter, we got from a rescue (via Petfinder.org) in Arkansas (we live in PA) last November. He cost us $400 plus the transport fee but it was worth every penny. He is a doll and we know we are helping to shut down other puppy mills and get other unfortunate puppies medical attention and help by donating his "fee".

There are plenty of senior dogs as well that need great homes and we have rescued some of these as well over the years and their fees are far less because the are "less desirable". They can be amazing finds! Many of them just want love!!

JMHO

[HollyB]

We have a Havanese we got from a rescue. From a breeder they can cost four figures, but we paid about $500 for ours. The rescue people had to buy him from a puppy mill auction. He had been abused as a puppy. :mad: so I figure it was worth every penny. The rescue folk take the money and turn right around and rescue more Havanese.

He is the sweetest dog. :heart:

[Carol]

I think it really depends on the area (State) you live in and the breed. We paid $2,100 for our German Shepherd Dog 4 years ago. We did not and never will buy a pet from a pet store or puppy mill. German Shepherds are very expensive in this area.

I agree with merlin, in reference to free pure bred pups. Most people have their dogs spayed/neutered at 6 months.

[Dawn,DeniseandDiane]

We lost our beloved Disney 5yrs next month to cancer. She was a purebred mini-chihuahua from a puppy mill. We paid $50 for her and she rescued US, not just us saving her. When we lost her we were devastated. 3 days later our older sister went and found Flower for us. She paid over $900 for her from a breeder. She got her because she looks identical to Disney.
We rescued Willow, who is a Chinese Crested from a rescue group. She costs us $300 for fees and costs. We took the train to Chicago to get her. She was severely abused and burned and didn't even have a name. She is a rare color and her babies would be worth about $5,000 a peice. They bred her from 4months on. She didn't produce. They busted the puppy mill and the owners were arrested. They signed over the dogs. When she went to rescue they were going to fix her and found out she was pregnant! We paid for her already so the puppies were basically our as well. They asked if we wanted to put her down because she had so.... many emotional issues, and keep the babies. We refused to give up on Willow and we got to pick the families who got her "triplet" girls!! Love can do amazing things! We have had her for 4 1/2yrs and she is the light of our life. She is so loving and crazy! She LOVES clothes and gets excited about trying on something new. She thinks she is a kid not a dog. Her and Flower love each other so much! They dress alike when we go for walks.

Dawn,Denise&Diane:wave::wave::wave:

[Stitchahula]

Most of the breeders I've seen with champion labs were all under 1,000. They also had their eyes,hips, and elbows cleared (certified). I could never imagine paying over that for any dogs. I paid 250 for my first 2 labs and I ended up calling them my million dollar dogs because, it feels like that's what I've spent in vet bills. Honestly you can go to a shelter and get a puppy for so much less than what most breeders or a pet store charge. They do have some purebreds and also puppies there. I know a lot of mix breed dogs though that are great dogs so don't rule them out.

[DisneyDog]

I, too, only rescue. Our first two dogs were purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgis. We now have a Poodle/Bichon mix. None of our dogs cost us over $200 to adopt. PA, where I live, is the #1 puppy mill state. One of my corgis was probably originally from a puppy mill. He had so many health problems it was ridiculous. Bad joints, weak stomach, sensitive skin. He also looked like an old-fashioned corgi -- the way they bred them 50 years ago. He was always at the vet's office. I can't imagine spending several thousand dollars for a dog I know came from a puppy mill and being unaware of the consequences. People have to do their research and be informed or puppy mills will never go away.

[murphy1]

Yes, some are expensive. I got my Border Collie from a wonderful breeder (I have always gotten rescue cats and have two rescue now). I got the breeder name from a couple of BC owners and she is a fantastic dog, I only went through her b/c I strictly wanted a BC and these dogs can have big problems if not bred correctly. I might do rescue BC in the future. Otherwise I would have gone to a shelter. My dog was $300 and her lineage is many generations back with AKC.

[DreaminofDisney24]

Our girls were going to be named "Economic" and "Stimulus":thumbsup:.....

[jrkcr]

Baby is my German retriever (mixed german sheperd/retriever)
40$ on sale at the humane society. Already fixed, shots, microchipped, and trained. I'd never pay much for a "special" dog breed, I prefer pound puppies.

I think buying a pet is like buying bananas...price per pound. Baby is 75 pounds, so she was about .50 cents per pound. Not a bad deal! :thumbsup:

[beksy]

We have always gotten ours from the SPCA or friends giving them away (in my baby cat Minnie's case, we picked her up beside the highway). When we tried to get a Beagle from the SPCA a year ago, they wouldn't let us adopt because he would not be inside all the time! We live in the country and have a big kennel, nice dog house for days with good weather, etc. but since he would not be inside 100% of the time, they refused to let us adopt him and would rather put him to sleep :mad: :( . Then we found out that any stray cats brought in are immediately put down and they only put up for adoption those animals that were brought in by people moving, can't get rid of them, etc. So we went out and bought a beagle, Queenie. She was the first we ever bought and is a purebred (parents on site but no papers). Papers weren't important since she was spayed and we aren't showing her or anything. We still paid $350 (apparently we got a deal because she is female; the males were $450! :confused:) She ended up being totally worth it though.

[mixelate]

I am glad that so many people are adopting!
As for the thing about the "free" puppies - I meant more along the lines of they are still there, but people are asking hundreds of dollars for puppies that used to be free! Just a thought. :)

[fupresti]

Buzz, my three year old lab cost me $300.00. Woody, my two year old golden retriever cost me $500.00. We are getting a Cardigan Welsh Corgi in October and he will cost me about $700.00.

[J9]

We paid $2000 for my puppy from a breeder. It was 1 week after my first dog died (16 yrs old) and we needed to have a new one otherwise we would all go crazy. It actually seemed to be just slightly more expensive than other breeders/pet stores except the Lancaster puppy mills. We were not looking for a rescue dog at that time because having just lost our Brittany, we wanted to make sure we had the best chance of getting a healthy pup who would be with us for a long time. Plus, her uncle won the Westminster Best in Show.

It may seem like a lot of money to some people, but $2000 is really nothing over the life of the pup. I would have paid 10 times that for her without batting an eyelash. She is worth every penny. I love my Brie and would never ever trade her for anything.

[Tinkerbellaella]

Didn't we use to call these "Designer" dogs mutts not that long ago :pluto:

I bought a Beagle 7 years ago for $400 (the going rate in our area).

[mrsgaribaldi]

Al & Charlie were one thousand each but we got a discount for buying them both, they were the last 2 of the litter.:mickey:

[MNNHFLTX]

=I think buying a pet is like buying bananas...price per pound. Baby is 75 pounds, so she was about .50 cents per pound. Not a bad deal! :thumbsup:I like that! :thumbsup: