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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the price of dogs are likely to fall anytime soon?

96 replies

Cloglover · 02/08/2020 19:34

Just before lock down we were going to get a puppy. Where we live you can get one of the 'popular' breeds for between £5-800. Fast forward to now, the prices seem to have quadrupled, with prices between £2-3k. I absolutely can not justify spending that amount of money. Do you think it's likely that prices will fall, or whether it will become the new norm and I just need to get over the hike in price? I don't want to get a rescue one as I have 2 young children and the only rescue dogs where we live seem to be bulldogs and frenchies and I'm after a cavachon type one.

OP posts:

WinWinnieTheWay · 02/08/2020 19:36

I think demand will fall and so will prices.

GlummyMcGlummerson · 02/08/2020 19:37

Interesting... maybe that explains why my friend is paying £2k for a Cockapoo! £2,000 for a cross breed - I was thinking she's getting stitched up but maybe that's the going rate now?

FudgeBrownie2019 · 02/08/2020 19:37

I think in a years time the rescue centres will be overrun with unwanted dogs because everyone and his neighbour decided to get a cute, sweet puppy during lockdown and forgot entirely that if the world ever goes back to normal they'll be needing to leave that cute, fluffy puppy alone for 12 hours a day.

I've no idea about prices, but around here I've seen Dachshund puppies going for over £3k and all were snapped up within 24 hours, so would assume the prices will stay hiked as long as the breeders can keep them inflated.

tryingtocatchthewind · 02/08/2020 19:39

Prices will fall and also there will be more reputable breeders who have not increased their prices. A friend of mine judges and breeds cocker spaniels, she’s horrified at the price increases for puppies and certainly has not no plans to amend her prices.

justanotherneighinparadise · 02/08/2020 19:39

I think it’s great that dogs are so expensive. Perhaps it will stop people giving up on them in a few months after the puppy stage is over.

ghostyslovesheets · 02/08/2020 19:45

lots of dogs in charities - rehoming cost very little - although they may not have the right designer mongrel?

cookingandlooking · 02/08/2020 19:47

@ghostyslovesheets

lots of dogs in charities - rehoming cost very little - although they may not have the right designer mongrel?

Or these rescues have a list of requirements as long as your arm so not everybody can just rock up and use that option.

Maverickallthetime · 02/08/2020 19:51

@ghostyslovesheets we had a nightmare trying to get a dog from a rescue home as we couldn't meet their requirements even though we had plans for when we worked (to go to a family member) it wasn't good enough! We bought a puppy instead

ghostyslovesheets · 02/08/2020 19:53

maybe people just want a dog without thinking of what's best for it?

I have cats - all rescue - 2 rescues turned me down due to a busy road (which I don't live as near to as they believed I did) but RSPCA and a local rescue both where fine.

I'd love a dog - I borrow my friends dog for walks etc BUT I don't think it's fair as I work - I also wouldn;t if I had small children - charities 'lists' are often based on the needs of the dog not the human.

Wagsandclaws · 02/08/2020 20:15

Dogs should be expensive, it's a LIFE!

They generally live for a long time far outlasting a car or holiday.

I agree with the poster upthread l, perhaps at 3k people will think about spending that much on a little creature that they just give up when the going gets a bit tough.

Deardonkey · 02/08/2020 20:26

tryingtocatchthewind if your friend doesn’t put up prices then someone may buy a puppy from her to sell for profit - I’ve heard of happening at the moment as prices have increased so much.

I also think in a few months the rescues will have many poodle/cocker/cava mixes as many don’t realise how needy they are and don’t like to be left alone.

Crankley · 02/08/2020 21:17

People talk about the restrictions placed by rescue centres as if they are a bad thing. They want to do the very best for the animals and know more about their needs than a family who are looking for a dog maybe for the first time.

my friend is paying £2k for a Cockapoo! £2,000 for a cross breed

Also known as a mongrel.

GlummyMcGlummerson · 02/08/2020 22:32

Well quite Crankley. The person who decided to think of cute names for mongrels and put a hugely inflated price tag on it must be laughing themself silly.

Starbuggy · 02/08/2020 22:35

Don’t get a cavachon or other fake designer bread, they are prime market for puppy farmers

Pillypocket666 · 02/08/2020 22:42

We had to buy current 2 dogs privately when we just wanted rescues. As there were 3 days they would be alone from 9-12 and 1-4 we weren't suitable for adoption. Although prices are high I agree might make people think twice.

beansontoast20 · 02/08/2020 22:43

I was told today of someone paying just shy of £2000 for a Labrador. That much money and the puppy wasn't even hip/elbow scored.
Part of the problem is unscrupulous breeders have hiked their prices knowing people will pay the money. I haven't seen around here prices of puppies being a problem regardless of familial situation.

Another part of the problem is people just think 'ooh puppy' without considering the lifestyle implications, the breed itself or the research that needs to go into it so again, breeders are laughing. It escapes me how many people still don't know the basics of buying a puppy e.g making sure you can see the mum.
The only thing that suffers eventually is the pup (apart from the mum dog too), either with medical conditions from poor breeding or living a rubbish life at home. I'd like to hope it stops but there's too much demand so the supply can't be limited.

WhentheDealGoesDown · 02/08/2020 22:52

We were also going to get a puppy, having left it until I retired as didn’t want to get one while working, had started looking before lockdown while still at work to see what was about and then all the prices went up, I think we may leave it until later in the year or even next year now, we may be able to get a rescue dog so hope we are suitable.

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 02/08/2020 22:54

@ghostyslovesheets

lots of dogs in charities - rehoming cost very little - although they may not have the right designer mongrel?

I've been looking. I'm not after a designer dog at all, but all the rescues near me are empty of have one or two dogs (usually staffies).

It'll change soon enough, but I'm sick of people blabbing on about how there are so many dogs in rescue centers. It's just not the case at the moment.

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 02/08/2020 22:57

Blue Cross has these 4 (across all of their centres)

www.bluecross.org.uk/rehome/dog?f[]=field_reserved:0&f[]=field_species_single:6&sort_by=field_long_lat_latlon&sort_order=ASC

They look lovely, but none of them would be a fit for us.

TrainspottingWelsh · 02/08/2020 23:00

Plenty of breeds were never cheap in the first place, but whilst I privately don't understand why anyone would spend a fortune on a mongrel, especially a mongrel that is far more likely to have inherited problems from the usually unverified parents than a genuine bit of everything mongrel, it can only be a good thing.

I know a few people that breed working collies or terriers on a very small scale, some of which are sold as pets to families with the right lifestyle and experience. None of them have put the price up, but the phrase 'all spoken for' has been used more often. And in the case of one litter of cross bred terriers that appearance wise anyway fit the bill for cute lockdown toys, despite not having the personality or traits to make them fit in with the average suburban family 'fuck off'.

MerryGrinchmas1 · 02/08/2020 23:05

Give it 6 months and you will be able to rescue one for a donation/small fee

stayathomer · 02/08/2020 23:07

I honestly don't think there'll be as much of this as people think. Most people I know who got a dog over lockdown had been planning for a long time, and took lockdown as a sign or opportunity and have planned for back to work or work from home/ have a stay at home person already.

IncrediblySadToo · 02/08/2020 23:12

@GlummyMcGlummerson

Interesting... maybe that explains why my friend is paying £2k for a Cockapoo! £2,000 for a cross breed - I was thinking she's getting stitched up but maybe that's the going rate now?

I think both those things are true!

That's the going price AND people are being stitched up.

Give it a few weeks and rescues will be inundated with 'back to work' pups 😢

@Cloglover. I'm not keen on either of those breeds and couldn't imagine a cross breed but OMG that's cuteness overload. There are some puppies near me for £4200. I wouldn't pay that and I wouldn't buy them via PersAtHome anyway, but they're gorgeous.

I have a feeling there will be all kinds of puppies in rescues in the not too distant future. However, probably aren't many that would accept you to adopt with small children.

Prices will drop, but you might have to continue to be patient for a while.

I accidentally saw some footage of a back yard breeders 'set up' on TV the other day. It'll scar me for life. The wankers keeping bitches the way they were deserve a decent stretch inside not a paultry fine. It's heartbreaking.

I'd start with reputable breeders & see if they have any planned litters. But only after I'd asked loads if rescues about their polices of adopting out to people with children.

Good luck finding a fluffy friend!

To think the price of dogs are likely to fall anytime soon?

Bbq1 · 02/08/2020 23:17

I just cannot understand people paying 3k for a dog purely because it fits the current designer breed mould. There are thousands of dogs in rescues desperate for a home. If you really wanted a rescue dog you'd be happy to meet the 'requirements' of the rescue. The 'requirements' are there to ensure the animal is going to a suitable home with responsible owners. It's not just a case of paying money to the rescue in exchange for a dog, no questions asked...so sad, when the rescue centres are fit to burst in a few months time

Stripesgalore · 02/08/2020 23:21

How do you find a reputable breeder? Is it not safe to buy from petsforhomes?

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