The price of puppies

[Got99ProblemsBut]

Or dogs in general at the moment?

I can totally see how/why it’s spiked due to lockdown, but it’s still feels incredibly ridiculous. Do you think it will lower again after the pandemic?

I would love to adopt but already have a dog, cats, and children under 10 so there’s never any lovely rescue dogs suitable for us as they tend to need quieter homes Although I still keep an eye out!

I’m just browsing and waiting, thinking that some people might not be able to handle their lockdown dogs and those might need a forever home. Or they’ll hit the awkward 6m-1yr stage that people tend to change their minds at

Just to add I’m not getting a “lockdown puppy/dog” because I have new found free time or anything as I was home 24/7 before all this started, just want a companion for my dog and have a very dog-loving/focused family

YABU - The price of dogs today is appropriate

YANBU - Thousands of pounds for a dog that cost £350 before lockdown is a huge increase

I don’t know if this flood of rescues will happen. I got a lockdown puppy and am a first time dog owner. We’d wanted a dog for ages but put it off as we didn’t have the required time at the start to spend with the pup and felt it would be unfair ok puppy to arrive and have max two weeks with us before us being back to work. So lockdown was the perfect opportunity for getting a dog.

@flaviaritt

Hopefully kittens and pups being more expensive will make more people think more before getting one, selling a kitten for as little as £30 is criminal.

I would expect to pay only the costs of ver care for a kitten. I don’t agree with ‘breeding’ cats.

I don’t agree with paying big bucks for a mog cat. Most of these kittens are born because the owners just can’t be bothered to get their cats neutered, and I don’t like the thought of them making huge profits because of that. It’s just greed.

We brought our little black and white kitten 2.5 years ago for £20. You couldn’t find a more loved and cared for cat. You don’t need to pay huge sums of money to love your pet.

Imapotato

Exactly. If your cat is getting pregnant twice a year because you didn’t spay it, you’re not a breeder I want to pay money to. If your cat is getting pregnant once every three years, how are you managing that, exactly? You just have a cat who never goes outside. Again, not a breeder I want to pay money to. It is a bad industry. I’d get a local kitten whose mother was spayed afterwards, and that’s it.

@Whitecottoncandy will you go back to work at some point though?

Everyone I know who's gotten a puppy in 2020 has gotten it from a puppy farm, even when they've been sure it isn't, it has always turned out to be. Some even died before they were delivered to their new homes.

We got our pup from a farm (working farm, not puppy farm). Working dogs are still giving birth to healthy pups. But they obviously won’t be the fashionable breeds.

Have you considered an older dog ? Many Breeds have their own charities to "rescue" dogs of around a year or so ,that owners cant deal with usually around a couple of hundred pounds .

I agree with PPs there are no reputable breeders of moggies. I paid £30 to cover initial deflea, working and vet check (paperwork provided), the woman I bought from had an older spayed cat and a 5 month old kitten, she had to go away for a few days for work so get mum and dad came to house sit, they were given strict instructions to let the older cat out but not the kitten as she wasn't being spayed until six months. They left the cat flap unlocked thinking the kitten wouldn't be strong enough to get through it!! I knew the owner through a friend and she definitely wasn't profiteering, her cat was spayed as soon as possible after she'd had the one litter of kittens. We've now had cat for a decade and he is loved, pampered, only had the highest quality food, regular vet checks, vaccinations etc. Just because I paid £30 for him doesn't mean we treat him without care and respect. When kittens are sold for that price (not even covering costs) I think they are often accidental litters, when they are more expensive it seems like a money making enterprise to me

Everyone I know who's gotten a puppy in 2020 has gotten it from a puppy farm, even when they've been sure it isn't, it has always turned out to be. Some even died before they were delivered to their new homes.

I know for a fact my dpup is not from a puppy farm (she is from a farm though of the sheep and horse variety)
My friend currently has a litter of pups and she most definitely not a puppy farmer, she has carefully developed her own line and is on the 3rd generation taking one litter all but one dog who has had 2 as she produced such outstanding puppies. All the pups have homes with friends/friends of friends and are sold with lifetime support. I'm sure these 2 examples aren't the only ones in the Uk this year surely?!

@FredtheFerret

It makes me sad, because it's yet another thing 'only' for the rich.

Dogs are fabulous companions, and we've always had one. Now only the wealthy can afford to buy a dog and pay the vets bills. They've become another luxury item that many ordinary families can't afford.

I agree that dogs are wonderful, but ownership of another living creature is not a right which needs to be open to everyone.

I'd love a dog but I don't have one at the moment because I couldn't justify the cost. I just enjoy my parents dogs whenever I see them.

We've got ours because of working from home, (and will do going forward because we will never go back to 5 days in the office) and we have the time to devote to the puppy. If we were irresponsible, we'd have got one years ago. We resisted precisely because we didn't have the time. Over the years, much thought has gone into getting/not getting a puppy.

There will be a lot of people like us, but yes the ones who haven't thought through the long term implications are irresponsible.

@Jeremyironseverything we were the same as you.

@Nearlysantatime

Dog is already going to daycare x2 days a week in advance of us going back to work next year so he wil be used to being away from us and in the daycare which he loves. We will also likely be back 2-3 days a week not 5 so we may not even have to up his time in daycare past two days.

I mean honestly when someone says they got a dog because it works in lockdown why do you think they haven’t thought it through? I don’t need to be a experienced dog owner to know he’ll be around for longer than the pandemic. I’d say a lot of those who got a dog during lockdown are similar to me - there are already several examples on this thread. Couldn’t do it when wouldn’t be there for the pup initially. Now we can be and have the resources to have the dog cared for when back.

We've been looking for a cav for 2 years. They're a breed that needs stringent health testing due to some of the issues they're susceptible to. It's incredibly sad to see backyard breeders breeding them with their lifespan only being a few years with most of it lived in pain. Not only is it bad for the owners but for the dog their entire life is torture.

I dont think a lot of people understand the rescue situation at the moment. So many people want rescues that you don't really get a look in if you have kids. Unless you want to rescue from abroad of course but that's another debate.

My rottie was 350 quid. She's not KC registered and has a white spot on her chest which isn't breed standard but is perfectly normal in rotties. She has no hip or elbow problems and an awesome temperament. She came from a family home.

The issue I have with it is not the cost itself, but the encouragement it gives to irresponsible backyard breeders and puppy farmers. As with the pp's example:

my friend's brother has just "puppied" his beautiful King Charles Cavalier she's had 10 pups at £2000 a "pop" he's rubbing his hands together as they normally only have up to 5 pups and has already booked the same stud for the next round.

That poor dog.

I have rehome working cocker spaniels. I took two as they needed to remain together and as such were reasonable. They are adorable, smelly dog hooligans. They now go for so much, I could never afford to have two again if bought as pups.

I don't know what you are looking for, but sadly people do not seem to realise that you do need to exercise these dogs and have an area where they can run round. A family member rehomed a working cocker because she said he was far too much hard work unlike her lap dog. She now says she wants a springer. Complete madness.

I recommend rehome. But please bear in mind there will be issues. Ours had good temperaments but did not understand walking on leads even though they were 3 yrs. Original owner just took them out in the car to somewhere they could run off lead. We go for long walks on leads so it was quite a challenge with two.

Either bide your time or wait for a rehome from someone reputable.

@Whitecottoncandy no need to be defensive I was only asking!

We paid £650 for our Cocker a few years ago. They are now around £2500. Crazy.

We just paid £3k for one that previously would have cost up to £1.5k. We’ve been thinking about it for many years (6/7) and had decided earlier in the year that the kids were old enough to help contribute to her care so it was firmly on the cards.

Obviously Covid then happened, which really provided us with the golden opportunity to have some proper time with the puppy. I won’t ever be returning to the office full time so it’s been a good decision for us as by the time I had to go back at all, she’ll be about 9 months old.

I know we’ve paid over the odds but she’s worth every penny and an absolute delight so I don’t mind - it’s the price of a second hand car but she’ll provided far more joy and last longer.

Have you seen how many dogs are being stolen daily at the moment .... It is so worrying

I’m assuming the poster referring to a dog breed being a poor man’s race horse was talking about greyhounds or whippets!

*Have a look at Phoenix Rescue, they are a small rescue and their dogs go to foster homes while awaiting forever homes, so they know if a dog is good with children, cats and other dogs.
They also rescue Romanian dogs.”

Thank you! But unfortunately that’s over 6hrs away from us, I had a look though and the animals are lovely

We have been trying to get a golden retriever KC reg pup for about 18 months. kC reg breeders are starting up again (or were before this most recent lockdown) but when I finally got to the top of one list she had put her prices up to £3500 to avoid puppies being sold and then resold to make a quick £2k. It's awful. Technically I could afford the price BUT that would eat into my capital that I will use to pay the first few years of my monthly lifetime dog insurance. Rescues are not even registering people around us except the Romanian-type ones and I dont want that.

Just wanted to add I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone who’s responsibly got their puppies in lockdown

Didn’t mean to tar all people with the same brush there. I myself want a puppy/dog/rescue at this moment in time so I’m not judging you at all

I was just being generic about those who’ve ramped up the prices by all wanting one at the same time but without any idea of the long term commitments of an animal (which obviously some people have thought out well )

Rescues have puppies to and small
Independent rescues are often happy to rehome to families with other pets, particularly puppies or those who have lived in that environment before. Demand is high and you may need to persevere but it will be so worth it. Look for smaller rescues that use foster homes.

As for prices, it is just supply and demand. If people will pay it they can charge it. It is just a business to breeders. Those selling cross breeds for hundreds are just jumping on the bandwagon and adding more dogs to the mix when so many already need homes.

I think puppies being expensive is better - stops people just buying a dog on a whim - makes them think twice about it tbh and only get one if they are really committed