To think that the people who pay extortionate prices for puppies are just as much to blame for the puppy farming trade as the puppy farmers themselves?

[AlternativePerspective]

It goes without saying that puppy farmers are despicable human beings. However the reason why they are able to unscrupulously breed and sell puppies for such horrific amounts of money is because there are people out there who are willing to pay their prices.And the more they pay, the more dogs they will breed, and so the cycle continues.

There have been plenty of articles recently of puppy prices more than doubling over lockdown even from so-called reputable breeders...

Yesterday I was talking to my sister about what to get my mum for Christmas,and as a joke I said that my dad should get her a puppy,and I found a link to one of the breeds we had as kids on petsforhomes.They were £3500.

Now I will add here that there was never any actual intention to buy a puppy, but clearly someone will buy those puppies,and someone will make a fortune from selling them.

So, if you’re paying £2500/3000/3500 for a puppy then you are part of the reason why the puppy farming trade exists.

Totally agree. Recently saw a dog breed I have always wanted, normally round the £6-800 mark, a litter of 9 for sale at £2500 each. You just know that they’ll get sold and with that kind of price the mother will be pregnant again in no time.
Also see cockapoos up for £3500...utter madness.

Agreed.

Yes agree. So many friends from school all getting puppies. They seem to think it’s ok cos they did the research to check it’s not a puppy farm. But it’s just fuelling the puppy farms desires. Cos they know people will pay

Absolutely agree.

And z-list celebrities and social media ‘influencers’ are some of the worst.

I saw an article recently about a couple who had bought a puppy for thousands which they picked up in a remote car park somewhere. We’re “so upset and shocked” and their kids “devastated” when the puppy had to be put down within a week.

WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GETTING IN A BLOODH CAR PARK!!!

Stop contributing to the problem and acting like the victim.

Stupid people.

Poor puppies

Pets for homes is for puppy farmers though? It's not reputable breeders.

Yes I agree.
It's supply and demand increasing prices puppy farms have been active a very long time.
My cousin runs a shelter all dogs rehomed are nurtured. The unfortunate thing for real dog lovers who want to give a dog a good home it isn't always accessible.
Charities rarely rehome if there are DC in the home.
The days of your neighbours dog giving birth and neighbours choosing a puppy are long gone.
There's no such thing as a mongrel anymore it is new design.

A pet is for life, not just for covid. I know full well that once the vaccine is meanstream, the shelters are going to become swamped. It's affecting cats as well as dogs.

I hope these utter scum have bailiffs knocking on their doors because they lived beyond their means, putting selfish selves before animal wellfare.

I agree but, we really want a dog and we’ve been looking on the rescue sites but once you filter on dogs that can live with kids and cats, you can forget it, from my experience anyway. Not that we’ll be buying a puppy instead, can’t afford it!

Agreed. One of the school mums round here has bred her pug 3 times and her mother 4 times. She charges £3000 per puppy. She's one of those people who'll do anytning dodgy to get some money. Also sells that sniffy tan stuff. You know the type.

YANBU. I can't believe people buy puppies in this day and age.

YANBU. I can't believe people buy puppies in this day and age.

Seriously? What if you show? What if you have been refused by all the rescues? Should you just never get a puppy, particularly if you want a particular breed? I think that’s an extremely naive statement, the intention is all very well but I know which breeder I’ll be looking at for my next dog, working bred, KC registered, not a puppy farmer, very well established in the field, fussy about where his pups go.

Not everyone wants a rescue, not everyone can or will want a rescue dog who may have issues

Completely disagree. It's nothing to do with the price.
It's people who buy a puppy without seeing the mother, without seeing the home where the puppy was bred, who buy purebred puppies without the necessary health screening, who buy a puppy without doing the tiniest bit of research on the breed to find out what the health conditions are, people who buy puppies in poor health because they feel sorry for them, people who buy puppies as an impulse and are not prepared to wait for the right puppy to become available, people who do not ask about whether the mother has been vaccinated or whether the premises is licensed, people who do not check the puppy has been wormed, people who buy in carparks and lay-bys. They are the ones perpetuating the puppy farming industry.
I am not a dog breeder and have never owned one - so no axe to grind there! But saying the price is the cause is a bit like saying people who buy expensive cars are causing problems with car quality.

You are 100% correct

Anyone who has bought a puppy this year at a inflated price is a idiot , and is totally the problem

Seen the RSPCA saying this the other day...

Many illegally bred puppies are sold online through social media or small ad sites, according to the animal welfare charity, who also suggest two in five (40%) pups bought online die before their fifth birthday and 15% get sick or die in the first year

Our dog died of cancer in April. It was horrible especially because it happened in lockdown.
We spent £2500 on a dog of the same breed from a reputable local breeder a few weeks ago. Sadly all the breeders I could find have increased their prices due to demand.
I'm obviously pissed that it's £2500 rather than the £100 odd that I paid 13 years ago. However I will not be held responsible for the fuckwits that breed dogs in puppy farms or the people that pick up dogs from car parks.

That said I am getting a puppy early next year .

I've always had rescues but because I have primary aged kids I'm getting a puppy this time around.

I choose a show breeder who only has a litter every 3 years or so and have been waiting a long time for this dog. I am also paying the correct price for it.

@fedup2017

Our dog died of cancer in April. It was horrible especially because it happened in lockdown. We spent £2500 on a dog of the same breed from a reputable local breeder a few weeks ago. Sadly all the breeders I could find have increased their prices due to demand. I'm obviously pissed that it's £2500 rather than the £100 odd that I paid 13 years ago. However I will not be held responsible for the fuckwits that breed dogs in puppy farms or the people that pick up dogs from car parks.

If they charged you £2500 they aren't a reputable breeder in my eyes.

They have cashed in on what's been going on.

I feel freaked out by the recent surge in people buying dogs. It’s humans wanting animals for our own benefits isn’t it? I know how fab they are and what they bring to human lives but where does it end?

My brother and SIL breed their tiny yorkie and bichon repeatedly and charge in excess of 1k per pup. Think she’s on her 4th litter this year. They disgust me as both dogs spend most of their time closed in a tiny back hallway. Yet when people come to ‘view’ the pups they assume they’re bred in a loving , family environment.

What are people who want a puppy meant to do? Never get one? Wait until the time isn't right for them as a family?

I don't have a dog, won't be getting a dog, so I am not personally invested in this. But there will be people who have planned to get a puppy this year (irrespective of covid) and it sounds like there is no actual way to get a puppy that doesn't cause puppy farming.

A reputable breeder will charge the current market value for their dog as not doing so could encourage people to buy to sell on.

We have wanted a fairly popular working breed for over a year. We are an 'ideal' home with one working dog already, live rurally etc.

Prices have risen from about £600-£800 to about £2k. I am on the champdogs site and registered breeders are charging top whack.

I have tried to negotiate on occasion this year, but don't hear back. We won't buy until prices come down. Very annoying though!

Demand has gone up and so has the price. Reputable breeders have increased their prices not only for profit, selling dogs under market value will lead to profiteering/unscrupulous resale of said puppies, I'd rather pay the breeder the going rate than someone selling on who has mistreated the pup etc. Rescues have benefited from the situation too, high volumes of rehoming, but as others have said - a rescue that can live with under 10s, cats and no issues is like gold dust.
Buying a dog is a big decision, people buying dogs in car parks etc/ not seeing mum/ignoring red flags are the problem, because if people simply wouldn't buy a dog not from a licensed breeder/home environment- there would be no reason for them to exist.

But if a reputable breeder sells for example a Labrador puppy now for £600. Someone will likely buy that puppy and sell on for £2500. You can't win!!

We bought a puppy this year for £2500 but visited the family and did everything correctly. But there are twats out there who will take advantage. Blame them!!

Reputable breeders are charging similar prices. My Dsis bought a cocker spaniel for 1700 from a reputable breeder.