Cost of dogs

[jellybaby10]

I very sadly lost my 13 year old lab earlier this week and I'm devastated. I would love to get another chocolate lab at some point this year and contacted some breeders asking about potential litters. I got a reply from one saying they'd have puppies available at the end of April and they were £3000 each!

I understand that covid has put prices up due to demand but I didn't realise by that much. Is this normal now?

I've looked at rescue sites and they don't seem to be rehoming at the moment or have rules about children.

Aibu to be shocked at these prices or is it normal now. Please be kind, I miss my lab so much

Sorry, only just reading the replies and I'm sorry about everyone else who is in the same position as myself. So hard when you know you're an impulse buyer yet can't afford the cost of the actual dog. I know dog care isn't cheap but I always have insurance so never have to pay £3000 in one go. Heartbreaking really.

Rescue fee -£200 (UK) - £600 (eg Cyprus). Thousands of dogs available.

It really isn’t as simple as just adopt. I was turned down by several rescues because I work. The fact that my recently passed dog came into the office with me for the past decade didn’t make any difference. Some even turn down those that work from home.

Most won’t adopt to those with small children. The very few that do and have suitable dogs are high in demand and probably not the breed op wants.

Being so picky about breed, colour and sex is pretty much frowned upon. Some view it as wanting a dog to match the current rug. Unless it’s a breed specific rescue, most of which aren’t doing home visits due to covid.

Rescues shipping in from abroad know little about the dogs. Most have never been in a house before. For understandable reasons will not put a scared, unpredictable dog in a home with children.

Little is known about health history of adopted dogs. A good breeder has extensive health tests of both parents. Pairings are carefully picked for a healthy dog with a good temperament. And if circumstances change will agree to take back their dog at any point in the dogs life.

There are breeders out there who aren’t charging that. But there are waiting lists. We’ve been after a dog for a while and they keep coming up at £3500+, I found a breeder and am on a list and the pups are £1800. Still a lot of money but I wouldn’t be paying £3500 just because that’s what people will pay due to boom in lockdown. We will have been on a waiting list for 12 months when we get our pup.

So sorry for the loss of your lovely lab. When we were looking at rescues we realised lots of dogs don't even make it onto the site, people register with the rehoming centres and are called up when a suitable dog comes in, so it's absolutely worth contacting all your local ones and being assessed etc. I too keep hearing stories of them being inundated with older puppies as people have realised they can't cope, so there's a chance there'll be a lab in the mix!

It's also worth contacting the RSPCA centres as well as the usuals (Dogs Trust etc). Good luck OP, the prices are insane at the moment.

Don't breeders usually argue that they barely cover their costs with the prices they charge during non-covid times? How can they justify increasing prices so much now, and what is the extra money for?

I am sorry to hear of your loss, OP.