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Original poster

£800 for a puppy?!

123 replies

yellowbrickroad · 24/04/2009 13:30

I'm looking at getting a puppy. Initially I wanted a Bealge, but had no idea that they cost around £800 from a breeder! Waaaayyyy too much for me (despite how cute they are).
I've tried looking on local ads but there still seems to be a cost of around £200 attached to getting a puppy. I was under the impression I could find someone local who's dog just had puppies and I could take one home for a tenner (pretty sure that's what my mum did with our jack russell!)
I haven't had a dog before (apart from when I was a kid) and have a young family & not lots of space, so would like a small dog, but have no clue how to go about finding one that doesn't involve me paying hundreds of pounds. Can anyone help?

OP posts:

Iklboo · 24/04/2009 13:32

Rescue centre? They're usually very good at matching the right dog to the right family. You might not get a puppy but the odds are good you'd get quite a young one

bratnav · 24/04/2009 13:32

Local dog shelter?

Lulumama · 24/04/2009 13:33

a pure breed puppy from a kennel club registered breeder will set you back hundreds. i think we paid £600 11 years ago for a pedigree lhasa apso.

you should buy from someone registered

and there are a hell of a lot more costs involved with a puppy. injections, leads, collars, training, food etc...

if you buy from an unregistered breeder/ puppy farm, you get what you pay for.

if you can;t afford to do it properly, don;t do it. your dog will be part of your family for 15 + years, there is a big financial commitment

Lulumama · 24/04/2009 13:33

having said all that, yes, going to a rescue centre is also an excellent idea if you don;t have lots of money spare

Haribosmummy · 24/04/2009 13:36

It doesn't seem too unreasonable.

I paid £650 for my 6YO labrador....

Agree with Lulumama's post completely.

(but do have a look at rescue centres - I do alot of work with BLue Cross and they are very good - but be prepared to be vetted!!)

Original poster

yellowbrickroad · 24/04/2009 13:45

Thanks, I will take a look at rescue centres and start saving incase I do end up buying from a breeder.
Thanks for your post Lulu. It's made me realise that I need to think a bit more about it.

OP posts:

Iklboo · 24/04/2009 13:47

I got my beloved mutt from a rescue centre. She was 12 weeks old at the time. She's 14 years old and doddery now

Piffle · 24/04/2009 13:49

We paid £850 for our 4mth old Rhodesian ridgeback.
Could have got one for £400 BUT went to reputable registered breeder as want a nicely tempered suitable for showing pet.
And she is incredible

Original poster

yellowbrickroad · 24/04/2009 13:49

That's encouraging Iklboo, are they good family dogs? (my DS's are 7 & 2).

OP posts:

KingCanuteIAm · 24/04/2009 13:51

Think hard about getting something like a beagle, they are not a novice owners dog, simply because they are intelligent, active dogs. My advice would be to go away and do some serious research into the various small breeds. Some are better suited to family life than others before looking into rescue centres rather than breeders.

Some rescue centres do not like to home where there are young children so it is worth doing some research and having some good plans in place to respond to their queries about how you will manage, for example, when your dc are ill or whatever.

Lulumama · 24/04/2009 13:52

ok, i was worried i was a wee bit harsh

Iklboo · 24/04/2009 13:52

She's a whippet/greyhound cross. Sleeps 25 hours a day. ALWAYS slept 25 hours a day.
She's been great with DS (3.6) - very protective of him. ONe of our favourite photos is of DS asleep in his car seat with dog asleep with her head in his lap and his hand on her ears

Haribosmummy · 24/04/2009 13:52

Sorry, just wanted to add - even if you go to a rescue centre, you will still be paying at least £30 for the dog (probably more) and will also have to ensure / prove that you have injections / insurance etc in place.

I'd run a mile if anyone offered me a puppy for a tenner, to be honest.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 24/04/2009 13:54

And don't forget insurance. My friend did and ended up with a £700 bill for and op and treatment following a sock incident. She arranged it pretty quickly after that.

Original poster

yellowbrickroad · 24/04/2009 13:55

How about Jack Russells? I grew up with one. She was yappy and excitable, but also soppy and loving.

OP posts:

Original poster

yellowbrickroad · 24/04/2009 13:58

Good advice King, thanks - this will be my first dog so perhaps a Beagle isn't right for us. I'll do more research.
Good point too Haribo, hadn't thought of that. Guess that's the advantage of paying to get a puppy from a breeder? The two Beagle breeders I've contacted include their first injections etc in the purchase price.

OP posts:

bella29 · 24/04/2009 14:05

Someone posted recently about pugs selling for £1200...

I have a theory that puppy prices are inversely related to their size, and directly correlated to their ugliness...

My gorgeous huge lab was £450.

Haribosmummy · 24/04/2009 14:06

There are lots of benefits from going to a reputable breeder.

Firstly, you will meet the puppy's parents and those parents will have been tested to ensure they don't carry any breed defects (for choc labradors it's eyes, ears and hips). You get to see how the dogs are treated and brought up.

You will get all the injections included, you will get 2-4 weeks insurance included (to give you time to get your own sorted). You will get 24 hours to have a vet check the dog over and be eligble to a full refund if the vet finds any problems. You will also get to visit the dog prior to taking him home. The dog will come tagged and all papers proving you as the owner will also be in place.

There are lots of benefits from going to a registered breeder. The downside is that the dogs are pretty expensive.

KingCanuteIAm · 24/04/2009 14:07

No, you can pay £1200 for Ridgebacks too and there is nothing relative in the size of a Ridgeback and a Pug

ingles2 · 24/04/2009 14:07

My cocker spaniel was in the £600 range I think. Getting an animal from the rescue centre will cost you at least £50 if not more. Our rehomed cat was £45

bella29 · 24/04/2009 14:11

Haribo - not all breeders include the injections, nor do they all do health checks. Ditto microchips (tags).

Some breeders actually don't become KC approved breeders because the KC doesn't limit the number of litters you can take each year.

It is perfectly possible to buy an unhealthy pup from a registered breeder Registered and reputable are not the same.

hatwoman · 24/04/2009 14:12

the cost of buying one - even if £800 - is very small compared with the cost of owning one. admittedly it's spread, but over the years a dog will cost thousands.

also if you haven't had a dog before I;d think twice about a beagle - harder to train than some breeds and more prone to running off - as are all scent hounds. I;d recommend looking at www.petplanet.co.uk to find the right breed

hatwoman · 24/04/2009 14:13

sorry - just seen that someone else has made the point about beagles

bella29 · 24/04/2009 14:14

Beagles bark like crazy too...

hatwoman · 24/04/2009 14:19

[joins bella in the soppy-lab-loving corner with a nod to Ingles in the ridiculously pretty cocker corner]

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