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Original poster

I never knew dog's were such little gold mines

51 replies

OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 10:33

Someone at work as a beagle bitch. He took her to a stud and she has just given birth to 9 pups. Worth £600 - £800 each.

I am stunned!

I couldn't never imagine paying that much for a puppy. No matter how lovely they are.

OP posts:

abra1d · 09/10/2009 10:39

We did [embarrassed emoticom].

We had recently lost an old dog of a particular, fairly rare, breed and after some months had passed we wanted another one. We searched high and low but the only ones we could find that were cheaper would have required a drive of many hundreds of miles, a night away from home, in a motel, for the four of us plus surviving dog, and a day off work for each of us.

So we did the maths and worked out this was probably not going to save much money.

We expect the dog to live for about 13-14 years, so that works out at, what, about £75 a year for a lot of pleasure.

[Hides from missiles, expects lecture about dog shelters, etc]

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 10:41

It's nothing to be embarrrassed about abra1d. I am just amazed. I am also a cheapskate

OP posts:

abra1d · 09/10/2009 10:46

My husband wanted to breed from our new dog when she's old enough. I have refused. It's a lot of work--to do it responsibly. I also have slight objections to regarding the family pet as a money-spinner. And I know who'd have to mop up the distraught children when all the cute little puppies left home.

You'd have to pay me more like £1000 per pup. Plus a spa week to recover.

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 10:47

"I also have slight objections to regarding the family pet as a money-spinner"

yes I had a bit of that feeling as well.

OP posts:

Disenchanted3 · 09/10/2009 10:48

My dogs pups will be worth £1000 each but we are not breeding them (we have 2 bitch puppies)

MintyCane · 09/10/2009 10:57

That is a lot. To think I moaned about having to pay the rescue centre 50 quid for the cat.

Pyrocanthus · 09/10/2009 10:59

Is this why 'new' breeds are appearing like labradoodles? I know a very sweet labradoodle; she just looks like a lovable mongrel to me, but I think she was quite expensive.

Saw some other sort of crossbreed pups advertised for sale locally - I can't remember what they were called - something like cockerdoodle but not quite...

Sounds like a clever marketing ploy for when your spaniel bitch strays (and meets a chicken ).

MintyCane · 09/10/2009 11:00

No way! labradoodles snort - you are kidding. I am off to google them.

MmeGoblindt · 09/10/2009 11:05

When we looked into getting a pup we thought about getting a West Highland Terrier. We found a breeder who had pups for sale but pulled out when she said that they were going for 2000euros.

I think that it is a big problem with popular breeds, there is the risk of unreputable breeders who are in it for the money.

Minty
There are a lot of X breeds at the moment. Labradoodles are incredibly popular. Ours is a Maltalier. Google Maltalier puppies, they are so cute.

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 11:08

Apparently if his bitch could have put up with shagging a pug they'd have had Puggles which would have been worth even more.

Tis a weird and vaguely alarming world this dog husbandry

OP posts:

LittleRedCar · 09/10/2009 11:09

If you calculate it on a £/kg basis, pugs are hideous-ly overpriced.

wilbur · 09/10/2009 11:10

Labradoodles are getting popular and therefore ££ as they are very good for families with allergies - friendly like a lab and hypoallergenic like a poodle. And super cute.

wildfig · 09/10/2009 11:11

if you breed responsibly, the costs of rearing a litter properly can often swallow any profit. By the time you've paid for scans, vet appointments, all the hereditary defect checks, food, stud fees, research into the right lines, travel to find the best stud and not just the bloke down the road's dog, emergency fund in case of any whelping difficulties, 24 hour care for at least the first three weeks, more vet fees in case of puppy sickness, vaccinations, worming, days off to interview potential new owners, the endless stress of worrying about your pregnant dog... I couldn't do it. I'd be charging about £5000 per puppy and would still end up keeping them all.

Ripeberry · 09/10/2009 11:12

No wonder dog-napping is rife

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 11:16

wild - he paid £500 for the stud. And I am sure vets bills are going to be high. She got scanned by 'the pig man' apparently

OP posts:

abra1d · 09/10/2009 11:17

That's what I though, wildfig. Responsible dog breeding seems like it would make you a nervous wreck.

Pyrocanthus · 09/10/2009 11:22

See, I didn't make it up, Minty.

Beware the hypoallergenic poodle though - my DH wheezed as much in the presence of my mother's poodle as he did round any other sort of dog. He was clearly reacting to something other than hair - it would obviously be a good idea to be sure before investing.

My mother always had them because they are the ultimate pet for the terminally houseproud (until they become decrepit and incontinent).

wildfig · 09/10/2009 11:23

Moral of the story: rehome a nice dog from a rescue!

I know a few breeders and it really is a headwrecker if you go about it properly. The trouble is, so many people don't, and the rescues are left to pick up the pieces, often 'designer' crosses. We have a breed that's particularly susceptible to puppyfarmers/backyard breeders, on account of the ridiculously cuteness of the puppies, but if they're not bred with a lot of care, there's a lot that can go wrong.

seaglass · 09/10/2009 11:36

Labradoodles are one of modern times big cons! They were originally bred to be guide dogs for blind people with allergies, but from a litter of, say, 8 puppies, only 1 or 2 would have the necessary hypoallergenic coat, so these were worth their weight in gold. Now, though, they have become the latest designer "breed" and are worth hundreds! No thought goes into their breeding, in fact I was approached by a man not long ago, wanting to use my labrador bitch to mate with his poodle, so we could "make a mint"
Puppies are crossbred to have cute names - they are mongrels, yes they may make great pets, but they are not worth the hundreds of pounds that some mugs pay.
Sorry, bit of a bee in my bonnet about this

MintyCane · 09/10/2009 11:39

Pyro They are sooooo cute I want one

MintyCane · 09/10/2009 11:42

I got my cat from the rescue centre and it turned out to be a Bengal cat. They had it down as a tabby. Then I took it to the vet and he told me it was a Bengal. I asked why he thought it tried to get in the bath with me all the time and he said it was part of the breed. It is a beautiful cat probably would have cost more than 50 quid I am guessing.

Pyrocanthus · 09/10/2009 11:45

Interesting about the guide dogs, seaglass. The rest confirms my suspicions...

Minty - sounds like someone will be prepared to sell you one!

MintyCane · 09/10/2009 11:47

Im not really going to buy one I am far too poor

Pyrocanthus · 09/10/2009 11:50

I was about to say that you could try a shelter and you might get lucky and be given an incredibly rare Dalmaniel or Tibetan Water Collie, but looking further up, you've already done that.

catinthehat2 · 09/10/2009 12:06

Well I'm not that mad about dogs, but I saw a Chihuahua Pug cross on holiday which frankly nearly ended up in my suitcase. Big puggy eyes and that bulldog stance they have along with the chihuahua cheekiness - the thing could practically speak English. If you get a crossbreed right I think they are fantastic.

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