£1500 for a puppy??? Greedy breeders?

[Stuckinstressville]

Wanted to get my mum her dream puppy of an Italian greyhound bitch as she just divorced and is so Lonely and sad . I can't be there for her 24/7 and she is honestly spiralling into depression , despite joining local clubs and stuff. She can afford to keep a dog but my dad screwed her financially so she needs to love to cheaper area 5 hours away from
Us and her home to afford retirement. Another thread etc .

She idolised her Doberman baby boy who passed 4 Year’s ago and is just about getting to be point where a dog would be lovely but she is is also fussy and would Like an ig.

The thing is the price. AIBU - the breeders are all saying £1500!! For a dog?????? Are they greedy or am I naive ? Sheer greed?or some other rational reason?
Would welcome some pedigree price comparisons.

( I know I know rehome not buy but she would be obsessed by this particular breed and character, this is not a thread on the merits of pedigrees etc pls!)

Definitely have a look at rehoming a retired greyhound. £150 all in - chipped, spayed, lead and collar, flea'd and wormed. Amazingly straight forward - none of the puppy nonsense. AMAZING companions and so chilled out.

Please look into rehoming a retired racing greyhound from the Greyhound Trust. We have had out beautiful boy for a week and he has fit in to our family perfectly. The reason pups are so expensive is that they have the potential to be worth lots of money if they are successful racers.

Not a chestnut msadorabelle , actual scientific fact, just ask a vet.

No. Many cross breeds are healthier but designer cross breeds from unhealthtested puppy farmed stock won't be.

There's a woman across the road to where my dd lives. She has never had digs but she bought a French bulldog female pup for £2000 and has now bought a male pup for £1500 with the intention if breeding them so she can get enough money for an extension. Big have mediocre pedigrees but she already has 20 orders for pups unborn at £2000 each. That to me is disgusting! It will carry on because of the exorbitant amount of money kennel club breeders charge for breeds but don't monitor the sales if pups to unscrupulous people.

Also labradoodles etc £1000? Are you all nuts? They are crossbreeds! Mongrels? £1000???? More money than sense!

@sostenueto these guys are coming for greeders like that (as it's 100% greeding!) www.vet.cam.ac.uk/boas/resources-1/brachycephalic-working-group-bwg

Thanks for link bunny

@Sostenueto

Please report her to the RSPCA and the police!

Screepy not sure it is illegal if a private house but I can get RSPCA advice. Will ring them tomorrow to see what they say. Unless the dogs are mistreated, which I don't know if they are, can't see them doing anything about it. But will try my best to see if it can be stopped!

There's nothing illegal about someone deciding to breed from their dogs and unless you have other welfare concerns (i.e. you have reason to believe the dogs most basic needs aren't being met) then it's not likely the RSPCA will be interested.

If they are breeding specifically as a business then you may have recourse via their local council. Most require breeders to have licences if they're breeding more than a certain number of litters a year (most commonly five) or they're breeding on any scale as a business.

It's not much use a preventative measure but once they're actually selling pups you can report them to the HMRC as they should be declaring the money they're making from them.

The various options available for reporting dodgy breeders are outlined here but most are only viable if there's a major welfare concern or if there are issues once the person is actually producing pups.

You say a dog would be lovely but does she actually want one?

Has she asked you to look into it seriously? I wouldn't want someone to choose a puppy for me, I'd want to research and choose myself. It's lovely what you are trying to do but does she defiantly want this?

My beagle 15 years ago was £800 ... purebreds are £££

Good point there user, I had been 2 years without dog, was so heartbroken when my old boy died and depressed without a companion that my dd said she would buy me a pup. Great, but I went along to choose my pup. I did not pick the one my dd liked but chose the one I immediately took to. Always had boy dogs, this is my first bitch and glad I chose even though did paid lol!

Thanks cornflake thought along those lines too.

Italian greyhounds are tiny and fragile, very easily injured. A whippet would be a more sensible choice and very much cheaper to buy.
A rescue greyhound is not at all the same thing, they’re huge powerful dogs.

Could you just get her a greyhound and tell her it’s an Italian one, by the time it grows to full size she will love it already and you can just shrug (like an Italian)