Puppy Price

[Kitcat47]

I've been looking for a puppy. I was wondering as I came across an add on pets4homes. There were 6 puppies born and once all the pups are sold the owner/ breeder will make over £18,000. Why are they so expensive?

I guess they are expensive because that’s the price people are willing to pay. I wouldn’t look on Pets4Homes people only in it for the money.

Some people see dollar signs alright! We have a gorgeous little pup and two people already that we’ve met out walking have said have we ‘gotten him a female yet’ as ‘that’s where the money is’.

Supply and demand. Everyone wants a puppy right now.
I've seen puppies on Gumtree that would have been given away free a few months ago ( untrendy breed) selling for £500.
Desirable breeds are going for at least double what they were before lockdown.
It's a puppy farmer's dream.

There are lots of scams about pets at the moment. They ask for a deposit, then can't deliver due to Covid and request more money for jabs, couriers etc.

We got ours off pets4homes. Came from a lovely caring family

Was cheap but the last pup they gave free to a young autistic lad who had lost their family pet recently. Not everyone is the same

Puppy prices have gone through the roof in the last month or so: cockers up for 2-2.5k, rather than the more normal £600-£700 .

I wouldn't pay more than about a grand for a well-bred dog from health-tested parents with lots of red (from trialling or showing) in the recent pedigree.

I’m not saying that there aren’t pups from lovely caring family homes on Pets4Homes, I just personally wouldn’t get one from there as so many are from irresponsible breeders or puppy farms.

I think decent responsible breeders don’t really need to advertise their puppies.

So with no advertising how do you know where to go then?

You do your research on breeders and get on waiting lists weeks/months in advance. Good breeders generally have waiting lists. You want to make sure you have a puppy from 2 healthy dogs who are ideally KC registered and rigorously health checked. They therefore don’t need to advertise of sites like pets4homes

... because people do pay stupid prices.

You do your research on breeders and get on waiting lists weeks/months in advance.

Exactly. I’m getting a puppy Saturday I’ve waited a year for. None of the puppies needed to be advertised. I’m beyond excited to finally be getting my little girl.

I’ve seen cockapoos on gumtree (being nosy, would never buy an animal this way) for £3,500

And standard moggies up for £600!! I dread to think how many animals are going to be bred with no regard for their health or the families buying them just because they’re a money maker at the moment. Awful.

So with no advertising how do you know where to go then?

Our first dog, we started by talking to breeders at a show of the breed we wanted - met them and their dogs in person.

The second one, there was by then plenty of info on the internet - I can't remember exactly, breed club and/or Kennel Club. They have useful info on how to find a suitable dog.

Or of course, there are rescues.

I dread to think how many animals are going to be bred with no regard for their health

Some breeds need to have specific tests don't they - are vets doing that sort of thing at the moment even?

Nope, Errol, vets not doing testing ATM - I normally get regular emails from the KC about when and where the next eye clinic in my area will be, and there is currently a deafening silence. Our local vets are all 'Well, we will do puppy vaccinations, but only on the basis of actual need ...' Though to be fair they've been fab about dispensing our old guy's pain meds in vast quantities to save repeated visits.

Puppies are going got up to five times more than they did before lockdown. I keep an eye on things as we were planning to get another dog at some point next year. I'm really shocked at Gs increase but people are clearly paying it.

So no health testing, and still these extortionate prices. Hideous.

One good thing to come from this is my local rescues don’t have any cats! I called one a week or so ago to put my name down for a cat or two (it’s been 3 years without a cat in the house and I’m so ready for a new one).

I’m sure once lockdown is over and people can’t sell the animals for ridiculous prices they’ll fill up quickly again

As for finding a puppy... It partly depends on what sort of a puppy you want, and also on where you draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable breeding practices - and on how confident you are in assessing the breeder and the litter. Personally if someone breeds their healthy and temperamentally sound family pet to a health-tested stud, makes sure they take a lot of advice from someone with dog breeding experience, carefully avoids inbreeding and gives the puppies a caring and stimulating upbringing, I don't have a problem with it - especially if they plan to keep a puppy.

You can find very good dogs from genuinely caring and capable breeders on pets4homes, but you need to do your due diligence pretty damn well. Always make sure you see the puppies with the dam, as early as possible (by video currently) and double check that the background to the video, the dam and the puppies all match up when you finally collect your pup. There is lots of advice available for avoiding fronts for puppy farms.

The idea that good breeders always have lengthy waiting lists is not actually true. I had a look at ChampDogs adverts the other day for a breed I know something about and there were some really outstanding litters advertised (all sold now, though). I'm fairly sure that some of the breeders would have had a few people waiting - but, if they had to advertise, not enough to 'justify' a litter.

There was someone selling a litter of 10 labradoodle puppies at £3k each on pets4homes.
I wondered if HMRC were aware of them.
£30,000 for one litter! No wonder there is a market for puppy farmers.

@serin
I was thinking this too

A long as there are people daft enough to pay this for a Status Dog of one of the flavour of the month breeds as a fashion accessory, the high prices for pups will continue.

There's a ton of scam ads out there as well, there was something in the paper today of a lady getting scammed out of £500 in Manchester buying a puppy that didn't even exist. (Yes, it was a Cockerpoo)

Either go to a reputable rescue - yes they have puppies - or make contact with Kennel Club Assured breeders and join a waiting list. Depending on breed, you may be waiting months (maybe years!!) for the right pup to come along.

Be wary of ANYONE selling puppies right now. The Kennel Club have told reputable breeders not to.

The Kennel Club have told reputable breeders not to.
Have they? The most recent guidance that I have seen on the KC website explains how puppies can still be got to their new homes from the breeder and what protocols need to be followed.

I know a very reputable breeder who will have a litter ready to go in a month or so. She has already taken deposits and is fully expecting new owners to collect their puppies when the time comes, in line with the latest guidance.

I would say try a rescue they often have puppy's or get a slightly older one? Other than that research the breed you want. Dont fall for dogs like cockerpoos labradoodle etc they are literally cross breeds that can turn out any way they are often different sizes personality fur texture/ type etc however people are spending so much money buying them 🤣 different breeds of dogs will be different prices so research it :)

reputable breeder are in a bind too - I saw one saying that she knows of three other breeders who have sold pups at the "normal " price, only to see those same pups sold on for double.