How much should a puppy cost?

[pinkpip100]

Hi, we have been thinking about getting a puppy for a long time but finally decided to go for it so I have been researching online. Breeds we have been considering are miniature labradoodles, cockapoo/cavapoo, miniature schnauzer and a few others. At the moment, everywhere I look they are around £2000-3000! This is a lot more than I was expecting. Are these 'normal' prices or is there a lockdown puppy boom that has pushed prices so high? I'm just trying to get a handle on whether this is reasonable- if so we need to save for a lot longer! Also any comments or recommendations on breeds would be much appreciated.

[SkeletonSkins]

An hour walk a day wouldn’t rule out ‘many breeds’ - I have a young border collie and that’s what she gets (maybe longer at the weekend) and she’s more than happy, same with my working terrier breed and my precious collies. Mental stimulation is important though -even small things like throwing biscuits into the grass for them to sniff out can really tire dogs out.

If I were you OP, I’d get a cavapoo after all this is over or hang fire and adopt one of the countless lockdown puppies that are about to get discarded.

[SkeletonSkins]

*previous collies, although they were extremely precious too

[Panicmode1]

We paid £950 for our KC registered golden retriever 5 years ago. That included a £100 'premium' because we collected her on NYE and the breeder didn't want 'Xmas puppy' buyers. I was staggered when I looked at prices for goldie puppies recently.... Over £2.5k?! Madness.

My goldie still goes back to our lovely breeder instead of kennels when we go away. Although all of the health testing was done, and the rest if the litter is fine, sadly ours has had cancer and various other issues.... her insurance alone is £100 a month at 5 years old....!!

[Mumtothelittlefella]

Our KC registered Westies cost £500 each 12 years ago - now we’d be looking at £2,500 each. Our Collie X cost us £75 from a working farm 11 years ago. According to some ads online, Collie X’s are selling for £1000+. Even a 12 month old Collie X who clearly needs rehoming is being sold for £1000. World has gone crazy.

[iVampire]

Our KC registered vulnerable native breed puppy was £1200 at the start of this year

I’m staggered at some of the prices mentioned on this thread!

[MondeoFan]

@flubberworm

That is a lovely looking dog 🐶

[pinkpip100]

Thanks everyone for responding - some really good advice and lots to talk about around the dinner table tonight! We're not in a rush (well, the kids are but they'll just have to wait!), so will do a bit more investigation about breeds & breeders.

[sandycloud]

We got a King Charles cavalier a year ago. We had one previously. He was £1000. From a family that had a few dogs and they breed a litter each year. He had health checks as did the parents. He happily goes for long walks but happy not to!! He's asleep next to me on the sofa now. He's the same size as the cockerpoo next door but pure breeds definitely cheaper. I would recommend one. X

[longtimecomin]

I paid £650 for a sprocker on 19th March

[Micah]

I have a yorkie. He would meet all your requirements- small, non shedding, minimal grooming requirements- i take mine for a haircut every 3 months or so and just a quick brush, eyes wiped and trim knots does in the meantime.

He’s fab with kids, generally ignores them unless i give permission (his self-preservation streak is strong :). ) and then just rolls on his back for a tummy rub. Cats also, i have had two, one joined in the play and they’d chase and roll around together, the other is a bit nervous so he just runs round in mad circles while the cat looks bemused. They are always together though.

Walking, well depends really. If you want a long walk or a day out he’ll toddle along happily, but if you miss a day that isn’t a problem either. Bloody good ratter too...better than the cat tbh.

Having said that, while my yorkies have always been fab little dogs- one was a therapy dog as he was so patient with kids- you need to be really careful with where you get them and how you treat them. They’re dogs firstly. Some breeders, probably the less reputable ones, breed for fashion- smaller size “teacup” etc, and if they are “spoiled” they can be a nightmare. That and the fact they’ve dropped out of fashion and now are being doodled out of existence..

Yorkies though i’d say are one of the breeds that pop up a lot in rescue because elderly owners have died. We’ve had a couple of rescues who again have been superb little dogs.

[YellowSock]

Most rescues won't allow you a dog because you have children - I speak from experience of trying for 18 months on several well known and independent rescues that nothing was coming up for us sadly and we had to buy a puppy if we wanted to get a dog.

I have just come along to stress that it's not just an hours walk a day in the more recent weather we have seen... it's in the rain, or snow. It's when you feel really run down, tired or poorly. It's when you've got a million and one other jobs you really should be getting on with too. It's also more than one walk a day if you want to save your grass!! I think I love my dog a little more than my husband and child, but sometimes it is hard to get out and do the walk (although I do)! They also need to be decent speeds to allow the dog to actually get exercise, particularly with the crossbreeds you have mentioned or they can become destructive.

It's also really important to socialise dogs with other dogs, animals and people - they recommend puppies should meet hundreds of other dogs in their first 6 months and that takes commitment! You need to build in times on your walks to stop and let them sniff every dog that goes past, introduce them to all sorts of people, particularly with hats & glasses!

It's due to rain this week, all week. I'd recommend going for a walk in the rain each evening for an hour and seeing if you still feel you can commit the time. If you can, I wish you all the best, I feel like our dog really completes our faMily & love him dearly!

[Wolfiefan]

Smaller rescues that foster our dogs rather than use kennels don’t automatically exclude families with children.

[wufti]

Paid £850 for pure bred show cocker - parents health tested and puppy inoculated (we got her at 12 weeks) - in 2017. Felt that was a fair price for a well bred and well socialised pup.

[bluebluezoo]

Don’t know where you are but there’s a rescue called small paws that specialises in small dogs. I saw a post that they’re expecting a massive influx soon as people are dumping dogs they can not longer afford, and young dogs once lockdown is over and they go back to work...

[BooseysMom]

We have a rescue lurcher - she is the sweetest temperament you could ever find

We're thinking of a dog for DS who is 6. I have met lurchers and yes they are so gentle and loving. I can't think of a better dog for DS.

[duletty]

1k min
Purebred, vet check of puppies ,health check of parents (DNA screening for breed disorders etc) vaccinated puppy, bloodline evidence of mum and dad , excellent nutrition and evidence of a structured socialisation/enrichment program

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

FlubberWorm, yep, the HPR breeds are known to be very bright and very fast learners, and they often have lovely temperaments. I'm glad your has worked out for you so well - enjoy her!

[CorianderLord]

Prices are extortionate right now. A friend just paid £2.6k for a breed which is usually £950

[MrsKypp]

We have a large pure breed kennel club dog we bought for £750 just over 8 years ago.

The Mum was a family pet with lovely caring owners and the dad was a family friend's dog. He's always been so happy and till now at least, healthy, but he's getting older now - 9 this year. Still seems to think he's a puppy though!

The main thing for us was to buy our puppy from a loving family absolutely NOT from a puppy farm, shop or anywhere cruel.

[follygirl]

We got our rescue dog when he was 8 months old. As a result we knew his personality and he wasn't in the dreadful bitey stage that little puppies go through. I couldn't believe how annoying my friend's puppy was at that age. Constantly sinking her teeth into my legs and hands. It's awful.

As a result of getting an older puppy, he was easy to train too. He was also only £250. I would have paid 10 times that amount now, he really is a fab dog.

[dianebrewster]

that's interesting @Wolfiefan. I recently got a 6 month old Mini Schnauzer male whose owner (a relative by marriage) died unexpectedly. He is delightful, loves other dogs and people, is quite different to train than my Golden Retriever, that's for sure, more terrier-like, (Golden retriever "what do you want me to do?" MS "you want me to do what?") but he's not generally yappy, or rather it was not difficult to teach him a "quiet" command before letting him out of the car (which was his most noisy period). I see @scullie has had the same experience. Mine is a smart little thing, and now he's bonded with me is beginning to really "get it" with obedience.

Its not a breed I knew much about - so I joined a forum - and there are a few people who describe bad behaviour and add "oh but's that's mini schnauzers for you" - so I do think there is a perception among some owners that there's nothing they can do about yappy, unsocialised, dogs. Luckily my dog's original owner chose her breeder carefully, all health checks done (lovely informative puppy pack, and I've seen a few!) and did lots of early socialising and basic obedience, so we hit the ground running. I fully expect, if I put the work in, that he will be eventually doing advanced obedience and agility just like the Golden Retriever.

It's a breed I would now recommend, BUT it is popular so there are lots of puppy farm dogs and hobby breeders using their pet male and female dogs, you have to be really careful to get a nice dog with a steady temperament and good health. They are also very prone to pancreatitis, so diet has to be carefully managed.

I'd also go with a puppy if you have a cat, I have had older rescues with my cats, often successful, but one elderly cat seriously injured by a rescue and had to be PTS. That was not a successful rescue as the dog was out of control and we had other animals and toddlers and had been told a sob story about the dog that simply wasn't true. I've had rescues since that were great with the cats, but the current Mini S is a chaser and we are still working on that.

good luck @pinkpip100, wait until lockdown is over and prices come down, think carefully about breed. Gundog breeds are generally brilliant with kids, but they are "mouthy" - especially the retrievers - which means quite nippy as pups, and puppy teeth are very sharp, my mini schnauzer adores children and is very gentle with them (original owner had grandchildren he saw quite regularly I think).

my friends who've had hound breeds claim that they are so laid back that they are comatose most of the day... but you'll have to ask Wolfiefan about that! I also have to admit that the people I know who have cockerpoos do rave about them.

[Wolfiefan]

@dianebrewster thanks for sharing. I did wonder how much was the breed, breeder and early socialisation. They are bright! Definitely. There was a lovely boy pup in class but he was a bugger. “You want me to what? Why?” So different to a retriever. More terrier like makes sense.
Hounds? I love my hounds. Big girl is comatose a LOT! But sighthounds and cats? Need VERY careful handling.

[crazycatgal]

My puppy is coming home in 10 days, he cost £1200 and is a full pedigree, KC registered from champion lines.

A lot of people selling cockapoos, cavapoos etc just make up their own prices because they're breeding to make money.

[pinkpip100]

@dianebrewster thank you, that's all really helpful.