Will dogs come down in price?

[IrmaFayLear]

The prices are insane at the moment. They have more than doubled since the start of the year. For any breed, let alone the designery ones (in which I’m not interested).

Obviously now many, many more people feel they can have a dog if they are wfh, but will the fad drop off?

I have a dog-shaped vacancy here (my adored dog died a while ago) but it seems acquiring one is like the rush into dot.com stocks. I was accepted onto a breeder’s list with price agreed, but then was gazumped as I found they had contacted others on the list with a price of £500 more.

I've just been quoted £3500 for a Vizsla pup. I do understand breeders 'making hay while the sun shines' but it really prices us out of getting a doc. Having a child and cat makes it virtually impossible for us to get a uk rescue pup. We'll just have to wait I guess.

dog not doc!

@Indoctro just out of interest what is the right price for a puppy?
I think the prices simply reflect supply and demand.

I don't think a reputable breeder (whatever that is) will sell you a puppy for less than half the current rate. The temptation for the new owner to make a £1200- 1600 profit would be there, especially in the current climate with redundancies looming.

I was in touch with two “reputable” breeders, ie Kennel Club registered, all requisite tests, long-time breeders, Crufts entrants.

Price went up from £800 to £1500 to £3000 in one year...

Look at breed clubs, not just KC reg breeders. As pps have said, be prepared to go on a waiting list.

I first decided to get a dog in 2018
Then put it off as I thought my youngest should be at least 2. So I started looking again in April... I've put it on the back burner until at least next year, paying £2500 is just insane and if this carries on we'll have to get a burglar alarm because those prices will tempt criminals. And a spaniel certainly won't deter them....

Yes the shelters are full, I find it so sad. My friend wants a spaniel £3,000 seems to be the going rate. No wonder they’re being stolen.

@IrmaFayLear

I was in touch with two “reputable” breeders, ie Kennel Club registered, all requisite tests, long-time breeders, Crufts entrants.

Price went up from £800 to £1500 to £3000 in one year...

Am breathing life into this thread! Wondering if OP@IrmaFayLear has found a suitably priced pup yet?

I started a similar thread myself last year. We are after a lab and the prices are still going up and up!!

Have been down the rescue route, but we have a small child. We are responsible experienced gun dog owners (don't shoot though). Litters that were an extortionate £2k in May 2020 are now £2.5k or £3k.

Tag fail...
@IrmaFayLear

Breeding should be banned till all rescue kennels are empty Adopt don't shop

Skyla, adoption doesn't work for everyone. People with small DC, for example, who want to know the background of the dog and not take chances, or people who have specific ambitions for what they want to do with their dog. Many (not all) rescue dogs have issues and not everyone is equipped to tackle them.

I'm not a breeder, by the way. But I want to know the background and history and ancestry of my dogs, because I expect certain things of them.

@Skyla2005

Breeding should be banned till all rescue kennels are empty Adopt don't shop

You did read my post, right?! 😊

Thanks for the revival, @mellongoose !

No, still no dog here

Sick of people saying adopt. On another thread masses of posters are saying there are no dogs in shelters except elderly/sick/very difficult dogs, and ones imported from abroad. I have combed rescues and contacted some. One told me to sling my hook: they have never had this few dogs and have a huge waiting list.

When people have spent thousands on a puppy they are not going to give it up for nothing. Plus I do think most people do genuinely want to look after a dog properly, and probably at the moment t have more time to devote to a dog so there will be fewer unruly teenagers up for adoption (human ones, on the other hand...!).

Not all rescues house the dogs in kennel-style set ups like the Dogs Trust and Battersea. Many smaller rescues have the dogs fostered into family homes so they can tell you if the dog is ok with children, cats, other dogs, the postman, old people etc and has the added benefit of the dogs being house trained! Good rescues will provide lifelong support for the dog (and you) if you need it. There are a few particular breeds of dog I love, but I would never go to a breeder when so many dogs already exist that need homes.

@IrmaFayLear whereabouts are you based?

@Skyla2005
Breeding should be banned till all rescue kennels are empty Adopt don't shop

Even your average rescue dog started off as a puppy, somewhere. Often a wanted pet. Or a commodity to make money as in the case of greyhounds. It's big business masked as a good deed. But it's a concept nobody wants to see.

If you’re looking at buying a puppy and have a young family I would honestly write off this year. With lockdown looking to continue until March and this situation not looking at easing before summer, you’re still one of the literally thousands of people who are trying to buy a puppy and the supply just isn’t there. Not reputable supply anyway. Use this year for research and puppy proofing.

Rescues are definitely still getting easy family dogs and puppies signed over but they are whizzing straight back out the door within a few days. I’m sure I read that 3 Dachshund puppies at Dogs Trust had over 1,000 applications. The competition is insane.

Rescues are really worried about what’s going to happen when (hopefully) more normal life has resumed and people want to take holidays or start commuting for work again, or have gone the other way and have lost their jobs and can’t afford their dogs :(

I agree that it’s best to wait it out.

I do worry about a puppy surplus actually when some greedy people try to recoup their “investment” and breed asap from their dogs. £3-5k per pup x potentially 9 puppies is very tempting for a lot of people, I expect.

We got our pup in October. A popular breed and from a good breeder. We paid just over £1000. The stud owner that they used actually specifies a price range which I believe remains unchanged. So there are some out there.

Try Chimney Farm animal rescue. They should be able to help.

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman

Skyla, adoption doesn't work for everyone. People with small DC, for example, who want to know the background of the dog and not take chances, or people who have specific ambitions for what they want to do with their dog. Many (not all) rescue dogs have issues and not everyone is equipped to tackle them.

I'm not a breeder, by the way. But I want to know the background and history and ancestry of my dogs, because I expect certain things of them.

Agreed.we would like a dog but I have two young DC. A rescue simply will not rehome to us. I’m not prepared to risk an overseas rescue. So if we want a dog, it has to be a puppy

Prices will come down but not until winter / next year probably. Rescues will also be inundated soonish. Dogs brought last summer will soon be entering the adolescent phase. Lots of them will be poorly socialised, not used to being left alone and its going to be a nightmare.

I breed German Shepherds. We had a litter born just after lockdown started last year. We didn't put our prices up (£800) and sold the pups off our waiting list. However I have to say socialising them during lockdown was very difficult because we just couldn't get them the same experiences as normal. We put on classes / groups over the summer to help fill in the gaps / support the new owners and they all seem to be doing OK.

We have decided not to breed this spring as planned because we can't be sure if we'll still be in heavy restrictions and we don't want a litter if we are. We don't breed if it means pups will be rehomed in the run up to Xmas meaning we won't be having any this year and I know several breeders the same.

Its not always as simple as saying adopt dont shop. People sometimes need puppies for whatever reason. However I think more education is needed on where to shop from if thats the route being taken. Health tests, breed standards, proper socialising etc.

Keep looking!
We have just found our puppy this week having been looking for over a year. In the last few weeks we have been offered puppies at over twice the price we are paying for our puppy (pedigree golden retriever). Find a good breeder who isn't greedy, there are some out there!

I was looking at border terrier puppies out of interest onmpets4homes the other day. Just curious as not ready for one at the minute but when we are am thinking about a border terrier. £2000-£2500 for a puppy. I swear a year ago they were £500.

You are right to be careful with overseas rescues. The situation in many places abroad is very sad, but the transition to life as a pet in the UK is a big one, and the dogs can arrive with serious behaviour issues as a result of difficulty adjusting even if they are quite well adjusted to life in their home country.

Many rescues abroad will let you adopt with children, but there is really no guarantee of what the dog will be like on arrival to your home in the UK even if they are reported to have no problems where they are. If anyone is considering rescuing from abroad, I would strongly recommend using a charity that fosters the dogs within the UK first so that they know more about how the dog responds to a home environment and so that you can see the dog before you bring it home. We had a really terrible experience with an abroad rescue.