Puppy prices..

[BertieBasset82]

My friend just paid £1800 for a cockapoo. He looks very sweet and she loves him, but really.. nearly 2k for a pup?? Is that what they are now!?

We're on a waiting list for a Labrador puppy. It will be £1500.

We researched our breeder. Apparently being KC registered means very little. You pay a small amount for a piece of paper.

Being licensed is a much better indication of a good breeder as they have to pay £500 and are inspected annually.

Many puppy farms are licensed, though. It isn’t easy to find an ethical breeder.

Covid increases prices.

But £1800 is pretty reasonable for a cockerpoo, pre or post Covid.

We researched our breeder. Apparently being KC registered means very little. You pay a small amount for a piece of paper.

Yes and no. It's not a guarantee of quality (a pup can be registered merely if both of its parents have) but in theory it should mean that the mother of the puppies hasn't been bred every season (as there's a maximum number of litters allowed), too young or too old (as there are rules on that too) and that required health tests for the breed concerned have been carried out before the mating took place. Test results are kept on record at the KC and can be easily checked.

The Kennel Club will not register some of the 'rare' colours people seem to like these days because they are associated with serious health problems, so if you're on the lookout for - say - a merle, cream or lilac French bulldog, it's not the breeder's choice not to register, it's that it won't be accepted.

Being licensed is a much better indication of a good breeder as they have to pay £500 and are inspected annually.

Being licensed is, sadly, an indication of a breeder who will pay £500 and put up with being inspected annually - a snapshot of the conditions of premises and dogs on that day, not an examination of breeding practices, pre-mating health testing or long term health of the dogs. £500 is a third of the price of one puppy at the price you're paying. Small beans. And being licensed often means multiple bitches of multiple breeds being bred multiple times.

The Kennel Club is not the answer to dog welfare in this country but neither is licensing, sadly. It's very much a case of 'buyer beware'.

Labrador breeder is selling his pups for £1200, from working line. I'mnot 😯 £2500!!

Puppy prices are absolutely insane! We paid £280 a year ago for a JRT pup. That was cheap then to be honest but now they are about £1200!

"We’re paying £1200 for a Labrador puppy from a KC Assured Breeder. She hasn’t changed her prices at all, and hiked them up for Covid"

Sign of a reputable breeder. Most will vet new families and do home checks before they go off to their new home anyway.

Absolutely bonkers! Not convinced that a Cockerpoo is worth that tbh. Know of one or two round here who have epilepsy or other issues - they seem to be overbred like crazy atm...

One of the breeders we are looking into will not allow her puppies to go to any home, she does home checks first and quizzes the life out of you. As it should be. She has put her heart and soul into rearing the puppies. Lots of sleepless nights.

Cavapoos - cockerpoos - golden doodles I’ve seen them all on the school run ranging from 2.5-3k all bought over lockdown!

@BaconAndAvocado

We're on a waiting list for a Labrador puppy. It will be £1500.

We researched our breeder. Apparently being KC registered means very little. You pay a small amount for a piece of paper.

Being licensed is a much better indication of a good breeder as they have to pay £500 and are inspected annually.

You're right that being KC registered means very little, but neither does licensing. Lots of puppy farms are licensed.

I spoke to a breeder recently who lets people ‘foster’ pups. You tell the breeder when the female is in season they turn up take her away for a few days.
They then bring the dog back to you to look after pregnant. Once the pups are born they take them and the mum for a few weeks, sell the pups and return the mum to the ‘foster’ family.
Is this the new puppy farming?

@ThunderboltKid @and
These ppl are just if not more unscrupulous than puppy farms, they don’t even care for the dogs in their own home, just farm them out then reel in the ££, ‘doing for a living’?? using dogs to pump out puppies isn’t exactly an honest days work is it?

We got our new puppy last Friday and he cost 2k exactly.

We had been looking for a Siberian Husky for a long time and the prices are never low anyway but from looking 6-9 months ago and comparing with now they have definitely increased in price.

He is a pure breed and absolutely gorgeous. The mum has had her first and only litter and is 5. It’s a lot of money I agree but was nowhere near the most expensive.

We got our labrador puppy from a family who breed them the mum had 3 litters and is having no more. They were in a family home which when we could when covid restrictions didn't apply we visited she sent us photos and videos daily. We ended up getting the pup early which I know is not great but they were obviously a good reason why possibly as the dad dog got cancer and the breeder was struggling with 11 puppies and managing the vets and the dads cancer. Hes now 10 nearly 11 weeks.
We payed £550 for him.

He is gorgeous Harley

I see you have carpet too? Is that in your living room?
Ours looks identical but after only one week of having our puppy we’re going to replace it with laminate as he’s wrecking it toilet training. How’s yours going? Any tips?

Puppies are worth what people are prepared to pay, like anything else.

There will be posters on here who really won’t be bothered at all about the breed of dog they have.

Others - well, we do. I had a rescue dog. It was an awful experience and one that still really upsets me now but I wouldn’t go down that route again and even if we did with a young DS we wouldn’t be able to. So it will be a breeder. A breeder who isn’t a puppy farm, but a breeder, who we will buy a puppy from and who will profit from it.

And if I did decide to get a cockerpoo or a golden doodle, well, it’s my money and my choice of dog. I could easily be sniffy about people spending hundreds on a handbag when mine cost £20 from Next or people spending £10000 on a safari to Kenya when we had an amazing time for £1000 in Cornwall but if someone doesn’t want a handbag from Next or a holiday in Cornwall then that misses the point a bit.

@Harleyisme is he KC registered? £550 and being allowed to leave early would be massive red flags for me.

@Welcometonowhere

Puppies are worth what people are prepared to pay, like anything else.

There will be posters on here who really won’t be bothered at all about the breed of dog they have.

Others - well, we do. I had a rescue dog. It was an awful experience and one that still really upsets me now but I wouldn’t go down that route again and even if we did with a young DS we wouldn’t be able to. So it will be a breeder. A breeder who isn’t a puppy farm, but a breeder, who we will buy a puppy from and who will profit from it.

And if I did decide to get a cockerpoo or a golden doodle, well, it’s my money and my choice of dog. I could easily be sniffy about people spending hundreds on a handbag when mine cost £20 from Next or people spending £10000 on a safari to Kenya when we had an amazing time for £1000 in Cornwall but if someone doesn’t want a handbag from Next or a holiday in Cornwall then that misses the point a bit.

Agreed. I work in dog rescue and have had rescue dogs. But I’m done with that now. It’s not easy. My next dog will be the exact dog I want- a goldendoodle puppy. My sister and cousin have goldendoodles and they are exactly the size, temperament and look I want. Low/no shedding, medium size, good stamina but not hyper or neurotic, friendly etc. We have 3 dog in the family from the same breeder so I know they are reputable and trustworthy and produce great quality puppies.

I expect to pay at least £2000 for the puppy.

I’m fine with that. It’s my money. I don’t buy expensive handbags, I don’t have a new car etc. I’ll spend my money on what I want.

@BaconAndAvocado

We're on a waiting list for a Labrador puppy. It will be £1500.

We researched our breeder. Apparently being KC registered means very little. You pay a small amount for a piece of paper.

Being licensed is a much better indication of a good breeder as they have to pay £500 and are inspected annually.

I would avoid any breeder that tells you this story like the plague.

Being licensed is unfortunately a bit misleading now, as so many smaller breeders are having to be licensed. Before the law change, I would always advise that puppy buyers should not touch a licensed breeder with a bargepole, as all it meant is that they were a commercial breeder. Some breeders are licensed for 100+ bitches, kept in barns - you may think that's a good thing, but I certainly don't.

KC registration is not a magic bullet, but does ensure that:

• the breeder owns the bitch and (particularly in these times) has not stolen her, which is becoming a huge issue with puppy prices as they are!
• neither parent was blocked from breeding due to health or temperament issues by their breeder or a previous owner
• the bitch has not been mated when they were too young or too old
• the bitch has not been mated every season
• you can see evidence of proper health tests, not just a 'vet check'.

Interesting that cockerpoos and other crossbreeds go for more than pure breeds....

Not really because again it’s a supply and demand matter. At the moment, poo crosses are immensely popular, and the price reflects this.

Our golden retriever was 1250 in October
I wouldn’t have paid 3k for him like some are charging. I also wouldn’t get a poo/doodle for the prices people are paying but each to their own you have to do your own research into good breeders, make sure health checks are done etc and you’re seeing both parents in a home environment pup is healthy and wormed, chipped etc prior to coming home. All this takes time and you’re then investing up to 15 years on this animal so there is no rush to get it right we took our time and brought home our beautiful boy last month.

@Zoflorabore hes really good he goes and sits at the door when he wants to go out. When he does have accidents its always on the kitchen floor.

@Derbee
No it was actually a friend of mine I got it off know the mum and dad dog really well.

@Harleyisme it’s just that it’s illegal to sell a puppy before 8 weeks, no matter the circumstances. Presumably at £550 a puppy the breeders haven’t paid the high vets fees for hip/elbow scores, eye tests etc etc.