Dog Prices Need to Drop, it just encouraging criminal activities!

[AgainstCrime]

I think since lockdown dogs prices have risen is a bad move. Crime on dogs being stolen is high due to their values now. I hate seeing stuff like this, for those people out there selling dogs at a silly price please think twice on what you are promoting.

Buyers please go to a dog charity and adopts.

People also need to take better care of their dogs. The dogs that have been stolen near me have all beeneft unattended outside for long periods of time/overnight.

It isn't that easy just to say adopt. Have you seen the threads on here from people trying and not succeeding to adopt.

And I didn't adopt 4 years ago because I wanted a certain breed. I know people who have adopted and it didn't turn out well as they couldn't manage a reactive dog.

Prices have risen because increased demand has pushed prices up and people are willing to pay. Puppy farms and people breeding dogs for profit existed long before Covid.

I don’t think prices have risen enough over the past few years tbh. Dogs shouldn’t be cheap. Neither should they be left tied up outside shops even for a minute, left to run out of sight with no recall or left in your garden.

To say keep the cost of buying one low is silly. It doesn’t encourage responsible breeding. I’d like to see much stricter regulation about who is allowed to breed and sell.

They need to be high, it makes people really think if they want a dog. Dog registration and licence needs to be brought back too.

Also prices are being pushed up because the cost of breeding dogs has risen significantly. You need a breeders licence which is a few hungered quid, the set up, the after care, the vets bills, registration, micro chipping, feeding, possibly taking time off work, the stud fee (which is often the price of a puppy) etc.

You also need to pay 20% tax on anything over a certain amount now.

You automatically loose the price of two puppies from the get home.

Reputable breeders only make a small profit, some times even a loss

I know/met so many people who are getting or have got crossbreeds since lockdown. Maltipoo, cavachon, pomsky etc. For £2000 plus. I think there needs to be some sort of regulations as there will be troubled dogs who are giving up for rehoming. I met one person on a dog walk who had a (I think) bichpoocavpom. She said it with a straight face. I just stopped myself from saying ‘a mongrel then’! I can’t remember the exact order she said it but it was 4 breeds. I was open mouthed that she was genuinely telling me she’d paid a fortune for effectively a mongrel. It’s unethical imo.

@ImAncient

I know/met so many people who are getting or have got crossbreeds since lockdown. Maltipoo, cavachon, pomsky etc. For £2000 plus. I think there needs to be some sort of regulations as there will be troubled dogs who are giving up for rehoming. I met one person on a dog walk who had a (I think) bichpoocavpom. She said it with a straight face. I just stopped myself from saying ‘a mongrel then’! I can’t remember the exact order she said it but it was 4 breeds. I was open mouthed that she was genuinely telling me she’d paid a fortune for effectively a mongrel. It’s unethical imo.

Yes this is ridiculous, I was on about registered breeds (hate the words pure breed)

Those who pay a fortune for a cross breed or a mongrel needs their heads examining

@OuiOuiKitty

People also need to take better care of their dogs. The dogs that have been stolen near me have all beeneft unattended outside for long periods of time/overnight.

Totally agree.

Lots of stories near us of dogs who are left in outdoor kennels for 12+ hours who have been stolen, as well as dogs stolen from cars, gardens etc.

Far too many people own dogs but don't look after them properly.

I agree that some thefts are down to dogs not being looked after properly - but not all. I’m hearing more and more about dog owners basically being mugged for their dogs whilst out walking them. Threatened with knives or even punched to the ground.
I’m now carrying a personal alarm with me when I walk my dog.

I'm afraid it's supply and demand - saying 'they need to drop' won't achieve anything.

I think when restrictions ease we will see many people finding their impulse-bought lockdown puppy, by then a more difficult adolescent, too much trouble - there will be resales and more dogs in rescue, which will bring prices down.

In addition, there has to be a saturation point at which everyone who could possibly want a dog has got one.

I just wish people wouldn’t spend all their money on buying their puppy, so when you tell them that they need surgery to enable their puppy to breathe properly, they will actually get it done.

(Obviously would prefer it if people stopped buying dogs that had breathing issues to start with.)

My youngest (17) was followed last year by a van whilst dog walking. Luckily at the time the pub was open & she went in there & explained the situation. They waited for Dh to go & collect her & the dog. They don’t usually allow dogs into the pub but made an exception. There had been a spate of dog thefts around here as well.

That was in reply to Missy

@MissyB1

I agree that some thefts are down to dogs not being looked after properly - but not all. I’m hearing more and more about dog owners basically being mugged for their dogs whilst out walking them. Threatened with knives or even punched to the ground. I’m now carrying a personal alarm with me when I walk my dog.

I agree it happens but I don't believe it's as common as social media likes to make out.

I always see posts on Facebook about people being followed by dodgy white vans but there's rarely any evidence that the driver/occupants have done anything wrong. It's the same with the chalk markings or zip ties on gate posts thing.

I don't doubt that some people have been mugged or attacked for their dog but I do think it's not as common as Facebook would have you believe.

I see so many people out and about who don't take precautions - dogs running out with no owner in sight, small children walking dogs on their own with no adult supervision, dogs loose in front gardens, dogs left in cars or tied up outside shops etc.

I also read a lot of posts on social media about "stolen dogs" who are found a few hours later and it turns out they escaped an unlocked gate or ran out of the house when the owner opened the door.

A white van going slowly next to you is more likely to be a delivery driver than someone stalking your dog.
People are mugged for their phones, money or jewellry far more often than their dogs. If you know that might be a problem in some areas then avoid them, rather than expect a commitment of 10-15 years of live, dependant animal to be cheap.
Prices of mongrels will only drop when people stop paying stupid prices for them.

Prices will only drop when people stop paying them.

It’s supply and demand.
The issue is people deciding to get a dog on impulse. Those who do it without really considering If it’s the best pet for them and if they can meet it’s needs.
There was an article in my news feed yesterday saying something like 3/4 of lockdown puppies not being properly exercised.

If we do end up with a huge number of lockdown puppies ending up in rescue, it will show one thing: that charging a lot for puppies doesn't make people think any harder about whether to get a dog or not.

Responsible breeders, if they are still breeding at all (our puppy's breeder isn't, she's not having a litter this year) should still be charging around the standard price for the breed and the quality of the puppies they are producing (by quality I mean out of health tested stock, with healthy, and in the case of case of working dogs trial-winning, ancestry).

A lot of dog thefts near me have been litters of working dogs, who live in outdoor kennel complexes, rather than "pets", iyswim. One friend had all the security in the kennel building, lived in middle of nowhere but they still stole her bitch and puppies during the night.

It doesn't help that adoption is so hard. We have a secure garden, 200m from the beach, I'm home pretty much all day but we have a 3 year old and every charity we have approached has said no adoptions to houses with a child under 7 years. Even if it's a puppy. We do not want to use a breeder but we would really like a dog, we lost our Springer 3 years ago and feel that it is time now. It's so strict when we could offer a great home to a dog, so many in shelters but we are not worthy of adoption

Trev - have you tried some of the smaller rescues? We rehomed through a small breed rescue & they were excellent. Much more ‘open’ if you understand what I mean. We don’t have small children but are a large family who regularly (well pre covid) have family get togethers with small children. They were happy to rehome to us whereas some of the larger ones weren’t.

@imancient we have looked at a few, will look more into that. We were accepted by a spaniel charity, had home check etc but they re-home around 30 dogs a year and over 3k members wanting dogs! Will do more research into smaller charities. Thank you

Its a perfect storm for people wanting to profit off dodgy puppy sales right now.

Everyone wants a dog. Those who might have signed over a dog to rescue pre-pandemic, have either had their situation change and kept their dog, or sold their dog for a bucket of cash on freelistings instead. Rescues have seen a serious DROP in sign overs since the pandemic started. The spike in hand overs won't happen until all the lockdowns end and we get normality back, whenever that might happen.

@trevthecat you may be waiting some time to find a toddler-friendly rescue. To the point the toddler may not be a toddler any more. A lot of sign overs to rescues are handed over for behavioural reasons that would not make them small-child safe, that includes puppies. Puppies and toddlers are a nightmare anyway, the 3 year old will be nipped at and there will be tears from everyone. That's why rescues often won't rehome puppies with very young families. Puppies are horrible haha, if they weren't so cute no one would want them.

This dog buying nightmare is here to stay for at least until the end of lockdowns, maybe not until after the summer at this rate :(

Yes I think he will be older by the time we get a dog. We aren't in a rush. We want the right dog.

As long as people keep paying silly prices it will continue.