Cost of puppy

[Durdledore]

Hi there,

We have been actively thinking about getting a dog for over two years now. We would love to get one now as the time feels right. We would like a puppy rather than an adult dog but we can’t afford the huge outlay of what we are finding online - £2000 ish even for a mixed breed.

Can anyone advise? We are looking at local rescues too of course.

This thread is proving to be so informative, thank you everyone.

FGS don’t buy from an online ad unless the seller is willing to invite you to their home to see mum and pups.

Yeah, getting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ isn't dammed good .
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ however would impress me considering that you are breeding not fit for purpose dogs.

Imagine being proud of the fact that you're four star rated and sell "cava inus" to total strangers on the internet.

It would be embarrassing if there weren't actual live animals involved.

Sorry for clogging up your thread - as you can probably tell, we’re a rather passionate bunch when it comes to breeding and ensuring animals are healthy, loved and well-provided for!

I recently paid £2k for a gundog breed pup. was on the waiting list, willing to wait for another litter, from a different breeder, if not enough born in that litter.

I now would ONLY get pups from breeders who are breeding to continue their line and intend to keep a pup from the litter. Fully health tested. Well socialised and introduced to things like vacuums and washing machines, noises etc. I was on a waiting list for a year for my last pup (now aged 8)

Had to "friend" the breeder on FB (as i did with previous breeder) so she could check out whether I was a suitable home for one of her pups.

I met the pups twice before pick up, was able to express a preference, but didn't know who I would get until pick up as the people wanting a dog for show or working had first pick. I did actually end up with the pup I had liked on my visits.

About 15 years ago I screwed up big time getting a pup - I lost a dog suddenly and a few weeks later a pup became available, via the breed club puppy list, "due to time wasters" and we went for it. They were first time breeders, from their family pet, a pedigree, KC reg etc. They were KC reg breeders, the dog was a sweetheart in and about the house, with the kids, but his temperament was "off". I was lulled into that false sense of security that "golden retrievers have lovely temperaments" and mine always were lovely - and so keen to get another pup that I really didn't do full due diligence. The breeders didn't keep in touch, it was just a commercial transaction for them.

Despite doing everything "right" (that I had done with previous pups) and using trainers, this dog was reactive and had to be muzzled when out. He was a nightmare to walk.

So the next time I was getting a pup I really was willing to wait a year for the right pup from a breeder I could trust. I am still in touch with the breeder from 8 yrs ago, we have a WhatsApp group for the puppy owners for this latest pup, with includes the owners of both parents. We can go to them with questions and issues, support for life.

My pup is a delight, worth every penny of the £2k for me because of the peace of mind that everything had been done right up to the point I bought him home.

You might be lucky and get a fabulous pup from a not so great breeder/home - I've had a few fabulous rescues who didn't have the best start - but do you want to take that risk?

I can’t quite get my head around the person who would put those breeds together and think they’d produce a desirable temperament 🙈

I'll be having a litter soon (breed is on the vulnerable native breed list before the "adopt don't shop" crew start screaming). Last one was over 20 years ago and I'm beginning to understand the £2k pricing IF the breeder is doing everything right. And by that I mean proper health testing (hip & elbow scoring, DNA testing, eye testing...depending on breed) of both parents. Many hours socialising, toilet training, lead training. Vet checks and microchipping, poss c-section which could easily be £4k. Equipment, cleaning, extra heating...

The plan is I will be charging £1500 because I'm not interested in a profit, don't show so don't have those overheads and I'm not relying on it as an income. But hip dysplasia or congenital cataracts or a reactive dog will cost one hell of a lot of money and heartache long term and really great breeders pull out all the stops to avoid that, and it isn't cheap

Join the FB groups of any breeds that interest you, leave the ones that sound awful and see what you're left with. For us it was a labradoodle, which may well work well for your requirements too.

I paid £1800 for my puppy last year. He came from an excellent breeder, with a pedigree and all genetic tests on the parents (necessary for the breed). Breeding puppies is expensive because costs have gone up everywhere. Vet (including all examinations during pregnancy) food, medication and a thousand other costs... A good breeder will only have a litter every two years (unless they have more than one dog). Most breeders earn very little from selling the puppies.

But if you don't have £2000 "lying around", then I wouldn't get a dog - or I would invest in very good health insurance. My old dog had cancer in old age and it cost me thousands - the insurance I had at the time found loopholes everywhere to not cover all the costs.

Oh dear that is even worse as your "contract" states the owners of the pups can only go on to breed 2 litters - so you are encouraging even more "designer" cross breeds to be bred.

If people want a Shiba Inu then do their homework and go through the breed club, kc and responsible breeders ditto the Cavalier.

With the exception of guide dogs/hearing dogs which breed the doodle crosses to provide service dogs for those with allergies - there should not be any of these silly crosses. People who buy them are just encouraging more to be bred.

I couldn't agree more @schloss . Well said!

We adopted an ex race greyhound for £190, so much more rewarding than supporting dog breeding and they are dream dogs.

With the exception of guide dogs/hearing dogs which breed the doodle crosses to provide service dogs for those with allergies - there should not be any of these silly crosses.

That's quite the contradiction there - they're silly despite being useful?

Absolutely nothing wrong with breeding crosses where both breeds used compliment each other. The silly thing would be to not allow them when they're clearly the dogs of choice for many now due not only to their looks but their temperaments - many are used as therapy dogs for a reason. It's quite an ignorant view to assume the pure breeds available now are the dogs that will exist forevermore. There's a reason there are so many different purebreds available - they were all created as over the years owners needs and desires change.

Poodle crosses are not the cause of the rise in puppy farmers - these despicable people will breed any dog deemed to be popular.

I think the point being made is that the Labradoodle is possibly the exception and is, largely, a cross that works. I personally would agree with this.

I know that you are very clued-up in your breed and others and you understand that not all crossbreeds have been fully thought through. You already know that I have great concerns about large guarding breeds being crossed with high prey drive dogs. Some of these crosses can be potentially dangerous. You yourself have stated that the notoriously difficult Shiba Inu being crossed with a Cavalier may not be the best or most stable combination.

Just because the Labradoodle works well it does not necessarily follow that every random combination of X & Y is going to make a perfect dog. The idea of inventing a "breed" is going too far. Would you buy into a Cane Corso crossed with a cocker spaniel or Cavalier? I certainly wouldn't.

So yes, some are "silly" crosses. And crossbreeding is having a detrimental effect on certain rarer purebred dogs, some of which have great antiquity but are now out of fashion because crossbreeds are the thing to have.

Poodle crosses are not the cause of the rise in puppy farmers

I think one of the "problems" with poodle crosses is that, as puppies, they look like tiny fluffy teddy bears and when the "breeders" add that they're hypoallergenic and make great pets - well, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

I actually have no issue with cockerpoos or whatever as a concept, it's the way they're bred and advertised that's the real problem.

Oh of course, you know I agree with all you've said. The PP stated they were ALL silly though despite admitting they were useful, that's why I had to jump in!

I think all kind of lab/GR/poodle mix work well. Cockapoos can be a bit hit or miss, but that is also true of pure cockers and not generally an issue with the breed itself. It's more down to the fact that people don't do their research and realise that they're actually a working breed (show lines might be better?) and not quite the cute lap dog their appearance portrays!

Some of the smaller poo crosses also work imo.

Agree with this.

I think probably the majority of dog owners are really naive when it comes to purchasing any dog. They like the look and that's that. Don't research the breed/breeds and whether they'll work for their family. Have zero clue about the health testing needed relevant to the breed.

Definitely the hypoallergenic/non shedding rubbish plays a part.

100% in agreement with this.

Totally agree @CellophaneFlower - there's also the lack of consistency.

I'm a dog walker and have lots of cockapoos on my books and honestly, you could like them all up and they all look totally different. Both in terms of colour, size, build and temperament - it's a minefield.

@CellophaneFlower "The PP stated they were ALL silly though despite admitting they were useful, that's why I had to jump in!"

I stand by what I said - doodles are useful as service dogs and they are bred responsibly for a purpose. I see guide dogs/hearing dogs staff with their dogs being hip and elbow tested, plus eye tests prior to breeding.

There is no need for anyone to make up cross breeds - they same people who castigate pedigree dogs will happily cross 2 pedigrees to make a designer cross breed. That is silly, and I stand by it.

The people who breed he crosse breeds, whether puppy farmers or not and the people who buy them are as equally to blame - without either the cross breeds would not exist. Less dogs would be in rescue.

There are also people who should not be breeding pedigree dogs, but once again if there wasn't the groundswell in people wanting certain breeds they wouldn't be bred. French bulldogs, dachshunds etc are all way to overbred now. The silly "rare" colours which are being sold at even higher prices - it all has to stop.

The labradoodle was developed as a working dog. But somewhere down the line this was forgotten and it became a good with families & children dog.
Unfortunately the cookerpoo has a similar journey to its fame, problem is 2 working breeds don't make a lovely calm family dog. Especially when people offer them minimal stimulation and training.

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The people who breed he crosse breeds, whether puppy farmers or not and the people who buy them are as equally to blame - without either the cross breeds would not exist. Less dogs would be in rescue.

Dogs aren't in rescues as they're cross breeds though. If there's not a genuine reason for them to be there then it's as they've been bought by irresponsible people. If they didn't exist, those same irresponsible people would buy a purebred which would also have the same fate.

The last part of my post also said the same about pedigrees - too much over breeding of pedigrees and cross breeds means more dogs in rescues. There are many reasons dogs end up in rescues, for some it is the only option and good rescue centres are a life line. If there are too many dogs being bred then a larger percentage will go to rescue, so less breeding - less in rescue.

Responsible breeders of pedigrees will always take back a puppy or adult dog for whatever reason at any stage during its life but as there has been an increase in breeding of breeds such as the French Bulldogs I mentioned earlier, many not from responsible breeders then for any problem rescue centres are used as the original breeder will not help.

A long winded way of saying yes both cross breeds and pedigrees are in rescue!

There are very few breeds around that weren't a crossbreed at some point. Golden retrievers were a crossbreed, are you saying they shouldn't exist? Of course what most gundog crossbreeds had in their favour was landed gentry who "managed" all the generations before they got to a stable "type".
Our lives look very different to when most current pedigree breeds came into being, nothing wrong in breeding new types that will thrive in our crazy human world. Just make sure they are healthy and we don't make the same monstrosities we are dooming to a life of breathing difficulties, pain and reactivity we seem to be turning out now.