The cost of crossbreed puppies - wtf?!

[Mybobowler]

I'm on the lookout for a crossbreed puppy. Because I don't want a pedigree, reputable sites like Champdogs are no good, so I'm mostly scanning Pets4Homes.

I must have been so naive, but I can't believe the prices some people are asking. £1000+ for a crossbreed seems pretty normal, it's insane! Has it always been like this, and should I just accept that this is the price now? Thing is, a high price seems to be no indication of a careful and responsible breeder. Does anyone have any advice on where to look and what to look for when buying a non-pedigree dog? I've found one or two established breeders of the breed mix I'm looking for, but it looks as though they only have a litter every couple of years.

I should say - I would much prefer to rehome rather than buy a puppy, but with young children and a 5ft (not 6ft) fence, I've had no luck so far.

Speak to locals vets, PDSA... they sometimes come across crossbreed kitters than no-one wants.

what is the cross you are looking for? I would be very wary of buying through Pets4Homes- some very unscrupulous people out there treating their animals terribly to make money breeding trendy crosses.

It's a lurcher that I'm after, specifically a small one (e.g. whippet x). Totally agree about Pets4Homes, seen some really awful looking ads on there - it's like the wild west. I just don't know where else to look!

Good shout on asking vets - one of my close friends is a vet nurse, I'll ask her to keep an ear out.

It's ridiculous. A lot of crosses sell for more than their pedigree parent breeds. Considering most of the breeders haven't shelled out for all of the relevant health tests, I am not sure how they justify their prices.
Have you tried Lurcher Link? I have no idea of their rehoming policy though, I'm afraid.

Well breeders often claim that to do it right they're lucky if break even let alone profit so I'm not sure why if crossbreed they'd be that much cheaper to raise. Though it is more likely they won't have spent out on health testing or stud fees or any show/working trialling of parents. It depends though on the mix your after if it's a terrier or lurcher they are still pretty cheap but oodles are more in demand.

Personally if similar prices id go for pedigree breed as it's far easier to check health testing, inbreeding coefficence with expectable size, coat and breed traits to be more sure suits needs and lifestyle . Health benefits over pedigree tends to be when they are a proper mish mash mongrel rather than crossbred.

Fence hight could be increased with trellis but depends if it's your or neighbours. Smaller rescues are usually able to be more flexible without blanket polices. Depends how young the kids are, over 5 is less problematic and while puppies are lower risk to place with younger kids they're also most likely to be returned because they are bitey, scratchy terrors, then teen arseholes so managing both young species needs at same time is hard work for parents.
Breeds In Need do home with younger kids as their foster homes have kids but they also tend to have more puppies mainly as specialise in raising clefts but not all are. They had a young JRT with broken leg as families kids had been playing catch with it

Most Breed specialist rescue will let you rehome with kids. It’s the big nationals that don’t. Try the whippet one as they will have x breeds come into their care.

I've used Pets4Homes 4 times now, and it's great. There are of course some dodgy adverts which you can see a mile off, but also a lot of people selling their puppies from their homes and you can see both mum and dad and they have been brought up around kids etc .....

Cross breeds have always been expensive. I got my last dog 6yrs ago and I paid about £600 from a private home.

whippetrescue.org.uk

Ahh thanks for this - I'll fill out an application form but I don't think they'll be happy with our fencing - they've got quite strict rules.

well then this may not be the best breed (x breed) for you. Whippets are hounds and need secure fencing. TBH any breed should have secure fencing, I would sort this before getting any dog/puppy/rescue. x

The garden is secure, it's just not continuous 6ft solid fencing. It's a combination of 5ft solid fencing and lower (4ft ish) thick hedge with wire fencing behind (there will be a fence and a gate between these two sections of the garden but it wont be 6ft high!). I will of course make sure our garden is suitably dog-proofed, but it may not be up to the requirements of many rehoming charities.

Unless your garden is fully secure you won’t be considered so I would look to securing it securely before approaching them. Can I ask why you specifically want a cross breed?

One of my great pleasures in life is referring to my arsehole neighbours desiger doodly-poodly matted mutt as 'a bonnie wee thing for a mongrel'. Think it cost him £1.5K during the lockdown new dog craze.

I'd prefer a crossbreed from a health point of view, and generally love lurchers and have always wanted one of my own (have known many and our much-adored family dog was the daftest, most wonderful lurcher you can imagine). This thread is certainly making me reconsider though - if I'm going to have to spend £1K+ on a puppy, I'd rather find a reputable breeder of a pedigree dog.

Not super set on breed tbh - I like the temperaments of sighthounds, and the look of scruffy terriers. Wouldn't want a spaniel (many of them in my extended family over the years - all incredibly neurotic and busy) or anything small and fluffy. Just needs to be good with children, biddable, but not too clever 😅

And noted about the garden. Will consider our options. Thanks everyone for your advice!

The fence thing is ridiculous we have had all sorts of dogs of all sizes over the years quite safe and secure and our fencing is not 6ft all the way. We struggled to rescue within the UK but there are rescues bringing dogs from Ukraine, Cyprus and other countries who are in need of homes and don't have these ridiculous rules. That's where our last dog came from. Same for a friend who has acres of space but can't fulfill the fence rule. Have you looked at these?

I love a lurcher. Great dogs. Always up for a long walk but happy little couch potatoes the rest of the time.

Someone I know has the occasional litter of Bedlington/Whippets and I’m tempted next time she breeds.

Hah I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's a bit extreme. I dont know many people who have solid 6ft fencing - only those living in new build estates!

I think I may have solved the issue though. The fencing around the top half of our garden (which is mostly decking and paving, so not much fun for a dog) could easily and inexpensively be raised to 6ft by adding trellis and replacing the gate. So assume that can be my 'secure garden' and the rest of it more of a supervised play area 😅 (which is the approach we take with our children, although I trust both of them not to escape through the hawthorn hedge)

Lurcher link have quite flexible homing polices for fencing or even having a garden, I'm not sure on the < 5 yr kids but over this isn't a problem. They tend to go on whether the home would suit any of the dogs they've got in.

Though it's good you'd be able to secure a smaller area as most dogs can easily leap over 4ft and sighthound higher if there's temptation beyond. Greyhounds being sprinters are the lowest energy of sighthounds breeds, sometimes the added stamina/ brains/drive from mix in a lurcher means they're also more able to find trouble too 😂I don't think there's much in it healthwise as conditions at risk of are similar, but they don't tend to get the usual large breed hip/elbow dysplasia.

If you want a sighthound and a breed rescue won't let you have one, it's a strong sign to wait a few years until you can sort your garden out or have older children.

We have a lovely rescue greyhound but waited until DD2 was 8 to get a dog.

Go to any of numerous good sighthound rescue places. It's probably a £300 donation or so now (we paid £150 a few years ago) but not thousands. Also they will have a good idea of the temperament of each dog and how they are with kids. My dog is even ok with cats, she had to be trained but she doesn't have a high prey drive. Some other sighthounds you would never have in the house with cats.

We have solid 6ft fencing on three sides and a huge hedge down the other. Cats and small dogs can get through the hedge but our dog can't.

You'll be at the wrong time of year for a lurcher, they're bred in the late spring/summer so their hunting season (autumn/winter) isn't ruined with the bitch having to be reconditioned. If I was you I'd go for a nice whippet with emphasis on the temperament of the parents/having a fetch drive. It's a great tool for recall in sighthounds.

Lurchers and whippets are similar in health especially if you go for a low COI match in the parents and they're nicer pets. If you want to buy a lurcher puppy the working bred dogs can be a bit much and it's a bit cruel if you have one that wants to work who has to live a pet life. People who breed easygoing pet lurcher to pet lurcher are a bit unethical or ruining the "breed" imo, and they lose alot of the health benefits lurchers have by breeding their pets to another pet.

If you're open to rescuing but worried about fencing I'm 95% sure lurcher link doesn't have strict fencing requirements depending on the individual, and they'd be able to match you with a nice pet type lurcher.

That is amazingly cheap!

It's pre-covid, before prices shot up.
I was looking for a puppy in 2020. In February they were £600 - £800. In April they shot up to £3k.

Would suggest joining some lurcher groups IRL or via FB and getting to know people. There are people breeding lurcher pups well but they tend to go via word of mouth rather than online.

We got our lurcher from a hunting/sports type forum. Admittedly it was about 16 years ago so things may have changed but she was a good family dog (passed away last November) and exactly what my ex had wanted for rabbiting.