CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: Jeanette on February 03, 2010, 12:54:43 PM
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I realise this has been discussed in the past because I remember discussing the price but that must have been over 2 years ago when we first got Indie.
She cost me £600 just over a couple of years ago - has the price of puppies increased a lot due to us being in a recession or have they stayed the same price? I had in my head that a puppy may cost £650 now but am I way out on the figure that is being asked now?
PS have looked on free ads but they don't give me a realistic price as some are ridiculously cheap for obvious reasons, I suppose I could ask someone but don't want to appear rude talking about money :shades:
Edited to add: for a show type from FN and PRA Tested parents
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The show type puppies are between £650 - £800 now. ;) A well respected lady i know who shows/breeds recently sold her puppies for £800, although i must admit i was quite shocked at such a high price. :shades:
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The show type puppies are between £650 - £800 now. ;) A well respected lady i know who shows/breeds recently sold her puppies for £800, although i must admit i was quite shocked at such a high price. :shades:
£800 - wow I'm right off the mark and theres me thinking no-one had any money due to the recession. :005:
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Alfie was £600 and his breeder was really fantastic, we couldnt have asked for better. My aunty recently bought a cocker puppy for £375 from an ad on the internet :-\, he was sold to her as a show type but he certainly isnt that, he definately has working lines in him as well as show. You get what you pay for in my eyes :shades: xxx
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I have the 'cheap type' :005: For a working Cocker pup it's usually around £450-550 although prices can skyrocket for champion-winner or champion-champion matings depending on the dogs.
I'm always shocked at the prices some breeds command these days, I've seen Chihuahuas and Pugs advertised at £1000+ and people who live on our old street paid £1500 for a French Bulldog last year :o
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Our first cocker (years and years ago :005:) from a good breeder was £40 - that's inflation for you.
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I have the 'cheap type' :005: For a working Cocker pup it's usually around £450-550 although prices can skyrocket for champion-winner or champion-champion matings depending on the dogs.
Gosh it's quite a big difference isn't it? I don't really understand the price difference TBH, lots of people aren't clued up on the potential differences between shows and working types and I think lots of workers are actually 'prettier' than a lot of show types. I guess the cheaper price also compounds the problem of workers ending up in unsuitable homes too.
Dave was £650 I think (2.5-ish years ago) and Trev was £600 (nearly 9 years ago). So the current prices being mentioned don't suprise me.
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Maggie was £650 last March but she wasn't from a noted breeder or line...
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I have the 'cheap type' :005: For a working Cocker pup it's usually around £450-550 although prices can skyrocket for champion-winner or champion-champion matings depending on the dogs.
I'm always shocked at the prices some breeds command these days, I've seen Chihuahuas and Pugs advertised at £1000+ and people who live on our old street paid £1500 for a French Bulldog last year :o
When I was looking (and bought) last year I paid £650 for my working cocker girl which was about average, in some cases the boys were adverstised at £600. I definitely didn't see any at the £450-£550 mark. Although I guess it could be geographically affected - I am in the south.
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We paid £650 for Molly over 2 years ago, and we brought Poppy from the same breeder a month ago and she charged us the same price, Molly is full show, we were told Poppy was the same but we have since found out she is a quarter worker, I thought £650 to £750 was about the going price for show Cockers? although I have seen some advertised for £400 up to £1000 & I have also seen working Cockers advertised for as little as £300 and some up to £1000 :o
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Dennis was £600 and douglas £725
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We paid 650 for Belle last June, she is from breeders that show, health test etc. If you look on Champdogs you will find that most are quality breeders the price is generally 600 -700 on there. Lots of Cockers on the freead pages tend to be around the 395. I think it goes without saying to avoid a pup at this price :-\
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I've just paid £750 for Morgan, when we were looking at getting Shelby last year he would have cost us £600. Both are from good breeders who do health tests etc. Unsure of why the difference in price although they were in different parts of the country.
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We paid 650 for Belle last June, she is from breeders that show, health test etc. If you look on Champdogs you will find that most are quality breeders the price is generally 600 -700 on there. Lots of Cockers on the freead pages tend to be around the 395. I think it goes without saying to avoid a pup at this price :-\
Jo a lot of breeders don't post their prices which is why I only guessed from freeads, not sure why they don't put them on - its usually POA
£650 - £700 is what I expected really but if they are now £800 - better get saving even more. :005:
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We paid 650 for Belle last June, she is from breeders that show, health test etc. If you look on Champdogs you will find that most are quality breeders the price is generally 600 -700 on there. Lots of Cockers on the freead pages tend to be around the 395. I think it goes without saying to avoid a pup at this price :-\
Jo a lot of breeders don't post their prices which is why I only guessed from freeads, not sure why they don't put them on - its usually POA
£650 - £700 is what I expected really but if they are now £800 - better get saving even more. :005:
I have enquired :005: and as yet have not come accross any that are 800.(sorry my pound sign does not work :005:)
Up to 700 is about right ;)
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i would definately pay the £650 a good local breeder and show-er charges - top quality. compare that to the £575.00 a very large well-known (unfortunatly) local pet superstore charges! ps - we live in the manchester area so i bet you can guess who i mean!
i paid £75.00 for my first cocker 30 years ago!
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i would definately pay the £650 a good local breeder and show-er charges - top quality. compare that to the £575.00 a very large well-known (unfortunatly) local pet superstore charges! ps - we live in the manchester area so i bet you can guess who i mean!
i paid £75.00 for my first cocker 30 years ago!
So would I - no doubt about that - just wondered whether the price had increased a lot in the last couple of years
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I paid £550 for Missy 18 months ago. I was looking to get her a Sister a few weeks ago prices were probably a average of £600 but swmbo said NOOOOOOOOOO :'(
Do you think if i ask her to marry me she might say yes to getting another cocker ?
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I have the 'cheap type' :005: For a working Cocker pup it's usually around £450-550 although prices can skyrocket for champion-winner or champion-champion matings depending on the dogs.
I'm always shocked at the prices some breeds command these days, I've seen Chihuahuas and Pugs advertised at £1000+ and people who live on our old street paid £1500 for a French Bulldog last year :o
When I was looking (and bought) last year I paid £650 for my working cocker girl which was about average, in some cases the boys were adverstised at £600. I definitely didn't see any at the £450-£550 mark. Although I guess it could be geographically affected - I am in the south.
It does tend to be a bit cheaper up here in Scotland although I look on the main UK-wide gundog finding sites a couple of times a week just to see what's being sold, I was on yesterday and most 8 week old pups/litters were between £450-550, bitches usually being £50 more expensive. There are currently pups going for £375 :-\ Caoimhe was bred in NW England and bought by her first owner last March for £500, she's by a Championship winning sire out of a very well bred working bitch. It also depends who you're buying from though, the big kennels tend to charge more than working breeders/gamekeepers.
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I have the "cheap" type too :005: :005: When I got Chloe in June 08, most of the litters I enquired about were £350 for a dog, and £400 for a bitch. Chloe was £450. Even at that time, I noticed the prices were considerably higher south of the border for some reason :dunno:
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Brea came in at £500 and a bargain at that ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
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We paid £450 for Kara, he was selling KC reg. bitches for £450 / dogs £400
He was selling another litter non KC reg. at the same time for £300 (I think)
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Henry was a bargain - £95 to the Dogs Trust. Can't say fairer than that ;)
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we paid £600 for Zoe in September 09 she is from good show lines (we are north of te border)
and she is worth every penny we saved up for :luv: :luv:
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We paid for £450 for Breagha, she was born in August 2007.
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The show type puppies are between £650 - £800 now. ;) A well respected lady i know who shows/breeds recently sold her puppies for £800, although i must admit i was quite shocked at such a high price. :shades:
Me too :o Price is always a tricky subject as I think some breeders just charge what they think they can get away with & others seem to have put their prices up to take into account the cost of the various health tests on the parents. Others don't do the health tests but still charge over £700 - it's a minefield to be sure so I can sympathise with anyone looking to buy a puppy and not sure what they should budget for. All I would say is don't pay a high price without evidence that the breeder really is a good one, doing all the right tests and breeding for the right reasons ;)
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I paid £550 for Missy 18 months ago. I was looking to get her a Sister a few weeks ago prices were probably a average of £600 but swmbo said NOOOOOOOOOO :'(
Do you think if i ask her to marry me she might say yes to getting another cocker ?
For sure she'd let you have another then!!
My first cocker was £120, about 11 years ago, as he was "mis marked" and was going to be killed. My beloved Chewitt, wouldn't have changed him for the world regardless of his backround.
Chops was £200 over 10 years ago, and we had to travel to Wlaes for that.
Smartie was £450 3 years ago, and again, I had to travel north (I'm south devon) for about 2 or so hours for her. Generally speaking, they are about £600 ish around here.
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The show type puppies are between £650 - £800 now. ;) A well respected lady i know who shows/breeds recently sold her puppies for £800, although i must admit i was quite shocked at such a high price. :shades:
Me too :o Price is always a tricky subject as I think some breeders just charge what they think they can get away with & others seem to have put their prices up to take into account the cost of the various health tests on the parents. Others don't do the health tests but still charge over £700 - it's a minefield to be sure so I can sympathise with anyone looking to buy a puppy and not sure what they should budget for. All I would say is don't pay a high price without evidence that the breeder really is a good one, doing all the right tests and breeding for the right reasons ;)
What would be the difference between someone charging £800 and another charging £650-£700 for example if they both had the same health tests.
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Hello. My little nell cost me 400 just before christmas. She should have been 500, but we had just had an awful experience with a seller in berkshire and i think nells breeder felt a little sorry for us and wouldnt accept the 500 price (which was amazingly kind of her). A lovely breeder in the next village to us sells her cockers for 350 and they are truly beautiful dogs (we see a few from her around here). When i was looking for nell i was amazed and confused by the price difference. I noticed that dogs down soiuth where far more expensive than in the north west??
xxx
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The show type puppies are between £650 - £800 now. ;) A well respected lady i know who shows/breeds recently sold her puppies for £800, although i must admit i was quite shocked at such a high price. :shades:
Me too :o Price is always a tricky subject as I think some breeders just charge what they think they can get away with & others seem to have put their prices up to take into account the cost of the various health tests on the parents. Others don't do the health tests but still charge over £700 - it's a minefield to be sure so I can sympathise with anyone looking to buy a puppy and not sure what they should budget for. All I would say is don't pay a high price without evidence that the breeder really is a good one, doing all the right tests and breeding for the right reasons ;)
What would be the difference between someone charging £800 and another charging £650-£700 for example if they both had the same health tests.
Thats a tricky one Jeanette, because in some cases there is absolutely no difference. If i was looking to buy a puppy with every possible health test carried out, with an extremely good pedigree, that i wanted to hopefully show, and was extremely happy with the puppies/mum living environment then, yes i would be quite happy to pay over £800. If the puppy was purely for a family pet though, then i think this would be too much. Although, of course it is still extremely important that you are happy generally with the breeder, mum/pups upbringing, health tests etc...i do think, as Jane said, it seems some breeders charge what they think they can get away with though. And also play on the fact that most people looking for a puppy wouldn't dream of negotiating a price, and just accept the cost. It really is a bloomin' minefield. ::)
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Hello. My little nell cost me 400 just before christmas. She should have been 500, but we had just had an awful experience with a seller in berkshire and i think nells breeder felt a little sorry for us and wouldnt accept the 500 price (which was amazingly kind of her). A lovely breeder in the next village to us sells her cockers for 350 and they are truly beautiful dogs (we see a few from her around here). When i was looking for nell i was amazed and confused by the price difference. I noticed that dogs down soiuth where far more expensive than in the north west??
xxx
Aww that was nice of her :D
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Jay was £550 in May 2009, but I have been having sneaky looks in the ads and the going rate seems to be about £700. ph34r
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Ellie was £450 in November 2004, she came from Lincolnshire.
My first cocker cost £25 in 1971.
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Jenny was £320 12 years ago £20 more because a female and Penny £650 health tested Both show type.I know Pennys parents and they are so friendly and loving and Penny is also .
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I got both Luis and Ollie from the same breeder in Lincolnshire. They were £750 each. Luis is 15 months, and Ollie is 11 months.
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Benson cost £500 from a breeder in the NW and has a good working pedigree.He has an excellent temperament,as mad as a hatter but as good as gold :luv: :luv:.It was the best £500 I have ever spent :D
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(thanks to livercake for showing me where this thread was - I was about to start a new one!)
We paid £450 for our Cavalier nearly 11 years ago, so, when starting our search for a Cocker puppy I was expecting a well-bred health-tested dog to be a bit more money.
The first breeder we spoke to was wanting £650. I wasn't too shocked. I then approached another breeder who'd had a year old pup returned to her and *was* shocked to find the price was £800 (apparently the same price as he'd been as a pup). That's too high for us. (We're on a low income since my husband's redundancy - teaching and painting pictures for people is a great job, but doesn't make big bucks!) We want to be able to afford vaccinations and insurance and crates and anything else the dog needs, and, for us, that's just too much. And of course there is also the cost of fuel if you're having to travel a distance to both visit and then later pick up your pup.
Enquired with another breeder this morning, and they said £600. That seems better to me. We're registering with Rescues as well, just to see what might come up.
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Prices do seem to vary - Misha & Roly were about £500, and when I last looked they were looking for £750 for a puppy. A whoppinng £250 increase in less than 3 years.
I always joke that the dogs are the most valuable things that I have - they truly are :luv: :luv:
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Hi there
My little nell cost £450 at christmas, she is mix working and show and is beautiful. Our breeder friend sells her mix worker/shows for £375 as she says she is appaulled at the huge prices charged by some. We are in the north!!
xx
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Odie was £650 from a breeder in Lincolnshire in Feb this year, he is a show type cocker. Was expecting to pay around £550-700 when we were looking into getting a cocker so it wasn't such a big shock! Lesley
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No wonder puppy farmers and BYB are churning them out! ::) It really makes me quite sad, though personally I will never buy a puppy anyway, when the cost of a puppy is more than an OAP gets a month to live on for State Pension!
There was a day when breeders only bred puppies to replace retiring stock so they would have something to exhibit in the showring; the excess puppies from the litter were sold, exchanged for new bloodlines or given away to friends, fellow exhibitors and to good pet homes.
It was more about breeding the best you could and less about filling the needs of the great British public.
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The prices differ so much don't they?
We paid £750 each for Ollie and Luis a year ago.
It is the cost after having them that has been astonomical, and they both came to us suffering from a dreadful virus...............
Still, they are both well now, and I wouldn't be without either of them.
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Our first cocker (years and years ago :005:) from a good breeder was £40 - that's inflation for you.
My first one was £25 in 1971.
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I've just seen a cocker spaniel advertised for £2000 :o :o :o
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I've just seen a cocker spaniel advertised for £2000 :o :o :o
Is it made of gold!? ph34r
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I've just seen a cocker spaniel advertised for £2000 :o :o :o
Is it made of gold!? ph34r
Shocking isn't it - very rare colour ::) ::)
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My god how extortion is that >:D
I brought my beautiful workers cocker spaniel girls last summer for 500 pounds each, They were tail docked, chipped and both parents were health tested. I have to say the breeders were a lovely family who just breed the occasional litter. My cavalier cost 500 but the cavalier before her (Who we sadly lost) was 800 pounds but her mother qualifed and won crufts in 2007 her breeder did breed for stock and sold the other pups, she kept 2 out of that litter for showing.
I wouldnt ever go to a puppy farm or someone whom breeding is a main living.
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I've just seen a cocker spaniel advertised for £2000 :o :o :o
Was it a fully trained working cocker? I know that gundogs can fetch that kind of price.
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I've just seen a cocker spaniel advertised for £2000 :o :o :o
Was it a fully trained working cocker? I know that gundogs can fetch that kind of price.
No it is a show type
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Wow I was going to ask if it was a trained working Cocker as I saw one advertised a while back for about that much :-\ I wonder what the breeders think it has that makes it worth 2000 :huh:
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Wow I was going to ask if it was a trained working Cocker as I saw one advertised a while back for about that much :-\ I wonder what the breeders think it has that makes it worth 2000 :huh:
Apparently its the first ever lemon roan show type in this country - can't see how that justifies the extortionate price though
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Wow I was going to ask if it was a trained working Cocker as I saw one advertised a while back for about that much :-\ I wonder what the breeders think it has that makes it worth 2000 :huh:
Apparently its the first ever lemon roan show type in this country - can't see how that justifies the extortionate price though
Even if it was true, that price couldn't be justified :o Having seen the pics, the pup doesn't even look like a lemon - just a paler orange than some of the others in the litter ::)
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We should have been charged extra for Honey then, as an Orange Roan Working type.... ::)
Have found the ad, and don't see how they can claim them as Lemon Roan... as Jane says they are a little paler, but I'm sure I've seen pics of similar coloured pups here.... and many have darkened as they got older.
Personally I don't see a problem with prices approaching £800 for a well bred show type pup (with all the health testing etc) - given the monthly costs of keeping a dog, it's only a couple of months more saving than the £500-£600 price tag which people seem to find more acceptable. ;)
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I've just seen a cocker spaniel advertised for £2000 :o :o :o
Is it made of gold!? ph34r
Shocking isn't it - very rare colour ::) ::)
IMO anything, is only worth the amount, someone is willing to pay for it ..... not me I'm afraid :dunno:
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Personally I don't see a problem with prices approaching £800 for a well bred show type pup (with all the health testing etc) - given the monthly costs of keeping a dog, it's only a couple of months more saving than the £500-£600 price tag which people seem to find more acceptable. ;)
To those of us on a low income, who couldn't just rustle up an extra £200-£300 at the drop of a hat, it could make all the difference between being able to get a puppy and not being able to get a puppy. Those couple of months could be crucial.
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But it really is minimal when compared to the cost of a dog over it's lifetime... :-\
While I fully understand that it can be hard to wait those extra couple of months, surely it's worth it to ensure that you have a well bred pup... I'm not saying for a minute that a higher price necessarily equates to a better bred pup, and there may well be well-bred pups out there at a lower price, I don't see the problem with responsible breeders ensuring they actually cover their costs... and if that means the prices have gone up recently, then so be it.
I know I am speaking from a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do perspective here, as we didn't source the perfect pup... and ended up with a 3/4 worker who we were not prepared for. While I don't regret Honey for a second, I would definately do things differently the next time around... ;)
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While I fully understand that it can be hard to wait those extra couple of months, surely it's worth it to ensure that you have a well bred pup...
My point is that the well-bred pup you had in mind could have gone by the time you've saved up the money.
I'm not saying for a minute that a higher price necessarily equates to a better bred pup, and there may well be well-bred pups out there at a lower price, I don't see the problem with responsible breeders ensuring they actually cover their costs... and if that means the prices have gone up recently, then so be it.
I don't think it's about covering costs, I think it's about profit margins.
We've been looking for a pup, and one excellent breeder we've met whose stock has wonderful lines, and is tested for everything under the sun; the puppies are well socialised and looked after in the home, and she charges £650. There isn't anything else that could be done for a puppy than she does, so if another one is charging £800 or more, then I am afraid it just has to be about profit.
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Some breeders charge what they think they can get. It's clear that they don't work out the price by the quality of the pups as a lot of the expensive pups have commercial lines in their pedigree, they also seem to have only one tested parent and there is no excuse for that now :-\.
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While I fully understand that it can be hard to wait those extra couple of months, surely it's worth it to ensure that you have a well bred pup...
My point is that the well-bred pup you had in mind could have gone by the time you've saved up the money.
I'm not saying for a minute that a higher price necessarily equates to a better bred pup, and there may well be well-bred pups out there at a lower price, I don't see the problem with responsible breeders ensuring they actually cover their costs... and if that means the prices have gone up recently, then so be it.
I don't think it's about covering costs, I think it's about profit margins.
We've been looking for a pup, and one excellent breeder we've met whose stock has wonderful lines, and is tested for everything under the sun; the puppies are well socialised and looked after in the home, and she charges £650. There isn't anything else that could be done for a puppy than she does, so if another one is charging £800 or more, then I am afraid it just has to be about profit.
I honestly don't think that a responsible, honest, reputable breeder looks into 'profit margins' :dunno: The welfare, health, whole of the puppies life is uppermost in their mind. I was completely naive before we had a litter, as to how expensive it is to raise the puppies & all the equipment, food, vet bills, health tests, wormers etc. It is 24/7 for a minimum of 9 weeks, not to mention the emotional rollercoaster this entails. :'( It is also sometimes which area of the country the puppies are, that can have a price difference. Ime the cost of the puppy is often 'guided' by the breed club. If i had never bred a litter i would think £800 is extortiante, but knowing what i know now, it really isn't.
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Our first cocker (years and years ago :005:) from a good breeder was £40 - that's inflation for you.
Our 1st Cocker was £10 many many years ago !
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My first dog when I was 17 was a Jack Russell that cost me £4. As I write this I have £1000 worth of Cockers curled up next to me no wonder dog theft is on the increase. Nobody would have stole my grumpy four quid JR, well not with all their fingers intact anyway. :005:
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I honestly don't think that a responsible, honest, reputable breeder looks into 'profit margins' :dunno:
I don't see why not, it would be quite reasonable to do so. It applies to every other area of business. My husband is self-employed, and you *have* to consider profit margins, it's what businesses do. I am not criticising breeders who charge more - if they can get the price, good for them! Just because it involves live "goods", doesn't mean that a business wouldn't have the same considerations as one, say, selling cars, sheds, furniture, etc.
It is also sometimes which area of the country the puppies are, that can have a price difference. Ime the cost of the puppy is often 'guided' by the breed club. If i had never bred a litter i would think £800 is extortiante, but knowing what i know now, it really isn't.
I don't think it's extortionate, I just think it's more than I need to pay for a well-bred puppy from a reputable breeder. So far I've checked with three reputable breeders, the sort where you reserve a pup before it's born, that have both the sire and dam, that don't advertise, all within the same area of the country - the prices quoted were £600, £650 and £800.
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Bella was £700 from a professional kennel (ie they make their living from breeding) and they have around 25 dogs. I went there and met Bella's dam, grand-dam and g.g.dam, her sire, g-sire and g.g.sire. All wonderful temperaments (which was the most important factor for me), gorgeous as well, and scored for PRA, HD and FN. I was really impressed with the dogs' accommodation, and how much they clearly love their dogs. £700 seemed a fair price, and she has been worth every penny and more! :luv:
Mod edit: commercial breeders' names removed
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I honestly don't think that a responsible, honest, reputable breeder looks into 'profit margins' :dunno:
I don't see why not, it would be quite reasonable to do so. It applies to every other area of business. My husband is self-employed, and you *have* to consider profit margins, it's what businesses do. I am not criticising breeders who charge more - if they can get the price, good for them! Just because it involves live "goods", doesn't mean that a business wouldn't have the same considerations as one, say, selling cars, sheds, furniture, etc.
The difference is that most reputable breeders do not run businesses - their dogs are their hobby and they do not breed to make a profit. Yes of course there are plenty of BYBs and commercial breeders who do breed for the money but that's not the sort of breeder Ninasmum was talking about (or the sort of breeder we would recommend on COL)
To be honest, I think this thread has run it's course now so I'll close it. I think we've established that puppy prices vary from breeder to breeder (as they have always done) and hopefully this thread will give anyone reading a rough idea of the average price you can expect to pay for a puppy bred by reputable breeders from health tested parents.