Quality dogs for family, fun & showing
Quality dogs for family, fun & showing
Our puppies undergo extensive health checks that can incluse genetic testing, hip and elbow evaluations, eye exams and more. These screenings ensure healthy puppies down the line.
Vaccinations, deworming, microchipping… it adds up! Puppies receive the best medical attention to start their lives before they find their fur-ever homes.
Introducing puppies to various stimuli – sounds, environment, people – builds confident, well-adjusted dogs. This basic training begins early.
Registering each puppy costs hundreds of dollars with our registered state body ensuring puppies come with the correct paperwork, including pedigree papers.
Before we can have a litter of puppies, we need a sire and a dam.
Typically breeders purchase a puppy that they hope to breed later (usually during their second or third heat cycle, which works out to 1 ½ to 2 years in the future.
Consider the costs of raising that one puppy for 2 years. This includes a high-quality diet, excellent veterinary care, training, grooming, and genetic screenings to ensure that the puppy will be healthy for breeding.
This also includes all the routine care that everyone should give their dogs, including heartworm screenings and preventative, shots and wormings, dental cleanings, and grooming. If the breeder intends to keep the stud dog on their premises, the cost is double. If not, they will incur the charge of stud fees that can range upwards of $5,000. This doesn’t include such things as routine blood work, hernia repairs if needed, typical problems associated with the breed.
Neonatal care can be labor-intensive. The cost of caring for a litter can add up, especially when you consider that most breeders will keep their puppies from 8 to 12 weeks. During this time, the puppies will need wormings and vaccinations. They will also need additional supplements and puppy food. Puppy pens, pee pads, toys, chews, water and food bowls, and other accessories will help puppies become socialised and well-adjusted.
We spend so much time caring and raising the dogs and new litters. Add this on top of countless hours of research, educating, participation in dog events and supporting buyers – time is something that is often overlooked by many and yest is what adds so much value to our kennel name.
Breeders are on call 24/7. Litters are rarely born during regular business hours but often come in the wee hours of the night. If there is a problem with one or more puppies, breeders will need to either tube or bottle feed the ailing puppies by hand every two to three hours around the clock to keep them alive.
Add in the number of hours that breeders spend caring for the puppies and their adult dogs. Maintaining and repairing their home or kennel and the day-to-cleaning tasks add up quickly, so most breeders do not even earn a minimum wage.
We cannot keep all the puppies raised, so need to find suitable homes for the babies. Advertising fees can add up. We rely on the internet to sell our puppies. This means we must also maintain our own website, social media channels and online dog profiles. It all keeps adding up.
If you think the breeder you have chosen may be charging too much, just ask. They may be, but if they cannot give you a good reason why their puppies are so expensive, you must decide whether you still want to work with that breeder or go elsewhere.
Typically puppies purchased with full AKC Registration rights are more expensive than those that come with limited rights. But what is the difference?
Most puppies are sold with limited AKC registration. This just means that both of the puppy’s parents were AKC registered dogs, but the buyer is not given breeding rights. Breeders, on the other hand, purchase a puppy with full rights. The puppy, once grown, can sire or whelp a litter, and their offspring are eligible for registration.
Please be aware that you might find someone willing to sell you a puppy for a very low fee. if you find someone who seems to be charging too little, it could be a puppy scam. Investigate and then run, don’t walk away before you give them your hard-earned money.
Suppose the breeder is doing all the right things, such as genetic testing, socialisation, high-quality vet care, and providing the best food and supplements. In that case, the price might be well worth it in the long run.
Some breeders will charge more under certain circumstances:
– The mother required a C-section
– One or more of the puppies required more intensive care
– The breeder spent more money on breeding stock
– They think their puppies are worth more.
– Both parents are champions or grand champions.
Most dogs can have between 2 and 6 puppies, with the average being 4. Some have even fewer puppies per litter. Breeders juggle their puppy prices based on the number of puppies in the litter. If you are looking for a rare breed like a Cardigan, that only produces a small litter, the cost of a puppy could be much more. In general our starting price for a puppy is $4,000
Breeders need to be compensated for their hard work and financial outlay, and puppy buyers need to understand why dogs are priced accordingly so they know they are getting a good deal.