Dollars and cents

How much is a dog worth? I will never forget something my son said to me when he was very young. I believe I was looking for a puppy at the time and we were discussing how much this puppy would cost. He then said to me, "a dog shouldn't be for sale," and I completely understood what he meant immediately. He felt that dogs were not a commodity but a living creature that you don't put up for sale. I then sat him down to explain why they should cost something.

Free Dog! How many times have you seen this advertised? The word Free itself lends to the "i'll take it," mentality. You may not even know what it is but if its free you'll take it. By giving dogs away for free you increase the risk that the dog will be dumped once the people realize they don't really want it. Asking for money actually helps to ensure that the people taking the dog may really want it. Of course this is no guarantee but most people will think about it first if they have to dish out money.

Why should dogs cost as much as they do? There is a huge range for the cost of a dog, anywhere from 100.00 to the sky's the limit. Some people who's dog accidentally got pregnant or who just wanted one litter may just try to cover their costs. Then there are the people who do all the genetic and health testing, visit the vet a multitude of times and make sure that all will be well with Mom and kids, this costs alot of money. These breeders should be paid for doing it all correctly and trying to make sure we get the healthiest dog possible.

There are the people who breed for money, no health tests, minimal vet visits but boy is their website spectacular. They have star spangled banner ads and they could sell you just abouit anything. These people are typically charging a fortune for dogs who have questionable health and temperament. Usually these are the "in" dogs that have caught on as the newest and greatest mixed breed. But not always, many are just pumping out puppies in hopes of making lots of money. I have a big hate on for these type breeders.

And then there are the breeders who do it all right with respect to testing and health but for some reason think that their dogs are worth their weight in gold. I really dislike how these people work and feel that they really rip people off. Sometimes they charge more certain colors, rare colors or again the "in" color, which makes no sense at all. It does not cost anymore to breed dogs of a certain color.

So I told my son the people who make sure that the Mom is healthy and the puppies will be healthy with good temperaments should get money for the time and money they have spent to make sure we get a great puppy. That should cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of 800-1500 dollars.