Price for a 6 month old pup - Page 2

If the puppy Xrays clean at both ends and comes from parents and a pedigree with clean joints, and has normal blood work for thyroid, TLI, blood clotting factors, 30 track chemistries, normal barium swallow xray, clean heart rythym under amplified stethoscope or EKG, has good confirmation, movement, good temperament, etc., then the puppy could easily be worth $2,000 or more.  I once paid $2,500 for a six month old VA-1 Ulk Daughter from Mittelwest GSDs and the puppy was worth every penny.  She was healthy and turned out to have OFA hips and elbows at 2 years old. Plus her temperament was excellent in every way.  I paid for the lab work before I closed on the deal and was very happy with the way I was treated. I would easily pay $800, $1,000, $1,500 or more for a quality 6-9 month old puppy that was clean and healthy as I have described. Better yet, if one can afford it, buy a GSD that is one year old or older and also clean healthwise. I would never buy any puppy without a battery of lab tests and Xrays done first.  Any reputable breeder welcomes these screenings tests with a right to first refusal if one pays for them in advance. 

Depending on the puppy.......it is not "out of reach" to pay upwards of $3500 for a beautiful, healthy 6 mo old puppy.

I know that if I were holding on to "my pick" puppy and for some reason...I had or chose to part with it.....I would expect to sell it for a "higher" than normal price.

In the past, we have purchased puppies from differant ages and the price has always been over $2500.

We normally sell our puppies from $1000 to $2000.

Robin

OK.  Now that it's put into better perspective for me, I would say that $10 a day is reasonable "board".  If this was one of my pups it would get socialization and training as if we were keeping it for ourselves. 

Very interesting question.  I wouldn't want to pay $2000 for an $800 puppy but if you put it into perspective, $10 a day is reasonable.

Makes some of the adult prices look better.

Thanks for the responces. This makes my Sarah look like a steal at $800 and 10 months. I do not plan to pay more than $1,000 dollars for the dog so I guess I will either have to get a retired dog, altered pet, or a long coat showline. Once he is healthy its great. I do not want to pay that much because I want to pick the dog up in person and that means plane flight, hotel room, shipping pup, health check, permission from government to bring him in, and a crate. $1000 can jump to $2500 or up in seconds. Dogs cost dollars.

I'd like to see a $600 quarter-horse or thoroughbred win the All American Futurity or Triple Crown.  Every year untested yearlings go for huge money at Kentucky blue grass and other auctions around the country.  Horse people put out big bucks for the "hope" of getting the next Secretariat or Seattle Slew.  Competition dogs are a poor man's race horse.  I've trained, titled, and worked many dogs.  Most  competition dogs at most clubs are in my opinion average type working level dogs.  Their owners have a good bond, some  get titles, and they enjoy the comraderie of the sport.  That's great.  But once in a while, a real heart stopper of a dog emerges, and everybody who knows even a little about dogs, realizes it.  What is this dog's worth?  As they say, "priceless."  It always gets me when someone is in the market for a working dog, that they turn away a dog that might be $2000 and limit their price to only $1000.  You will spend years with that dog, and hundreds of hours in training.  You should want the best dog you can possibly find.  So what if  the dog costs more.  He will pay you back every time you go out on the field to work.      Dennis

Dennis,

Agreed, 100%.  Never saw any excellent pedigreed and papered horses for $600 here!!!!  I paid $2000 for my Secretariat granddaughter, and that was without her papers!!!!! (she was a pet, of course!)

Also, keep in mind that the price of the pup, even at $3000 is PEANUTS when compared to feeding costs, veterinarian costs, hip x-rays, elbow x-rays, certifications, (if you show, then add entry fees, gas, hotels, etc, etc, etc.....)

Consider: $3000 puppy. Dog lives average of 12 years. 3000/144 (months)=$20.83 per month for the price of the dog.

Food- AT LEAST $40 per month for good premium dog food (if not more!)
Veterinarian-vaccinations, heartworm, flea/tick prevention, well checks...AT LEAST $30 per month

We won't even add in the rest. That means JUST for basic food and healthcare costs, that's $70 per month, more than 3 times the amount you paid for the dog, at the HIGHEST price! If the dog is $2000, that's only $13.88 per month, which is just under 5 times less expensive.

Just to add a little more perspective!

dcw and VonFelsenhof, I couldn't agree with you folks more. If one adds in all the factors you both mention, spending a fairly large sum on any young GSD cvan be a bargain in the long run. Those who really understand how hard it is to breed a healthy, highly performing GSD with clean joints are willing to pay a significant chunk of change.  It costs a great deal of time and money to breed and raise high quality, top performing, healthy GSDs and if one wants to obtain one, he or she must expect to pay a significant sum to cover that high value.