Who Says There's No Money in Dogs? - Page 2

Forget the dogs!

I want a Lamborghini!!!

Wanderer, I went to that website and must say "uh oh" as I saw a photograph of a dog making a bite on a protection sleeve. Perhaps this was done to make a bite less graphic and sanitized, compared to presenting a presenting a photograph where the helper is using a hidden bite sleeve to test the dog?

But, many of us here know the difference between a dog that is equipment-trained (typical of Schutzhund) and one who has the true civil drive tendencies of a K9-quality protection-trained dog. And really, any good dog who "looks the part" barks at alert and seems willing to engage is a decent threat deterrent, even if that dog will not bite a biscuit.

But also; gee, what do I know about being rich and/or rich and famous?  Maybe I need to hang out and rub elbows with that type. Wow, if I could just get my name on their next party invitation list.

Regards.

Bob-O

We have all seen the advertisement in dog magazines where a very pleasant family is sitting with a beautful GSD and the advertisement declares how this dog can be the ultimate family protector yet simultaneously be the most gentle member of the household. That may be true, as there is a little boy in the picture (and I was once a little boy myself).

In the photograph a man, woman, son, and daughter sit with their GSD, a cat and large bird. I often wondered (without any doubt I might add!) what would happen in my home with a non-protection-trained dog. To summarize it, I'll type the chorus of a country music song I heard once when I lived in Arkansas:

"The cat ate the chicken, the dog ate the cat, the dog got runned over by a big Cadillac" "We'll all be together in the sweet by and by with the chicken, cat, dog and the big Cadillac."

Regards,

Bob-O

Shelly,

Look at the business flow. There's the high retail with the advertising, websites, staff to consult with, full range of services and every type of dog you would ever need. There's the 'one each' dog, click here and it's all paid for just go to the airport and pick it up. That market is at the top of the business food chain and just like any other industry is the sum of the suppliers and wholesalers that supply product. The dogs are marked up just like the sofa in the furniture store or the room addition to your house. They have to use their expertise and sales ability to take the 1,000 puppy or 2,000 dollar dog they buy and promote,advertise, train, fix, or whatever to offer the product to the public with the appropriate marketing techniques to convince a buyer it's a 4,000, 5,000 or higher value animal. They must cover expenses, make a profit, stay in business to support the advertising, payroll, etc.

Somewhere underneath is the average sized  breeder/trainer or what have you that sells to the public with more detail and is usually a better value. Somewhat at the wholesale level if I can copy a term. They don't have the advertising, etc. that brings the newby customer to the full service retail arena. To find this commodity one has to do some research and be more knowledgable about their purchase. Similar to one hiring a subcontractor directly vs. using the services of a General Contractor.

It's up to the individual to decide which market they want to participate in. At the lower volume levels. You can be more accurate in your description, work with more knowledgable consumers and generally have less exposure to warranty issues, dealing with consumers that want a refund when something normal happens, and otherwise create issues that need servicing.

THe higher prices command more expectations and when Muffy the 5,000 super pup who can do Schutzhund, SAR, be good with kids and is warranted against every known health disorder and temperament to boot and is sold as the next US VA puppy, falls short on one of these issues,,,,,,well we read about it here on PDB.

So you just have to choose if you want the headache of the higher priced market or be content with producing a solid animal and charging a modest price that knowledgable people will pay.

"perception is reality"  calk9 has created the percption that there is a difference in his training and the dogs he has.  So as long as his clients believe what he is saying and are happy w/ his product and service, that will be thier reality.

Lets also take a look at what service he is providing, its basically retial shopping, a client can go one place and find what they want.  and that comes at a price.  Or the client is more than free to travel europe and the US to test several dogs, then pay someone to train the dog.

I recently had some one contact me wanting me to  find a large show male, that had the drives and power of a top sport working line dog, basically he wanted Mink in a show dogs body.  the dog needed to be fully trained as a personal protection dog in his store and home, as well as be able to play fetch in his back yard w/ him and his 6 yr old old son. And if that wasnt enough he wanted to be able to see the dog a few times before buying it.

Sure ill find it for him, if he had $30k to spend and i would need a $5k retainer up front.  My point is that this guy had near imppossible needs and chances are if they awsome showline dog actually exist it would cost a alot of money.

what calk9 does happens all the time w/ breeders who try to convince people since there dogs are title and are kkl1or 2 thier puppies are worth $2k.

its the same thing just on differnt levels.

just my 2 cents

Don't be mad.  Be happy that you have integrity.  I don't blame these operations either.  It's not like they are ripping off the working man.  We see those type of scumbags everyday on here.  No, these people rip off the rich.  Kinda like Robin Hood, except they don't give it to the poor.

A friend that I train with, told me to call(as a joke) one of the previously mentioned outfits. I called and told him what I like in a dog.  He said he had the perfect dog for me.  A pure working dog.  So great he wanted to keep it himself.  The only problem was that his partner had horses and the dog didn't like horses.  When I told him that my wife also had horses, he said I sound like a good enough trainer to get past the horses.  I found that very funny.  Here is a guy that sells dogs for $50,000 and I am now the better trainer?  Maybe I should be the $75,000/dog  acehole.

These people take SchH trained showdogs from Europe and crosstrain them for 3 months.  They love the non-driven, lay around the house Shepherd.  The rich people don't know and don't care.  They just get excited when they see his hackles come up when a grocery bag blows by.  "Wow, Milton, this dog will save our life one day!"

Are any of these "top trainers" single?

Kinda like Robin Hood, except they don't give it to the poor.

LOLOLOL

Good thread, guys. I feel better already.  I don't hold HR's business against him. I AM jealous! Ha ha ha. No, I will never be in his position; I won't live that long. But I guess I can be satisfied just providing nice dogs to normal people at affordable prices, slim profit margin, and sleep well knowing I haven't compromised my integrity, etc., have FUN and just keep plugging along reinvesting what I can back into the dogs.

The most expensive dog I ever sold was a V20 female at $10K. I made $1500., + "modest" training, conditioning and handling fees for a year, ($1,000. mo., and that was 12 yrs. ago. I have never been happier than I was at that time in my life, BTW, just getting by, but having a great time doing it and sleeping like a baby with a clear conscience every night.

Still, that Denali in the showroom is awful purty.   Then again, think of what it would look like after I had it for a year or two... Better start thinking USED-but-still-serviceable... and keep buying those Super-Lotto tickets... Meanwhile I'll replace the front end on Ole Red that came apart at 70mph on the turnpike night before last and thank the Lord I didn't cause a huge accident and kill a bunch of people.

SS

Did you guys happen to see this one?  http://www.harrisonk9.com/press/forbeslife.php

ok, i am done doing this for a hobby.  $5,000-$7,000 for an imported puppy!  talk about worth your weight in gold.

and i thought things were getting out of control when people started charging over $2,000 for puppies.

john