Who Says There's No Money in Dogs? - Page 3

When I saw the title of this thread the first thing that came to my mind was "of course there's money in dogs!  The only problem is that the money is all going OUT (to dog food companies, training equipment companies, vets, etc etc etc.) instead of coming IN!" 

Diane Seaman

I treat every one of my buyers as if they were millionaires spending tens of thousands of dollars. Its only much later, when I realize they could easily have, and been willing to do so, after they pull in in the $80K car and ask if the puppy will be okay loose in the Gulfstream IV t when they visit their private island, that I kick myself for not asking more for the dog. LOL

20-20 hindsight and $3.00 will buy a cup of coffee almost anywhere.

SS

check out these prices.....

www.protectiondogs.com

Obedience dogs start at $6,500

Oh well, what's the saying? "The rich are not like you and me."

Regards,

Bob-O

How many of the rich who buy the very expensive dogs feel like it is a family member to be in their home forever versus another acquisition that they can dispose of any way they care to when they are tired of the dog?  I bet they won't sign the contracts a lot of the breeders on this board have that stipulate the breeders rights and the requirements of the new owners. I am not a breeder, and one big reason is that  I'd want all of my dogs to have forever homes  and the dogs' well being would be more important than the profit margin (to me anyway).

Inslee

As long as you can convince someone with money that they need Need NEED your product, and you can convince them that they can't find it anywhere else you have them.

This breeder was mentioned in a previous thread: Brittany's Gentle Giants / Animal Kingdom. She breeds massively oversized rotts, dobes, and GSDs. Back in the day she only bred monster rotts, now I guess she's expanded, but I digress. Back then I contacted her because I was curious about her program. She was charging $15,000+ for a BIttany Protection Trained dogs using her special methods that exist in a book she never wrote (or if she did I couldn't find it).

If someone is willing to pay $15,000 for an out-of-standard dog without health certification and dubious protection stability, then I say, let 'em spend their money... As P.T. Barnum said: "There's a sucker born every minute." 

WScotto, I think your post summarizes things succintly!! Don't you love it when people IMPOSE their values on your operations. If it is quality it will succeed well, if it is tacky ultimately it will go nowhere. Many people start minimally and go to higher levels, both in sport and real world. It never ceases to amaze me that the most accomplished me in dogs never bother with these lists, and the novice to mediumly successful people are the most critical of others??? What's up with that?

I'm charging LESS for the same quality dogs/pups than I did 12 years ago.

SS

 Um, I don't think it's fair to say that just because they're rich and spend that kind of money, they don't love their dogs and acquire them as "things". As I said in an earlier post...I used to work for Cal K9. I was one of the trainers doing the basic/advanced obedience, working with the imports etc. There is never a minute to spare, and a lot of hard work. I actually worked there twice...once several years ago back when it still looked like a kennel, and once about a year or two ago as it was transforming yet again. He has definitely created a lovely "ambience" (as he likes to call it) that invites the customers he'd like to attract. I was one of those trainers giving handling lessons to the rich people. I guarantee that while we did cater to them in a way, they were still required to handle their dogs the way every other person came was. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't tell who was rich and who wasn't really. There were families that scraped to fork over the cash, and others that had it to spare. I never really cared as long as the dog was trained and the family was happy. Sure there was the occasional person who probably considered their dogs as "things" but in reality, I didn't see that in any "class" of people more then any other. It was my job to teach them how to handle and care for the dog, and how to maintain the training. Howie was great at protecting his trainers as well. If I had a job with somebody that wouldnt' do the work, he would drop them in a heartbeat (he didn't need the business at that point). I'll never forget going to a job at a very rich mansion where the owner no showed but left the maid to do the handling session. I called Howie who called me home and let that owner have an earful...the next time I went, the owner was there and willing. LIke I said, at the same time though, these people were catered to in other ways. And most loved their dogs as much as you or I do. 

There were the people that thought that because they paid more they were getting more. And really the dogs were no different then most dogs....They received more in the care of the customer then in the dog itself, and they were willing to pay for it. I wasn't the one racking in the money for these high end clients , but i worked with many of them. And I DID go home with a good clean conscience at night same as I do now. WHy? because they got what they wanted. If they wanted to pay that much (sometimes the amount can be a status thing remember, but that doesn't mean they don't love the dog) I say the more power to them. And the amount of work done was a LOT. And as someone else said, if you're willing to jump through the hoops for these people (verses make them jump through your hoops TOO much) you could probably do it too... I had no problem jumping through the hoops because it was my job to. As long as the dog was cared for and they were following homework and being cool to me, we would work hard for them. But one can never think that it was as easy as importing a dog and then selling it. They were paying for FAR more work then that. 

Do I aim for richer clients now? I charge what I charge for what I do, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor I do the same thing. (I prefer to send the really rich clients elsewhere, particularly to Cal K9:-) because they DO expect more then I want to give at times...for instance  "can you be here this afternoon at 2pm?" and it's a 2 hour drive away or something and I've got other things to care for) I occasionally will give a break to someone if they're really cool and really don't have the money, but my price structure doesn't change just because someone HAS more money. What I've found is that I charge in the higher end of my market (though I can't charge as high as people like HOwie because I don't have the place to do it like he does) I attract the people that have it. But I charge what I feel my services a