what determines a puppy's cost? - Page 1

hi, just wondering why the local paper and others list akc puppies with paper for $300 - $500 but yasko vom farbenspiel grandpups are usually $1,500. what determines how much  a pup is worth? $500 pups come with health guarantees too, and are sometimes even german lines with at least one parent, one ad reads mother imported from germany. just wondering.....

 There is a simple, although not necessarily logical explanation: the breeder sets the price. The buyer decides whether it is a appropriate price or not and either buys or does not. There are many factors one might consider in deciding whether a given price is appropriate. For my money, I probably would be more interested in paying a higher price for a Yasko  line pup than someone down the street advertising their pup for sale. Can one get a good pup for less than $1500, of course, especially if one knows what to look for. But dogs are no different than other things ----one gets what one pays for, at least normally.

Puppies listed in the newspaper for $300-500 are usually from low quality dogs, no show or working titles, no hip certs.  Their pedigrees are lackluster with many generations of untitled dogs behind them.

The closer the titles are behind the parents the higher people will charge.  Puppies from two imported dogs who may not be titled but have very nice pedigrees themselves are technically worth more than the newspaper puppies if you are looking at it from a quality standpoint.

Then puppies from two parents with Schutzhund titles, show ratings and breed survey's will be worth even more.  IMO the more time and money you put into the parents (training, show's, trials, entry fees, traveling expenses...etc. etc. etc.) determines the price of the pups. 

Some people will just see what they can get for their crappy pups, charge high prices and sell to uneducated suckers.

The higher and more abundant schutzhund titles throughout the 5 generation pedigree, usually will mean the pups are

genetically able to obtain titles also.  Under the correct trainer of coarse.

Also lets look at show ratings:  A nice working class male will receive a SG rating, a even better structural one may receive a V rating thus pups are considered of higher quality when looking at the whole package, ie V rated Sch3, IPO3, FH KKla 2.

A show line pedigree you would like one to have at least a V rating of excellent, and even better a VA excellent select. Schutzhund titles are also important, the more sch. 2 and sch 3 in a showline  is considered  very good.  VA dogs can go for up to six digits, so if you pay  $80,000.00 for a VA dog, what would you ask for one of these pups?

Sum it up higher show ratings, and trail titles the more genetic potential a pup will have.  Then usually a good breeder will look and seperate the litter according to pet and show/sport dogs.

There is always exceptions to the rule, but remember a judge will first look at the dog then it's pedigree when looking at placement!  

I can speak from personall experience in the past when I've purchased an AKC registered pup from the paper as a pet for my family (kids).  I was an uneducated buyer who made many mistakes; first one being not researching the breed of choice to see if it was even a good fit for my lifestyle.  I "assumed" that a $300 pup was just as good for my kids to love and play with as that $1000 pup who came from titled parents.  NOT so.  And I'm not just speaking of the GSD but any breed of dog in general.  I now know the difference and there IS a huge difference in the dogs I own now that I paid 4x's the amount of a dog out of the paper.  Sometimes you can get lucky with a pup from the paper IF you know what you're looking for, have familiarized yourself with the bloodlines but most folks looking in the paper don't have a clue.  They just want a cute puppy with papers that may not even be the right breed for them let alone be bred correctly.  These are most times the dogs that end up at the pound.  That's not where I'd want to see my pups end up if I were a breeder.

Agar, I was once a sucker too, lol...you live and learn. 

The price of the pup is based on what the breeder thinks the market will bear.  Buying a pup today is like trolling thru shark infested waters.   I know people that have spent years doing research.      The differences in price is mind boggling. Just about every day on this forum you see somebody who feels that he has been taken advantage of and is fit too be tied.

So to pick up your local paper and getting the best price is not the answer. That is like playing russian roulette.    Take your time do your homework.   Ask questions on this forum and by all means visit the breeder before you drop your hard earned money.    Put in the time educate yourself find a breeder you can trust and you will be well on your way to answering your own questions.

Best of luck

Think of it this way... can you get a Porsche for the price of a Chevy?  Good cars cost more.  Good dogs cost more.

Unfortunately, price alone is no guarantee of quality.  Just as there are folks who think they can get a cheap AKC GSD out of the paper without sacrificing anything, there are also those who naively believe that paying thousands of dollars from a prestigious breeder with a slick web site will guarantee a super dog. 

GSD's are a popular breed, and so you will find many breeders willing to take your cash.  If you are uninformed, then it's easy to get taken by someone who talks a big game and throws around all the right jargon.

Warning... steep learning curve ahead...

Yvette

I have a fellow officer that had me looking for a dog for him.  Before I found one, he said that he had contacted a "breeder" in the area and purchased a pup from her.  I stopped looking, but went to his house about 2 months ago and the dog was there.  As soon as I walked in the dog pee'd all over the floor and released his anal glands on the rug.  I didnt even know dogs did that.

I just said that I am glad he got a good deal on it!

I try to convince people that they are going to have the dog for 10-12 years.  Make the initial investment.  My sister bought a boxer out of the paper and I am sure has spent more than $3,000 on an allergy specialist for the dog.  Americans do not spay/put down dogs with health problems or bad nerve issues.  Spend the extra money and buy from a respected breeder.

Kyle

The price of the pup is also based on the cost to the breeder.  You have to include the stud fee, health checks including but not limited to hips & elbows,  sending the bitch to a quality stud (sometimes overseas), the cost of titling, showing and breed surveying the bitch,  etc..  The breeders who do all the work aren't necessarily making a lot of money per pup.  Of course the  "breeders"  who do nothing but throw 2 dogs together have no  ethics and no business selling dogs  can still charge the same price, so buyer beware!