Dog Prices

Another thread has triggered me to start this. We were talking about shipping dogs from abroad and how much it costs. It became apparent that some dog breeds that are highly priced here, are much cheaper elsewhere.

Should prices be regulated here and how would it work?

Of course a dog is only worth how much someone is willing to pay for it, but that does not make highly pricing them right. Also high prices may well encourage willy nilly breeding etc .....

I think that a dog, to some extent, is worth what someone is willing to pay. It would be hard to regulate, take labs for example. Your standard pet lab can be bought for anything from around £250-300 and up. A good working lab can be £400+. Good show labs, again more expensive. It would be hard to 'set a price' for any dog IMO.

I don't think prices should be regulated but am all for the public being educated to make them realise that paying £1,200 for a poodle cross is just plain stupid!
Becky

Some people seem to have more money than sense - i know someone that paid £900 for a SBT - i'm sorry theres no way i could justify that sort of money - not when there are so many SBT's in rescues these days.

My friend bought a chihuahua and that cost £ 1000 ????!!!

If the Chi was KC reg and a good quality female of good breeding, that was cheap! I paid £1500 for a couple of mine.

The problem with pricing dogs is that people will pay what has to be paid for a quality dog. Therefore breeders have to go with the going rate, or else they sell their pup and then see it advertised on the net for more money. The Buyer acts as an agent (apparently they can be very clever as coming across the perfect owner) Buys the pup at a good price then sells on, making a couple a hundred quid in the process! It's sad that people will be so sick and greedy but it is a fact of life, unfortunately. There's not much people won't do to make a quick quid

I think some sort of price regulation would be an idea but how it would be efficiently "policed" I have no idea

I hadn't thought about that. Hmm maybe tell people I'll with hold the paper work for a month until puppy has settled in!
Becky

That's a thought but I think most people want the paperwork when they pay and take the pup. It's a difficult one It's the part of breeding that I am not looking forward to - making sure the new owner is worthy of your pup! It's scary really. So far, I've kept the pups I bred but obviously can't keep doing that My Husband will divorce me if I do

Hi Cheeky - my friend did say that what she paid was cheap, she knew the breeder quite well apparently. Seems a lot of money but i know nowt about pricing really ! i just go by what i see in the paper ! females are always more than males though aren't they from the breeding side i suppose ? Depends what you want i suppose and its their money at the end of the day ! When i got my JRT i paid
£ 200 that was 5 years ago now. No papers or anything but they aren't recognised by the KC i was told. Kym my grey was rescue and i paid £ 70 for her.

Jack Russel Terriers are KC recognised?! Aren't they? Or am I going mad?!! Unless I have misunderstood?

To go back to the OP question, it does seem that the price you can pay can fluctuate massively even within the UK. I honestly have no idea how it could even be contemplated how you would regulate it when you can't even regulate good breeding practices.
Although I know that within the smaller breeding circles of some of the slightly rarer terrier breeds there is much more uniformity of pricing - i guess because most people really are breeding for the right reasons rather than a money making scheme.
I did once come across a particularly nasty backyard breeder who took great pride and pleasure in telling me that he charged the very highest prices in the game and the reason he always manged to have them met was because people therefore assumed his dogs were the best as they cost the most.

And yes WW, i suspect I know some of what is behind this question. I do think it encourages breeding in the future just to make some more money.