Why puppies cost so much
 

I'm new here and I've noticed that there are some that wonder "why do puppies cost so much" so I thought it would be kinda neat and helpful if some of the breeders out there did a run down on the cost of taking care of their breeding dogs and newborn puppies.
Here's my example and experience.
2 year old yorkie female..purchase price $750.00
puppy shots with vet visit $30.oo ea time. at least
heart preventative $15.00 for 6 tablets
flea preventative 4 pk $31.99 (that only covers 4 months multiply that times 3) for a years worth.
Feed for a year could be anywhere from $300 to $500
Now keep in mind that this is just the cost of the mom.
Then you have toys, training vet check ups and grooming
Then you breed. You have to have your dog tested for brucellosis..( did i spell that wrong lol) i can say it but not sure if i can spell it..
she has to have a check-up before being bred during pregnancy then after pups are born.
So for me it was even more cause tasha had to have a c-section
that $275.00
pups first visit to the vet for dew claws and tails will be around $35.00 then again later for shots and a check-up that will cost me $25.00 for the visit and $6.00 for each pups shots so thats $18.00
Plus the pups will need to be wormed, fed, groomed, will need toys..ect.
alot of money and thats just part of it..lol..
So thats why pups cost so much..

You forgot to mention all of the time that all the breeders put into the puppies which is...priceless! There can also be trips to the vet due to sickness or emergency that will sometimes come up as well!

I appreciate all the wonderful breeders out there and I think that you buy what you can afford. I would much rather pay more up front and have a healthy dog from a honest breeder who loves Yorkies as much as I do.

I totally agree with both of you
 

I know i missed alot..didn't want to make it too long lol..people just don't realize that it really ISN'T just a matter of putting two dogs together..there really is alot involved. The sad thing is that i also can imagine there are those out there that do charge alot yet don't put that much into their dogs..that is very heartbreaking but so true..

Wow...I have to say..expenses here are much higher. Average price for a clean line, quality breeding female is $2,500. My vet costs are about double what you have listed. Add more for emergency visits...and there are ALWAYS emergency visits. Annual teeth cleaning, blood screenings, and heaven forbid you have a problem pup.... If you mentioned crates, ex-pens, pish pads, cleaning supplies, whelping supplies, heating pads, whelping boxes, cushy beds, and puppy gift packs, I missed it. Also, Fencing and if you are silly enough to think your yorkies need a specially decked run/play area in the back yard...add a easy 1,000 just in materials and DIY.
There are so many more 'incidentals' that I try not to think about it much. About 15.00/week on just chew hooves and bully sticks alone. I won't be breaking even anytime soon.

sheesh I just hate it when I have to think about this...

lol
 

Oh I know I left a bunch out thought i'd leave some up to the rest to mention. lol..

Here's One Example.
 

My girl Cookie had pups on 1-16-06. She needed an emergency c-section and spay(her uterus ruptured) $800. Next day she wasn't doing well, so I took her back to the emergency vet. She needed a blood transfusion plus other meds and x-ray.$850. Then she went to the day vet to spend the next 10 days, $1500. 3 rechecks at $50 each.
Meanwhile, getting up every 2 hours to feed, burb, potty 5 babies.
They will have their vaccinations, worming, health checks.
They eat expensive food because I feel it's the best for them.
I pay high electric bills for the nursery and indoor facilities for my adult dogs.
It all adds up when you do it right.
Cookie will not have puppies again, but that didn't stop me from doing everything I could to save her life!
She's doing great now, I'm so happy!

I so agree with Stacy and the list goes on and on and on!

I so agree with Stacy and the list goes on and on and on!

outside stud service?
If you show entry, grooming, travel, lodging costs?
Additional cost of heat, water and air conditioning?
The cost of screening each new dog/bitch before entering into your breeding program?
Website costs and maintence, or advertizing cost?
a breeders time?

Ok I just firgured out I get paid $0.65 an hour on a good whelp :)

There is no doubt a lot of cost and time and energy go into breeding, not to mention the occasional heart break. And it is not done for the profit, you do it for the satisfaction that you get, which is why any of us have any hobby, not for the money.

I am planning to get into breeding and all of this information is extremely valuable to me, nevertheless, even with all the known pitfalls I will do it for the same reason that you all do it. Not because some one told you that you have to do it, but for the wonderfull feeling it gives you. And I will want to get as much as the market will allow for my puppies, so as to re coup some of my expenses but just knowing they are going to a loving home will be a priority. And I will be grateful that there are wonderfull loving people out there that are willing to pay their hard earned money for them, because, if there weren't any buyers, we'd have to stop breeding, or we'd be the crazy yorkie people on the 6 o'clock news.



I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Hello
 

PROFIT oh no theres no profit involved in breeding. Because even when you have a smooth delivery and all goes smoothly with the pups. You are continuously investing to better your breeding. Not to mention you continously have to put back money for that ONE thing (and yes it can just be one thing) that can happen that can cost you a fortune. I'm just beginning and I couldn't tell you how much money i've spent so far and like i've said i've just begun.
I'm glad everyone keeps adding to this. It helps those that want to breed and also helps me.
One more thing. I'm lucky that the vets around here don't charge near what vets in other parts of my state or other states charge. Not that I couldn't use the break.
Because I help alot of homeless animals (which is maybe why he cuts me a break who knows) anyway it wasn't that long ago i spent $500. on a stray cat. She had to have surgery to save her life and her leg. It was awful..
anway keep it coming..

Yes, raising healthy babies is very expensive if done right.

I don't feel a need to do a break down of my expenses because I think it's well known that that it takes money on the breeder's part to keep everything in tip top shape even when there aren't any puppies. Maintaining your adults and teenagers year round is a must. Breeders are always spending even when they aren't collecting so to speak. When they do receive payment on a puppy the majority of breeders put it right back into their program. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to continue on and move forward.

Then there is ultra sounds and x-rays to see how many there are and if they will fit. Plus most Yorkies don't have very many pups. It seems like you do all the worrying and waiting and only get one baby. A good papered lab can cost over $200 and they can have 15 or pups at a shot. Yes it cost more to feed mom but other than that little dogs cost more to maintain for a year to get a litter. The lab person with 15 pups @ $200 takes in $3000 and a Yorkie breeder only has 2 pups and can take in $3000. The difference is that the lab breeder has more pups to make up the cost with.

Also you pay for blood lines. And the cost of showing and grooming dogs.

TashasMom - I don't think you should include mom's expenses (the following list) in the cost of breeding or having puppies -- I have a pet Yorkie (my purchase price was higher). I'm not a breeder and won't be having puppies - But, we all have these same expenses (sometimes more) with just our pets.... no breeding involved... These are not breeding or having puppy expenses.

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2 year old yorkie female..purchase price $750.00
puppy shots with vet visit $30.oo ea time. at least
heart preventative $15.00 for 6 tablets
flea preventative 4 pk $31.99 (that only covers 4 months multiply that times 3) for a years worth.
Feed for a year could be anywhere from $300 to $500
Now keep in mind that this is just the cost of the mom.
Then you have toys, training vet check ups and grooming
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However - I know that it costs a lot to breed and raise a litter of healthy pups. I don't disagree with you a bit on that!

Carol Jean

I agree that the normal costs of caring for the mother should not be included, at least not into the cost of each litter. Even the IRS would not allow that.

hello
 

This went different from what I meant for it to. I was trying to help some out with why it cost so much and i thought it would be a fun thing to do for everyone to join in.
Of course the cost of my female doesn't count because I was just using that as a starting point.
anyway went dif from what I meant for it to so i'm going to pull from the topic. Just thought it'd be helpful.
Maybe i'm better off just learning and reading I don't think my posting is helping any. I didn't want to cause problems just wanted to be a part of the forum. Sorry..

I must be missing something...I didn't see where there was a problem.
I think these kinds of posts can be very helpful for people trying to understand how reputable breeders can not be making a profit selling pups. There are so many costs that most people just don't consider. I would definitely consider the cost of the dam and/or sire/or stud service as part of the expense. The pups don't pop out of thin air...
Money spent on good dogs to use in a breeding program is NOT incidental.

This is why I said what I said. She is the one that said price shouldn't be counted in it.
Now why I said I agree is because honestly I felt l should agree even though honestly I agree with you stacy it should count in it. But I didn't want to cause a fuss so that is why i said what i said.
I just wanted to start this to give some the idea. So i gave some of the cost so others could add to it.
NOw I feel like all i'm doing is defending myself.

I still don't quite get why you're feeling defensive...it's okay to have differing opinions and she was just stating hers....and including regular pet expenses that people should think about too. We all learn from each other here and if I don't agree about not counting the cost of the dogs in a breeding program, I just say so...You can take or leave opinions...but it's important for people to see other sides of issues that they might not be considering.
It's easy to read more into things sometimes, but generally there is no malice meant in simple disagreements.

The term "reputable breeder" has been used a few times....and I THANK all reputable breeders for loving their pups enough to take such good care of the mommies. The extras during the puppy pregnancy seem to be enormous, and then the puppy care itself. I'm impressed and grateful...and will be neutering my own future pooch as I simply do not think I could do it all correctly..Even as a "stud" mommy.. : )

Bren

Caring for the mother - is not the normal cost of having just any dog. While I don't currently breed, I used to breed Bichons and I will tell you the cost of maintaining mom is more expensive then keeping up with any other dog.

She is going to eat substantial more while she is pregnant and nursing the pups and if you feed a high grade, more expensive food it will eat into any so-called profit. Also, I always had to take into account when the female would be pregnant and when she would need to have her shots updated by law requirements. So a female may have to go to the vet more frequently just for routine care.

Also, grooming mom can be more work - pregnancy is hard on their bodies - but then you want them to look their best when prospective buyers come along. Also, there is more money spent on cleaning supplies to keep up with keeping a room full of pups in a sanitary environment. (I agree with all those other expense previously mentioned, too - even the utilities.)

Food for the pups is also a cost, not totally addressed before. And there is no way to account for the hours I spent caring for mom and pups. The hours spent with her during labor alone.

But I do have to say, when I see some breeders websites for Yorkies and they want $5,000 and up per pup it makes you wonder what their profit margin is. I wonder how could one of those pups be more valuable than a $2,000 or $1200 pup.

LOL go to J. Danes site he has a pup for sale $12,000 price firm could you imagine?

Hey!!! Wait!!! Hold on!!! Don't go!!!

No offense intended. I was enjoying the discussion, but every discussion needs 2 sides, or it isn't much of a discussion. So I was just playing devils advocate. So lets keep this going. I think it helps everyone understand the big picture. :)

I agree...it isn't cheap to raise a litter. Some people complain about having to pay over $1k. But many just do not realize the costs.

...spaying and neutering pet puppies, full blood panels, micro chip, litter registration fees, and...

this is a duanting fact most of us breeders keep our kids for 90 days before adoption...breaking down to 2160 hours they live with us and receive constant doting care from both their mother and the breeder. Divide that by the average litter size of 4 pups thats 540 hours of care for each pup equally...I know I get very little sleep the first two weeks after birth as well do not leave the house except for needed vet visits during this time. This doesnt include the vigilance starting at the 60th day pre-whelping; 2232 (added in 3 days average birth is at 63 days) hours estimated

not including the whelping items needed and replenishing of those items, then post whelp additional items such as vet visits, shots, tail docking, dew claws, feeding, toys, chews, treats, pee pads, litter reg, final vet checks and the puppy packs they leave with! Makes me tired just thinking about it all! All for the love of breeding and raising these wonderful little babies.

I am always more curious about the low prices I see for pups on here :eek: I realize I live where it is more expensive but when I see people got pups for $400. I wonder how healthy or Yorkielike they are.

Healthy, beautiful, standard looking puppies start with the correct parents.

Clean lines? Not sure of the definition but it sounds priceless.

Saw that and wondered how many times he's sold that pup.

Thank you
 

Thank you. I guess I never looked at it like that. I was afraid if I disagreed it would cause animosity. But the way you put it sylvan and others (can't remember your names lol) made me realize that it's o.k. to have my own opinion.
I have learned alot from Snowwa and she is good with words so i guess she was one i didn't want to disagree with cause she's good..lol so i agreed as opposed to saying anything to sick her on myself . But now that I know that it's o.k. to have my own opinion and no one gets mad that makes me feel alot better. Thanks ladies..all of you.

Lordy, Tashasmom! You'd HATE Jersey!! LOL We ALL have opinions, and we aren't afraid to make them known! It keeps things interesting! :D