DeVille Dalmatians

04/21/2024

03/20/2024

I have recently seen a few discussions on the cost of different purebred puppies. A common theme amongst these discussions is people being surprised at the cost of a well bred purebred dog. There are typically two kinds of responses to hearing these higher costs:
1. They are astounded by the price and think it is a scam or ridiculous.
2. They think you are insulting their $300 purebred by saying it is not worth as much.

No one is saying that your dog is worth less as a companion based on what you paid, but well bred dogs cost what they cost for very good reasons. A well bred dog can be thought of as an investment, you pay more up front to ensure a higher likelihood of paying less over the dog’s lifetime for health and behavioral issues.

The cost of a well bred dog varies heavily amongst breed and more slightly across different regions, but the averages for each breed can be roughly estimated. For example, a well bred golden retriever is likely to cost you between $2,000-3,000 for just limited registration pretty much anywhere in the US. So, if I see someone selling a golden for $1,000 or less that tells me that massive corners are being cut in regard to health testing, veterinary care, or titling. Reputable breeders so rarely even break even, so they certainly could not afford to take a hit like that, so this would tell me that most likely those puppies are not well bred.

To demonstrate why well bred dogs cost what they do, let’s dive into the details of what all goes into producing the litter. To make it simpler, we’ll continue our example using the golden retriever and I will be giving averages based on estimates from clinics in my area and from breeders I have spoken to regarding this. Individual costs for each breeder will obviously be different based on location and how long it takes to title the dog.


𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: $3,000

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗛 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: $10,000-$15,000
This includes entry fees, travel costs such as gas, hotels, meals, etc, grooming supplies. Breeders often have to travel very far out of state for shows, so these costs will vary. This cost can also be significantly higher if a professional handler is used, and goldens are a hard breed to finish so they often are.

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 (𝗥𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗲𝘁𝗰): $5,000-$10,000 per sport
This includes entry fees and travel costs.

These are important steps because they prove through an unbiased third party that the dog has proven itself worthy of being bred. Conformation is meant to serve as judgement of breeding stock, which means that the judges are comparing the dog to its breed standard to see how well it represents it. Titling in sports proves the dog has the drive and trainability to excel in these activities that will hopefully be passed on.

Health testing is one of the most important parts of breeding responsibly. The goal is to produce an overall healthier next generation, so doing all breed appropriate health tests and only breeding those who will pass on better genes is of the utmost importance. For goldens to receive a CHIC number, which is a certification given when the dog has been screened for every disease recommended by the parent club for that breed and those results are publicly made available, there are four required tests:

𝗛𝗶𝗽 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 >𝟮𝟰 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀:
Radiographs: $200-300
Sedation if necessary: $150
OFA submission: $45

𝗘𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘄 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 >𝟮𝟰 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀:
Radiographs: $200-300
Sedation if necessary: $100
OFA submission: $35

𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆:
Exam: $55
OFA submission: $12 new, $8 resubmission thereafter

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗰 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 >𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀:
Exam: $100
Echo: $300-500
OFA submission: $15

In addition to these tests required by the CHIC program, many breeders will often do DNA testing to screen for common heritable issues in their breed. For example, PRA and Ichthyosis are commonly screened for in goldens.
𝗗𝗡𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: $200 through Embark or $80 per test through other companies.

Costs associated with breeding or a pregnant bitch:

𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲: $1,000-3,000
There could also be extra costs associated with shipping the stud or costs associated with artificial insemination.
𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁: $50
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀: $100/each
𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀/𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀: $150/each
𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁, 𝗲𝘁𝗰: $200
This is assuming the bitch has an easy pregnancy and birth as an emergency C-section could easily cost $5,000.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗻: $250
𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗿, 𝗲𝘁𝗰): $300
𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: $300-500
𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗱: $50/week
𝗩𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: $100/puppy
𝗚𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝘀: $50-100/puppy

Taking all of the low end estimates and assuming immediate conception and a flawlessly simple pregnancy and delivery of an average sized litter already breaks $20,000, and none of these figures factor in the time and expertise of the breeder which cannot be quantified. They often take days off work to travel for shows and sport trials or during the first week or so after the puppies have been born. They spend years studying the breed, studying pedigrees, and carefully choosing their pairings. They spend at minimum 8 weeks with the litter once born following puppy raising protocols that ensure the puppies will be as socialized as possible by the time they get to you. They examine the puppies closely looking at structure and personality to decide which puppy is the best fit for you and your lifestyle. After all of this, they also provide a lifetime of support to you and your new dog.

I know that I too was a little shell shocked the first time I learned what a well bred dog costs, but the more that you learn about all that is involved and how important each of those steps are, the more you understand how incredibly worth the investment a well bred dog is.

03/08/2024

When we are faced with death, it's important to celebrate life.

01/25/2024

My thoughts on the Purina consumer claims.

As many of you are aware pet owners/breeders are posting complaints against the Purina food company. Some even claiming their dogs have died from consuming their food. There have been no recalls and I'm not aware of an official investigation into these claims but the company has issued a statement saying these are false claims.

Purina has made 11+ recalls, between cat and dog food, since 2004 for anything from pieces of plastic, salmonella poisoning, vitamin and mineral levels being too high or low and a few others. This info can be found in 2 minutes by searching Purina recalls. I just listed back to 2004 but there are more pre-2004. Does this mean I won't recommend it? No. All companies do recalls and accidents happen. Petcerean, Hills, Iams, and more have all been through recalls. There is a class action lawsuit against all prescription diet blends. I'm not going to go into detail on that but if you feed prescription diets it is an interesting read. My point is nothing is perfect, nothing is one size fits all and it always comes down to you being your dogs advocate. Unless you buy every single ingredient that goes into your dogs bowl and you know exactly where those ingredients come from you do not have control of what your dog is eating, just the illusion of it. Even raw food companies have done recalls due to salmonella and other contaminant issues so nothing is perfect. If your dog is doing great on whatever you feed, perfect, continue to feed it! If you truly feel a Purina product, or any product for that matter, has made your pet sick then there is a process to go about having your food replaced and an investigation may be started, you may also be ignored. Remember that the squeaky wheel gets the grease! I fed Proplan for 5 years. I didn't feel I was getting the results I wanted and switched away. Every single puppy I produced was sent home with Proplan puppy food and some still feed it and many have switched away. I still recommend it as an option for dals because many dals do great on it.

This is of course just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

01/25/2024

I just entered Skye in the Halifax show this March. Her handler will be Dawn Dearing, the young lady in our profile photo with Skye.
Wish us luck!

01/15/2024

Enjoying her Icelandic sheepskin

12/31/2023

Skye enjoying winter in her cute little sweater.

12/31/2023

12/27/2023

✔️ I support Reputable Rescues AND Reputable Breeders!

People often ask where our "rescue" Dalmatians come from?

Well they're are definitely NOT coming from reputable breeders who would take their Dalmatians back! Reputable breeders always know where ALL of their Dalmatians are, how they are doing, are health tested, follow a code of ethics AND have Permanent ID.

Please stop supporting pet breeders! This is how YOU can support rescue & put us out of business forever! Our goal in rescue is to never be needed again! Many of our previous rescues were purchased off Kijiji & Craigslist ads. The breeders were unable to be found or didn't want them back. 😔

12/27/2023

Vanessa Stockard (Australian, b.1975)
Satan taking a break from hate crimes ,2022

12/11/2023

In a festive meadow, kissed by a rainbow's light,
In peace and happiness, our spirits joyfully alive.

12/11/2023

It's windy today!

12/07/2023

They tell you not to cry.
They tell you it's just a dog, not a person.
They tell you that the pain will pass.
They tell you that animals don't know they have to die.
They tell you that the important thing is not to make him suffer.
They tell you that you can have another .
They tell you that it will pass.
They tell you that there are more unbearable pains.

But they don't know how many times you've looked your dog in the eye.

They don't know how many times it's been you and your dog alone, staring into the dark.

They don't know how many times your dog was the only one by your side.

They don't know that the only one who has never judged you is your dog.

They don't know how scared you were the night their cries woke you up.

They don't know how many times your dog slept near you.

They don't know how much you've changed since the dog became part of your life.

They don't know how many times you hugged him when he was sick.

They don't know how many times you've pretended not to see how her hair turned whiter and whiter.

They don't know how many times you've talked to your dog, the only one who really listens.

They don't know how beautiful you were to your dog.

They don't know it was only your dog who knew you were suffering.

They don't know what feelings your dog made you try.

They don't know what it feels like to see your elderly dog straining to come say hi to you.

They don't know that when things went wrong, the only one who didn't go is your dog.

They don't know that your dog trusted you every moment of his life, even in the last one.

They don't know how much your dog has loved you and how little was enough for him to be happy, because you were enough for him.

They don't know that crying for a dog is one of the most noble, meaningful, true, clean and sincere things you can do.

They don't know about the last time you moved him with difficulty... being careful not to hurt him.

They don't know what it felt like to caress his face in the last moments of his life..."

~ Author unknown

Follow DogsDear ❤️🌈🐾
Artwork by Laron G. S. via Midjourney❤

12/06/2023

Koda, Spider, Flair, Chance, Ceasar, Max, Duchess, Sam.....

12/06/2023

Did you know:

If you have a pacemaker, you can put it in your Will to have your pacemaker donated to a dog in need after you pass. Pacemakers cannot be donated to another human, but they can be donated to dogs with cardiac issues who would depend on it to stay alive.

You can have the pacemaker brought to a vet of your choice. So many of those get thrown away and dogs die because people don't know they can do this. It even saves the dog's owner the cost of the actual pacemaker which sometimes means the difference in being able to afford lifesaving treatment or not.

12/05/2023

Picture of a Dalmatian in Romania from the mid 19th Century.

12/05/2023

No exceptions to this. When puppies come, do NOT let any other dogs near mom or the puppies. No one is immune to tragedy, so avoid the trauma and don't take a chance. The consequence is too high. Have you made this mistake before?

12/05/2023

👍right👍

12/05/2023

Skye and daddy napping is my favorite 😍

12/05/2023

I'm posting this because it's really important to remember this season.

The holiday season is officially here 🎁 ❄️ Download, print, and share our holiday safety handout with your buyers, so we can keep all of our dogs safe this holiday season! https://bit.ly/puppy-holiday-safety