11/19/2024
POTENTIAL OWNER: How much is the puppy?
BREEDER: $4,000
POTENTIAL OWNER: What?? It's way too expensive!!
BREEDER: What do you think would be a good price?
POTENTIAL OWNER: No more than $500. You breeders are so over priced.
BREEDER: I am sorry you see it this way, why don't you try it yourself?
POTENTIAL OWNER: But I've never done it!
BREEDER: For FREE I can teach you how to do it, and in addition you will have the knowledge to do it again.
POTENTIAL OWNER: Perfect, thank you!
BREEDER: To start getting puppies of the same quality, you will need a female(average cost $4,000 and up). Also a male(average cost $4,000 and up) or semen (price of a puppy or pick of the litter... keep in mind, your dog may only have 1 puppy). You will need to do genetic & health testing on them, range is about $500-$1,500 per dog depending on testing required. Raise and provide daily care, feeding & grooming for minimum 1year before breeding them (at an average of $350 per month EACH, for a total of $8,400 over 1 year).
POTENTIAL OWNER: But I don't have that much money...
BREEDER: For $500 you can raise a litter for me and then keep one of the puppies. Obviously, you also have to pay the cost of supplies, whelping, & care.
POTENTIAL OWNER: I can do that.
BREEDER: OK so I have a female due to whelp in 2 weeks. You will need to be available 24/7 around the clock for at least 4 weeks to help with delivery and care while they're young and super fragile. You'll possibly need to tube or bottle feed puppies every 2 hours for the first couple weeks if the mom is low on milk or the puppies won't latch. You'll also need to have a live camera feed you can check no matter where you are to keep an eye on them. You'll need to sleep by them and wake up to check on them every couple hours for at least the first week or two as well. They will need weights taken and tracked twice a day for the first month minimum and then sporadically after that to ensure they're consistently gaining.
Then, until they are 10 weeks old, care and clean up after puppies 3-4 times a day and sanitize their area at least twice a day. They'll likely need baths at minimum every couple weeks, more often if they run through their poo. 🙃
You'll also have to make sure you trim hair off their ears and possibly do some ear training with tape or glue. You'll need to keep their bottoms and bellies (for boys) trimmed short so they stay cleaner, and don't forget to trim nails and handle their feet a lot so they aren't scared of nail trims when they're older. Make sure you take pictures weekly for updates also! You'll want to get a light box and a few props to make them look nice and professional (roughly $200).
POTENTIAL OWNER: Four weeks of being available 24/7?? That's way too much time for me! I have to work.
BREEDER: You will also need the reproductive vet to do xrays($200-$500) & a possibly a C-section($1000-$5000) if anything goes wrong with whelping. Plus initial vet care on pups until old enough to be placed. Pups vets exams and vaccines ($250 each, assuming all puppies are healthy).
Have on hand an oxygen concentrator, puppy incubator, scale, thermometer, latex gloves, sanitizer, absorbent tissues, scissors, hemostats, heating pad, exercise pen, whelping box, blankets, cleaning supplies, appropriate food, supplements for mothers, formula, tube feeding and bottle feeding supplies, medications & supplies in case of emergency....
POTENTIAL OWNER: But I don't have all these things!
BREEDER: For $4000 you can buy them.
POTENTIAL OWNER: Ummm ... You know, I think it might be better if I just buy a puppy.
BREEDER: Wise decision.
For us breeders, we sometimes miss out on vacations or holidays, while you go to visit with family & friends we are home at our dogs side caring for them. It is a huge commitment. And trusting your dogs to someone else is hard and can only be done for short periods of time.
THIS IS THE REALITY OF A GOOD BREEDER!!
When you choose a professional breeder, you don't only pay for the puppy but also: health, resources, tools, knowledge, experience, love, time, sacrifices, etc.
Borrowed - Copied & Pasted feel free to do the same to spread the word!
