10/27/2024
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I BORROWED THIS FROM ANOTHER POST AND ADDED A FEW MORE THAT I INCLUDE IN MY PROGRAM.
THIS TRULY LINES IT OUT CLEARLY!
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Why does a purebred puppy from a reputable club breeder cost so much?
☆ Health Testing on Sire and Dam
• OFA Hips & Elbows
• Echocardiogram Heart Testing
• Holter 24-Hour Heart Monitoring (Breed Specific - Example: Boxer)
• Genetic Testing (Breed Specific - Set By Breed Parent Association - Examples: JLPP & Long Hair in Rottweilers, Etc.)
• OFA Eye Certification
• DNA Panel (Voluntary But A Useful Tool)
☆ Routine Veterinary Care
☆ Breeding Costs:
• Progesterone Testing (Often Multiple Times During Dam's Heat Cycle)
• Stud Fees
• Brucellosis Testing
• Travel Expenses to and from
• Trans-cervical insemination (TCI)
• Semen Collection & Storage
• Frozen Semen
• Chilled Semen
• Shipped Semen
☆ Breeding Planning:
•It takes about a week of my time arranging the breeding and constant monitoring of pregnant dam.
☆ Pregnancy Vet Exams, Pregnancy Confirmation Ultrasound, Pup Count X-Rays
☆ Quality Puppy Food and Supplements
☆Whelping Supplies:
•Medical Supplies (Stethoscope, Scale, Thermometer, Forceps, Umbilical Clamps, Iodine, Latex Gloves, Bulb Syringe, Tube Feed Kit)
•Frozen Blood Plasma
•Whelping Boxes
•Containment Pens
•Blankets
•Toys
•Supplements
•Milk Replacement (Colostrum)
•Expendables
☆ Vet Checks for Puppies
☆ Vaccines & Dewormers
☆ Microchips & Microchip Registration
☆ AKC Litter Registration
☆ Time and Expenses Raising The Litter:
• Raising, socializing, and training the puppies until 8 weeks of age or sometimes longer. (That is a minimum of 1500 hours of work and effort.)
• Weekly Weigh-Ins, Photos/Videos, Health Monitoring
• Tail Docking & Dewclaw Removal (If Breed Requires For Show)
• Weekly Nail Trim Training
☆ Puppy Kits, Printed Materials, Growth Records & Photos, and Breed & Health Information
☆ Litter Advertisement
☆ My time sending and reviewing buyer applications.
☆ My time spent vetting potential families for each puppy.
☆ Time and expenses incurred while delivering puppies to new families.
☆ My time spent educating owners and continuing to give advice for the life of the dog.
☆ My commitment to always take one of my puppies back regardless of age, health condition, or reason of return.
☆ Expenses and time incurred in rehoming returned puppies/dogs.
I won’t include the club memberships, show entry fees, show lodging expenses, costs incurred to gain championships or higher, travel to shows, professional handler expenses, show attire, show supplies (show bag, cool coats, warm coats, bait, grooming supplies, grooming tables, blowers, makeup, show collars & leashes, spray bottles, ringside crates & covers, etc.), advertising, hundreds of hours of time spent promoting purebred dogs.
I won’t include missed vacations, sleepless nights, very high repro vet bills, missed breedings, c-sections, singletons, sudden losses, or bad luck.
All are expensive and we do it for no other reason than to preserve our breeds.
If I hear another person say they are just looking for a pet and not a show dog...
My advice to them is go ahead and buy a car with no warranty, no manual, no VIN or registration and the odometer is broken.
Good luck with that. I hope you have a good trainer and good insurance.
☆☆ALL of what we produce ARE pets. A lot of what we produce are only pet quality.☆☆
☆☆ALL are loved cherished companions that go to carefully screened homes.☆☆
☆☆It is only the exceptional ones that we keep to breed.☆☆
That therein lies the difference.
