12/18/2023
NOTE: This post isn’t written by me. I am sharing it from another breeder because there is SO much truth to this 📢 💯
❓Has everyone here heard the expression, “You get what you pay for”? That was something I heard growing up. Or how about, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Those expressions are SO VERY true when it comes to a furry family member. As breeders, we hear, “Thanks, but I found one cheaper somewhere else” somewhat often. But a puppy is not a pair of shoes or a set of kitchen knives,🔪 rather, someone you want the best for…who you love and who loves you back unconditionally. If someone is selling puppies for $100 in the Wal-Mart parking lot with full breeding rights, CONGRATULATIONS! You saved some money up front. But do you know where you will pay 💰 for the difference? Primarily, vet bills for the entire life span of the dog. Probably also intensive training to rectify issues and build confidence in a dog, where simple handling exercises and exposure training from 1 week old could have prevented them.
Maybe the “breeder” didn’t set up in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Maybe they just happened to have two dogs that they think are decent, and they paired them together and sold the pups for $500 each. 🚨🚩 Hear me on this: It is impossible to maintain a HEALTHY, RESPECTABLE breeding program at those prices. 🤔🤔Think about the overhead cost alone. Vet bills for the adults, X-rays and/or ultrasounds, genetic testing, whelping pens and pads, health checks on puppies, health certificates on puppies, puppy vaccinations, registration cost for the litter, top tier food and supplements for adults and puppies, puppy supplies (toys, exposure training items, etc), basic maintenance of a kennel (electric, cleaning supplies, housing, etc) and preventatives and vaccines in the parent dogs.
All that taken into consideration, if puppies are being priced at, say that $500 mark, if these “breeders” are still claiming that they’ve made a profit, how many of the things listed above do you think were just cut out to minimize costs?💵 And are you okay with that??? For your future baby??? Or do you want the best? All of the things mentioned above still doesn’t even touch on the sacrifices made by a true breeder. 💛Sleepless nights, missed holidays, vacations not taken, around the clock care for the babies…your future baby…, the constant mentality of “what can I do better?”, the hours spent looking for the perfect addition to the breeding program, passing on beautiful dogs simply because of genetics, FaceTiming puppy families, and more.
So before you attempt to compare the Wal-Mart breeder or the backyard breeder to the breeder who is fully invested, just remember, “You [absolutely] get what you pay for.” 💙
“Picture of one of our keeper girls!”