I live in AZ and dang it I can't sell my last few pups if I walked around naked with a sign saying pups for sale!

Really what is going on, no buyers or even calls or emails??

Is this universal?

not here. But I don't breed without 5 or 6 spoken for either.

No problems here. Maybe you need to look into some additional advertising.

Would anyone like to share where you advertise?
Sure would appreciate it????

Midwest puppy inquiries are way down.

Yes, black puppy requests are very rare here. I have 3 puppies waiting for forever homes. I could have placed yellows before the blacks were born. I bred a BY to a BY and had only 1 yellow which could have sold 50 times? Maybe its a color trend for me? Maybe next month they will all want blacks. I am hoping although my pups are now getting older.

Hi Leeanne,

I think you need to advertise, it's true Phoenix and in general AZ is full of BYB and it's difficult sometimes to sell the pups, but I never had any problem, I still get phone calls every week even when I don't have pups. If you want to email me privately maybe I can give you some ideas.

I must be very lucky then. I will say, some were already on my list, but of 10 beautiful babies at two weeks, they are all spoken for and have deposits. Also, have sent inquirys on to others so not just chocolate. Know the South sure would not have more money than alot of areas. I will be thankful Mine is just web page and word of mouth. Best of luck.

We get lots of inquiries for blacks/yellows-not as many for chockies lately.Most of ours are spoken for before they arrive-just website and word of mouth for the most part.Buyers are more educated about what to look for too.

I had a waiting list....Now that the puppies are here and there are no females available I lost my puppy people!

Oh and Leanne...if I walked around naked...well we just won't go there :)!!!!!

I in in southeast and even though inquiries are down I have not had a issue selling last litter that just went home.
In fact one went to Colorado and one to Arizona, but they both were from references...the best advertisement there is.

I am in Texas and had to advertise. I used the newspaper at the closest big city. I also used the AKC site to advertise the litter. I did use a website that advertise all kinds of dogs and got some inquiries but not as much as the newspapers in the bigger cities. I never listed price, just my website and got tons of inquiries....even for my older dogs. I sold them all within the two week period of advertising.

Wow! I had no problems selling my last litter (all black) and I have had several inquiries since and have forwarded them to fellow breeders in the area. I have an all black litter due later this month that I have not told people about or taken deposits on because I think it is going to be small...hope I did not just jinx myself!

Best inquiries came from local lab club listing - and many of them. AKC site brought mixed bag of buyers. Still the most demand for yellow females.

Maybe we should start thinking like the naughty baristas of Cowgirls Espresso here in the Northwest and stand out side with our Labrador Sandwhich boards butt naked.

Kidding aside, it does help to advertise in your local labrador club's newsletter and have a nice website up and running. The one thing I do that really helps me out when I need to find good homes for the last couple pups is start emailing all my puppy buyers over the years. They have friends who know friends even if they aren't in the market to adopt another puppy.

Oddly enough, I get more calls on my adult dogs than I do puppies these days. Yellow pups are all the rage and I feel it's gotten worse since Marley and Me came out. Hopefully it will wear off and folks will get back to the idea of adopting a nice black or chocolate puppy.

I also keep my Labrador business cards on me at all times and so does my husband. I even give them to our 2 adult daughters to hand out at work when someone asks them about Labradors and where to find a reputable breeder etc. I give 4 or 5 business cards to the wife and husband when they come to pick up their puppy. They put them in their wallets that way when they have their new puppy out and about and someone askes them where they got their dog, the owner can hand them my busness card.

What about the NE, can anyone let me know how pups are selling in the Northeast?

My yellow litter, that went last week, was spoken for before they were ready to leave, which was a first, especially at this time of year, here in the NE.

We live in Arizona and just had a litter a day ago. We get 1000. They all had deposits on them before they were born and I am turning people away. What are you charging?

I put an ad in the newspaper this morning and also a sign up for all the garage sale and runners that go by.
This is the very first time I ever had yellows that were hard to sell.
My past 3 litters were all sold before they were born too.

I sell my Labbys for 1200.00 which I think is fair.

How much do you all sell them for.

I think we should make a pact NOT to lower the price ...it will hurt everyone if we do that.

NE is needy for well bred pups. There are too many buyers and not enough pups. Going prices, $1500-$2000 for reputatable breeders. ($2500-$5000 for large kennels with xtra fees for full registration .) Black boys sell just as fast as any color girl lately. All colors are desired right now. I never saw it this demanding. We have a supposed bad economy? Makes you wonder.

I'm sorry I simply don't believe you.
I've talked to many breeders and were all in the same boat.
Our friends help some but for the most part the calls and emails have slowed to a snails pace.
I don't see why big breeders can command that much more for a puppy either!
My experience with big well known breeders has not been that at all.
I wish everyone would just be honest and quit saying how wonderful it is for them.

You ask for opinions. You get the truth and now you tell us we are making it up? Im selling all mine before they are whelped and Im in not far from you. Are you breeding to top champions?

Do you belong to your local Labrador Retriever Club? It might be good for you to join. They must get asked for referrals and send puppy buyers to members who have litters. Do you go to shows? Some puppy buyers go to shows looking for a good breeder in their area.

Actually someone else is the second NE. I asked the initial question, but not the one about how great it is here.

Maybe the bad economy is felt more in the midwest, because I probably wouldn't be able to sell any puppies at all if I charged $1,200. The going price is $900 or $1,000 in our area for pet or show pups. All of my show friends are talking about the lack of inquiries.

I think also, the population is much greater in the NE as opposed to more rural areas in our part of the States. Its a shame you can't send these inquiries our way a we have some beautiful puppies that are Ch. sired with great temperments.

Sorry bout that NE #1. I didn't see your name.

Leeanne, I'm not lying and won't reply again. I'm referencing at least a dozen reputable breeders I know personally in this area of the NE. $1500-$2000

Do it your way and don't believe anyone. I never said "big, well known breeders". I said large kennels. Figure it out.

Hmmm... I have buyers, but no puppies. Lots of deposits to refund for blacks and yellows.

I live in the rural NE and "good puppies" are approx 1,000.- 1,200. in my area. I get referrals thru my local Specialty Club and sell my pups as pets to wonderful homes. Had a slow yr in 2008 but have had plenty of inquiries this yr.

There are ppl that undercut and folks that IMHO oversharge. To each his own and buyer beware are my motto's!!

NE #2 is correct about the price for puppies. In my area that is what the pups sell for. People will pay the price for the puppies. They want them and if they like you as a breeder and like your dogs money is no issue. And IMHO it is not overcharging, a well bred Labrador Retriever puppy with good lines is well worth the coin.

Well, we or I have a problem down this way. Never had enough puppies for reservations and inquiries. I haven't had a litter in 2 years and all inquiries are for yellow and chocolate. I finally get 7 blacks and 1 yellow. Its a serious pedigree and belong to a Specialty Club even with referals but no black hits except for one or 2. Puppies are getting older fast.

You're absolutely right, it is heavier populated in the NE and part of the reason for more puppy buyers. I send inquiries I can't help, to several breeders but not if the pup is going to be shipped as I don't ship pet pups. I'm a firm believer along with other breeders that the breeder and the buyers meet face to face, especially when they have children.

If someone is willing to travel to the lower Mid-West for example, then fine. I've found most aren't.

So how do I send my weekly inquiries to the lower Mid-West if buyers are days of driving away? Do you ship to people you haven't met? It is kinda hard to work at that distance with pet buyers.

You didn't mention the bitch, only the Ch. sired litter and beautiful puppies with great temperaments. If you want people sent to you, you're best off presenting pedigrees of the bitch and stud-dog and all health clearances of both to some NE breeders. You can see on their websites when a litter is spoken for. Clearances do make a difference. OFA hips, elbows, CERF, and now Heart doppler clearances are being done by more breeders with each upcoming clinic today. I'm truly trying to help you as I'm sure you know, the fact it's a Ch. sired litter is not enough for most breeders who could refer to see. If they're working with a repeat buyer 15 years later, they're going to send those people to breeders doing things similar to what they are. Some thoughts you might want to take into consideration.

Also, do you find your Labrador club website helpful for inquiries? Most of us do and I recommend that be one of the first stops for a new buyer, the local Labrador Clubs in their state or bordering ones. I wish you good luck with your pups and placements in great homes.

I am in upper Midwest and just had a litter this summer, all are in great homes and had more inquiries than pups, inquiries have kept coming (for yellows and blacks, mostly yellow males believe it or not) and I have referred them on when possible. Going rate is about $900 around here although some not very reputable people are charging $1500 for dogs no where near as nice as the $900 ones. (bred with no clearances or on prelims at one year, no champs in first or second generation, etc.) I never get how they can charge that much more for that much less but there really is a "sucker born every minute".

Leeanne, I'm also in the NE and my pups are spoken for before whelp and many times before a litter is bred. The price here based on all the breeders I speak to is 1500-2000 and they (we) easily get it. Some sell for quite a bit more but the average seems to be what I quoted.

If I walked around nekked, well I wont go there either LOLOLOLOL.

I have not seen a decrease in inquiries in the northeast. I already have a waiting list for 2010. I would suggest if you have friends in the northeast, ask those friends that do not have litters if you can advertise your litter on their website.

I can only give my experience this year with having one litter this year, which would be typical for us. Inquiries not lacking for males (color didn't matter) or light yellow females. Darker yellow girls or black girls, that's another story. And yes, even trying one's best to educate that color shouldn't be the primary concern and that there are other things more important and what those are, people plain and simple sometimes have reasons for a color preference and in the end that is fine, I won't talk anyone into a puppy.

I do think the closer a breeder is located to the cities and suburbs, the greater the poplulation or "pool" for finding those prospective good homes for puppies. Don't get me wrong, I've had families make the trip from 8 - 9 hours away (usually they come by breeder friend referrals), but let's be honest, that's not typical for most people to want to drive that distance.

I'm situated in a very rural, wide open part of my state, not a whole lot west of me for 4 hours (and not a real booming economic region even in the best of times) and east it's about 2 hours to the closest metropolitan area. In my state, there seems to be cluster of reputable breeders in two sectors of the state (and how I envy those breeders who have breeder friends and clubs so close by, I feel out in the boonies). Availability and timing probably come into play at times. I can imagine the average family looking for a puppy, all things being equal between breeders/litters and the availability being there and timing right, is going to look more locally and prefer to travel closer to home.

I am located about 2 hours north of Boston. I sell my pups for $1250. I have no problems with finding good homes. My current litter is all sold. I have people now asking about planned breeding for possible winter/spring litters. I don't breed unless i have at least 5 firm homes for pups. Most people i have worked with have been very good and very informed about what they want for health. I do get the occasional family that tells me i am too high and then the other day i talked to a gentelman in southern CT who told me my price was too low. Go figure.

Those few who have told me that i charge to much, i have told them to check out breeders in the mid west. But then they have to figure out if they are going to drive to pick up their pup or see about having it shipped. By that time they have paid what i charge.

I have actually been surprised by the amount of people i have either sent to other breeders or have on my list for a possible spring pup.

Or perhaps you are lying about who and where you are. Maybe you are finally realizing that eventhough the market is still good, you're not getting any referrals from anyone because of who you are and your terrible reputation!

It's all about who you know sometimes and if you have a bad reputation amongst show breeders, they will NOT refer anyone to you. You can't even advertise in your club's newsletter because you are not allowed to join the area clubs because they know about you too.

So sad to see people breeding who can't place their own puppies. I can see these poor babies just filling up the kennels, getting "old" and not getting any love