What would you expect to pay for a show
prospect puppy from a reputable breeder?

I paid $2000. Didn't turn out.

Same price as their 'pet' puppies. That's what I charge (8 weeks).

Agree, same price as their pet puppies. Most puppies
don't turn out and almost guaranteed that unless you are a good friend, YOU won't be getting first pick
and odds are stacked against the puppy turning out to be competitive. good luck

I just placed one for free , with a good friend, IF he turns out , half of the stud fees are returned to me.

I paid the same as a pet puppy. Didn't turn out but I still have him and he's a great pet.

$1800

A friend paid 3000. The pup ended up having displasia and its been over a year and still no replacement.

A better question would be how much is a year old show quality pup with prelims!!?? Sounds like it would be a better deal.

How about paying $5K for a co-own on a "show" (not!!!) puppy who has ED/FCP requiring surgery?

This is why it is a "puppy crap shoot." I fair price all of my puppies, the pet puppies, the show potentials and the potential performance dogs, not one costs more than the other as you just never know. Would I price an older dog higher, yes. Would I price an older bitch higher, yes. And yes I have paid higher prices for older dogs from other breeders in years past. Yes, it was worth it as I essentially 'paid for their risk' as clearances were already done, and I could see how they matured vs. getting a puppy.

I know of a bitch with the same, she came from a PM that claimed they were selling a show potential pup. To look at her, you can tell she was never meant to be in a show ring although the PM has been sending some of their dogs out with a handler and finished a couple of them. Big deal, they're a rip-off.

They offered the owner a replacement pup but they would have to send back the girl who already had double elbow surgery. They were so attached to her they refused and got nuthin back paying bills for multiple surgeries at a young age. I give this person credit for not putting the large PM's name right on their website. They now have a CH boy they finished,owner handled from an ethical breeder. Once the girl healed, she did as much obedience work as she could handle with 3 of 4 defective joints.

Be careful who you go to for a show potential puppy.

Hey, this might be the same girl. If it is, put the name of the seller on your website as factual information why don't you?

I paid $800 for a show girl, co-own her with her breeder. She finished her championship at 16 months, OFA hips excellent, elbows, shoulders look great, Optigen Clear, EIC clear, CNM clear and CERFs every year like a champ.

She would be no less worthy to me had I paid less or more, or she failed a clearance. I took a chance on her and she on me :)

It may be a crap shoot, but I still would expect to pay more for a show potential puppy and have... From an ethical breeder, and our contract was nothing but a handshake between us. Dog passed all clearances with flying colours.

When it's my turn .. I'm not selling nice show pups for the same price as the pet pups .. just doesn't make good business sense when you can see they are nicer dogs ..

That is just wrong to think that way (when it's your turn). Even though they may look better at 8 weeks they can look horrid at one year. I have seen Specialty Best In Sweeps puppies get so ugly you would think they were a rescue. There is no guarantee. It's a gamble and always will be. Even if they are gorgeous at 8 weeks and still look good at one year, you then have many clearances ahead.

Mine are all the same price.

This is for the person that payed the 5K for
the show dog. Was the dog pre-limed before you
purchased it?

Can't see paying that much for something that was
not at least pre-limbed.

I would call that a lesson learned. Never buy a year old dog without prelims done.

For the purposes of an average puppy buyer, a well-bred, carefully reared pet prospect from cleared, healthy parents is worth every bit as much as its show prospect sibling.

It does not cost me one cent less to raise a pet. Nor do I give it one minute less affection, stimulation or conditioning. My pups are all the same price.

Some of the posts on this subject have said they bought or know of someone who has bought a show prospect from a puppy mill. Why would anyone knowingly buy a "show prospect" from a breeder who maybe has 11 or 12 bitches that they breed at least once a year and maybe get one champion from these breedings. How would the breeder know a show quality when they see maybe 70 puppies a year from all sorts of mish mash breeding. Just because one breeds to a champion once in awhile it not a reason that all of the kennel's puppies are going to be show quality or whether or not the breeder knows which ones are promising and which ones are not. I think, especially new breeders or exhibitors, need to learn how to pick out a quality breeder who knows their lines. Ellie

The best part of the "biz" is when someone has been in the breed 5 minutes, and offers show quality puppies. Love that concept !

I know of that high volume breeder...They claim to be the most sought after bloodlines for 28 years and no other breeder does the clearances they do. HA! If you can even find their dogs on OFa, they hardly have any clearances at all. They also only give info on a couple of the dogs they breed and broker for other people who they say are "investors" in their puppy breeding business. They produced a TVD puppy a few years ago and when the owner of the puppy (less than one year old) asked them about the parents' clearances and submitting samples for the TVD research project,they said that both parents were dead! And they now say they want to judge!!!!!..but no club wants to have them as a member....for good reason!

I sell all my puppies for the same price. There is no guarantee any will pass all clearances, let alone finish a championship. At the end of the day, all of these dogs are someone's pet. I sold a dog from my last litter that in my opinion was not show quality (straight front and rear), but his owner wanted to show him and I was fine with it - the more people want to do with their dogs, the better. He finished his AKC championship very quickly. His two siblings, which are much nicer dogs, are pointed but not yet finished. I would not change anything as I kept the best puppy and my opinion has not changed now that they are mature. I certainly do not think the finished dog is worth more than the others. Sometimes it really is a crap shoot.

Yup, exactly what happened to me. The breeder jacked up the "show potential" puppies by $300. She has been in the breed for very little time and admits she does not know much. Out of a large litter I think she decided that something like 5 were show potentials. I've had established breeders offer me show potential puppies at a far cheaper price, and their puppies were priced the same as their pet puppies. Funny when people think they have authority in something and they barley know what they are doing. Same breeder admited that she kind of breeds just to pay for her dog showing hobby. Hmm, do I smell a BYB?

at one time I had a person beg me to sell a pet puppy so she could show and I refused to sell a pet puppy as a show potential. She begged me and offered me a substantail amount more for one of my keepers-I refused, but so happened a show potential puppy that was to go east was backed out of so this person was given a very lovely puppy, moderate but very nice and she has not shown her but a time or two, and she has worked her so hard she has been lame on and off. So it is a crap shoot for breeders to place show potentail puppies as well.

I would bet the breeder that you say breeds to fund her showing also keeps a puppy from every litter too.

[/quote]Yup, exactly what happened to me. The breeder jacked up the "show potential" puppies by $300. She has been in the breed for very little time and admits she does not know much. Out of a large litter I think she decided that something like 5 were show potentials. I've had established breeders offer me show potential puppies at a far cheaper price, and their puppies were priced the same as their pet puppies. Funny when people think they have authority in something and they barley know what they are doing. Same breeder admited that she kind of breeds just to pay for her dog showing hobby. Hmm, do I smell a BYB?[/quote]

Wow, I say you better jump on those established breeders puppy offers, can't beat that now can you!!!!

Totally agree. It can work the other way too. The ugly 8 week olds can look fantastic as adults.

I have a good idea who you are talking about. You're right, be very careful who you buy from. Ethical? Not even close.

Yup...and there are many of them on this board and on pet web forums. They try and talk like they know stuff, only show dogs in obedience and UKC and breed their dogs before 2 years of age on prelims. Sorry...but you can't be on boards trying to educate proper breeding practices if you don't yourself follow them!

There is one like this in my area also. Show mill breeder who sells everything as show quality for an outrageous price. Promises the stars and the moon to the buyers telling them they have the next champion top ten dog. Also locks these buyers into oweing puppies back as well in addition to the already high price paid for the original puppy purchased. Most often the outcome is, these show prospects never make it in the shows and then to top it off they don't pass their clearances either.

Oh, because no breeders who have been around for years producing show dogs would ever breed on prelims... (I don't think they should be, but it happens all the time)

I've been in Labradors for over 25 years and I have both stud dogs and bitches I have specialty winners, BOB winners and I have judged a few times. I insist on all clearances (sometimes pre-lims) with my own dogs or dogs I breed to. I still have only one or two litters a year since I started in dogs, and I have absolutely no problem breeding on pre-lims(on either sex of dog). Of course, a girl would be over 20 moths old, but a male could be a year old. I have done it and never regretted it. To each his own.
I think this makes me "being around for years" , but it surely doesn't qualify me for Puppy Mill or BYB status!

So?? What is the going rate for a show potential puppy? Please stay on topic.

Mine are all the same price. It's a gamble and it always will be.

Why would anyone pay 3000- 5000 dollars for a potential show pup.

You can buy a prelimb or cleared dog for that.

People need to re think . You can buy from long time breeders with established lines and soundness for a lot less than that.

Sucker born every minute.

Yup, exactly what happened to me. The breeder jacked up the "show potential" puppies by $300. She has been in the breed for very little time and admits she does not know much. Out of a large litter I think she decided that something like 5 were show potentials. I've had established breeders offer me show potential puppies at a far cheaper price, and their puppies were priced the same as their pet puppies. Funny when people think they have authority in something and they barley know what they are doing. Same breeder admited that she kind of breeds just to pay for her dog showing hobby. Hmm, do I smell a BYB?[/quote]

Wow, I say you better jump on those established breeders puppy offers, can't beat that now can you!!!! [/quote]

*jump on those established breeders puppy offers, can't beat that now can you!!!!*
Yes. I think you're right.

I've heard the same stories. Just b/c someone has a very large litter sired by this months popular *AbCd 1234* stud-dog out of their just-okay bitch with no points, does *not* make close to half the litter show quality. Most are sold to those newer in the breed who pay much more than pet prices b/c they don't know the established, reputable breeders don't do it that way. They're thrilled the puppy does decent in UKC but are afraid to try AKC shows b/c the pup doesn't do as well in AKC. The pup is pick no. 5 of many pups & the *breeder* doesn't really know a show pup from a pet pup. We can all send the better of 2 pups to another breeder not knowing how the top 2 will turn out but these people don't know much about what an 8 week old pup should look. Some get lucky on pick no. 1, after that, the pups do nothing great. So they're bred, Original breeder getting pups back sometimes on top of the higher prices.

Go to a long established breeder, get pick 4 and you're getting 10 times the pup with a chance of that pup doing well in the AKC ring too.

I groan each time I hear these stories but I have no control over what others do.

When purchasing a hopefully show potential puppy, work with someone that you trusted before and will after the purchase.

Wow, I say you better jump on those established breeders puppy offers, can't beat that now can you!!!! [/quote]

*jump on those established breeders puppy offers, can't beat that now can you!!!!*
Yes. I think you're right.

I've heard the same stories. Just b/c someone has a very large litter sired by this months popular *AbCd 1234* stud-dog out of their just-okay bitch with no points, does *not* make close to half the litter show quality. Most are sold to those newer in the breed who pay much more than pet prices b/c they don't know the established, reputable breeders don't do it that way. They're thrilled the puppy does decent in UKC but are afraid to try AKC shows b/c the pup doesn't do as well in AKC. The pup is pick no. 5 of many pups & the *breeder* doesn't really know a show pup from a pet pup. We can all send the better of 2 pups to another breeder not knowing how the top 2 will turn out but these people don't know much about what an 8 week old pup should look. Some get lucky on pick no. 1, after that, the pups do nothing great. So they're bred, Original breeder getting pups back sometimes on top of the higher prices.

Go to a long established breeder, get pick 4 and you're getting 10 times the pup with a chance of that pup doing well in the AKC ring too.

I groan each time I hear these stories but I have no control over what others do.

When purchasing a hopefully show potential puppy, work with someone that you trusted before and will after the purchase.[/quote]
Wow! I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm sitting on a 4th pick puppy from a "newbie" breeder that may actually turn out better than her 1st pick sister (who, as a matter of fact, ended up in a pet home recently)- and the litter was evaluated by established peers. I'm sure even most long established breeders would still agree that you can only make an educated guess which pups will be the best at puppy evals. From there, lots of things can happen and it's a crapshoot on whether those picks turn out. And it's not just a newbie breeder vs. established breeder thing. It's the chances every breeder and buyer take.

However, you're right, I do trust her. In fact, she's a dear friend and we've learned a lot together.

And isn't it a bite when this person turns around and somehow accomplishes what most of us can only dream of - Winner's Dog at Potomac? And then post for help on what they should do to promote him at stud and (actually) what is wrong with the way they are doing AI's and shipping? The irony of it all is just endless, isn't it?

Just Endless.

Perfectly said....

That was hysterical! I'm taking all the advice by others to empty my bladder before reading this list. Thank God I did!

Busted

Come on, no thread stays on topic. That's the humor of this board and we do need some.

If the breeder is selling at the same price as their pet pups, it depends on where they are located.

There are areas that all pups are only $900 - $1100 and areas where all pups are $1800 - $2200. It's location, location, location. If you want to save monies, go to a reputable breeder in a more remote area.

It's difficult to come up with a solid price unless everyone provides their area and their price.