Just wondering if other people are encountering Puppy Buyers price shopping instead of quality/health/temp. of your puppies. What few calls or e-mails I am getting right now they are ALL wanting me to either give them a Bargain or a Discount on my puppies. They don't even ask about my breeding program or what my puppies are like. Just cost and color. The most I am finding they want to spend is 600-700. That is what I charged 15 years ago. I don't breed to just sell. I kept 2 from my last litter and am thinking about keeping 3 this time. So I don't have many to sell but I am not going to give them at a Discount Price either. Am I Wrong?? I put carefull thought into the stud dog, Do all clearances and train my puppies manners, socialize them and potty train them. One lady said that she would be WILLING to take the puppy for 600. LIke she was doing me a favor. PLEASE!!!!

JMO - You are NOT wrong - stick to your guns!

I don't know about other parts of the country but where we live, the average price is about $800-900 a pup. A co-breeder and I recently sold a litter of 4 pups for $800 here. We didn't have an over-abundance of calls, but since we weren't sure what we were keeping and there were so few pups, we didn't really start letting folks know that they were available until 7 weeks, and in 2 weeks, sold them all.

We do all the clearances, raise them in the home, etc. and so on, as well as having a nice bitch and quality stud, but if I tried to sell them for more than $900 I really wonder how many takers I would have. Granted I am fortunate to live in an area where my general vet and breeding expenses are lower.

My entire litter of 8 was sold before they reached 1 week of age. They are only 2 weeks old right now. The first to go were the black males and my price is $1000. I'm sorry this isn't your experience too.

$900 here and I do not dicker on price.
Now if there is a reason "I" want to give them a break that is my decision.

Yes, there are many who are price shopping vs. quality shopping. The price is $1200. Interestingly, buyers are finding a "shortage" of availability when they want a pup and don't question price. There are issues with buyers understanding that many breeders are not breeding because of economy, and thus they have to wait longer for a puppy. Blacks are still the hardest to sell hear. Black males are nearly impossible to sell.

Dog Owner, where are you located? Is everyone else having trouble with placing black male puppies?
I have my first litter of blacks, and this is different from when I had a yellow litter. With the yellow litter, I could have sold them all several times over. Not so this time

Ohio here, selling black male on Friday. price $1000.

calls and inquiries have slowed down considerably around us...

We had a good size waiting list last year...had a miss, and some left the list, some gained.... Our girl has come back into heat now-- so we are talking 6 months since then, but we are back to 6 waiting for our next breeding.

I have referred out 2 inquiries for black males. EVERYONE wanted a black male. goes in phases...
Our litter last year had all blacks- only one girl. Could have sold the black boys 3 times over.

If i didn't currently have my waiting list...i'd likely be skipping the heat cycle...i'm of course waiting for that new keeper...but another 6 months wouldn't bother me to wait. since i'm full up- going to use the stud i'm dreaming about - and go with it! :-)

Stay firm on your price. I got a litter of 10 yellow puppies sold for $1500 by the time they were 7 weeks old. I got more calls than the usual, but most of them just asking prices. If buyers ask price first, I don't waste my time.
The financial crisis is affecting everything, but good future owners will always pay for your efforts.
About what color and sex people want, it depends on what you DON'T have.

Don't lower your price whatever you do. This hobby is damn expensive. The right homes will come, be patient. If we all start lowering our prices we might as well throw in the towel!
I had two black male puppies stay with me and they never went to homes until they were almost four months old. Yeah I had to vaccinate, de-worm, feed and train. The people were so happy to get a quality, well cared for not to mention fully trained pup. Now that Spring is around the corner and I have no puppies, guess what, people want black males!!!

Don't lower your prices. It will just kill the hobby. By March sells should start picking up.

Midwest - Great Lakes region. Black boys are virtually impossible to find homes for. Can't remember the last time someone called and was excited when looking for a black boy puppy.

I could sell an entire litter of yellows two times and probably still have more interested.

Wish you were saying what area you are located. Any of you. I am getting very few calls. Don't have a litter but pass them on when I get inquirys. What areas are still holding up. Know they are shopping more.

I am in the SE. I have had quite a few calls and price and sex/color of puppies are the first questions. Many I do not hear from again. However some keep coming back and after weeks decide that the puppies are now too old, or they wanted first pick, not now 4th or 5th pick. Or they are talking to 3 or 4 breeders at the same time, indicating to each that they are serious to each of them. Definitely little loyalty after much time spent educating, etc. I have 2 10 week old black male puppies from a litter of 8 puppies who are very nice pet puppies. I had a call yesterday that I thought was wonderful from a neighboring state. After a very long conversation they asked about coming up this weekend to see the boys and pick one. Late afternoon I had an email saying that 10 weeks is too old for them- they were looking for an 8 week old puppy.

I too have been sitting a couple black boys. Wonderful tempermant and gorgeous pups. But no one can get over the fact they are not YELLOW. I have spent many hours on phone and e-mail conversations with couples then they e-mail me weeks later and say the have too decided on a Young one. But they said If I was willing to drop the price to 600 from 1000 they would take him. Sales tatic or what??? I told them my puppies are that price when born. Now they have all shots/trained and been living the good life here. Not in a million years. If they are going to act like that over purchasing him. What would they do if he got sick. PRice shot for the cheapest Vet or give him Cheap food and no Flea/heartworm care. Sometimes you have to go with your Gutt Feeling.!!!
Gonna give my boys a kiss and tell them that I LOVE THEM!

I've noticed some very quality breeders have websites where they put prices at the end of their puppy questionier. I've never put prices on my site but decided to do so to prevent wasting hours on the phone with "shopping" buyers. Now I get a lot less calls, but really nice families who already know my price which I can thoroughly interview/educate once they do call. Most callers are now buying and I have only a few pups left of a litter which is still very young.

I agree, don't drop price! I ask $200 more than most quality breeders in my state and never have trouble finding wonderful homes for the ones I'm not keeping. I just put too much into each breeding to give them away.

I have always put my price right on the website and find that it really does cut down on the bargain hunters. I spend a lot of time conversing with potential puppy families and appreciate not wasting hours on someone who is unable to afford one of my puppies to begin with. I really hate the whole "selling" puppies part of the hobby anyway so it is also a nice way to avoid having to have a conversation (or debate as it sounds like it can be for some people) about money.

I put puppy price on website ($1200), much happier now. I would say calls are half what they used to be, but now only have to educate serious buyers. over 75% end up purchasing a puppy from me. Well worth it time wise, and feel even more comfortable with the new prospective homes they go to.