Hi,

I have heard many a breeder say that when one of the first questions asked by puppy buyers is price it immediately sends up flags for them. If you are a Lab exhibitor, and not a breeder, looking for your next show prospect when do you then inquire about purchase price? When is it politically correct, obviously not doing it right out of the shoot, to ask this? As well, when is the appropriate time to ask which pick you might have? This is all assuming you have been having some correspondence with a breeder about their potential litter, have provided references, personal info, etc.

Thanks.

This may seem like a simplistic answer, but the right time to ask price is when it becomes important. As a potential serious buyer, there are SOOO many things that are high on the priority list - background, health, pedigree research, temperament, evaluation, etc. Only when you are satisfied that the pup or dog is really suitable for YOUR future does it become important to know the price. Yes, it may mean that you have wasted a bit of time if you just simply can not afford the dog, but it is just as much a waste of time (and sometimes years of it) to purchase the WRONG dog or a mediocre one for an affordable price. Often by the time price is of interest, the breeder may have decided to work with you, since you have demonstrated you have the right attitude, and financial matters can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction.

I think most of us hate to hear that from a pet person. Some have no idea of the price of a nice Labrador. But if that is the first question they ask about you can bet they don't want a $1,000 puppy.
Show propect you better ask. Better get some things in writting also.

In the past when purchasing a show hopeful I inquired about a puppy, she told me what she had, I told the owner yes I like the puppy, I want to make arrangements to get said puppy. I'll send you a good faith deposit how much do you want, so now that that was all done I asked the owner what do I owe you prior to delivery.

So this was over 5 years ago and I paid a pretty penny, but she totaly was worth it. But price was not an issue and as far as I was conerned had nothing to do with what I wanted. Thankfully at that time I could have afforded it.

I can tell you this I have not to this date yet sold a pup for the price I paid for this bitch, even started dogs with points and prelims.

I'd say prepare to pay $1500 to $2000 for a nice dog of nice lineage that has full registration from a reputable source. But trust me you'll have to pay your dues and don't be shocked if you end up co-owning.

First of all, I think that a person who was serious about purchasing a show puppy should probably make contact with the breeder before the breeding even was done. This gives at least 4 months lead time. Simply "How much will you charge, so that I can budget it in" would be quite acceptable at any time for me.

In my limited experience, when I got my show potential pup, I already had a ball park idea of what my breeder charged for her dogs. I also knew that I could expect to pay between $800 - $1500, so when it came time to ask price, I was happy the number was in my range and I could go forward. As far as what pick, in my instance, I didn't have a pick. If I wanted a dog from my breeder, she would tell me which dog had the potential, and then I had the option of did I want that puppy or not. In my case, it WAS my pick, but we both knew that I might choose to walk away from any pup if the pick wasn't really what I wanted once I knew which could possibily be shown.

Yeah I remember when you brought Whimsy home. I still think $4000.00 for a show prospect was a way high. IMHO
But Vicky gets her price!

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Replying to:

In the past when purchasing a show hopeful I inquired about a puppy, she told me what she had, I told the owner yes I like the puppy, I want to make arrangements to get said puppy. I'll send you a good faith deposit how much do you want, so now that that was all done I asked the owner what do I owe you prior to delivery.

So this was over 5 years ago and I paid a pretty penny, but she totaly was worth it. But price was not an issue and as far as I was conerned had nothing to do with what I wanted. Thankfully at that time I could have afforded it.

I can tell you this I have not to this date yet sold a pup for the price I paid for this bitch, even started dogs with points and prelims.

I'd say prepare to pay $1500 to $2000 for a nice dog of nice lineage that has full registration from a reputable source. But trust me you'll have to pay your dues and don't be shocked if you end up co-owning.

Both my show prospect pups were the same price as the pet puppies the breeder sold (same as the average rate in the area).

I have bought lovely puppies with full reg and NO strings attached for pet price from "TOP Breeders" I was not "new" so maybe that helped?

The prices and strings I see ppl handing out amaze me!!

Numerous pups from ho-hum breedings sold for one to two times pet price with mega strings etc is IMHO b#^& c#$%.

My advice is look long and hard before buying as
there are fair minded ppl out there that don't intend to take advantage of you.

Interesting I can tell you I didn't pay that much, not that whims isn't worth it, but what I did pay was double what I was charging for puppies at that time. Yeah Vicki gets her price only because it was what I wanted and in the end I paid a bit extra because it was the hotest part of Summer when Whims was ready to head home so I had to fly out to get her myself, and bring her home in the cabin, but that was my choice since I knew what I was getting into.

BTW very few people actually know what I paid to Vicki because that was between her and I. So I'm not so sure who you think you are since you didn't state your name.

"fair minded ppl out there that don't intend to take advantage of you."

I was blessed to find a breeder just like that. Took me a couple of years to get up the nerve to contact her directly though. So silly of me. Don't be like that ... do contact the breeders of the lines you are interested in.

Wishing you the best.

I bring a cheque book with me to pick up the puppy.

If its to die for, it doesn't matter what the price ;)

Life begins at 50, Your right on what you say about, ho-hum breeders. Allot of them are in needa reality check on there selling puppies as show puppies.
I have come to the conclusion that it is best to buy a older puppy, like 6months and some of the clearances are done!

It's interesting how much some breeders are getting for show and pet pups today. Some are $3000.00 for a pet pup. That is ridiculous.


A show prospect (a true one) is a different story although some breeders charge the same price for show or pet. I do agree with that and the coown situation for a period of time isn't a bad one. -JMHO-

I co-own a bitch, and I think it is a very good way to start. The breeder was nice enough to set a co-ownership and not charge me anything - although it is my responsibility to pay all her bills and still split the litters with him.

However, it took me a long while to gain his trust. We had long chats by phone and IM, and he only decided to place the pup with me after he was sure I was only interested in the betterment of the breed and in the joy of breeding, not in profit or anything else.

But it's great to find a good mentor that can help you through the hard times.

What about a breeder would co-owns and wants a 2nd pick puppy from EVERY litter that bitch has.

To Pyramid,
I'm really glad you were brave enough to bring that out here. I never thought of it as a pyramid but you're right; it is. I don't approve of a pup out of every litter either, it's greedy. 1 pup maximum {if any} out of a co/owned bitch. Then you sign off on the bitch. The problem on this list is you or I might be accused of sticking our noses into someone else's business. I'm anon for this one and lurk most of the time in case there's a post without arguements. Due to the cruel attitudes of some anon is becoming contagious around here.

Personally, I dont like it when people just try to tear others and their practices apart, but this subject really effects alot of people who dont know what is proper and typical and is something I would like to hear more on.
There are so many different agreements out there for show prospects and co-owns etc and for newer people it is very confusing and intimidating.
I have been very lucky so far, but read about all kinds of problems others have had and am thankful.

An issue I have a problem with in regard to the future breeding of a hopeful pup is the clause that you must breed back to a sire owned by the breeder who sold you the pup. This is something I came into contact with personally and seemed like nothing more than an attempt to get stud business.

Annie

As long as both parties agree to what is stated in the contract, there should be no disagreements later, as it is all in writing. I have passed on a few puppies, because I did not want to agree to what the breeder wanted me to sign. No one of forcing you to buy a puppy from anyone. However, if you agree to breed back to the breeders stud dog when you buy the puppy (for example) then you need to honor that agreement. Same with puppies back etc... I know of someone who has bitches that the breeders want first pick of each litter. That is something I couldn't agree too, but if both parties agree at the time, and it works for them, then there you go.

I guess it all depends on how much you want the puppy, or the lines, some breeders can get away with whatever they want, because their dogs are so desirable. Supply and demand.

"I guess it all depends on how much you want the puppy, or the lines, some breeders can get away with whatever they want, because their dogs are so desirable."

.....or the buyers are extremely desperate or uninformed. No dog is THAT desirable. The breeder that tries to get away with this is nothing but GREEDY.

I agree with you... I think that that sort of agreement is greedy too, but no one is putting a gun to these buyer's head to but a puppy under those agreements. If they do, they had better honor that agreement. There is no excuse for being that desparate or uniformed. If you are that desparate, you get what you pay for, (and deserve). I think most of us have made a error in our program at first. That puppy thst doesn't clear, or turn out, wasn't show potential etc.... Maybe it is like "paying your dues", and earning the right to show your commitment to the Labrador community.

We don't co-own except in very rare situations. Friendships are too important to put that kind of stress on them. We don't sell on co-ownership at all. We did a co-ownership on puppies we bought out of a bitch that we had sold as a show prospect, because we wanted the owner to be able to show in bred-by if we couldn't for some reason.

As far as price goes, we sell our show puppies and pets for the same price. It's somewhere probably in the middle of what the price would be if we priced them separately. Our reasoning is, same mother same father same price. We've never have a problem with someone coming back and saying "but we paid for a show puppy" when it didn't work out. How many of us can honestly say that we haven't sold a puppy that we thought was a show prospect only to be disappointed later. Or better yet, sold a "pet" and saw them a year later and immediately thought "OMG, I hope they haven't neutered that dog!!!"