Just wondering if you all are paying about the same as me for a breeding.
After a stud fee of $1000.00 plus shipping via FedEx, boxes, mini tube, AI or TCI at Vet office, progesterone testing I am at $2000.00.
That seems like a huge sum to do just 1 breeding.
Anyone else paying the same?

Yes. I hate to put it this way. You will be making money when you sell puppies to help with the cost of breeding.

Yes, it is out of sight now. Guess, we will start going to the dog down the block. My last breeding was almost where you are. Up front stud service. Wish all would do the $200. to be more fair. Prog. testing, Fed Ex all up. Way up. And we try to breed up but will be harder. Lots of testing for all of us on top of breeding.

I do a $300 stud service to people I know. If you had any idea how much work it is to satisfy Bitch owners, or last minute phone calls, that put a screeching halt to your life, then you would understand that even the service fee , does not cover it. It is expensive to keep a stud dog in tip top condition, showing , tests, every clearance you can think of and someone always wants one more ! Its a service, I am allowing you to use my pedigrees, you are not doing me a favor.
Dog show fees are staggering , Vet bills are staggering , and so are breeding fees. This is not a cheap hobby !

I just raised my stud fee to $1000 from $800. I don't think that's out of line considering his last litter of puppies sold for $1500 each and there were 10 of them.
I know it's expensive to breed Labradors, and any of a number of costly things can happen during/after whelping, but that's just the way things are. Everything is going up in price--food, gas--you name it. We all have to do the best we can with what we have.

Everything associated with breeding has sky rocketed...breeding a bitch when the full stud fee is required up front really hurts...It all works out okay if the breeding takes, if the breeding doesn't take for some reason then you are out a bunch of money. Yes, that is the risk we take when we breed, if all goes as planned the bitch owner is able to recoup their expenses and maybe have enough money to help subsidize this expensive hobby. Unfortunately it doesn't always go as planned, the breeding doesn't take, singleton, c-section, etc. - if there is only a service fee from the stud dog it helps....I guess if you are a big time breeder or volumn breeder a miss with a full stud fee doesn't hurt as much as it does when you only breed maybe one litter a year. A service fee from the stud dog or using a dog close by is the only way for the bitch owner to lower the initial costs and it seems like that is what more of the smaller breeders are going to have to do because the price of a puppy in even a large litter will not cover the costs if you have a miss - people will not pay what the bitch owner would need to charge. JMHO

It IS expensive to breed. Yes, you have to shell out nearly $2K to get the breeding started and most of us are lucky to have a nice sized litter to off set the costs later on, and put a few dollars back in the bank for some vet costs and clearances for some other dog.

But it's also expensive to buy a dog. If you want to stop breeding or need to buy a new dog, you are shelling out $1500-$2000 for that dog too. At least with a litter, you'll have your new pup and hopefully expenses paid for.

Naturally, that does not go for folks that get blessed with a singleton or litter of 2. But that's the risk we take in this sport. Just like the risk we take at showing a young prospect to find out they don't pass a vital clearance.

I try not to think about how much a breeding costs because I have always been in the red/breakeven on my litters. However, I do keep track of costs and for my last litter (pups sold for $900 although in my area I have since discovered the average is now around $1,200-$1,500) the expenses were:

Stud Fee: $800
Shipping Kits (2): $162
Progesterone (3): $234
A.I. (2): $222
XRay (1): 110
Total Breeding: $1,528

Whelping and Post-Whelping:
5 live puppies and 1 DOA puppy whelped naturally then we needed a C-Section to remove a dead stuck puppy - we ended up with one more live puppy for 6 total. Cost: $1,260

Vaccines and Microchips (6 puppies): $140
Dew Claws (6 puppies):$115
1st CERF Exam (6 puppies): $180
Litter Registration: $30

Total Cost: $3,253

None of the expenses included clearances on my bitch (OFA Hips Good, Elbows Clear, Heart ECHO clear, EIC Carrier, CNM Clear, PRA Clear) or the cost of proving her in the show ring and field (AKC CH/JH/WC/RN). They also don't include any of the other incidental costs of raising a litter (food, puppy binders, etc.).

I kept 2 pups and the co-owner kept 1; 3 puppies sold at $900 each = $2,700. I am probably in the red on this litter for around $1,000. Obviously, I am not in it for the money! However, I am happy with what I have and that is why I breed.

I am not so sure there have been such big increases in the cost for breeding. A stud fee was about $800 and perhaps now $1000. Not a big increase considering the bitch owners are now selling puppies ovewr $1500 in some cases. That increase from $500 a few years ago is a three times increase with only a minimal increase in stud fees.

Ovulation timing has not changed that much, but has gone up.

Basically the costs have gone up by a small amount whereas the selling price for puppies has gone up three fold.

Hardly fair.

Maybe we should be thankful Stud owners are willing to share their genetics.

Thanks at least I know I'm not the only one shelling out so much money.
I guess misery likes company! lol

What about wormers and other medications? You also didn't factor in if the puppies got ill, or the mother got ill, or couldn't nurse, or the real, and potential loss of income when you take time off... All of these eat up a budget very quickly. This is a very conservative estimate of costs. Pet people read this board and think we make money hand over fist.

I think the amount of time with potential buyers is a huge part of the cost of doing a breeding. There is not any amount of money that makes up for the amount of time with each litter, whether born or not.

I have studs dogs and know that side of it also. But I am not asking for $1,200 up front. And everyone does not ask $1,500 for pups. Some are in areas that hope to get $1,000. No if I can't afford it I will not use your stud dog. But so much more to it now for the bitch owner. A fact !

I know many people who have not significantly raised the prices of their puppies, and then there are some charging $1,500 to $2,000 for the same quality puppy. While this may be a sign of the times, what is dismaying to a certain extent are the higher prices charged with less expense incurred.

It seems more and more frequently, the sire (and sometimes the dam and sometimes both) have no final clearances because they are too young - I have been amazed at how many 10 month old puppy boys are being bred these days - no clearances, no accomplishments, no maturity. I know a TVD affected boy who was used several times before he turned 1 and had preliminary clearances done; he is now in a pet home but his kids are being bred. He was nice but nothing extraordinary. I don't get it. Many of these young dogs are nice but who knows how they will mature or if they really will have anything to contribute. I do not see puppies out of these litters worth less $ than those out of litters where time and effort has been put into the dogs before breeding.

I have never bred to a stud dog that has had more clearances or more accomplishments than my bitch, and I do expect both to be worthy of breeding. While there are no 100% guarantees, there is a reasonable expectation of standard due diligence to minimize risk when high prices are charged. If I am going to charge $$ for my puppies, there should be a reason for it; otherwise, a puppy buyer would probably do just as well at the humane society with a rescue.

It is easily $4000.00 to do an outside your kennel breeding, today. I am not including emergencies, illness or health clearances. Just stud fees and associated costs, care,de-worming,vaccines, and health certificates. (for a litter of 10)

You are very right. So many cost we don't write down and keep up with. Might be cheaper to buy a good male.

My litter I'm in so far for over $3,807, but the added costs were for vet visits due to a cystitis,an U/S so I would know for sure whether I needed vacation time,prewhelp xray and then progesterones to help pinpoint her planned C-section for 2 puppies, I'm keeping one so I'll really be in the hole, But I am thrilled with what I got so all in all that feeling is priceless, but in reality will cost me 4K by the time I am done.

If you have to worry about the price of gas, don't buy the boat.

Constant whinners make me sick. I have bitches too. If your going to b*tch about the cost of breeding why do you do it? Do cats instead. I just don't get it.

Sure, buy a good male. Thats a good one.