Price of puppy, a secret?

[Goofy Newfy]

Sorry, this was also posted under the breeders category by accident. Couldn't delete it.


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Would you even deal with a breeder who won't even disclose the price of her puppies unless I call her? We are looking into getting a Shiba Inu but not until May. I have done extensive research on the breed for weeks now and have no questions of one VERY reputable breeder........ other than the price for her puppies. She will not tell me until I call her.i don't want to look further into it until closer to the month we are making the purchase. She produces a limited amount of litters per year and may not even have a litter available then. It seems to me to be a waste of time, why the seceracy? From what I have heard, her pups are $1600.00, I would think she would want to weed out anyone wasting her time by being upfront on the price.
Is this normal of a breeder and if so, why?

 

[TerriW]

My guess is she feels if you won't call her, you may not be a candidate for one of her puppies. She likely also wants to know if you want a show quality or pet quality animal, and the price may vary.

Just my guess though.

 

[blaue_augen]

I didn't run into this exactly myself. But I did contact breeders by email, and more than once they gave me a phone number to contact them more directly. I was very hesitant to call (even though they gave me their number). I'm shy and didn't want to bother them. I did work up my courage and call though. And in the end I have Suki and she was worth getting over my embarrassment!

 

[BethNC]

I contacted several breeders in our search. As I was so invested in my research and in getting a pup that could a) meet breed standard and b) have an aptitude for water work and draft work I had a feel for what price looked like and that was actually our last question of potential breeders. If the breeder mentioned price immediately it would give me pause; I need to know they are invested in the breed, have confidence in their lines, and most importantly, want their pups to go to the best home, not just one that can afford the price.

Why don't you give her a buzz and tell her what you are looking for - you'll know better if she's a good match. I learned so much about the breed from talking to different breeders. Also, this is (should be) someone you will have a long term relationship with.

Good luck!

 

[ardeagold]

I forgot to ask the price of Frankie until Jacques was walking out the door to drive to Michigan to get him and I talked to his breeder every week for quite a while. Jacques had to tell me to call her and ask so he could transfer funds. LOL

I think a lot of breeders would prefer to speak with the people directly and see IF they're even a candidate for getting a puppy, and go into details in a personal conversation.

 

[R Taft]

It has been the same for me...price came last. It was all about what I wanted/needed the dog for and in my first time of meeting my breeder, she was more critical if i would have been good enough to have one of her pups.

Some Breeders still have different pricing in their puppies. Show puppies (pick of the litter) are more expensive or on contract or part ownership. Some "pet only" puppies come with a contract to de-sex.

I would prefer to speak to a person, compared to e-mail

 

[TerriW]

....not that I don't understand. I despise talking on the telephone. (It started about the time text-messaging took off). And like you, I'd prefer to get the details up front. But these are precious, precious little souls and the money may be the last thing the breeder is thinking about.

 

[blaue_augen]

But these are precious, precious little souls and the money may be the last thing the breeder is thinking about.

I love how you said this.

 

[TerriW]

Well, your avatar says it all. :hugs:

 

[R Taft]

I love how you said this.

ditto

 

[Popcorn]

Any time a breeder puts up a roadblock, I see it as a good sign. She wants to hear your voice before she gets into the details.

 

[NewfieMama]

I don't think any of the breeders I contacted gave me a price via email, except as confirmation/follow up after a chat. I don't like talking on the phone either but you'll hopefully have a relationship with the breeder you choose for years to come so it's worth it to check each other out in real time first rather than regret it later.

 

[Thehallk]

I know how you feel and the "purchase" part of getting Gilly was a mystery to me for a long time. I understand a breeders desire to weed out the cheapskates, but before Gilly I didn't even know a dog could cost this much (the Austrian teller at my bank literally said "this is for a DOG?!" with no hiding her disturbed awe, when we were sending the money order) and I had sticker shock for awhile when I found out the price. I wanted to know if we could even afford to consider being newf owners before I got my hopes up. Plus, I wanted to know if there was a uniform rate or if I was being over (or under!) sold. As it turns out from my email and phone conversations there was only one breeder (of about 5 i contacted) who was open, friendly and NOT condescending that i decided to go with. I wish there could be a bit more openness about price, but a phone call isn't too hard a thing to do, so I'd say make the the call - maybe you'll find out you don't want one of her pups or maybe she'll be a huge help!

 

[padkins]

I would feel worse if I got an immediate answer with the amount of money that they wanted and options on how I could send them the money. It would be an immediate red flag. I would rather deal with a breeder that is making sure that you know what you are getting into and that you are the right fit for one of their puppies (precious souls). You know that you are dealing with a quality breeder that isn't just out to make money. JMHO.

 

[TerriW]

It's my understanding the breeders don't make much on these pups, so I have to figure it's to vet you out more than a concern about the money. JMHO.

 

[Redrider0151]

I got pretty much the same thing, where I had emailed a few breeders and the replies were almost to the point of being rude. It was extremely uncomfortable, to the point it felt like they weren't even remotely interested in me getting a dog. I mean it seemed like they were trying to tell me to just go someplace else when all I asked was what the process was to get a dog. I had always just rescued dogs in the past except for my first chow which was from my brother in laws parents litter and our min pin which was a puppy from my sisters dog. So I had never talked to a breeder in my life and was clueless....and now was sorry I ever did. It truly changed how I looked for a dog and I almost relished a dog from puppy.com vice having to deal with a breeder again because I really felt like I had to know the secret hand shake in order to even get anything from a breeder. Let alone just asking how much a dog was....lol

Now it's a little different now that I have been on this site but right out the gate I was really turned off.

 

[BethNC]

I got pretty much the same thing, where I had emailed a few breeders and the replies were almost to the point of being rude. It was extremely uncomfortable, to the point it felt like they weren't even remotely interested in me getting a dog. I mean it seemed like they were trying to tell me to just go someplace else when all I asked was what the process was to get a dog. I had always just rescued dogs in the past except for my first chow which was from my brother in laws parents litter and our min pin which was a puppy from my sisters dog. So I had never talked to a breeder in my life and was clueless....and now was sorry I ever did. It truly changed how I looked for a dog and I almost relished a dog from puppy.com vice having to deal with a breeder again because I really felt like I had to know the secret hand shake in order to even get anything from a breeder. Let alone just asking how much a dog was....lol

Now it's a little different now that I have been on this site but right out the gate I was really turned off.

I live relatively near you and I had to say that I also had a hard time getting "through" when reaching out to breeders when I first started. I contacted all of the NCA listed breeders in our area and it did take some time before I heard back from any of them. It was pretty frustrating and I can tell you that one of them has still not responded to my email of introduction - after 2.5 months. Pretty disappointing since she's pretty well known in the community. Fortunately we have connected with a breeder who is exactly what we were looking for.

 

[new_2_newf]

keep in mind that most breeders do more in their life other than breed dogs. they have jobs, families, are (hopefully) involved with the community in some way (local/regional clubs, etc), not to mention spending time with their own pack with grooming, showing, training. if they only plan one or two litters a year they may have most of those puppies spoken for already...answering emails *may* not be super high on the priority list for some breeders, at least not at the moment you want them to answer....keep at it and try not to let yourself get upset over it (i know it can feel hurtful or rude).