What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Golden1
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What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Golden1 » Mon Apr 17, 2017 5:39 pm

Just wondering how much it would be to get a well bred, healthy, and good hunting dog.
Thanks

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by thoumitch » Mon Apr 17, 2017 5:51 pm

In Texas-Okla-Kansas, expected price for a ready-to-go, 2-3 year old pointer is in the $3000 range, perhaps more.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by llewellinsetter » Mon Apr 17, 2017 7:43 pm

we pay 1200 for our pups (german longhair pointers) friends of our pay close to 2k for their CBR's. you can get a nice dog for 500 if pedigree isn't an issue.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by MNTonester » Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:11 am

depending on the breed and where you look, you can find decent field bred pups $250-$500 and up. You might even find an end-of-litter pup for under $250 if that last pup or two doesn't seem to be selling at the regular price and the breeder is looking for a good home for the pup

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by cjhills » Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:43 am

Anybody who breeds pups to sell for $250 to $500 has a serious problem. These are probably dogs with no health testing and little or no health care. In Gsps tail docking done with what ever will chop the tail off and little or no regard for length or whether it will be bald later in life. Shots if any are done at home and no vet care.
Breeding even half way decent dogs is a game of chance and if you do not work at improving the odds you are going backwards
The most I ever paid for a dog was $3500 for a dog the trainers had abused with a harsh force retrieve. This dog was from a fairly big name kennel whose biggest asset was promoting themselves and years back when $3500 was a lot more money than it is now. She did turn out to be worth every penny and was my foundation female. I have four generations of her bloodline.....Cj

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Kjcpoint » Tue Apr 18, 2017 11:14 am

I've spent the last 2 months searching for a 6-12 month old EP. Compared to 2 years ago the prices have doubled. I paid $1500 for a 6 month old female.
In talking to some of the top handlers and breeders the bird population in Texas is what's driving the price.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by MNTonester » Tue Apr 18, 2017 1:12 pm

CJ, not disputing a thing you say. I bought my Springer back in 1999(?) as an end of litter pup. He had Pine Shadows blood in his pedigree. I paid $175 for him and he remains the best dog I've ever owned. I bought my lab in 2006 for $200; again, an end of litter pup (that's him in my avatar). He too has been more than I could have hoped for. I'm saying, it can be done if the timing is right.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by ezzy333 » Tue Apr 18, 2017 1:20 pm

cjhills wrote:Anybody who breeds pups to sell for $250 to $500 has a serious problem. These are probably dogs with no health testing and little or no health care. In Gsps tail docking done with what ever will chop the tail off and little or no regard for length or whether it will be bald later in life. Shots if any are done at home and no vet care.
Breeding even half way decent dogs is a game of chance and if you do not work at improving the odds you are going backwards
The most I ever paid for a dog was $3500 for a dog the trainers had abused with a harsh force retrieve. This dog was from a fairly big name kennel whose biggest asset was promoting themselves and years back when $3500 was a lot more money than it is now. She did turn out to be worth every penny and was my foundation female. I have four generations of her bloodline.....Cj
I have bought and sold quite a few dogs and pups over the years, a few titled but most young pups out of the best breeding I can find and never paid or sold one for over 500 dollars. Prices have gone up but you can find some really good dogs for a reasonable price yet today.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Tooling » Tue Apr 18, 2017 1:31 pm

You do not have to spend big bucks to get a very good dog, period!

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Pedro » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:01 pm

Most expensive dog I ever had was free, but came with one condition. Condition was he stayed on the pros truck. That was six years ago...still paying. :D

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by cjhills » Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:58 pm

MNTonester wrote:CJ, not disputing a thing you say. I bought my Springer back in 1999(?) as an end of litter pup. He had Pine Shadows blood in his pedigree. I paid $175 for him and he remains the best dog I've ever owned. I bought my lab in 2006 for $200; again, an end of litter pup (that's him in my avatar). He too has been more than I could have hoped for. I'm saying, it can be done if the timing is right.

I get what your saying, but I hear the sad stories from people who bought cheap puppies with no health testing everyday. pretty often.
The question I have is why do these people have end of the litter pups? We have buyers on a waiting list for next year.
I bought my first Shorthair pup in 1996 for $225 he was the first pick. He was a very good birddog. He had about every health problem a dog could get and was put down at 8 years old. There are no guarantees that something will not go wrong, but hip x rays, eye and heart testing can really improve your odds.
Pine Shadow puppies are $2000 and if you want one in the next year you need to be on the list now.
I suspect it has been a few years since Ezzy bought a pup and the $500 pups he was buying are probably twice that now......Cj

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by polmaise » Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:11 pm

Time ,cost me plenty ,but worth every penny on all of them :D

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Sharon » Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:30 pm

$850.00 13 years ago ................and free ( I bred the pup) but $3500. surgery after she was attacked by a deer. :)

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What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Shellottome » Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:28 pm

I don't pay anything for my dogs and I always have the best. If you have the resources breed your own and don't get stuck with someone else junk.


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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by greg jacobs » Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:53 pm

$1200 for my last pup. After an eye injury and a couple porcupine encounters I've got a $3500 dog that hasn't hit his second birthday yet. I've found that the purchase price was the cheapest part of dog ownership. Buy the best that you can afford.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by bustingcover » Wed Apr 19, 2017 5:14 am

Most I've spent on a dog is 750 but honestly the free dogs have cost the most in the end. You can get a broke, force fetched pointer for 1000-3000.

You can get well bred puppies for 400-700 I would not pay more than $500 for a pup personally. Plenty of really nice little ones in that range. Anyone selling pups for $1000+ is out for money and not what I'm interested in. Rather just wait around and spend that money on a started or finished dog.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Timewise65 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:14 am

Buying a dog with a strong pedigree including Field or Hun Test titles over 3 generations and a full battery of health screening for all of these 3 generations dramatically increases your odds of getting a healthy and great performing field dog (provided the dog has the training). It does not guarantee it!

As many have said, you CAN get a great dog for little or no cost, but the odds of the dog being both healthy and a great field dog odds are diminished when compared to the example above.

I am a guy who loves Golden Retrievers and my last pup from a strong breeder with the pups parents coming for a long line of high performance field dogs and all the necessary health certificates cost us $900 four years ago. She is our best Golden yet....! If she lives past 12 I will say the health certificates paid off...so far she is all I could ask for.

One comment I like to make to people looking at the initial cost of owning a dog. The price you pay for a pup is the smallest part of the cost of ownership. If you calculate the cost of food, vet care, preventative meds, training, proper training equipment, etc. etc. you will see that the initial cost is a small part of the cost! My theory is get the very best pup you can find and in the long run you will save money. Less medical costs, less training costs, etc. :mrgreen: Not to mention the stress on your heart a difficult dog can put on you...

If you have to gamble always play the odds!

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by reba » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:38 am

She is now going on 5 five years old,a GSP. I paid $2500 for her sight unseen, last of the litter, delivered by airline. Right now she is laying under my desk. We hunt over 100 days every year. I thought I paid to much, but I would pay it again for this dog! A real cracker jack for sure. WOW!

Some dogs hunt and others don't.........................................has nothing to do with money....................................

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by fishvik » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:04 am

I think it was $150 from the local pound and included spaying. All of my dogs have come from the pound or "mistake litters". I have only owned one purebred, my present GSP I adopted at the pound. All the rest have been crossbreeds that were good meat and house dogs. I think the fact that they were crossbreeds have cut down on health problems.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by cjhills » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:23 am

bustingcover wrote:Most I've spent on a dog is 750 but honestly the free dogs have cost the most in the end. You can get a broke, force fetched pointer for 1000-3000.

You can get well bred puppies for 400-700 I would not pay more than $500 for a pup personally. Plenty of really nice little ones in that range. Anyone selling pups for $1000+ is out for money and not what I'm interested in. Rather just wait around and spend that money on a started or finished dog.
I always wonder why people on this forum seem to think there is something wrong with making a little money on a litter one breeds. A breeder who raises a pup, titles or at least trains her, does the health tests pays a sizeable stud fee, runs the risk of health issues and birthing problems with his female, pays for tail docking shots and other vet care, raies the litter for two months or more, is some how doing something wrong if he expects to get a little of his money back and time paid for. Ourselves and Most breeders we are associated with put a lot of their life into the dogs. While I have gave puppies to friends and family. I do not breed so some cheapskate I do not know and probably will never see again can have a nice, healthy dog at my expense.........Cj

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by MNTonester » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:46 am

I always wonder why people on this forum seem to think there is something wrong with making a little money on a litter one breeds.
I've learned over the years, through experience and on forums such as these, that it is reasonable to expect a breeder to make some money on the sale of a pup. I'm at the stage of my life (-4 months to retirement) where I have concerns about my own longevity which has some bearing on my next dog, if any. I have a near 11 1/2 year old lab that may not be here next year...I dread that day considering what a pleasant dog and great hunter he's been. I have a 2 year old poodle that's really turned into something out in the field. If I get another dog in the next 6 years, and my stamina still exists, I want to get a breed that has been on the back of my mind for awhile, either a Spinone or a Braco Italiano. I know going in neither will be cheap and that is acceptable to me.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Golden1 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:48 am

Thanks for all the answers. I realize I worded my question as if I was looking to buy a dog but I recently (4 months ago) got a puppy and he cost 1500 which is a obviously a lot of money. I was curious on how much some of you have spent on your dogs.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by JONOV » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:00 am

I paid $800 for my GWP, and frankly, it was about the cheapest I had seen for a GWP. I was on a 6 month waiting list. I think you're looking at $1,200 or more if you want one out of the VDD registry. The money wasn't the consideration, more that everyone had a wait list, and my fiance was talking to a Goldendoodle breeder. I did what had to be done. I'm happy with my dog.

If I were to get a Golden Retriever or Lab, I would have more concerns about health. Maybe I should have had more concerns about genetic health testing, but both parents were sound, middle aged hunting dogs.

I will say that, anecdotally, you can find nice Setters and Pointers for a lot less than you can find in other dogs. EP's especially seem to have a low enough instance of hip dysplasia that its almost a non issue. Good Labs and Golden Retrievers seem to cost a lot more if they have those health clearances, and anecdotally I've seen enough of them that are medical wrecks that I would be hedging every bet I could when looking for one.

Also, is anyone else tired of hearing "the purchase price is the cheapest part of owning a dog?" I get that, but frankly find it patronizing. The purchase price is the cheapest part of a lot of things, but that doesn't mean that it isn't important or significant. Frankly, I feel like its a cop-out when the legitimate worth of a dog is questioned.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by JONOV » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:04 am

Golden1 wrote:Thanks for all the answers. I realize I worded my question as if I was looking to buy a dog but I recently (4 months ago) got a puppy and he cost 1500 which is a obviously a lot of money. I was curious on how much some of you have spent on your dogs.
Are you happy with your dog? What breed?

I was looking hard for field bred Golden Retrievers and that was on the low end of average for what people seemed to be selling them for.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by ezzy333 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:35 am

JONOV wrote: Also, is anyone else tired of hearing "the purchase price is the cheapest part of owning a dog?" I get that, but frankly find it patronizing. The purchase price is the cheapest part of a lot of things, but that doesn't mean that it isn't important or significant. Frankly, I feel like its a cop-out when the legitimate worth of a dog is questioned.
One of my pet peeves also. I have questioned that for years and still see no correlation to a meaningful thing to do with Quality of the pup. I own a pup, car, truck, lawn mower, 4 wheeler, house and a farm and in each case the purchase price is less that the operating cost but the dog is the only one where I am told the purchase price is not a major item that is normally the main factor in being able to afford the purchase. But someday I may get smarter and figure it out.

Ezzy

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Golden1 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:48 am

JONOV wrote:
Golden1 wrote:Thanks for all the answers. I realize I worded my question as if I was looking to buy a dog but I recently (4 months ago) got a puppy and he cost 1500 which is a obviously a lot of money. I was curious on how much some of you have spent on your dogs.
Are you happy with your dog? What breed?

I was looking hard for field bred Golden Retrievers and that was on the low end of average for what people seemed to be selling them for.

Yes, I am happy with him. He's a GSP.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by bustingcover » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:30 pm

cjhills wrote:
bustingcover wrote:Most I've spent on a dog is 750 but honestly the free dogs have cost the most in the end. You can get a broke, force fetched pointer for 1000-3000.

You can get well bred puppies for 400-700 I would not pay more than $500 for a pup personally. Plenty of really nice little ones in that range. Anyone selling pups for $1000+ is out for money and not what I'm interested in. Rather just wait around and spend that money on a started or finished dog.
I always wonder why people on this forum seem to think there is something wrong with making a little money on a litter one breeds. A breeder who raises a pup, titles or at least trains her, does the health tests pays a sizeable stud fee, runs the risk of health issues and birthing problems with his female, pays for tail docking shots and other vet care, raies the litter for two months or more, is some how doing something wrong if he expects to get a little of his money back and time paid for. Ourselves and Most breeders we are associated with put a lot of their life into the dogs. While I have gave puppies to friends and family. I do not breed so some cheapskate I do not know and probably will never see again can have a nice, healthy dog at my expense.........Cj
Simple, I look at it as a hobby rather than a business. I keep, run and breed dogs because i like doing it and expect to lose money. I can't look at a puppy who has done nothing but been born and think to charge someone thousands of dollars for it. Grown dogs are different. People can sell their property for however much they deem worthy, just not for me.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by JONOV » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:42 pm

bustingcover wrote:
cjhills wrote:
bustingcover wrote:Most I've spent on a dog is 750 but honestly the free dogs have cost the most in the end. You can get a broke, force fetched pointer for 1000-3000.

You can get well bred puppies for 400-700 I would not pay more than $500 for a pup personally. Plenty of really nice little ones in that range. Anyone selling pups for $1000+ is out for money and not what I'm interested in. Rather just wait around and spend that money on a started or finished dog.
I always wonder why people on this forum seem to think there is something wrong with making a little money on a litter one breeds. A breeder who raises a pup, titles or at least trains her, does the health tests pays a sizeable stud fee, runs the risk of health issues and birthing problems with his female, pays for tail docking shots and other vet care, raies the litter for two months or more, is some how doing something wrong if he expects to get a little of his money back and time paid for. Ourselves and Most breeders we are associated with put a lot of their life into the dogs. While I have gave puppies to friends and family. I do not breed so some cheapskate I do not know and probably will never see again can have a nice, healthy dog at my expense.........Cj
Simple, I look at it as a hobby rather than a business. I keep, run and breed dogs because i like doing it and expect to lose money. I can't look at a puppy who has done nothing but been born and think to charge someone thousands of dollars for it. Grown dogs are different. People can sell their property for however much they deem worthy, just not for me.
All that aside (and I agree that most breeders don't make money per se, and mostly want to fund the ongoing hobby,) can you really look at yourself in the mirror, and tell us that if you owned a Shadow Oak Bo caliber of dog, that you wouldn't sell the pups for four figures?

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Timewise65 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:30 pm

JONOV wrote:I
Also, is anyone else tired of hearing "the purchase price is the cheapest part of owning a dog?" I get that, but frankly find it patronizing. The purchase price is the cheapest part of a lot of things, but that doesn't mean that it isn't important or significant. Frankly, I feel like its a cop-out when the legitimate worth of a dog is questioned.
Opinions are like 'belly buttons'....we all have one! Nuff Said... :mrgreen:

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Timewise65 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:45 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
JONOV wrote: One of my pet peeves also. I have questioned that for years and still see no correlation to a meaningful thing to do with Quality of the pup. I own a pup, car, truck, lawn mower, 4 wheeler, house and a farm and in each case the purchase price is less that the operating cost but the dog is the only one where I am told the purchase price is not a major item that is normally the main factor in being able to afford the purchase. But someday I may get smarter and figure it out.

Ezzy
Ezzy....your car, truck, lawn mower, 4 wheeler, house and farm will not get cancer, go blind early, have major hip and joint issues....etc. etc. What you pay for a pup lowers the risk of the dog having these problems (assuming you do the normal do diligence on the breeder), because the breeders have consistently had the health certifications done prior to breeding....furthermore the probability that you will not have a dog that "Won't Hunt" is improved by selective breeding which costs the breeder extra money....as Stud Fees on great dogs are not cheep! If you do your homework on the breeder and pups they are breeding you will dramatically improve your odds of getting a healthy (long term) pup that has good hunting potential!

That being said, regardless how much you pay, it is minor compared to the costs of owning a field dog! But looking for a low cost deal, lowers the odds of getting a healthy dog and a dog with good field instincts, nose, and style! I always prefer to play the odds!

One of my "Pet Peeves" are people who do not get the obvious...SMILE!

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Steve007 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:15 pm

The (unfortunate) truth is that there are always more good dogs than good homes for them. But you need "dog credentials" to prove you are a good home. If you are flexible, patient, will travel to see the dog and can say "no" even after you've traveled, your odds are ending up with a very very good adult dog for non-major $ are high.

If you insist on a puppy, that may be a different story. But even then..

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Tooling » Wed Apr 19, 2017 5:47 pm

I'd have no qualms giving a thousand, give or take for a pup I want. Frankly, cost is not even a metric when we go on the hunt for a pup. I will however state that if we contacted a breeder and learned that the cost of a pup was low, say 250-350 or so, that'd be a red flag and would make me weary; unless it's a friend or acquaintance with circumstance of course.

Think we gave eight hundred for our last pup and I'd sure hate to place a monetary value on him at this stage. He is simply priceless to us.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by JONOV » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:21 pm

Timewise65 wrote:
ezzy333 wrote:
JONOV wrote: One of my pet peeves also. I have questioned that for years and still see no correlation to a meaningful thing to do with Quality of the pup. I own a pup, car, truck, lawn mower, 4 wheeler, house and a farm and in each case the purchase price is less that the operating cost but the dog is the only one where I am told the purchase price is not a major item that is normally the main factor in being able to afford the purchase. But someday I may get smarter and figure it out.

Ezzy
Ezzy....your car, truck, lawn mower, 4 wheeler, house and farm will not get cancer, go blind early, have major hip and joint issues....etc. etc. What you pay for a pup lowers the risk of the dog having these problems (assuming you do the normal do diligence on the breeder), because the breeders have consistently had the health certifications done prior to breeding....furthermore the probability that you will not have a dog that "Won't Hunt" is improved by selective breeding which costs the breeder extra money....as Stud Fees on great dogs are not cheep! If you do your homework on the breeder and pups they are breeding you will dramatically improve your odds of getting a healthy (long term) pup that has good hunting potential!

That being said, regardless how much you pay, it is minor compared to the costs of owning a field dog! But looking for a low cost deal, lowers the odds of getting a healthy dog and a dog with good field instincts, nose, and style! I always prefer to play the odds!

One of my "Pet Peeves" are people who do not get the obvious...SMILE!
To your point, its not really different. You can buy a $2k truck or a $30K truck or a $60K truck. At some point there are diminishing returns. Lots of folks do just fine buying $2k cars and can get years and miles off of them, but they certainly know what they're looking at, and lots of folks would buy a bag of bolts at that price. If you don't know what to look for/what you're looking at, it makes sense to spend a little more. And, if you want a top of the line product that can win races, spend more still.

Also, no mention of breed is brought up. I wouldn't buy a $500 lab. I probably would buy a $500 pointer. It just seems to be what they go for.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by greg jacobs » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:23 pm

Seems as though some resent paying for the hard work that good breeders put in. It's a lot more than tossing a couple of your pets together. This is why I am willing to pay a little extra.

The sire
DC VC MH, VCX, RDX is the
2015 GSPCA Hunt Test Sire of the Year
The dam
FC MH
That takes a lot of time and money. I sure don't resent compensating them for all the work

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by bustingcover » Thu Apr 20, 2017 2:29 am

JONOV wrote: All that aside (and I agree that most breeders don't make money per se, and mostly want to fund the ongoing hobby,) can you really look at yourself in the mirror, and tell us that if you owned a Shadow Oak Bo caliber of dog, that you wouldn't sell the pups for four figures?
Personally I couldn't and wouldn't. Its a puppy, parents don't guarantee anything. I've given away well bred pups that I could've sold for a lot of money. I get that some people want to be compensated for their work, more power to them. Just not how I operate. I'll sell puppies for what I feel are fair puppy prices and if I can't afford it I just wont have a litter simple as that. As far as grown dogs go, I definitely believe in getting their worth however high that number is because these are an actual proven product.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Max2 » Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:53 am

To the o/p ~ I will let you know in a year or so. ~ I am recently ~ 1st time in a very long time dogless and not digg'n it :cry:
Thank goodness for sites like this that I can come to and enjoy by living through others !

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Mountaineer » Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:14 am

Less than the value received.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Tooling » Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:47 am

Max2 wrote:To the o/p ~ I will let you know in a year or so. ~ I am recently ~ 1st time in a very long time dogless and not digg'n it :cry:
Thank goodness for sites like this that I can come to and enjoy by living through others !
We had Shorthairs without interruption for a twenty-three yr stretch. Following the loss of our last female (Layne), we decided to take a pause from the hair in the carpet before we started the search, plus we were traveling quite a bit at the time. Three months w/out a Shorthair was about all we could stand so the search began. After three more months of scouring the entire US, we settled upon a breeder who had the line(s) we sought. Following the task of vetting the sire and dam-to-be along with much discussion with the breeder and his clientele for yet another three months - we made our decision and awaited the litter-to-be for our new female, that we were adamant about. A long, long years wait came to an end & it was time to select. We had pick number one. When all was said and done, we picked the pup that was just simply the right pup for us.

We could not be any happier with him. He is easily the nicest GSP, overall, that we’ve ever had the pleasure to have as a part of our family. He also happens to be a wonderful hunting companion that is a pleasure to hunt over.

I feel your pain Max2 - that yr without a Shorthair was awfully quiet and the lack of GSP humor sure left a hole in our lives, like a quiet but persistent undertow. Be patient when the time comes.

GSP hair in the carpet and persistent GSP dust bunnies? Welp, so be it!

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Urban_Redneck » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:53 am

I'm in the pay for what you get camp. I'll also echo that I probably have spent as much as I paid in her first 11 months.

The breeder I bought my pup from (up front) provided references, hip & elbow scores, vet reports, pedigreee on sire and dam,helped me with the import paperwork, and met me halfway for the pick-up. Exchange rate brought her to me for just under $1340. She also promptly replied to 100 emails :roll: educated me on raw feeding, keeps in touch inquiring about Kasia's progress, talked me through a false pregnancy, and invited us to the reunion she throws at her home/kennel in August. Most importantly Kasia is the dog I expected and more.

And she sent a thumb drive of pre breeding to 7 weeks photos of pups and parents :D


Throwback Thursday

That's my girl in the middle :lol:
Image

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by gonehuntin' » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:14 am

Pay for what you get camp also. Pay for what you get can entail rarity of breed as well as guarantees and bloodlines. I got a new DD pup last summer and with pup (1200.00), air freight (300.00), kennel (75.00) and vet check when arrived (200.00) I was into the new pup about $1,800.00. Breeder has now upped pup prices to $1,600.00. heck, people are paying $3,000.00 for mutt golden-doodles. Makes a well bred gun dog look like a bargain.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Troy08er » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:31 am

The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for 400.00, which is pretty good bloodlines and all went to field trial homes.

She's out of IB Spur'n & her mom is out of IB Yastrzemski & IB Bean.

The new pups sire is Bruce's main event which is out of Erin's Stoney River & Erin's butterfly. So this litter has alot of fiddler & go boy..

I've hunted under alot of different breeds. I can't understand why pointers are the cheapest. :o
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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by birddogger2 » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:11 am

Troy08er wrote:The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for 400.00, which is pretty good bloodlines and all went to field trial homes.

She's out of IB Spur'n & her mom is out of IB Yastrzemski & IB Bean.

The new pups sire is Bruce's main event which is out of Erin's Stoney River & Erin's butterfly. So this litter has alot of fiddler & go boy..

I've hunted under alot of different breeds. I can't understand why pointers are the cheapest. :o
That is an easy question to answer. pointers are bird dogs...first last and always. The best of them are bred to compete in field trials and lie any other sporting activity, only a small percentage of the best athletes have all of the abilities to compete at the highest levels. This means that there will inevitably be as surplus of good to very good dogs available. With the lack of huntable populations of wild birds in many areas, the demand for this kind of dog is even lower.

The other thing is that the pointer is something of a specialist, in that it is not bred or promoted as a dog that can hunt a variety of game and do water retrieves, which is why, IMO the shorthair is so popular.

An interesting fact is that pointers can and do make very good pets, but most folks do not even consider them or their "companion" value. I am kinda glad about that actually.

As far as the OP's question...I have paid several different prices for puppies over the years. You can expect to pay somewhere between $500- $1200 plus shipping costs, for a high pick puppy out of top level champion breeding. the most I ever paid was $900 for a 16 wk. old pup, but I have paid over a thousand , when including the shipping costs, on several occasions.

My last pup was out of a winning female and the sire was a National Shooting Dog champion. You don't get much better breeding in pointers. I got 4th pick and paid $650. So far, he is looking like he will make the grade as a competitor, but I will know more after next year.

RayG

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Trekmoor » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:27 am

I've never really had the money to spend on "top bred dogs." I have done well over the years by looking carefully when at field trials or by looking at reported field trial results prior to buying a pup. I look for an "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" sort of dog and then watch for matings of that dog to a similar bitch. If a dog or bitch is an "always a bridesmaid" sort of dog then it is possible that it's handler is at fault. The dog has consistently shown that it has what it takes to win .....but maybe with a different handler.

Litters from such dogs can be very good and the pups will cost a good bit less because they do not have "famous" sires or dams.

I also look past a pups immediate parents when looking at the pedigree. If the grandparents etc. have been F.T.Ch.'s then what they had may have skipped a generation for some reason but those abilities often surface again in the puppies even though the pups are relatively "cheap."

Bill T.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by JONOV » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:43 am

Troy08er wrote:The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for 400.00, which is pretty good bloodlines and all went to field trial homes.

She's out of IB Spur'n & her mom is out of IB Yastrzemski & IB Bean.

The new pups sire is Bruce's main event which is out of Erin's Stoney River & Erin's butterfly. So this litter has alot of fiddler & go boy..

I've hunted under alot of different breeds. I can't understand why pointers are the cheapest. :o
I think some of it has to do with supply...A lot of guys trial them and keep multiple dogs, and therefore have more litters. At least on facebook groups, I see two or three pointer litters or pointers for sale for every GSP.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by cjhills » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:59 am

Tooling wrote:
Max2 wrote:To the o/p ~ I will let you know in a year or so. ~ I am recently ~ 1st time in a very long time dogless and not digg'n it :cry:
Thank goodness for sites like this that I can come to and enjoy by living through others !
We had Shorthairs without interruption for a twenty-three yr stretch. Following the loss of our last female (Layne), we decided to take a pause from the hair in the carpet before we started the search, plus we were traveling quite a bit at the time. Three months w/out a Shorthair was about all we could stand so the search began. After three more months of scouring the entire US, we settled upon a breeder who had the line(s) we sought. Following the task of vetting the sire and dam-to-be along with much discussion with the breeder and his clientele for yet another three months - we made our decision and awaited the litter-to-be for our new female, that we were adamant about. A long, long years wait came to an end & it was time to select. We had pick number one. When all was said and done, we picked the pup that was just simply the right pup for us.

We could not be any happier with him. He is easily the nicest GSP, overall, that we’ve ever had the pleasure to have as a part of our family. He also happens to be a wonderful hunting companion that is a pleasure to hunt over.

I feel your pain Max2 - that yr without a Shorthair was awfully quiet and the lack of GSP humor sure left a hole in our lives, like a quiet but persistent undertow. Be patient when the time comes.

GSP hair in the carpet and persistent GSP dust bunnies? Welp, so be it!
Just to be fair. I am pretty sure there are many buyers that go through a lot less than you did to find a puppy and spend a lot less that feel the same way about their dog. Also a lot of what makes a great dog is environment....Cj

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by AZ Brittany Guy » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:07 pm

$1,200. For a AI, HOF pup.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Troy08er » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:05 pm

birddogger2 wrote:
Troy08er wrote:The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for 400.00, which is pretty good bloodlines and all went to field trial homes.

She's out of IB Spur'n & her mom is out of IB Yastrzemski & IB Bean.

The new pups sire is Bruce's main event which is out of Erin's Stoney River & Erin's butterfly. So this litter has alot of fiddler & go boy..

I've hunted under alot of different breeds. I can't understand why pointers are the cheapest. :o
That is an easy question to answer. pointers are bird dogs...first last and always. The best of them are bred to compete in field trials and lie any other sporting activity, only a small percentage of the best athletes have all of the abilities to compete at the highest levels. This means that there will inevitably be as surplus of good to very good dogs available. With the lack of huntable populations of wild birds in many areas, the demand for this kind of dog is even lower.

The other thing is that the pointer is something of a specialist, in that it is not bred or promoted as a dog that can hunt a variety of game and do water retrieves, which is why, IMO the shorthair is so popular.

An interesting fact is that pointers can and do make very good pets, but most folks do not even consider them or their "companion" value. I am kinda glad about that actually.

As far as the OP's question...I have paid several different prices for puppies over the years. You can expect to pay somewhere between $500- $1200 plus shipping costs, for a high pick puppy out of top level champion breeding. the most I ever paid was $900 for a 16 wk. old pup, but I have paid over a thousand , when including the shipping costs, on several occasions.

My last pup was out of a winning female and the sire was a National Shooting Dog champion. You don't get much better breeding in pointers. I got 4th pick and paid $650. So far, he is looking like he will make the grade as a competitor, but I will know more after next year.

RayG
Thanks Ray,that make sense.

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by birddogger2 » Fri Apr 21, 2017 7:50 am

JONOV wrote:
Troy08er wrote:The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for 400.00, which is pretty good bloodlines and all went to field trial homes.

She's out of IB Spur'n & her mom is out of IB Yastrzemski & IB Bean.

The new pups sire is Bruce's main event which is out of Erin's Stoney River & Erin's butterfly. So this litter has alot of fiddler & go boy..

I've hunted under alot of different breeds. I can't understand why pointers are the cheapest. :o
I think some of it has to do with supply...A lot of guys trial them and keep multiple dogs, and therefore have more litters. At least on facebook groups, I see two or three pointer litters or pointers for sale for every GSP.
Trialing is a numbers game to a large extent. A high level trialer and their pro trainer/handler may evaluate several DOZEN pups in a year, all of which are very well bred, just to come up with one to four dog that has "all the coons up the same tree" so to speak. Those four pups may distill down to ONE derby that has it all...

and even that derby dog may not be able to take the training and retain the independence and style to become a successful adult dog or get injured in training.

Sooo, along the way there are dozens of really, really nice bird dogs that will do absolutely everything most bird hunters could want. The same could be said, to some extent, for trial bred English Setters, GSP's and Brittanys. Those other breeds tend to have additional appeal to prospective owners beyond ability to hunt upland birds, so the demand(and pricing) for them tends to be higher.

RayG

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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by Tooling » Fri Apr 21, 2017 8:16 am

Trekmoor wrote:I've never really had the money to spend on "top bred dogs." I have done well over the years by looking carefully when at field trials or by looking at reported field trial results prior to buying a pup. I look for an "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" sort of dog and then watch for matings of that dog to a similar bitch. If a dog or bitch is an "always a bridesmaid" sort of dog then it is possible that it's handler is at fault. The dog has consistently shown that it has what it takes to win .....but maybe with a different handler.

Litters from such dogs can be very good and the pups will cost a good bit less because they do not have "famous" sires or dams.

I also look past a pups immediate parents when looking at the pedigree. If the grandparents etc. have been F.T.Ch.'s then what they had may have skipped a generation for some reason but those abilities often surface again in the puppies even though the pups are relatively "cheap."

Bill T.
That's pretty clever

cjhills wrote:
Tooling wrote:
Max2 wrote:To the o/p ~ I will let you know in a year or so. ~ I am recently ~ 1st time in a very long time dogless and not digg'n it :cry:
Thank goodness for sites like this that I can come to and enjoy by living through others !
We had Shorthairs without interruption for a twenty-three yr stretch. Following the loss of our last female (Layne), we decided to take a pause from the hair in the carpet before we started the search, plus we were traveling quite a bit at the time. Three months w/out a Shorthair was about all we could stand so the search began. After three more months of scouring the entire US, we settled upon a breeder who had the line(s) we sought. Following the task of vetting the sire and dam-to-be along with much discussion with the breeder and his clientele for yet another three months - we made our decision and awaited the litter-to-be for our new female, that we were adamant about. A long, long years wait came to an end & it was time to select. We had pick number one. When all was said and done, we picked the pup that was just simply the right pup for us.

We could not be any happier with him. He is easily the nicest GSP, overall, that we’ve ever had the pleasure to have as a part of our family. He also happens to be a wonderful hunting companion that is a pleasure to hunt over.

I feel your pain Max2 - that yr without a Shorthair was awfully quiet and the lack of GSP humor sure left a hole in our lives, like a quiet but persistent undertow. Be patient when the time comes.

GSP hair in the carpet and persistent GSP dust bunnies? Welp, so be it!
Just to be fair. I am pretty sure there are many buyers that go through a lot less than you did to find a puppy and spend a lot less that feel the same way about their dog. Also a lot of what makes a great dog is environment....Cj

Can’t say I quite understand your comment, “to be fair”, huh?
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Re: What's the most you've spent on a dog?

Post by CCBIRDDOGMAN » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:05 pm

Most I have spent for a pup is $500 and then 3 months training at $500/month.

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