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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

How much should we expect to pay for a dog? We have seen a wide range from $200.00 to $1000.00. All we want is a good dog. Is the extra money a money grab, or is there a good reason for the price difference?

Sara

There absolutely are reasons for the price differences you find among puppies. Good breeders rarely make any profit from a puppy. Bad breeders look for ways to cut corners so they can make turn a profit.

Justifying the cost a breeder charges is a good way to evaluate the care the puppies received. It's not much different than making other important purchases. For example, if you were interested in buying a house that had an older model oil furnace, you could ask for inspection reports. The inspection reports would give you a general idea of the condition of the appliance.

More importantly, the absence of paperwork might tell you more. Why are there no papers? Were inspections not done? If they failed to care for this part of the home, what about the rest of the house?

Ask good questions and you may detect potential problems. You should feel free to ask just as many questions when looking for a companion animal.

There are procedures that are standard with every puppy. If a dog were a purebred, a good breeder would have to find a good match. It may be that the breeder pays stud fees. Each of the breeders would probably have on hand x-rays for common health problems such as hip dysplasia. Those films cost money.

Then finally, the litter is born. The puppies will require regular veterinary visits and vaccinations. Each of those puppies may require x-rays or other tests to ensure genetic problems are not present. The puppies would need to be registered with the C.K.C. and either tattooed or microchipped. No papers and you have just bought a mutt. It could still be a good dog, but it is not a purebred.

But that's not all. A good breeder will have those puppies in their house. Caring for those babies is a 24/7 job. Each puppy will require daily handling and possibly bathing. Young puppies get dirty very quickly. Their whelping area will need to be cleaned several times throughout the day. A clean pen often is dirty within _ hour. Often breeders take time away from their paid job to attend to the puppy's needs.

All those mouths need food. Ideally, breeders keep puppies until they are 8 weeks old. Of course, some breeders don't want to pay for more food than necessary, so they sell them younger. Others just buy the cheapest stuff they can find.

Then you can ask about additional bonuses. Many rescue groups spay and neuter the puppies. Some breeders and rescues provide training as part of the adoption rate.

Each critical step that is skipped in the name of profit will cost you. Worm filled pups need to be treated and that cost will come out of your pocket. Kennel raised pups are often difficult to house train and poorly socialized. You will pay for that in aggravation and additional training costs.

Cheap now is usually expensive later. The only exception would be a rescue group or shelter. Most are very willing to detail the expenses they have undertaken in their rescue work.

For ways in which you can spot a puppy mill go to www.awesomedogs.ca under the resources tab.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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