"how Much For A Whippet?"

[andrea31]

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It's been very interesting reading through all this, I was one of the people you would probably be put off by, I did ask the price of the pup in the first email. If anyone is sensible with money, they budget, and I wanted to find a great pup within my budget, before I got attached to it. Thankfully, Mark and Paula were really helpful, and guided me the whole way through the process, to which I'm eternally grateful.

There are tactful ways of asking, and of course, the not so tactful ways. I run my own business, and I wouldn't expect anyone to come to me and get their hair done without first asking them how much it costs. It doesn't mean they're being disrespectful, I think it just means they're doing their homework.

As it is, I am so glad I got Tascha, she's a pup in a million, but of course I'm a biased mum :wub:

 

[TC]

I agree with Angela.

Consider my recent cicumstances, I had serious problems with Ollie suddenly freaking out at being left. After trying numerous options, one thing to consider was getting another dog ( I hasten to add that this was suggested by many on this forum (w00t) )

This did leave me in a predicament though;

I had always only wanted one dog really. It is very easy to drop in on not so doggy friend with one little whip. When you start arriving with two it might not be so calm or well received.

I am away alot and wanted Ollie to be with me, two dogs aren't quite so readily accepted into holiday accomodation!

COST - 2 vaccinations, 2 petplan covers, 2 dog walking charges, 2 micro chips etc, etc, without mentioning food, bowls, leads!

In order to try an keep Ollie happy and healthy I had to consider this option, but with all the added expense on a day to day basis I would have to know if a dog would be within my price range and therefore would need to ask from the outset.

Some may say that getting another dog at the drop of a hat would be irresponsible, but believe me there was a lot (and I mean a lot) of soul searching and the biggest list of "pros and cons" I've ever seen. Don't want to drift of the topic, but felt I had to put that in in case you all thought that I would just get another dog on a whim :wacko:

 

[Seraphina]

Here in Australia Whippet pups vary in price enormously. There are some without papers advertised in the newspapers for as little as $120, while some breeders I believe charge about $2,000 (I was told). I am happy to give the puppy buyer an idea of what sort of price I am asking. Although, I would be put off if it was the very first thing they would ask. Some people are just shy, they do not know what to ask, so i do reserve my judgement till later. I certainly would not be so rude as to hang up on a person just because they do not follow some protocol which I would consider proper.

The most important thing for me is that the puppy will be loved. I do not think it is possible to asses person over the phone. People can learn to say the right thing. What matters is their attitude towards the dogs. I watch people very carefully as they enter my house and see my sofa covered in Whippets and pups. If the look on their faces says :wub: that is a good sign, if I can detect just a tinge of disaproval I have to question if they are right to own a Whippet. The moment a person sits down on the floor with the pups they are half way there to be aproved.

Lida

 

[Fahs]

I've been very upfront about price... I don;t haev teh world to spend but cna afford a little.

With my horses, you do the best you can.. I'm lucky that my vet is a family friend so gives us cheap/free deals.

But insurance is a valuble thign in my mind for those dreadful outcomes where major surgery may be needed.

As you said, breeding for me is not too much of an issue, although I do have an idea in my head of what i would like my whippet to look like.... so I've also signed up to rescue centres.

 

[Mark Roberts]

It's been very interesting reading through all this, I was one of the people you would probably be put off by, I did ask the price of the pup in the first email. If anyone is sensible with money, they budget, and I wanted to find a great pup within my budget, before I got attached to it. Thankfully, Mark and Paula were really helpful, and guided me the whole way through the process, to which I'm eternally grateful.There are tactful ways of asking, and of course, the not so tactful ways. I run my own business, and I wouldn't expect anyone to come to me and get their hair done without first asking them how much it costs. It doesn't mean they're being disrespectful, I think it just means they're doing their homework.

As it is, I am so glad I got Tascha, she's a pup in a million, but of course I'm a biased mum

Thanks for the comments Andrea, :thumbsup:

As a Breeder (some woulds say Typlicle breeder "sorry Lesley couldnt resist lass" lol) I kept out of this 1 for a while but as i've been mentioned i'll give my thoughts.

you get calls from all sorts after pups from the dead keen to the absolut nut cases who are just sat board so ring about a pup (yes thats true) anyway if someone rings and says "i'm after a pup how much are they" then theres no way they get 1 off me they normaly get told were to go.

now if someone rings and chats for 10+ minutes (often a lot longer when I get talking lol) asking about the pups colours/sex/mum/dad ect then ask the price then i'm more than happy to tell them the price (but as someones already said the price is always on my web page when i'm I have a litter "but not everyones got the net")

in the past i've told loads where to go for ringing and imediatly asking the price before anything else? (hopefully seeing as Andrea has made her comments about how I do things I wont be slatted for my last comment)

Breeders (most responsible ones anyway) are keen for their pups to go to good loving homes and we realy do try to make sure they don't go to bad homes.

if someone didnt ask the price in the 1st call to me then the alaerm bells would ring with thoughts that they were just time wasters? but the price should not be the first thing descussed.

just my opinion on things and so far it's not done us to bad finding good permanant homes for pups weve bred.

 

[lizzyb]

It's been very interesting reading through all this, I was one of the people you would probably be put off by, I did ask the price of the pup in the first email. If anyone is sensible with money, they budget, and I wanted to find a great pup within my budget, before I got attached to it. Thankfully, Mark and Paula were really helpful, and guided me the whole way through the process, to which I'm eternally grateful.There are tactful ways of asking, and of course, the not so tactful ways. I run my own business, and I wouldn't expect anyone to come to me and get their hair done without first asking them how much it costs. It doesn't mean they're being disrespectful, I think it just means they're doing their homework.

As it is, I am so glad I got Tascha, she's a pup in a million, but of course I'm a biased mum

Thanks for the comments Andrea, :thumbsup:

As a Breeder (some woulds say Typlicle breeder "sorry Lesley couldnt resist lass" lol) I kept out of this 1 for a while but as i've been mentioned i'll give my thoughts.

you get calls from all sorts after pups from the dead keen to the absolut nut cases who are just sat board so ring about a pup (yes thats true) anyway if someone rings and says "i'm after a pup how much are they" then theres no way they get 1 off me they normaly get told were to go.

now if someone rings and chats for 10+ minutes (often a lot longer when I get talking lol) asking about the pups colours/sex/mum/dad ect then ask the price then i'm more than happy to tell them the price (but as someones already said the price is always on my web page when i'm I have a litter "but not everyones got the net")

in the past i've told loads where to go for ringing and imediatly asking the price before anything else? (hopefully seeing as Andrea has made her comments about how I do things I wont be slatted for my last comment)

Breeders (most responsible ones anyway) are keen for their pups to go to good loving homes and we realy do try to make sure they don't go to bad homes.

if someone didnt ask the price in the 1st call to me then the alaerm bells would ring with thoughts that they were just time wasters? but the price should not be the first thing descussed.

just my opinion on things and so far it's not done us to bad finding good permanant homes for pups weve bred.

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I totally agree Mark , If the first words are "How much" I then in my opion they can't afford it Buyers should ask the right questions if they are really interested in your dogs and hopfully we as breeders place the pups in the right homes.

 

[chelynnah]

Thanks for that Mark. I was hoping some breeders would answer the thread.

Wendy

 

[Janimal]

Im sorry but when I was looking for a puppy I could 'afford it' but I only wanted a whippet as a pet. So how come some breeders have whippets available to loving pet homes sometimes, surely these dogs wouldnt be as expensive as one sold to show or race??

I dont know what the issue is with the price - wouldnt it be easier for the breeders to put the price in the first place so everyone can plainly see how much they are asking then we wouldnt have to be embarassed by ASKING the price.

The breeding wasnt particularly important to me - I just wanted another WHIPPET, and Im certain he has found a loving home here, even though I did ask the price.

 

[chelynnah]

Actually my personal opinion is that the 'pet/companion' whatever you want to call it should be the same price as the performance whippet. Whatever you're selling your litter for I think each pup should be the same price. They were loved equally, they were fed equally, cared for and everything else. Why put a lesser value on a dog being sold to a companion home rather than a performance home. I know there are breeders out there who value the home more than the price, so if they found the perfect home and someone couldn't afford the price then they would adjust or make arrangements individually and I'm all for that. But overall if we're pricing the 'pet' whippets at a lower price than the performance whippets aren't we giving the signal that they are lesser valued?

Wendy (who just can't help stirring things up )

 

[Janimal]

I can see the point Wendy about them being cared for equally :thumbsup: have to agree maybe then the same price for each dog. But why are some around £500 and some as low as £250 ..... Im just saying I want to ask the price when I ring a breeder then Id know if I wanted to pay that much. I know they get a lot of time wasters ..so does that mean the ones that ask the price?

 

[dessie]

All puppies cost the same to rear, whether they are dogs or bitches, show /race/coursing potential (and that is ALL you can say about any puppy, there is no such thing as a guaranteed show, race, coursing winner) or just a companion. Therefore why should you start saying this is the price for this one and that is the price for that one. The price is based on the stud fee paid, cost of rearing the litter & extra feeding of the bitch, maybe any Vet's fees that have been incurred in producing the litter (hopefully not any but a Caesar, for instance, could have unfortunately been needed) etc, etc and all these costs will vary from area to area. I am sure my puppies will probably be a lot more expensive than Mark's, for example, purely because I live in a part of the country where the cost of living is higher, not because my puppies are any better or worse or different than his.

Other than the above I also agree with all that Mark said as well about the type of enquiries you receive. I never advertise my puppies and if anyone rings asking if I have any I will always counter with "What are you actually looking for" and let them tell me what they want and then I can either let the conversation go forward from there or end it, whichever I feel is most appropriate. You learn far more about people by having a conversation rather than a question and answer session.

The other thing I tend not to do is let people come and see puppies that are actually ready to go (i.e. 8 weeks old) and take one there and then. I would ask them to go away and think about it before finally committing themselves to purchasing that puppy. This gives both them and me time to consider the situation and either party to change their mind.

 

[~elizabeth~]

The other thing I tend not to do is let people come and see puppies that are actually ready to go (i.e. 8 weeks old) and take one there and then.  I would ask them to go away and think about it before finally committing themselves to purchasing that puppy.  This gives both them and me time to consider the situation and either party to change their mind.

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Good point!

Sorry if I gave the impression I have done this - I meant I'd made the decision in my head but in fact have always rung the person in question back later to say yeah or nay. :b

E

 

[JAX]

All puppies cost the same to rear, whether they are dogs or bitches, show /race/coursing potential (and that is ALL you can say about any puppy, there is no such thing as a guaranteed show, race, coursing winner) or just a companion.  Therefore why should you start saying this is the price for this one and that is the price for that one.  The price is based on the stud fee paid, cost of rearing the litter & extra feeding of the bitch, maybe any Vet's fees that have been incurred in producing the litter (hopefully not any but a Caesar, for instance, could have unfortunately been needed) etc, etc and all these costs will vary from area to area.  I am sure my puppies will probably be a lot more expensive than Mark's, for example, purely because I live in a part of the country where the cost of living is higher, not because my puppies are any better or worse or different than his.
Other than the above I also agree with all that Mark said as well about the type of enquiries you receive.  I never advertise my puppies and if anyone rings asking if I have any I will always counter with "What are you actually looking for" and let them tell me what they want and then I can either let the conversation go forward from there or end it, whichever I feel is most appropriate.  You learn far more about people by having a conversation rather than a question and answer session.

The other thing I tend not to do is let people come and see puppies that are actually ready to go (i.e. 8 weeks old) and take one there and then.  I would ask them to go away and think about it before finally committing themselves to purchasing that puppy.  This gives both them and me time to consider the situation and either party to change their mind.

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I agree with alot that Dessie has said , If people cant wait , im not interested , Ive got people who having been waiting since last year for one of my pups , if they find one in the meantime all well and good , but I do wishe they would let me know :rant: . Luckily most of my ` peps `still are happy to wait . They are the sort of people I m sure will be good home s, theyve thought about what they want and are prepared to wait for it , Hopefully Fleur will be having pups in about 4 weeks (w00t) o :luck:

I charge the same price for dog , bitch show or pet , all reared the same . with love :wub:

 

[~elizabeth~]

I agree with alot that Dessie has said , If people cant wait , im not interested , Ive got people who having been waiting since last year for one of my pups ,

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With ped. kittens, most breeders advertise fairly early on, say at 6 weeks which is when you enquire and choose. But the GCCF (or whatever, there are 2 bodies) stipulates they shouldn't leave the breeder til 16 weeks, so you usually have quite a long wait anyway; I think we picked ours up even later than this, having chosen her at 4 weeks and visited her several times in between.

Elizabeth

 

[dessie]

I agree with alot that Dessie has said , If people cant wait , im not interested , Ive got people who having been waiting since last year for one of my pups ,

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With ped. kittens, most breeders advertise fairly early on, say at 6 weeks which is when you enquire and choose. But the GCCF (or whatever, there are 2 bodies) stipulates they shouldn't leave the breeder til 16 weeks, so you usually have quite a long wait anyway; I think we picked ours up even later than this, having chosen her at 4 weeks and visited her several times in between.

Elizabeth

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I find this most odd, slightly changing tack here from puppies to kittens. I have spoken with other cat breeders and they all say the same about the age that the governing body recommends kittens go to their new homes at. Yet, when I got Jack Cat he was only 6 weeks old and, in my opinion and with hindsight, too young but both my Vet (who assured me cats cope at that age) and the CPL (who told his breeder) said it was OK for the kittens to be homed at such a tender age. Why such a wide variation of opinion by so called experts???

 

[~elizabeth~]

I find this most odd, slightly changing tack here from puppies to kittens.  I have spoken with other cat breeders and they all say the same about the age that the governing body recommends kittens go to their new homes at.  Yet, when I got Jack Cat he was only 6 weeks old and, in my opinion and with hindsight, too young but both my Vet (who assured me cats cope at that age) and the CPL (who told his breeder) said it was OK for the kittens to be homed at such a tender age.  Why such a wide variation of opinion by so called experts???

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I suppose there is a 'floor' to the age when they can technically be removed from the mother and siblings although in practice it might be better to leave it a while. I thought this worked quite well, gives the young animals more a chance to socialize safely at an early age. Picked our whippet up at over 12 weeks, the breeder was quite happy to have him the extra time as it was company for the pup she kept for herself. I imagine it might be a bit risky from the breeder's viewpoint, if they turn out to be convincing timewasters and change their minds at the last moment :angry:

The thing I dread is 'I want one as a pet for the children' (just about the last thing my maniac ducks are good for) definite no-no for me, a real sign they haven't done any homework!

Elizabeth

 

[JAX]

My sister breeds Persain cats and they never leave before 12 weeks and fully inoculated at that too ,

All my moggies Ive had at 6-8 weeks with no ill effects . Dogs are completely different to cats , their whole social side of things is different , I mean not many cats go for a run in the park and travel about meeting peps like dogs do ,do they . You really cant compare the two as they are so very different .

 

[dessie]

I don't mean to compare puppies to kittens inasmuch as what they do but baby things are baby things and I just wondered why the discrepancy in age between pedigree cats and moggie cats and two vastly different recommendations from a Vet/Rescue organisation on one side and the Cat KC (for want of a better term!!) on the other. Certainly the difference in Jack from 6 weeks to 8 weeks was amazing. At 8 weeks he suddenly became a 'proper' kitten whereas up to that time he was just an ickle baby that needed TLC. I would not take a 6 week old kitten again.

 

[chelynnah]

I can see the point Wendy about them being cared for equally  :thumbsup:   have to agree maybe then the same price for each dog.  But why are some around £500 and some as low as £250 ..... Im just saying I want to ask the price when I ring a breeder then Id know if I wanted to pay that much. I know they get a lot of time wasters ..so does that mean the ones that ask the price?

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Oh definitely with regard to you need to know which price-range you're dealing with so you know what you can afford - that's one of the things I was saying in my original post.

Your post just made me think about another issue to throw into the mix

Wendy

 

[bappit]

Had no idea there was such a variation in price :wacko:

Finding this an interesting thread.

Regardless of breed, have always pondered myself if a "run-on" dog should have a higher price tag than a puppy?