Puppy Prices

[Lucy Rai]

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Hello all,

When I bought my whippet 8 years ago prices seemed fairly standard at about £200 - a little more for an exceptional show pup. I've been looking again and they seem to range from £150 (for an unsold older pup or adult) up to £600 :unsure:

I understand why a bitch goes for more than a dog and also why a pup with papers is worth more - but when looking for a family pet who we might play with at the village show once a year I'm struggling to understand why there is such a huge variation?

I was told by one breeder that she would sell a bitch for £500 to a 'family pet only' home' - what does that mean? I couldn't at some point let her have a litter or show her for fun? Another breeder said that her littler were individually priced depending on colour - now when I last tried to find anything out about whippets they are equally valuable in a show ring whatever colour they are, and for a pet surely its personal choice, one person's ideal colour might be someone else's least favourite.

Now I would ideally like a red brindle, no good reason except I think they are pretty - and don't want another black / solid blue as I don't want to 'replace' my lost girl - but at the end of the day I want a nice personality as top priority and I can't afford a fortune as I'm still paying off the massive vet bill I ran up trying to save my girlie.

Can anyone tell me what is going on nowadays?

I don't want to come over as mean - I'm happy to pay a fair price but am I being unreasonable not to want to pay more than about £350 for a nice home bred registered whippie pup?

Oh - and before anyone suggests it - I have registered for Scruples and would be delighted to give a home to an older pup / adult but so far haven't been offered / found one - the ones for sale all seem to be dogs or black!

 

[eve]

Hi Lucy

If you are happy to take on a whippie girl that is 4 months plus, there are often a lot on ePupz.

Many are being sold on by people who have got bored with their puppy, cannot manage it or have had a change in financial, work or marriage circumstances.

There was a superb red brindle parti girl aged 1 a few weeks ago being sold by a breeder 'about to come into her 1st season'. :rant:

If you are prepared to travel to find the right dog and put in some work to correct other peoples mistakes then e Pupz or even Preloved can work well and you are buying a whippet that really needs a home as most people want a puppy.

My Lilly and Toddy both came to me via ePupz. Lilly had been well used for breeding and Toddy was a messed up 7 month old youngster.

Toddy has required a lot of hard work and patience but I would not part with him for the world. If you do not mind sorting out a few issues (and do not have very young children), a 'pre-owned' whippet is very rewarding and most satisfying on the long run.

I am registered on ePupz so if something comes up and you want me to get the seller contact details, pm me and I will send you them.

Good luck

 

[Hula]

I think you can pay whatever you would like to pay . There are plenty of home bred pet puppies in your price range .

 

[Janimal]

...and just whats wrong with a black whippet... :unsure: ??

and all my pups were around the £350 mark....there are lots out there, you just need to find the right breeder and type your looking for,

 

[Janimal]

sorry posted twice

 

[k4tie-d]

i wouldnt personally pay any more than £450 for a pup, its my personal opinion on what we as a family can afford,

all 3 off ours were different amounts, starting from £200 but to be honest for a family pet point of view the amount paid would make no difference to them,

from a racing/coursing point of view the amount paid for our coursing/racing bred pup was well worth it!

if you are just looking for a pet find a breader you get along with visit them a few time, see their dogs and if your happy with everything go for it!!

personally i wouldnt be happy with a breeder who wanted different prices for different colours or different sex's for that matter, all pups should cost the same to raise and in my opinion the price of the pup should reflect the cost of mating/welping/raising. so all pups should have that cost equally spread between them, if they are all different prices to me that says the breeder is more £££ driven than anything else

good luck there are loads of pups out there im sure you will find the right one soon x

 

[Lucy Rai]

Thanks guys -

Janimal - there is NOTHING wrong with black whippies - its only that my very beloved girl I have just had PTS was black and I don't think its fair to look at a new pup/dog and be reminded so strongy of her loss, she didn't have a good end, it was traumatic for both of us, and its just so painful I need to have a change. I understand not everyone would feel this way, but I do.

Eve - funny you mention Epupz as I've just been on the site -and was worried that as all the reply numbers were via Epupz it might be linked to some kind of puppy factory set up? I would be relaly keen to take on a teenager who needed a bit or work - I've lots of dog and horse training experience and enjoy it very much. I have kids, but they are teenagers and very sensible. Sounds like it would be a good option for us.....

k4tie-d - glad you also think some of the pricing out there is a bit odd, I was wondering if I was being overly suspicious, but just didn't feel happy.

Ah well --back on the epupz site for another look

 

[AnnSa]

My 4 have varied in price but i suppose thats to be expected

with a difference in age. As this would reflect the cost of

raising a litter.

Im like Katie and think £400-£450 is as much as i would pay.

But i would expect a registered pedigree pup for that price.

 

And i cant see why sex/colour or anything should change the

price within a litter.

 

[eve]

Nothing that sounds like what you are looking for today but newbies arrive all the time. The bitch I mentioned on the site was listed a few weeks ago and sounded perfect. Something will come up in the next few weeks or months. The ads on ePupz are genuine enough but some of the circumstances and sellers are the pits Running on a bitch till she is about to have her first season and selling her as a breeder is the one that gets me every time. Perfect for puppy farmers who don't want to buy a puppy and wait untill she is old enough to breed from.

After your trauma loosing your beloved whippie girl in such sad circumstances, the more time you allow yourself the better you will cope with a new addition. I think you are wise to opt for a different colouring. Toddy looks so like his predecessor (apart from those ears!) and I took Toddy on before I was really ready and it was hard on me from all sorts of angles.

 

[rls22]

I can only tell you what we do with our puppies; they are £450 regardless of sex or colour. I personally do not agree with charging more for bitches; why should they cost more? That is something I have never understood. The same amount of love and hard work goes in to each puppy.

There are so many costs to account for when breeding a litter; just a few from our litter for example are heart and eye testing (our personal choice to undertake these), stud fee, top quality food for puppies and mother, new vet bedding, which is washed daily, dew claw removal, worming, registration of puppies with KC, extra heating, petrol coming back from work several times a day (once returned to work). Then if you factor in the amount of time and hard work associated with raising a litter and constant contact and updates to their new owners and so and so on, I think charging £450 is very reasonable and not something I feel is greedy at all when it is litter that is bred with so much thought, care and attention.

Our pups are pets first and foremost and very few go to show homes, but even those that do we spend a lot of time making sure they are the right home for our pups. There are those with show potential but I would not think to charge more for those, as again they have not had less time and love put into them.

 

[Lucy Rai]

Thanks Eve - I know I should keep waiting - its been nearly a month now but is still very raw, I guess I hope that at least the search will take the edge of it.

I am also hoping that there might be a pup from a litter being bred from a half brother of my girl might be a possibility, but that won't be til Xmas ......and I'd quite like two anyway!

 

[olismum]

Good luck finding a new pup, have you got young children? HAve you seen chicco in the rehoming section? He lovely and we would have snapped hime up if we didnt have the kids!

 

[Suerose]

Really feel for you on this point. I actually changed breeds (from border collie to whippet) because I couldn't bear to be reminded of my lovely Taff all the time. For me, having another dog quickly was really helpful though because they leave such a gap in your life and your routine. Hope it works out well for you and you find the perfect new friend :luck: :luck: :luck:

Thanks guys -
Janimal - there is NOTHING wrong with black whippies - its only that my very beloved girl I have just had PTS was black and I don't think its fair to look at a new pup/dog and be reminded so strongy of her loss, she didn't have a good end, it was traumatic for both of us, and its just so painful I need to have a change. I understand not everyone would feel this way, but I do.

 

[Janimal]

Thanks Eve - I know I should keep waiting - its been nearly a month now but is still very raw, I guess I hope that at least the search will take the edge of it.
I am also hoping that there might be a pup from a litter being bred from a half brother of my girl might be a possibility, but that won't be til Xmas ......and I'd quite like two anyway!

Maybe you should wait a little longer if its still as raw....I think you will definitely know when the time is right... :thumbsup: a month is not very long to grieve which is exactly what you need....

when I lost Chip my whippet in 2004 I went eight months before deciding to get another pup ..or two in your case.

Im sure you will eventually find that special pup in time. I agree too with others, I wouldnt personally pay more than £450 for a pup, and also prefer pups to be the same price

regardless of their sex.

Good luck... :luck:

 

[peppermint lady]

i think as your missing your dog so dearly and you seem to have alot to offer another its a good thing to get another dog.. i understand the colour issue, you want a new family member....not a replacement

i hope you soon find a little lady to fill the gap :thumbsup:

might help to let us all know where your based!

 

[Lucy Rai]

I'm based in north Buckinghamashire - and happy to travel up to 80 miles in any direction, which takes in most of the East, South East and midlands. Of course LOADS of whippets in Wales and the north east!

I do have kids olismum - but they are rising 12 and 14 so pretty sensible and always lived with dogs and horses, so very animal aware - I hadn't seen the rehoming section so will have a look.

Rachel - thanks for your post, I 100% agree with you, I guess my problem is knowing which breeders are taking this trouble, which as you say is well worth the money. I saw some dreadfully sad pups on my last hunt 8 years ago, and they were no cheaper

If I could overcome my mental block about having a bitch it would help - but I've always had bitches and geldings and can't seem to shift from the habbit :wub:

Anyways folks - if anyone hears of a pup of young bitch in need of a loving busy home do let me know, in the meantime I'll keep looking 8)

 

[k4tie-d]

reply to your mental block of having a bitch,

when we started looking my OH said he didnt want a dog hes always had bitches (collies and dashounds etc) and didnt want to change, "there easier to train more affectionate and less agressive" or some sort of excuse like that :wacko:

i wasnt fussed as i have never had a dog but went with his "expert" judgement and we got 2 bitches.

my girls are lovely very affection, loyal and just lovely dogs, but last year we fostered a boy pup for 2 weeks and with in about 3days my OH said if we ever get another dog i want a boy! so within a few months along came smokey, hes mad!! but if possible far more affectionate and just a lovely wee dog, my OH is now converted and doesnt want any more girls lol.

what im saying is maybe in some breeds bitches are a better choice but i think whippets are so balanced that you can have either happily :thumbsup:

 

[TillynPip]

Sorry to hear that you lost your little girl in such sad circumstances. We lost one of our rescue girls in a horrible road accident last November. After that we decided that the younger one of our whippets missed her friend and needed a playmate and, for the first time in many years, acquired a dog puppy. Milo is now rising 7 months and is the most beautiful, laid back, lovable boy ever and we are totally besotted with him!

A rescue site that might be well worth visiting is Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue (still within your search area?) as they have had whippets and whippet X in the past. The very best of luck with your search and let us know if you find your friend.

 

[~Annie~]

Hi Lucy

Chico in the rehoming section on here is the same Chico as on the Scruples website. There had been a requirement that he be rehomed in the West Country to make follow ups easier as he is a dog with a lot of baggage and Jane had wanted to keep him close to her. But if you are interested I'll have a chat with Jane and see what we can come up with ... although we can't change the fact that he's a he, but personally I like the boys best

Annie

 

[~Sarah~]

Some excellent advice. :thumbsup:

My whippets cost different amounts - I got Dolly as a puppy and paid what I considered was the right price for a well reared registered puppy. When I wanted a second whippet I started looking at rescues, but then Remmy happened to be available (she was 10 months and not a rescue and had been really well looked after) and she came to live here. She is registered, but her papers are endorsed so she cannot be bred from (I didn't wish to anyway). She cost a lot less than Dolly, but I would imagine as a puppy she would have cost about the same as Dolly. I do not agree with different prices for dogs/bitches or colour.

Remmy is an absolute treasure with the most delightful temperament :wub: :wub: and fitted in so well with Bobby and Dolly, so I have never regretted getting an older dog and not a puppy. It was also far less stressful as my OH is not very understanding with puppies and the chewing phase!! In the future when I have another whippet it will probably be a rescue, and certainly will be an older bitch and not a puppy.

Good luck with whatever you decide, :luck: and I hope you begin to feel a little better about losing your girl and can beging to look back and remember all the happy times with her. :huggles: