Why the hell does a dog cost so much ?

Hello DogSpot members,

First of all I should thank DogSpot for creating such a wonderful platform for pet lovers to interact, learn and exchange ideas.

By profession I breed dogs, run 2 pet shops, Dog Boarding, Grooming Services in Bangalore. I am initiating this thread as I want to share my experiences and suggestion with current and prospective pet owners around India, I strongly believe that by sharing ideas, view and experiences we can improve the quality of our pets and be responsible owners....

I am kick starting the series targeting prospective pet owners as thats the beginning of a long term commitment which many people don't realize, I have put together the upcoming para as I feel it answers all the questions regarding which pet to choose,whats right for you, what's my commitment, what does quality play in selecting a puppy and the most beaten up questions "Why the hell does a dog cost so much" ?

**A PUPPY IS A LIVING, THINKING, FEELING CREATURE that needs to be loved and cared for. This does not mean a bowl of cheap pedigree once a day and a cursory pat on the head. It means a well-balanced diet of top quality food, vaccinations and regular veterinary care, brushing, toenail clipping, ear cleaning, adequate exercise, shelter from the elements, house training, socialization, obedience training, and, oh, yes -- lots and lots of patience and love; whether it turns out to be more than you hoped for in your wildest dreams or falls seriously short of even your minimum expectations. A PUPPY IS A LIFETIME COMMITMENT, for its entire lifetime**

**Most importantly "The breed you want may not necessarily be the breed you need" so please invest some time reading the breed standard / requirements before even thinking of one.

Congratulations..!! for choosing the breed fitting your need, the next question which is expected to follow is why the *HELL* do dogs cost so much, isn't the prices astronomical ?

The answer is a straight forward *NO*, here's why...

Why do you pay 1000 Rs & more for a just a *SHIRT* when you can still buy a wearable shirt starting from 100 Rs ? The answer is obvious, you opted for quality, texture, shine, brand value over an 3rd quality mopping cloth.

*Same is with dogs in comparison to a shirt..

Show quality pups are a result of selective breeding between imported lineage (quality of skin, coat etc), champion pedigree (brand value), breed standards ( skin coat, eyes defects, hereditary / genetic diseases, hip/elbow dysplasia, unstable/ erratic temperament, weak bone structure,fits and convulsions) etc

Dogs that are produced in this manner may not grow up to look or act anything like the dog you fell in love with & thats exactly what makes you feel inferior> dejected> frustrated looking at quality dogs which walk past your dogs & make you ask your dog the question, why the hell are you so small, weak and defective ?

The reason is you, don't blame the dog if this happens to you in the future

***Big deal I will not take my dogs to shows so I still need a pet quality....

Only a small number maybe 2-3 % of dogs spend much time in the show ring. Most dogs are shown by their owners or breeders, and when they are not showing, they are those owner’s pets,living the same life as any other pet dog.

Wouldn't you like a healthy dog meeting the breed standards (may not be a 1000 Rs shirt but a 500 Rs shirt) with minor ignorable defects. Most importantly the medical expenses associated with maintaining a defective inferior dog...

After all it is not a not a shirt but a living being with emotions and companion for 8-14 years :)

*Even if you don't buy from us we would be happy to educate you about the right breed matching your needs... :)

Feel free to add your comment and thoughts..

Comments

absolutely right sandy. Agreed with ur thinking. Some people treat pets as toys. Just play when it is healthy when it become weak or sick leave it them shelters or on road for dying. They dont want to spend much money on pets.

By: Bijal | 23 Oct 2010

Hi Bijal,

Thanks for seconding my thoughts, please spread this message to as many members as possible.

Just like humans pets also have the right to lead at least a dogs life....unfortunately they don't even get that by falling in wrong hands.

By: sandy | 23 Oct 2010

Hi Bijal,

Thanks for seconding my thoughts, please spread this message to as many members as possible.

Just like humans pets also have the right to lead at least a dogs life....unfortunately they don't even get that by falling in wrong hands.

By: sandy | 23 Oct 2010

Sandy i agree with u a part because, now a day few breeder (puppy millers) are selling the puppy which are not upto the mark for the same good standard prie where in the ture breeder who follows all the standard are not been honoured.

There are many incidence list in KCI for such kind. where in people forget that they are also living being list us.

Its really apriciable that you took a step forward to educate people.

I stand with you for this good friend

By: rahul | 24 Oct 2010

Good write. I do breed occasionally. The puppies are brought up on the best of foods and a variety. We don't know what the final owner will feed, so we get them used to, meat, veggies, rice, curds, dog food etc. Not all of it at once of course.
The pups learn from their mother and us till they are 12 weeks old. This is very important for their growth. So they get as much stimulation as possible, many toys, many sounds, people petting them, bathing, getting nails clipped, liking the idea of the vet. And different textures to play on, grass, cement, gravel. And get them used other dogs, sounds of vehicles on the street outside.
The pups are "eaters of time". I plan on spending half hour out with them and the time has flown. Answer them in the middle of the night if they cry or need something.
All this is such wonderful work, but still work. And we have seen good balanced healthy pups make there way to their forever homes.
Some people think getting a male and female together and the bank balance swells up. Getting a great forever home for each is the happiest achievement. Money is required and I do charge, but that is not the reason for breeding.
You have made some useful points, keep writing.

By: Raghu | 26 Oct 2010

Good write dude. I do strongly accept your words. People are interested to purchase a dress for million rupees but need a pet for free of cost. What a non-living thing valued more than a gods gift which serves them through out it's life? I invested 30 thousand bugs for my dog's surgery as a whole. Just because I bought him, I have that responsibility. People who adopt, will they do that?? I obviously hate people who ask pets for adoption. As I feel adoption is nothing but negligence. I am just a pet lover. Not a breeder nor into business.

By: Sri Charan | 07 Nov 2010

Strongly AGREE..!! with your thoughts Charan, I am sure this post would be an eye opener to all the prospective pet owners.

On a similar note, I would also like to highlight that just by spending a fancy sum for a breed doesnt guarantee a pure / healthy / meeting breed standards pet as the breeder network in india is not governed by any quality checks, protocols etc so I should say that customers should exert caution and engage a specialist while buying any breed as very few breeders are ethical in their terms and conditions, once $ is received they may not show the same eagerness as shown at the time of purchase.

In the best interest of all we should have a forum in BlogSpot where users share ther feedback and ratings of a breeder with their contact numbers / pictures of the dog/ doctor certified health check reports ( genetical issues only like HD or ED, show defects etc so that buyers can authenticate the genuinity based on true facts.

DogSpot team I would request you to consider my request and setup a forum for the benefit of the all the members. Expecting a positive response..!!

By: sandy | 07 Nov 2010

For sure I'll try the best that I could do.

By: Sri Charan | 08 Nov 2010

Hi!!I think this idea on floating a breeder database is good. I am sure there are a lot of good breedes in the market who lose out just coz of the bad one doing the rounds. I will be glad to be of any help that you may need from Pune.

Shalaka
Owner, PetSitters
A dog boarding facility
~
www.petsitters.co.in~

By: Shalaka | 28 Feb 2011

@ Sri Charan: Something makes a wrong thought in your mind. I also have adopt my dog from a shelter when he was in his down health. From that time I've spend much money for his treatment and now he is as cute as a pet dog. Also he is in his best health now. Even who saw him 8 months before and see him now says its amazing-- A dog can change in this way. Since the day of adoption and till date my dog gets priority before my child. No one leave him alone in the house. Adoption in not always a negligence I think. Today I also can buy a dog, even someone offered me a female from her litter for free but i didnt allow for the sake of my dog. I want to give him best and to care for him. So be positive. Thanks.

By: Bijal | 03 Mar 2011

Hi Bijal! Of course there are people who takes good care on adopted dogs too. But, trust me they are countable on fingers. These days people are not trying to invest on the dogs they purchase with their own money too. They simply say nothing is valuable than human life. And, investing on dog so high is not a right thing to do. Why not, I could take my mom as an example, my dog would have gone for adoption if I get this dog for free. And, today trust me my mom loves my dog so high. Where I can't imagine. As simple as that. Not all fingers of a hand could be one. Similarly not all humans are of kind hearted.

By: Sri Charan | 03 Mar 2011

To start with let me clarify myself upfront that I do not have anything against those who are breeding dogs for so called “Betterment” of the breed and thereafter putting them for sale at exorbitant price. After all they wouldn’t quote such a high price if people weren’t willing to pay for it. I am no one to doubt the intentions of the writer of this article but to me it sounds more like an advertisement based on half-truths.
1. There is no reason to believe that with all the certificates and check-ups your Rs1000 shirt will not “Fade”. Additionally it doesn’t mean that if you bought a Rs100 shirt it would “Fade” when washed for the first time. However dogs are not the “Shirts” and there is no guarantee that a pedigree show quality dog will not need a frequent visits to vet as there is nothing to prove that a mixed breed will.

2. No matter how you rear a pedigree pair it still doesn’t justifies the exorbitant prices some of the breeds quote. If someone loves their pets then they would give them the best they can afford, be it Siberian Husky, German Shepard, Beagle or Labrador Retriever. The fact remains the prices quoted are reflection of the demand and supply mismatch and nothing to do with the actual expenditure incurred in rearing the pups.

3. Those who feel inferior, dejected or frustrated because someone else’s dog looks better than their own may consider themselves evaluated at psychiatrist before rushing to the nearest pet shop. Having said that please remember that there is only one dog which will win the championship, which invariably means that all other dogs in the same breed competition have been adjudged inferior to the winner, no matter how much you paid for it and no matter who his parents were. 90% of the owners of the thoroughbred dogs don’t even know the breed specifications.

4. The biggest sticking point is that there are the cases where the progeny of the thoroughbred parents, with all medical check-ups & certificates, will still show the signs of genetic defects which their parents did not show. What maybe ignorable for one may not be the case for someone else.

5. The truth is whether you endorse certain brand of shirt or certain breed of dog, it is more to do with the showing-off rather than someone’s love for a particular breed. The fact is a thoroughbred dog can only guarantee certain physical characters and not their temperament.

So I would appeal to one and all to consider the option of adopting a dog before buying one, they can be if not more than at least as much loving, affectionate and disease resistant as any other thoroughbred dog.
I would sincerely like to apologize to everyone if my comments in any way have hurt them, it was not my intention. I hope they'll understand that I just wanted to highlight that one should explore all the possibilities before making this life changing commitment.

By: El Bandito | 14 Mar 2011

The most important thing is , buy/adopt a dog only if you love him and not out of any social compulsion.If you love him , be it sickness or health you will never desert him !

Regardless of the pedigree , Dogs are loyal and affectionate creatures and will be faithful always !

By: phoebe | 18 Jul 2011

thanks sandy for your valuable advices.i am still learning about the dogs and breeds.i am planning to opt a pup in the begining of new year that is 2012.thanks.

By: ravindra | 29 Nov 2011