$4000 for Golden retriever puppy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's almost enough for a decent riding horse. No freaking way would I pay that. My mutt is cuddling here on the couch with me and is an amazing friend and companion.

You clearly haven’t shopped for a horse in the past few years.

Here ya go. I said decent riding horse not Warmblood sport horse ready for the A circuit. My friend bought a nice lil prospect OTTB for 5k.

http://www.virginiaequestrian.com/main.cfm?action=classifieds&sub=view&ID=198026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We paid $2500 2 years ago to breeder in VA.

Same, and when we were researching, the range in prices was $2000-$3500. $5000-$6000 seems insane, but maybe there has been a price increase lately because of the high demand? We only got our puppy when we did because someone else backed out due to health issues, otherwise we would have been on a waiting list for 8-12 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish there was still some kind of middle ground between for-profit puppy mills that run their animals into the ground and the super expensive “breeding for show” ten generations of champions breeders

When I was a kid, most friend circles would have the occasional “oops” litter come along you could keep an eye out for. Now it’s almost impossible to get an unfixed dog, so your options are to get a potentially traumatized shelter/puppy mill animal or pay through the nose for carefully curated dna.

+1 spay/neuter is sterilizing all of the “family dogs” now the choices are rescue pit bulls or very specifically bred show dogs. A backyard breeder is not necessarily a bad thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We paid $2800 for a Samoyed 5 years ago, so with inflation, maybe such a price for Golden is within the ballpark???

The most important work you need to do is MAKE SURE, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that your breeder is a reputable one: that it cares for the dogs in their own home (meaning, no large, kennel style operation, the dogs aren't socialized well enough); does not breed females more than 2-3 times in their lives; tests for all genetic diseases we have tests for and refuses to breed if they crop up; socializes each puppy as soon as they are born, by daily handling and then training as soon as they're 3-4 weeks old.

A dead give-away you don't have a reputable breeder is if:
1. The breeder does not want to meet you in person before selling you a puppy. Good breeders will ALWAYS want to assess you in-person!
2. The breeder agrees to ship a puppy to you. That is a big no-no, because it carries a significant health and trauma risk to the puppy.

Iffy things:
1. The breeder has a slick website. Usually a good breeder is too busy taking care of its dogs to have a nice website.
2. The breeder claims all its dogs live at home, but actually they have so many (because they're a large operation), that they place breeding females in several different private homes, with friend or relatives that may or may not care for them with all the love and care they deserve. It's better than a kennel, but still not entirely right.

I came across a breeder, in Missouri (a big miller state), who says all her pups are raised at home. She lists her other positives as not having an outside job, and having hired help to give the best care to her dogs. Googling the address shows a couple of out buildings near a small house. And info about her kennel license from the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture. I'm not so sure the story she paints of home, hand raised puppies is what's really going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's almost enough for a decent riding horse. No freaking way would I pay that. My mutt is cuddling here on the couch with me and is an amazing friend and companion.

You clearly haven’t shopped for a horse in the past few years.

Here ya go. I said decent riding horse not Warmblood sport horse ready for the A circuit. My friend bought a nice lil prospect OTTB for 5k.

http://www.virginiaequestrian.com/main.cfm?action=classifieds&sub=view&ID=198026

So many red flags in that ad. And I own a Thoroughbred, so it’s not like I’m prejudiced against the breed.

[Anonymous]

Just adopt from a breed specific rescue. Behavior issues Re LESS likely from an adopted pet since you can see what you’re getting ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IF you're getting a well bred dog, then that price is worth it, because you're more likely to have a healthy, long-lived, well tempered companion. If you're getting a BYB dog, then not so much.

You can get the same with a rescue. 'Well bred dogs' don't hold the record for having a healthy, long lived, well tempered companion. I have a wonderful, absolutely wonderful dog that we rescued from PetSmart 9 years ago. We had pure bred dogs growing up (not goldens) and each one had it's own anomaly and 'well tempered' was not one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s crazy. We paid $1800 each for our and I thought we were being ripped off. They are the loves of my life. In retrospect, I would have paid 10x because where else are you going to get a beautiful, furry infinite love machine?

Literally everyone..I got my beautiful, furry love machines from rescues. Not bashing breeders but, my dogs are all that and not AKC.

For most people, local rescues and shelters offer only one breed of dog, no matter what they label it. So if people want something other than that breed of dog, they pretty much have to buy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m on a lab rescue page and there was a post this week from someone who had taken in a breeder Golden retriever mom. This dog was 4 and was terrified of humans, never been on grass, or been loved in any way…. But was beautiful and I’m sure had beautiful puppies. This dog could barely walk. Please don’t support this cruelty. If you really want to go the breeder route pick the dog up in person and ask to see BOTH parents… if you can’t then don’t buy from them.

According to PPs you can have one of her puppies for $1600.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IF you're getting a well bred dog, then that price is worth it, because you're more likely to have a healthy, long-lived, well tempered companion. If you're getting a BYB dog, then not so much.

You can get the same with a rescue. 'Well bred dogs' don't hold the record for having a healthy, long lived, well tempered companion. I have a wonderful, absolutely wonderful dog that we rescued from PetSmart 9 years ago. We had pure bred dogs growing up (not goldens) and each one had it's own anomaly and 'well tempered' was not one of them.

The key terms are "more likely". I have only ever had rescue dogs, and I have been involved in dog rescue in one form or the other (home visits, application checking, foster) for over 20 years. My Malamute mix lived to be about 14. My Great Dane lived to be 12. My current dog is a Great Pyrenees who is about 13. So I have had the pleasure of owning some truly wonderful, long-lived dogs. That said, a well bred dog has better likelihood of living a healthy, long life, than a random bred one.

[Anonymous]

So many people adopted dogs during COVID and are now turning them over to shelters because they've gone back to work and have no time for the dog anymore.

Try the shelter first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many people adopted dogs during COVID and are now turning them over to shelters because they've gone back to work and have no time for the dog anymore.

Try the shelter first.

OP, this is very true. Have you looked at https://grreat.org/ ? Golden rescue (assuming you are in the DMV area). We have adopted multiple goldens from there over the years. Apologies if someone already mentioned this; i have not read the whole thread. Our dogs have been healthy and lived to at least 12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many people adopted dogs during COVID and are now turning them over to shelters because they've gone back to work and have no time for the dog anymore.

Try the shelter first.

This. If you don't do this, you are a bad person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many people adopted dogs during COVID and are now turning them over to shelters because they've gone back to work and have no time for the dog anymore.

Try the shelter first.

This. If you don't do this, you are a bad person.

Seriously? Rescue groups are notorious for making it difficult to adopt a dog. From requiring interviews, home visits, long applications etc. Some even turn down families where both parents work out of the house.

I will never go through a rescue group as I don’t want to be given the run around to get a dog. It’s ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s crazy. We paid $1800 each for our and I thought we were being ripped off. They are the loves of my life. In retrospect, I would have paid 10x because where else are you going to get a beautiful, furry infinite love machine?

Literally everyone..I got my beautiful, furry love machines from rescues. Not bashing breeders but, my dogs are all that and not AKC.

For most people, local rescues and shelters offer only one breed of dog, no matter what they label it. So if people want something other than that breed of dog, they pretty much have to buy.

Yep. If it's not pit it's chihuahua mix.