Why are some breeds more expensive? Geography definitely plays a role. Puppy prices, like everything else, tend to be higher in major cities because expenses are higher. In addition to the typical costs of raising a litter, there are also some genuine reasons why some breeds are more expensive than others.

Many toy breeds such as Pomeranians and Japanese Chins are higher priced because their litters tend to be smaller than average and puppy mortality rates higher. There are fewer puppies available and raising a litter is generally more challenging and expensive.

The expenses associated with raising a litter will also be higher if a breed normally needs one or more health screenings, tail docking or ear cropping. Cesarean deliveries or artificial insemination are the norm for some breeds like French Bulldogs, which substantially raises expenses. It’s also normal for breeders to quote varying prices for different puppies in the same litter. A show quality puppy may cost two to three times the price of a pet quality puppy because the sale will include much more stringent guarantees. This is not simply a case of asking what the market will bear. It  reflects the cumulative time, work and money that went into creating that puppy.

On the other hand, plenty of factors should not justify a higher than normal price. The fact that a breed is exotic, unusual or popular at the moment doesn’t mean that any extra expenses were involved in producing it. Very often, prices are somewhat lower for obscure breeds due to low demand. And many of the puppies offered for sale in popular breeds are products of the worst, rather than the best accumulated genetic material.

Beware of anyone offering “rare and unusual” puppies for exorbitant prices. In many cases, these puppies are actually an undesirable type that legitimate breeders would sell for lower, rather than higher than average price. For instance, “rare, white Boxers” are rare because they are disqualified according to the breed standard. This color is often linked to deafness. Therefore, legit breeders try to avoid producing white puppies. If most breeders avoid, rather than perpetuate some unusual trait, there is a good chance that it is linked to a health problem. Reading your breed’s official standard can help you avoid falling for costly scams like this.

If a puppy is represented to be registered and purebred, there should never be an extra charge for registration papers or a choice of registration papers for different prices.

In the case of crossbred or designer puppies, you can get a fair idea of what they should cost based on the average price of the two parent breeds.

One of the most expensive scams that a buyer can fall for is the co-ownership deal. At first glance, this can seem like an opportunity to acquire a great puppy for next to nothing. In reality, it might be more like paying off a loan with compound interest. Fulfilling the obligations of the agreement often turn out to be far more expensive than anticipated- especially for someone unacquainted with the dog game.

Do not enter into a co-ownership agreement without a clearly written legally binding contract. And don’t allow yourself to be reassured by the fact that your name may be listed first on the registration certificate. This is meaningless. The vast majority of co-ownership disputes result from disagreements about breeding co owned females.

According to the published regulations of most registries, every recorded owner has equal legal status. Registries have no legal authority to make decisions or resolve co ownership disputes. They will advise the parties to seek legal counsel.

Secrets of pet shop pricing- what do they really cost?

Kim Townsend points out that prices for commercially raised puppies are based on popularity, what the market will bear, rather than the actual quality of any particular puppy offered for sale. “The following wholesale prices refer to absolutely PERFECT (show quality) puppies, which the mills seldom have.  If a puppy is even 1/2 an ounce larger than it's supposed to be, that will typically halve this price. For example, Bichon puppies are quoted at  $210-$245 if they weigh under 4.5 lbs. If a puppy weighs 5 lbs, or has pink rather than the desired black eye rims, the breeder would likely get around $100 for that puppy.  Let's use American Eskimo puppies as an example. The average price brokers pay breeders for is $105 for puppies weighing under 5 lbs, and $60 for puppies that weigh over 5 lbs.  If there are five puppies in the litter and three of these are over 5 lbs…assuming everything else about the litter is "perfect”.  the breeder would get $390 for the entire litter. The broker will usually double this price, regardless of the size of each puppy, so he would charge $210 per puppy making a profit of $660 for the litter when he sells the litter to pet stores.

Probably the best-kept trade secret is the "incidentals" that are charged by brokers. Prices vary by broker, but a typical breakdown might look like this:$30 for a microchip; $25 for vaccinations; $40 for a pedigree; $80 for transportation; $25 for a health guarantee. Each puppy will have an additional $200 tacked on to the original price of $210, which means the  pet shop would pay $410 for the puppy. The pet store generally doubles that price, which puts the base retail price for an American Eskimo puppy at  $820.”

Samples of average retail and wholesale pet shop prices are based on what customers paid, which varies by regions and the age of a puppy. Puppies that are not sold within the first few weeks at a pet store are generally marked down drastically, especially for larger breeds  that pet stores are ill equipped to cage or exercise as they grow.  Kim adds this clarification.  “Tracking the industry prices is difficult. For instance, Bernese Mountain Dogs were a fad breed for the mills a few years ago. Now, the price is probably only a few hundred dollars per puppy, if the brokers will even buy them.

As you can see, prices are set by the middleman, based on what the market will bear, rather than actual costs of raising these breeds.

Samples of average retail and wholesale pet shop prices

Alaskan Malamute pet shop retail price $850- wholesale $120

Australian Terrier pet shop retail price $600 – wholesale $190

Akita pet shop retail price $852- wholesale $185-$235

American Eskimo pet shop retail price $516 – wholesale $60-$105

Bernese Mountain Dog pet shop retail price $2000 – wholesale $600-$700

Beagle pet shop retail price $700- wholesale $50-$80

Bearded Collie pet shop retail price $1000 – wholesale $245-$255

Bichon Frise pet shop retail price $631- wholesale $210-$245

Border Collie pet shop retail price $368, wholesale $75-$80

Boxer pet shop retail price $1047 – wholesale $ 235- $ 310

Chihuahua pet shop retail price $742 wholesale, $100- $235

Chinese Crested pet shop retail price $800- wholesale $165- $285

Cocker Spaniel pet shop retail price-$559-wholesale $85- $155

Dachshund pet shop retail price  $770 – wholesale $120-$150

Doberman pet shop retail price $1233 – wholesale $ 225-$235

Dogue de Bordeaux pet shop retail price $2300 – wholesale $725-$735

English Toy Spaniel pet shop retail price $1900 – wholesale $355- $365

German Shepherd pet shop retail price $718- wholesale $95- $125

Golden Retriever pet shop retail price $667 – wholesale $135-$145

Irish Setter pet shop retail price $500 wholesale $85-$90

Labrador Retriever pet shop retail price $603 wholesale price$75-$95

Lhasa Apso pet shop retail price  $784 – wholesale $190-$200

Maltese pet shop retail price $1100 – wholesale $ 245- $405

Rottweiler pet shop retail price $1063 – wholesale $200- $230

Rhodesian Ridgeback pet shop retail price $1062 – wholesale $245-$255

Shiba Inu pet shop retail price $842- wholesale $205-$230

Silky Terrier pet shop retail price $863- wholesale $240-$255

Soft Coated Wheaten pet shop retail price $1108 – wholesale $285-$290

Shih Tzu pet shop retail price $800- wholesale $170-$205

Toy Fox Terrier pet shop retail price$582 – wholesale $145-$150

Whippet pet shop retail price $750- wholesale $175

Yorkshire Terrier pet shop retail price $1280- wholesale $300- $425

Average wholesale prices for designer breeds

Peke-A –Poo $165- $170

Cock-A-Poo $165-$175

Schnoodle $160-$170

Woodle  $160-$170

Lhasa –Poo $145

Malti-Poo $145

Shi-Poo $145

Yorki Poo$145

Bicon Poo $145-$150

For more information regarding puppy mill, broker and retail puppy prices visit: http://www.nopuppymills.com/index.php?page=psppricesaverages