I'm in sticker shock right now.

Our dog had to be put down last summer.  She was 13yrs old and we paid only $50 for her when she was a puppy.  That doesn't sound like much, but she was not a purebred.  She was a purposeful mix of 7/8 Samoyed and 1/8 German shepherd(looked like an arctic wolf).  For a couple of college kids it was a big purchase.  She was our first "child", and we loved her dearly.  

Now, almost 14yrs later, my kids and my wife want a new dog.  I'm not excited about it, but agreed if I got to pick the breed.   I want a German Shepherd.

Holy crap batman.....what is with dog prices?

Purebred bird dogs, around here, average around 300-500 for a papered dog out of a reputable breeding program.   I have been acclimated to that kind of price for a papered dog.  My wife and I are willing to spend up to around 500-600 for a German Shepherd, and I wouldn't even mind if it wasn't papered or even full blood, as long as his ears were "up"  


What I was not ready for was $2k for a "pet grade" dog, $3500 for "Breeding quality", and "show" is fracking ridiculous!!!!

I actually found a nice pup, from a great program for $1k, but he is still "only" "companion" quality.  I realize after the sticker shock has worn off that this is a "good" price, but damn, my wife and I just can't see paying that much for a puppy.  Can we afford it? Of course, but we watch our money pretty closely, and it just seems excessive to a teacher and a officer manager's pay check.

Maybe Shepherds are just out of our "class".  


In the last few dog threads I've seen all kinds of fantastic looking dogs.   How do you justify the amount that you spend on a pet?  It's a dog.   They get run over, poisoned by lousy neighbors, catch parvo and die, end up with bad genetics and have to be put down, eat rat poison, and numerous other unforeseen accidents that happen to dogs/pets; and that is to dogs that have owners that care about them and treat them like children.

Maybe my priorities are all out of wack?  I can see spending 1K on a new rifle, but I know it will be something that I will be able to pass down to my children, and them to their children.   A large dog like a German Shepherd will have a life span of what, 12-15yrs.  


So, what did/would you be willing to spend on a dog, and how do you justify it to yourself?

I would spend more than $100. There are too many mutt puppies looking for homes.

I got my rot/lab for free.  He's the best dog I could want.

I seen an Artic Fox I wanted but he was like $600 so hes still for sale.

nothing. the best dogs come for free, and they find you.

Go to a shelter.  It'll cost less than $100 and included shots, fixing, etc.

<------former shelter worker.
Edit-sorry to hear about the loss of your dog.  

Edit #2-I'm not really a dog person, but I really have taken a liking to my GF's German Shepherd.  She(the dog) is a really nice dog.  And so is the GF

Here's a pic of my "companion quality" mutts...or Hybrids as I like to call 'em:



Imagine your beloved dog, rest her soul, somehow getting lost and ending up in a shelter where she would likely be put down after a few weeks....

Now go visit a shelter and save one of those unlucky dogs.

You'd be surprised how many purebred shepherds are at the pound hon.

You can also try www.petfinder.com

as well as shepherd rescues there.

German Shepherd Rescue Orgs in your area...


NE Wyoming GSD Rescue  
Cel Hope  
4817 Big Horn Ave  
Sheridan , WY    82801  
307-674-4800
[email protected]  
www.celhaus.com/gsdrescue.html  

I paid $1000.00 for my solid black male Pug..

I spent $2,000, as did someone else here recently on a dog of the same breed.

Here is why. First, I wanted something specific. I wanted a GSD, with good health, great family temperament, and 100 pounds plus. I also wanted a dog that is highly intelligent.

I did quite a bit of research and found what you did. I also found that I didn't like the look of a lot of GSDs that I saw (what's with that sloped back?), and that their size wasn't what I wanted. Of the ones that were large, there were questions about their hips. Lots of them came from guard dog lines, so I had concerns about whether they would be the best around small children.

You can certainly get nice dogs from rescue orgs, but I wanted to know what I was getting ahead of time. It is not like I am going to own a hundred of these things in my life.

Health-wise I can justify the cost by saying that I don't want to have to make the decision five years from now whether to put him down, or figure out how much I want to spend on vet care.  I can't tell you how many people I have talked to who had to put down GSDs at five years because of bad hips. A $500 dog that lives five years costs the same as a $1,000 dog that lives ten, and probably more, because of vet bills.

I can justify the cost in terms of security because this is one terrifying burglar alarm. Security systems don't get a whole lot better than this.

I can justify the cost in terms of what I know it takes to produce a high-quality dog. Figure it out yourself and see how much you would have to charge to make a profit -- considering cost of parents, vet bills, labor, etc..

Of course, there is one huge drawback to my dog. He attracts crowds of women when I walk him around and they often crowd around in those low-cut tops wanting to pet my dog. It is very annoying. If I knew how to stop it, I would, but I have walked him all over where there are women, and it seems to happen everywhere. There is no way that I could justify this dog in terms of recreation, as you would with your rifle.

In the last few dog threads I've seen all kinds of fantastic looking dogs. How do you justify the amount that you spend on a pet? It's a dog. They get run over, poisoned by lousy neighbors, catch parvo and die, end up with bad genetics and have to be put down, eat rat poison, and numerous other unforeseen accidents that happen to dogs/pets; and that is to dogs that have owners that care about them and treat them like children.

And you could get hit by a truck and killed tomorrow. Wouldn't you feel stupid, laying there in the street, with your bones all busted up, knowing you are about to die and saying "Shit! I ain't gonna get to spend my money, anyway. I could have had a quality dog."

That would be a pisser, for sure.

As a kid, all my dogs were free, and all were mixed breeds.

However, like a good, caring parent, I spent about $400 on a poodle for the daughter, about $130 for nutering, another $150 or so for shots, exam, license, etc. Sure, its a pure bred, with AKC papers, but I have a hard time justifying the cost.

Oh, btw... no, it is not a gehy poodle, it is a sport poodle. It has a short hair trim all over, (no gehy poodle hair!), he loves to swim, chasing squirles and rabbits, will chase and "fight" with anybody that wants to play and he is very smart. However, he is not a "guard dog" - he is the alarm at zero-dark thirty, I'm the guard dog at my house (well that and my friends, Mr. Lead, Mr. Gunpowder, and Mr. StainlessSteel).

I paid $250 for this dog.


I have spent $800 on a Labrador before but Anna the $250 dog is best dog I have ever owned.

That is a pic of her on point...there was a big Rooster Pheasant just sitting on ground in a small clump of long grass.  My fiance snapped the pic and then I walked up and flushed the rooster.....shot 4 times and missed.

$600 for our dog up front.

many thousands more in maintenance/vet bills

She's gotten better though. Good thing the wife and I are DINKs!

Quoted: $600 for our dog up front. many thousands more in maintenance/vet bills She's gotten better though. Good thing the wife and I are DINKs!

That's one major reason I was willing to pay more than 600 up front.

Go to the local animal shelter for a few weeks, I guarantee you will find a part German Sheperd. Purebreed = nonsense unless you plan on breeding them yourself.  

My friend spent $sK on a purebred German Sheperd 2 years ago and it was the most foul tempred uncontrolled animal I have ever seen.  Three obedience classes and an Ex-marine owner could not discipline that dog, and eventually they had to have it put down for health reasons.

Quoted: So, what did/would you be willing to spend on a dog, and how do you justify it to yourself?

$0.
There are a lot of unwanted dogs out there, especially mutts, that owners are willing to give away. Also, check out your local Humane Society or animal shelter.

$1200 for a quality blooded german sheperd..for ScH training.

$5000 for a solid well titled hunting labrador for breeding.

BTDT..
worth every penny.

2 large on a rottie.

Purebreed = nonsense unless you plan on breeding them yourself....

or if there are only four available breeds with hair rather than fur, and you have a member of the family that needs to avoid dog dander due to allergies, then a pure breed is the only way to go (or, no dog at all!!).

Quoted: Quoted: $600 for our dog up front. many thousands more in maintenance/vet bills She's gotten better though. Good thing the wife and I are DINKs! That's one major reason I was willing to pay more than 600 up front.

Huh? I'm talking about a Toy Poodle here. By a respected breeder... She would have kept the dog except she has a couple of small defects that would preclude her from actually being shown and bred (a slight underbite is the main one). I did my research and this was a great breeder.

No, my dog swallowed a zipper as a puppy (turn your back for one second...), got necrosis from a bad reaction to her rabies shot (unavoidable), and blew her knee out (possibly a genetic thing but the other knee is OK).

She's been fine for us for the last couple of years.

Don't try to make it sound like we cheaped out. Geez.  You have this magical way of making things dreary, don't you?

I'm amazed how many unbelievably loyal and loving dogs come from shelters.  I don't think there's any other way to go, unless you want a dog to show.  You can even find a decent hunter at a shelter if you're careful.  My g/f got a shelter german shorthair that was not only loving and smart as hell, but also a natural pointer as a puppy.

Only two breeds of dogs I'd consider paying for... an American King Sheppard.

Or one of these beauties:



English Mastiff. Not the Boxer or Neopolitan.

A high price does not mean a great dog.  I paid $225 for a Lab and $50 for another Lab: both AKC registered.  The $50 Lab is the best hunter of any dog I've seen.

All my dogs (6 dogs in past 30 years) were all free or local pound dogs.
My father used to breed and train GSD and German Short hair Pointers for hobby back in the 70's and some of his dogs were sold for over $1,000 (back in the 70's).

$800.00 bucks for my boxer. hes extremely well behaved for a puppy think that might have something to do with good breeding but who knows.

Quoted: Go to a shelter.  It'll cost less than $100 and included shots, fixing, etc. <------former shelter worker. Edit-sorry to hear about the loss of your dog.   Edit #2-I'm not really a dog person, but I really have taken a liking to my GF's German Shepherd.  She(the dog) is a really nice dog.  And so is the GF

+1

I don't need a purebred anything. I just need a buddy.

We paid $1000 (plus air fare) for a pure European bloodline German Shepherd Dog this past year.  If you don't want the sloping back, get a European.  If you don't want the messed up gate brought about by generations of breeding for show, get a European.  If you want a working class dog that is TRULY a working class GSD, get a European.  Oh, and on top of it all, the Europeans just flat out look better IMHO.  

Woody

We've had Scotties since the late 70's.  Try buying one now with Barney in the White House !!  

rj

$400 for a pug puppy last month.

$150 adoption fee for a 2yr male pug from the DFW Pug rescue.  Great dog.

I'm picking up my Shiloh this weekend.  He is $1,800.  I know it's a big lump sump purchase, but average it out over 10-12 years.  It's like 150-180 a year.  Sometimes I've spent more than that on booze in one MONTH.   I can justify it because it's the only dog I've wanted for quite some time and I won't settle for less.  I know the bloodlines and health of the parents and even the parents of the breeding pair.  Some places you'll be lucky to see the parents of the dogs.

My last dog, a lab, we got for free, but spent thousands on vet bills due to his extreme allergies.  Who knows I could spend more or less for my new one, but knowing his family history he looks like he will be a very healthy dog.  

Also less than 2 grand for a security system that lasts 10+ years is cheap!  If someone spent 20 minutes in my home they could take 10-15 grand worth of guns, electronics, furniture, etc.  I gotta work to pay the bills but having a 150lb dog at home walking around the house gives me a better feeling I don't have to worry about anything missing when I get home.

And you're also paying for a friend.  I see people dump 10K on a wedding ring and get divorced a year later.  I can guarantee you that my dog won't bitch and complain and WILL be my best friend.  

I paid $50 for a Great Pyrenees 9 wk old last month.  He is registered and has all his pedigree going quite a few back on both sides.

I found if I looked in Pet sections and dog areas they typically ran $400 and up.  If I looked in Goat Trader or classified they are typically $50-$200.

Dan

Quoted: Go to the local animal shelter for a few weeks, I guarantee you will find a part German Sheperd. Purebreed = nonsense unless you plan on breeding them yourself.

+1

That is what we did and came away with a very sweet GSL girl.  Per the pound 1/2 GSD and 1/2 lab.  She was 6 weeks old when we found her.  She cost us 75.00 (and that included getting fixed so we did not have to pay for that later on).
Here is a photo of Faith and my middle boy.  They are best of friends .

$150 to purchase. Well over a G with shots, vet bills, kennel, fencing etc.



We just got another one for free. Breder thought she had a disease, but our vet said she's fine.

I paid $1k for one Pug and $400 for the other.  The $400 one was a rescue and the cost was just to reimburse the shelter since they bought him at a livestock auction.

If you're looking to save some money check out rescue organizations in your area.  They need homes too.

cc.usu.edu/~nancyr/gsd/gsdrescue.html

adopt-a-german-shepherd.1-800-save-a-pet.com/

Quoted: www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=500/8981CCW_6_15_2005_084-med.jpg $150 to purchase. Well over a G with shots, vet bills, kennel, fencing etc. www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=500/8981CCW_6_15_2005_085-med.jpg We just got another one for free. Breder thought she had a disease, but our vet said she's fine.

Gman: What kind of dog is that? Does he/she shed?

Very cute dog.

never would pay for a dog.

too many needing a home and I don't need any faggotry like speshul papers or inbred pups with hip dysplasia

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: $600 for our dog up front. many thousands more in maintenance/vet bills She's gotten better though. Good thing the wife and I are DINKs! That's one major reason I was willing to pay more than 600 up front. Huh? I'm talking about a Toy Poodle here. By a respected breeder... She would have kept the dog except she has a couple of small defects that would preclude her from actually being shown and bred (a slight underbite is the main one). I did my research and this was a great breeder. No, my dog swallowed a zipper as a puppy (turn your back for one second...), got necrosis from a bad reaction to her rabies shot (unavoidable), and blew her knee out (possibly a genetic thing but the other knee is OK). She's been fine for us for the last couple of years. Don't try to make it sound like we cheaped out. Geez.  You have this magical way of making things dreary, don't you?

Let's see. Did you make that clear? No.  Do you want to hear stories about all the people I have talked to who -- when they said "vet bills" -- were talking about things like bad hips and other serious health problems that came with the dog?  Probably not.

I don't have any pets but I have several friends who have shelled out bux for purebreds.  

One friend just put down $1,700 on a spaniel of some sort.  Another has two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and I believe he paid over $1,000 for each (much more for the one with the ridge).

Hell, I have a friend who is looking at a Ragdoll cat ... "pet quality" kittens are generally $600-750!

Conclusion:  if you want a purebreed, be prepared to pay.  The only cheap alternative is that there are specific rescue groups for purebred dogs/cats.  I know Yahoo has several groups dedicated to rescue (e.g. German Shepherd Rescue).

Drop defcon a PM, he knows people in this area of interest.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: $600 for our dog up front. many thousands more in maintenance/vet bills She's gotten better though. Good thing the wife and I are DINKs! That's one major reason I was willing to pay more than 600 up front. Huh? I'm talking about a Toy Poodle here. By a respected breeder... She would have kept the dog except she has a couple of small defects that would preclude her from actually being shown and bred (a slight underbite is the main one). I did my research and this was a great breeder. No, my dog swallowed a zipper as a puppy (turn your back for one second...), got necrosis from a bad reaction to her rabies shot (unavoidable), and blew her knee out (possibly a genetic thing but the other knee is OK). She's been fine for us for the last couple of years. Don't try to make it sound like we cheaped out. Geez.  You have this magical way of making things dreary, don't you? Let's see. Did you make that clear? No.  Do you want to hear stories about all the people I have talked to who -- when they said "vet bills" -- were talking about things like bad hips and other serious health problems that came with the dog?  Probably not.

Was it up to you to call me on it? Was it call-able or did you come off as nit picking my post while trying to make yourself look as smart as possible at my expense?

Did I really need to clarify more? Why? Who cares?

All you did was show how imperious you can be. Well done!  

Quoted: My last dog, a lab, we got for free, but spent thousands on vet bills due to his extreme allergies.  Who knows I could spend more or less for my new one, but knowing his family history he looks like he will be a very healthy dog.

This yellow lab next to my mutt was a purebread from an excellent line that died at the ripe old age of 2 from an undiagnosed illness - some sort of liver dysfunction.

Purebreds are no more likely to be healthy than mutts, and the anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise.

Quoted: Hell, I have a friend who is looking at a Ragdoll cat ... "pet quality" kittens are generally $600-750!

Your friend could get this one cheap

Two months salary.

$700 for a female pug.

In my experience, mutts tend to be healthier than pure-bred dogs.

And I know of (2) $1000 dogs, one who is always pinning the woman of the house and mounting her.
The other, a Husky, that tried to become the Alpha male of th ehouse.

Quoted: Two months sary.

OUCH, your sleeping in the dog house

Quoted: Here's a pic of my "companion quality" mutts...or Hybrids as I like to call 'em: a6.cpimg.com/image/42/F9/45123906-2f34-02000155-.jpg Imagine your beloved dog, rest her soul, somehow getting lost and ending up in a shelter where she would likely be put down after a few weeks.... Now go visit a shelter and save one of those unlucky dogs.

Hehehe, "hybrid" .  Fits right in with the hybrid vehicle craze.  Maybe I need to add an "H" to the end of my dogs name like all these companies are starting to do.

spent 227 on my husky with papers and he is a great dog, cna be let of a leash but other than that he is a great intelegent dog

a friend spent 2000 on a show quality husky and in her opinion she was robbed, buetiful dog, but it is not in anyway difrent than my 200 dollar special