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How Much Should You Pay For An Aussie Puppy?
" $900? You should be ashamed, trying to make so much money on those puppies."
"I just saw an ad in the local paper for Aussie puppies and they were only $400."
"Call me when you're willing to take hundreds of dollars off your puppy price."
"I paid $300 for my last Aussie puppy. Ten years ago."
"Let me know if you can't 'get rid' of all of them, dear. If you have any 'left-overs' I'll be glad to take one off your hands."
These quotes are real. Some of these statements are made honestly and reflect the prior experiences of the puppy buyer. Others are just rude and insulting. I especially like the one from the caller who was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to "get rid" of my puppies - like I was exterminating mice or something - and that I would have "leftovers" he could partake of, as if I had prepared too much for dinner and he wanted some. And I laughed out loud at the notion that I was actually making ANY money on the puppies, let alone SO MUCH money. At this point in my small attempt to breed Australian shepherds, I couldn't possibly make back any of the money I've spent and lost on the dogs over the years.
In 1996, I had puppies that I sold for $250 each. I chose dogs for breeding that had good temperaments, intelligence, instinct and intensity. I checked their hips and eyes, knowing those were the two areas where genetic problems occured. I thought I knew a lot about the breed and probably did at that time.
In the years that have followed that litter, more health and genetic issue were discovered. I experienced first hand the many genetic problems that afflict the breed. The mother of the litter started having seizures when she was 4. Three out of the 5 puppies in the litter had some grade of hip dysplasia. Another dog I obtained later developed an autoimmune disease when he was 2. Still another dog had a dam that died of PDA, a heart defect. I started studying these genetic diseases more closely and kept track of afflicted pedigrees. Then I learned about the multi-drug resistant gene mutation, or MDR1 , that could give Aussies damaging or sometimes fatal reactions to some drugs. As I studied more pedigrees, I found some lines to consistently produce temperament issues that didn't respond to behavior modification. I learned about food allergies and the results of feeding foods made with inferior ingredients. And about vaccinations and the new protocols geared to not overload the puppy's immune system.
In 2007, I had the first litter since the one in 1996 - 11 years later. Things had changed so much in those 11 years that it was a balancing act to produce a litter that minimized the chances of the having these genetic defects, plus produce dogs with good temperaments, sound structure, etc.
Reputable breeders today take all of these things into consideration. We temperament test our puppies to help make sure the right puppy ends up with the right owner. Our puppies are born and raised in the house, spending the day in the kitchen and living areas to be exposed to everything that goes on in everyday life. We DNA fingerprint our dogs. We do our research and make educated breeding choices. We take advantage of diagnostic tests that were unheard of years ago. We've learned the benefits of our puppies getting neurological stimulation, or Super Puppy Exercises. And The Rules of Seven , exercises that expose our puppies to different social and environmental situation before they turn 7 weeks old, imprinting as many positive, different experiences as possible on a growing puppy's brain.
We have contracts with health guarantees and will take back a dog at anytime during his lifetime regardless of the reason. We provide information on food, shots, health issues, exercise limitations for growing puppies, training and behavior, and provide many different types of support for the owner and dog, for the life of the dog. We are members of ASCA and USASA as well as our local Aussie clubs. We keep up to date with the current issues in the breed. We work hard at trying to compete in different dog sports when time and our pocket books allow it. We volunteer for Aussie rescue. All of these things take a huge amount of time, money -too often heartache - and devotion to the breed that we dearly love and want to perpetuate. Not every breeder makes this type of committment to the breed.
Yes, a lot has changed in those 11 years, and the price of puppies from reputable breeders reflect those changes. Most breeders that I would consider getting a puppy from do all of the above, and charge between $800 and $1000 for a pet puppy, more for a show/breeding prospect.
Can you get a puppy for less? You sure can, and I can give you with the names of 2 or 3 local puppy mill or back yard breeders that charge $400 - $600 for a puppy. Check out the living conditions of their dogs. Ask to see pedigrees on their dogs, but don't be surprised if they don't have any and don't have a clue where their dogs came from, except they came from that pet store, puppy mill, back yard breeder or the ad in the paper that said "free to good home."
Ask them what health clearances they do and if they've ever heard of MDR1, early neurological stimulation or early socialization exercises. Ask them what health guarantees they provide and if they'll take a puppy back if there is a problem. Ask them how much research they've done about the diseases that afflict the breed. If they tell you their bloodlines NEVER have any genetic problems, don't let them fool you. Every bloodline has problems and any ethical breeder will share those with you.
Then ask the local Aussie rescue organization how many of these puppies end up unwanted because of health problems and severe aggression issues, even at an early age. Rescues regularly get calls about these dogs. Sometimes entire litters have serious mental and physical problems.
Is paying more a guarantee you will be dealing with a reputable breeder? Of course not. Pet stores charge a huge amount for their puppies, and these dogs often come from puppy mills. The point is you shouldn't make your decision on the basis of price alone. Do your homework. Talk to as many breeders as you can before you decide who charges too much for a puppy. Then you can make an educated decision on which puppy is worth more to you.
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