Llante

Wow, so much work you put in for them. You must really care for them dearly. I feel like I have stumbled down a rabbit hole and ended up in a completely different world. I can liken it to finding out about cloth nappies when I had my children. That world was an eye opener and I had no idea that community existed! Well this is all making a lot of sense. And I just read that Beagle gestations around 65 days, which isn't really that long when I thought it was similar to a human. So waiting 3-4 months for the right pup might not be so daunting! I understand now why you are all saying find the right breeder and parents before considering the pup. It is starting to be a lot clearer (also to the used car sales analogy! That is going to help my husband along nicely). As for questions I wanted to know what happens to the pups that return to you. Do you hold on to them or try and rehome?? My other silly question was just in regards to females and whether to desex or not. My sister just bought a bunny and the breeder asked her not to spray her and bring her back when she started nesting and she would breed a litter from her, and my sister could have her pick of the litter for her time. I wondered if that is something the dog community did as well, as I am a very clucky lady who just adores family, babies and the like, but I do not want the responsibility of caring for a pregnant dog when I know so little. Expecially all these tests and the like! I'm going to be a mess when my own children start thinking about having children It was a silly question that popped into my head, thought I may as well ask and hope not to be burned at the stake.

Hi just to add I love bullwrinkle's recipes - http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm I would love a sewing pattern to fit a Golden Retriever. Something I can make festive for our christmas family photo!!

Hi Steve Thank you so much for replying in the thread. I really appreciate it. When you say package, what does that entail? And do you have a website or contact details so we might keep in touch? It sounds like your little boy is quite special, if I had the right money and resources I would be coming around to visit! Is it usual for pups to be sold without being seen? And do you usually get people viewing pups before purchasing? I love cute pics of pups, but again, it's all on the bond. Animals have always chosen me as their owner, so I'd really like to have that opportunity. Or is the demand too high for that luxury? Thanks again!

Thanks again :) I have so many more questions but feel a bit silly. I'll just try more searching and see what I can find.

So on the topic of finding a reputable breeder, could anyone here recommend a Beagle breeder??

Thank you all again :) I have been afraid of posting previously because I admit I don't know much, and didn't want to seem silly. I am surprised Lemon/whites are unpopular! I thought they were rarer and therefore harder to find. Colouring doesn't matter much, as long as we bond. Thanks Sandra777 Made me smile. We always hope we are doing the right thing by our animals, knowing the life they came from the short answer is yes, but we could always do better right? This is our 2nd Christmas with our Simba and I am going to get around to making that Christmas Tie and Cufflink set for him and include him in the family picture.

Oh wow, this is a great analogy! See my husband is all about the finances, i'm all about the love. To me, it doesn't matter as long as we bond together, my husband, not so much. He's the mathamatical angel on my shoulder telling me to be sensible about my decisions. I think we balance eachother out to an extent, or I would've adopted more than we could've been able to care for. I appreciate all this information. Although I did a lot of research, I must've been looking for the wrong things. Well, I narrowed down breeds, so now to narrow down on the breeder. Is it presumptious to contact a breeder regardless of litters available or due? To check them out and find a breeder we like? I assume that if no litters were due that would make for a long wait time though. I was hoping for Feb/March. (Well to be honest if we had the money i'd have one yesterday!)

What's a super breeder? Different prices for different states cause not all breeds are available in all states. Then you have to factor in transport costs. I'd expect to pay around $1000 for a good, well reared, from health tested parents, puppy of reasonably popular breeds. Get into the rarer breeds or the ones that need c-sections etc you can start to look at more expense. Sorry she called it a 'super' breeder because they were supposed to be high show quality dogs. I should find the name of the breeder. This is all starting to make a lot more sense. And I am thankful for the real world aspect of it all. So from what I read, excluding possible c-section and stud fees, the cost of a pup usually includes several DNA testing, vet checks for parents and pups, quality nutrition for all, and (most of the time) guarentees on the pups health an wellbeing for x amount of time? So therefore, a pup worth around $500 may not have had the amount of testing, vet checks done? Whilst a pup worth $1500+ may have all the health checks etc done with extra for special colours/show qualities. So in a semi-conclusion, I should be searching in a mid range between the two and question the breeder about specific tests and nutrition the parents and pups have had, then make a decision from there. Am I on the right path?

Thank you for this :)

I can understand this on a different level, the way our society is we almost witch hunt again. So thank you for throwing in a clarification on why prices do vary. Still very interested if different states have better/cheaper vet care/registration fees etc. My friend bought from a 'super' breeder in VIC for $500 about 2 years ago (i think) maybe I'm behind in the times, and things are getting more expensive. Please don't mistake me, my husbands a health professional, we own our home (well the bank owns most of it), we have 2 children in reputable schools. I find the more money you have to manage the more you keep your hawk eyes on it to make sure you can sustain a lifestyle. It's the only reason I haven't bought a horse yet because we estimated around $15000 in the first 10 years, and we couldn't sustain it. I don't ever want to feel like i'm in the position to comprimise our spendings or have to part with a pet to make ends meet. If that makes sense. x

Thank you for your replies. I know this forum is specific for purebreds and I have found a miriad of information for my PB Golden Retriever when I rescued him. When I did though, I never really cared about his background, I understand his hip scores will not be fantastic as I am pretty sure he was a petstore dog IE puppymill dog, but we love him regardless and couldn't not take him in. So going from a "i don't care what you are, we will love you anyway" to a "you have to be of highest pedigree" feels a bit strange. But again, I am new to this, and trying to do my research. I worry about what will happen to those poor dogs who will end up in pounds or PTS because they didn't meet the high standards. Is there a middle ground? Also before I posted I read the Sick Puppy link and can understand where you are coming from. Maybe adopting an older puppy/dog is less work than a sick puppy. I can understand with infants how quickly they get unwell. Ok, so things are making a bit more sense. It's a strange relationship breeders seem to have with families. Never seen anything like it before.

Hi there, I am first time poster, long time stalker. I have a question as a first time puppy purchaser. We have adopted and fostered pets, and currently rehomed a golden retriever and domestic short hair. So I'm not entirely new to dogs. I am however, new to purchasing puppies, specifically breeder dogs. For quite a lot of reasons I am investigating buying a pup versus adopting an older dog. I want the experience and time to spend on a new pup and give it a forever home from the day dot. Maybe I am getting clucky again, and I am unable to bear any more children, the thought of bringing up a pup might help fill that empty space in our home. Anyway, I will get off topic justifying why I would like to buy vs adopting again. I just wanted to ask a few questions regarding breeders versus cost. How much is an average pup? Why is there a variance of $300-$1500 per pup? Is it worth buying a top of the line show dog if it is just a family pet? Or should you purely go from personality and gut feelings. Not breeding, showing or anything, just addition to the family. Although I am NOT buying from pet shop, I have seen that they are up to the $900+ mark, whilst I've seen some listings from breeders (I assume so) for $300-$1500. I have been researching and found a lot of breeders don't make profit from selling their dogs, that it is more a hobby. I'd like some fact/fiction from this. As I'm still confused as to why there is such a variance in costings. Also, I'm in QLD and noticing a lot more pups down south, are much cheaper. Is this because it's more expensive to breed in QLD? Or is it just demand is higher and thus breeders charge more? A friend of mine bought from VIC and had him freighted up because it was still half the price at the time to buy a pup from a breeder! I am waiting until jan/feb to make my decision as there could be potential young pups up for rehome after Christmas, which I may not have the urge to resist. Does time of year change the breeder prices too? Sorry if this is a muddle, want to do research and make sure we can still afford food, desexing, vaccs, toys, beds etc on top of the initial outlay. It's like planning to have a new child! (in which I have 2 already) Thanks in Advance Oh, and to clarify I am specifically looking at Beagles. After months of searching we believe this to be the best breed for us.

Removed: thought that it was in the wrong area. Sorry