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How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
By Marilyn Marks
In dogs, "You Get What You Pay For" is both true and false. You can’t buy love with money and the best dogs in the world can walk in to your life for free, but if you want quality you can find it.
When you buy a dog, you’re getting more than what you see. You’re purchasing a genetic heritage, an accumulation of life experiences and health factors – past, present and future. Breeders have hopefully put their effort into making sure you get your money’s worth in these areas (careful, many breeders are just in it for the money). You are also purchasing any medical care the breeder or rescue organization has already done, including vaccinations, heartworm testing, flea, tick and worm prevention, spaying/neutering and transportation fees. Compare services as well as price when looking at the cost.
It’s not so easy anymore to find a free or cheap dog. It costs $50 to adopt a dog from an animal control facility in Connecticut. With that you get a spay/neuter certificate. The Connecticut Humane Society charges $70 for adult dogs and $100 for puppies, which includes vaccinations, leash, collar and some food, etc. Unlike the public facilities, the humane society temperament tests dogs and interviews adopters, hoping to make a successful match.
You can expect to pay from $150 to $350, for both mixed breed and purebred dogs from rescue organizations. These private, volunteer run, non-profit organizations usually take excellent pre-placement care of their dogs: temperament testing, fostering, shipping dogs from areas of the country that have more strays, medical treatment, etc. Most of these groups, and the dogs they have available for adoption, can be found at www.petfinder.com.
Purebred puppies from breeders are going for about $1000 for a pet quality dog. It is very difficult to tell whether the breeder’s price is worth it for the dog you’re getting. Generally it’s well known – and very true – that dogs from pet stores are extremely overpriced for what you’re getting - puppy mill dogs, especially when the breeder is in Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Arizona. It’s the equivalent of paying top dollar for a designer knock-off.
"Designer dogs," such as Puggles and Labradoodles, tend to be high priced regardless of where you buy them and the quality you’re getting. That happens with fashion in every industry! And, as with any fashion, it’s worth it to those who spend the extra money.
You can’t buy love, but you can buy temperament. You can find a great dog in any breed or mix, free or costly, if you know what you’re looking for. Don’t be taken by rarity, expense or fashion – find yourself a dog with personality plus!
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