When will puppies come down in price?

sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 20:34
Last edited 28/10/2020 - 21:12

I've noticed in the last 6 months the price of puppies has gone nuts as people look for company during these covid times. For example labradors were about $2-3k before. Now they're $4-6k.

So my question is does anyone have any insight on when the market will correct? Do you think it will encourage more people to breed and if so when would expect the new supply to come into the market? Or is this not really possible since most people have their dogs fixed so they can't breed?

We're very keen to be first time puppies owners, but appreciate how expensive vet checks etc are, so hoping we don't need to spend $5k on the purchase alone!

Thanks all for your advice

Edit: we've decided to get a puppy, not a rescue dog

Pets

Comments

  • apsilon on 28/10/2020 - 20:37
    +17

    My last dog was a stray I adopted so no idea dogs cost that much these days (unless you're talking pure bred?). Perhaps consider a rescue dog? May not be a pup but it'll still be a companion and you get to save it.

    • thrillhouse on 29/10/2020 - 08:10
      +6

      This is the best advice any aspiring dog owner should take. It won't win you IG followers, but you'll be doing a very good thing.

    • brendanq on 05/11/2020 - 17:55

      100% agree. Rescue all the way. My rescue dogs and cats have all been beautiful creatures.

  • try2bhelpful on 28/10/2020 - 20:43
    +21

    Go look at the RSPCA or the Lost Dogs homes.

    As others have said, look at adopting a dog rather than a puppy.

  • sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 20:51

    Thanks both. We've decided on a puppy, so looking for some any insight on the market. But appreciate the suggestion for a rescue dog too (we've definitely talked at length about this option!)

    • AdosHouse on 28/10/2020 - 21:25
      +21

      Also plenty of rescue puppies.

      • Almost Banned on 28/10/2020 - 22:48
        +4

        Is this based on evidence, or just a guess?
        Because I'm not seeing many puppies on rescue websites.
        Even if you want a staffy or similar or are willing to take large dogs (and many don't), there still aren't that many.
        Perhaps you can point us to where all these rescue puppies are located?

        • yellowfever on 28/10/2020 - 23:27
          +1

          rescue puppies does not exist in 2020 in Vic.
          Most of the recue dogs are large aggressive type, or much older smaller type.

          It will take equally alot of effort to care for an already behavioural dog, or keep an older dog for its remainder half life, and then you be back on the market looking again.

          There are pros and cons in a rescue dog. The biggest pro is obviously saving it's life.

      • rompastompa on 30/10/2020 - 19:14

        My rescue puppy (8weeks old when we got her) was 8 years old yesterday!

  • vietbargain on 28/10/2020 - 20:52
    +9

    +1 to rescue dogs, but if you have to buy a new one, make sure the breeder is registered/reputable and has good breeding practices. Heaps of sad stories around where backyard breeders abuse dogs to maximise profits. What you're seeing now is breeders not only taking advantage of dogs, but dog owners as well.

    • sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 20:53

      Ok thanks for the tips! Will definitely make sure it's not from a puppy farm

      • chriskq on 28/10/2020 - 22:33

        dogzonline.com.au - got my Shiba Inu from a breeder almost 11 years ago. Love him to bits.

  • Melb69 on 28/10/2020 - 20:57
    +11

    We found our dog from. the RSPCA. She was already a 6 year old dog with dog aggression issues, but after a year of dog training she settled down and was the best dog ever. My patner still misses her as she passed away many years ago when she was 15.

    Also we were screened well to even see if we met the critera for the the dog. A dog is for life and you really need to think if you want one not just for Christmas or an occasion. They just can't be left home along all day and what happens on holidays.

  • CyberMurning on 28/10/2020 - 21:04
    +5

    Rscpa is the way. No but no bit no bat

    • SydStrand on 28/10/2020 - 21:16

      The RSPCA, at least in Melbourne, puts up some dogs that have no place being adopted. If I were the OP, I'd do my homework and find a shelter that does more behaviour vetting, like Lost Dogs Home.

  • zonra on 28/10/2020 - 21:08
    +15

    When will puppies come down in price?

    When they get a bit older.
    I’ll grab my coat.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 28/10/2020 - 22:19
      +12

      Alright Cruella De Vil.

      • chriskq on 28/10/2020 - 22:34

        this needs more upvotes

  • SydStrand on 28/10/2020 - 21:18
    +2

    When will puppies come down in price?

    When people have other things to do or spend their money on. Right now, people are sitting bored at home with money they didn't spend on a holiday or eating out.

    • sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 21:21

      Thanks for answering the question! Yes this makes sense.

  • OzCheapo on 28/10/2020 - 21:21

    When the puppies grow up

  • pjetson on 28/10/2020 - 21:52
    +10

    When will puppies come down in price?

    Like everything else, it'll be just after you buy one.

  • dogboy on 28/10/2020 - 21:58
    +9

    So you are talking about ~$5k to have a puppy experience for a year rather than pay almost nothing for an older dog. Do you realise how much work puppies are? Do you realise how frustrating it is trying to train a puppy, not only to obey commands but to be housebroken? Do you know how many of your expensive items this puppy with destroy in that first year? If you are willing to pay $5k for that then all the best. Don't get me wrong, puppies are very cute and can be awesome at times but are a crazy amount of work.

    • Daabido on 28/10/2020 - 23:01

      I thought you were talking about prep students.

    • AustriaBargain on 28/10/2020 - 23:29
      -2

      Isn't a puppy experience for a year worth $5k? You'll be spending a lot of your non working life with the dog and you'll probably end up calling it your best friend. And if you get a puppy then it'll always be your dog, if you rescue a dog then you've got someone else's dog. Like you tell the adopted dog it doesn't matter to you, but someone else always owned the dog before you. Any time the dog acts a bit weird someone will guess that the previous owner abused it somehow, or you'll wonder what the previous owner did in general to the dog you share with them. Some people here won't even buy a shirt that's been worn by someone else, but they tell people that they "have" to buy a second hand dog or else they are a bad person.

      • AdosHouse on 28/10/2020 - 23:43
        +19

        My rescue dog is no one else's dog. Maybe he had a previous owner but now he is MINE. Mine to love, mine to train, mine to give a good life to.

        • Unorthodox on 28/10/2020 - 23:54
          +2

          Love this from you!

        • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 00:18
          -3

          Right. But at the same time, like if you bring home a banana foe the first time and your recur dog goes crazy at the sight of it, then you’ll never know why. The funny banana story that caused that reaction isn’t your and your dogs story, it’s the previous owners story. You’ll never ever get to know why your rescue dog acts so weird around bananas.

          • AdosHouse on 29/10/2020 - 01:04
            +6

            @AustriaBargain: Does it matter if the dog has done something before in it's life? It will be the first time between me and my dog and that's what matters.

            I don't live in the past, I enjoy the present, and all the quirks/weird crap/love that my dog and I share TOGETHER now.

            I haven't borrowed my brothers shirt and then spent hours pondering what moods or things he has done in that shirt. I haven't driven someone else's car and wondered how many times the other drivers have almost had crashes. I haven't gotten on a plane and wondered why the previous occupant of the seat traveled. I live for me.

            • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 01:17
              -1

              @AdosHouse: Some people won’t even live in a house that someone has been killed in, even if you replace all the floor boards with new ones, just knowing it once held the mood of murder is enough to people more than a few people off.

              • AdosHouse on 29/10/2020 - 01:20
                +2

                @AustriaBargain: Yes, but people don't toss their baby away and start over just because they missed it's first words.

                • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 01:46

                  @AdosHouse: Some people do return adopted children because they don’t feel like they got to bond. It’s not right or fair but it does happen, it’s within the human psyche to do exactly what you said people don’t do.

      • Love a bargain on 31/10/2020 - 23:10

        Your other half was probably someone else's boyfriend/ girlfriend before they're yours

    • SlickMick on 29/10/2020 - 10:10

      makes even more sense to buy a dog second-hand than a car

      • Almost Banned on 30/10/2020 - 19:08

        Why is that?
        Cars are predictable and issues can be readily identified and fixed.
        That is not always true in living creatures.

        • SlickMick on 31/10/2020 - 12:01

          The metaphor was you're paying extra to have shiny in both cases.

          And I would have far more success fixing a misbehaving dog than a car - I guess it just depends on where your skillset lies.

  • BuyoTheCat on 28/10/2020 - 22:00
    +6

    I am waiting for post-covid unwanted dogs to adopt.

  • MS Paint on 28/10/2020 - 22:18
    +4

    Get a rescue canine.

    We have 2 at the moment and are awesome dogs. They reward you with such love and loyalty when they realise this is their forever home.

    I think you are being naive and silly for not considering a rescue dog.

    We have had puppies in the past. They are cute for sure but the novelty wears thin quickly with lots of frustrating periods (eg toilet training, getting up a couple of times a night)

    • sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 22:56
      +3

      I'm not being naive or silly. We considered it. Not for us

      Glad you're enjoying your dogs

      • SlickMick on 29/10/2020 - 10:12
        +1

        sounds like you only want a puppy. How about a guide dog? A free Labrador pup, they'll pay all the costs, and you get to give it back when the cuteness starts wearing out.

  • sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 23:02
    +4

    Just to be super clear here, I'm not after a rescue dog. This post isnt about the merits of rescue dogs vs puppies from a breeder. So we can keep to the question that would be great thanks!

    • AustriaBargain on 28/10/2020 - 23:26
      -1

      What are the merits of a rescue dog vs a puppy anyway. I'm going to want a dog soon and I kinda do want a dog that has fewer psychological problems than me. A blank slate dog.

      • sickllama on 29/10/2020 - 06:45
        -2

        That was a consideration for us too. Plus we want the puppy experience. Rescue dogs are all the rage at the moment, plus they're basically free so that's a consideration too

        • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 06:55
          -1

          You could lie and tell people your puppy was a rescue puppy.

        • modsec802 on 29/10/2020 - 07:05
          +6

          “Puppy experience” FFS

          • apsilon on 29/10/2020 - 07:12
            +7

            @modsec802: aka the time it uses the whole house as a toilet.

          • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 07:18
            -8

            @modsec802: Would you buy your wife a bouquet of wilted, half dying flowers? And even if you would, would she want the wilted, half dying flower experience?

            • modsec802 on 29/10/2020 - 07:39

              @AustriaBargain: Terrible analogy - animals shouldn’t be used as ‘gifts’

              • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 07:47

                @modsec802: I'd be willing to be that many household pets are bought as gifts for other people, especially children. I'd bet my house on that being a reality, but I can't speak for what goes on in your imaginary Kingdom of Should.

            • ozbjunkie on 29/10/2020 - 08:08
              +7

              @AustriaBargain: Up next: why it is important to marry a virgin.

            • SlickMick on 29/10/2020 - 10:15
              +2

              @AustriaBargain: A more aligned analogy would be a blooming flower vs a seedling

              • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2020 - 10:41
                -2

                @SlickMick: Or a freshly made Big Mac vs one that’s been in the warmer for 20 minutes.

      • Love a bargain on 31/10/2020 - 23:14

        Wouldn't it be better to see the behaviour/ psychological traits of a slightly older dog and take a gamble with a puppy? Most babies are cute but some grown up to be psychopaths.

        • AustriaBargain on 01/11/2020 - 02:01
          +1

          Sure, but if a shelter was honest with people about the behaviour of the smoosh then some dogs wouldn’t be adopted.

  • JFFTech on 28/10/2020 - 23:14

    I was in a similar situation couple of months ago and my suggestions are below.

    • Please post your requirement on Gumtree with the details of the breed and the price range. You will get calls from non-professional breeders at a reasonable price. You just need to do your due diligence for this approach (which in any case you should always do).
    • In my opinion, many people have bought puppies on an impulse over the last 6 months but when the holiday season starts and offices open up, the owners will find it challenging to take care of the pet. These puppies are likely to be sold via Gumtree or will end up in the Rescue homes.
    • I expect the price of the puppies to go down in another 2 to 3 months' time as the current peak demand is likely to end then. Look for the country side breeders (say, in Regional Victoria instead of Melbourne) for a better price.
    • sickllama on 28/10/2020 - 23:20

      Amazing advice! I think we'll post an ad on gumtree and see if we get any interest

      • MS Paint on 29/10/2020 - 09:17
        +1

        Post link here. I can't find your wanted ad.

  • bunkymag on 29/10/2020 - 08:18
    -5

    I don't care what you've 'decided'. Get a rescue dog like everyone else has said.

    • Jon Voights Car on 29/10/2020 - 09:38
      +2

      This is such a dumb response. OP clearly wants a puppy & has made that clear. The first 6mths of a dogs life are its most important. It’s how the dog is shaped. As a dog owner who has had several dogs over the years, this is the reason why I would want to but a puppy and not a rescue. I have nothing against rescues & wouldn’t eliminate the possibility of getting one. But I want to be there with my dog from the youngest possible age to ensure it is trained the right way.

      Telling someone to get a rescue is like saying to someone buy a 2nd hand car instead of buying a new one. There are a multitude of reasons why someone might have a preference to buy a new car.

    • Almost Banned on 30/10/2020 - 19:11
      +2

      The Ozbargain community has spoken and your freedom to decide what to do in your own household is now at an end.
      Hum… wonder where this thinking comes from.

  • gmdarts on 29/10/2020 - 08:24

    Depends on where you are situated really Animal resue at Rossmore has all types annd as they are non profit only chare very minimal fees

  • MontyMacaw on 29/10/2020 - 08:25
    +6

    I think that if you don’t get a rescue then you should pay more. I’d go even further and say there should be a tax on breeders to discourage breeding so that there are less rescues.this tax could then go towards the cost of rescue centres. All breeders should be registered and dogs registered at birth with high fines for non compliance with that money going to rescue centres. Making money out of puppies and kittens should be illegal. The higher the price for puppies, especially those hideous designer dogs the better for everybody, especially the dogs.

  • Lastchancetosee on 29/10/2020 - 09:31
    +2

    Why all the hating about puppies here?

    In our family and extended family, we've had pedigree puppies, mature pedigree dogs, and mature rescue dogs and cats, and each time it was a question of circumstances, taste, and the particular context of the household. For example, my parents switched to older rescue dogs as they didn't want to outlive them, but when we were children, we had puppies. A puppy experience is as valid as a mature dog experience.

    Seems to me that OP wasn't asking for a lecture in morality, just some advice, as they've already made up their mind.

    • MontyMacaw on 30/10/2020 - 07:43

      It’s not about hating on puppies. It’s about the number of dogs that end up abandoned, abused and unloved. Committing to a pet is a long term commitment that is often not thought through enough. Many puppies are bought because they are introduced to their prospective owners on impulse. The pet store used to be very common, not so much these days thanks to this healthy change of attitude. It might also be at the school pick up where a child wants to show her friends a puppy from their own dog’s litter and then other kids want one because as we all know puppies are cute and they pressure their parents to get one. Once you see a dog in a home that is left outside most of the time, for example, because it causes too many problems inside you may get a sense of what this can feel like and why breeding so many pets for profit or on a whim just increases the number of neglected, abused and unwanted pets in our communities. There is nothing wrong with the right person having a puppy. The problem is so many people are the wrong people to have a puppy and they don’t realise it until there has been so much heartache involved in the wrong choices being made. I have seen this many times. It’s good that people call this out. It may seem nasty but it does show a change in attitude which is bringing about change. A dog is not a status symbol it is a living being with needs. Having a designer dog is often about our wants and not in the interests of animal welfare. Take the French bulldog as an example. Much admired but most people don’t know the development of this breed comes about with a multitude of health problems and risks because the dog was a designer breed. Animal welfare: That’s what’s going on here.

      • Lastchancetosee on 30/10/2020 - 08:17
        +1

        I agree with the issues of breeding faults into dogs, and would not purchase a French bulldog, for example because of this.

        Similarly, I abhor the abandonment of animals, and people.

        My point is that almost every puppy purchase post elicits an avalanche of reproach from the group, and the OP is put in a position of having to defend their choice, rather than receive information.

        If they've already decided to purchase a puppy, they are unlikely to be convinced otherwise because of the negative feedback here. Could we simply respond to the question instead?

        • MontyMacaw on 30/10/2020 - 13:36

          Maybe they don’t feel they have to defend their choice. On the flip side it does give a reason for them to pause and consider their choice more thoroughly.

        • Nereosis on 06/11/2020 - 15:22

          Also doesn't help that there are like less than 30 rescues nationally and they're staffies.
          I really want a dog and would love a rescue but finding a suitable one is impossible right now.

  • avoidfullprice on 29/10/2020 - 09:33
    +1

    OP, puppies price aren't going down any sooner IMO. Cost of maintaining pure breed parents aren't cheap, and quality puppies come from parents with good temperament. So unless you don't mind the purity of breed then price will remain high. I'm sure you want the puppy to come from parents with good temperament or else your experience will be shit.

    About supply of new puppies, the rate of reproduction is what they are. A glut in market won't make dogs breed more quality puppies.

  • TheGorn on 29/10/2020 - 10:13
    +11

    I completely understand the decision to get a puppy. Throughout my life I have only ever had puppies. That singular little bundle of joy — that innocent, blank canvas that you can mould into your special companion — usually a breed you've researched, with characteristics that suit your lifestyle and with luck a good 12-16 years of joy ahead of them. We always had German Shepherds, then more recently a wonderful Shetland Sheepdog — smartest, bestest dog I ever owned who lived to a ripe old age. Did obedience training with him and won many awards all the way up to the Royal Easter Show.

    But as I live alone now and am at work every day, last time around I decided on rescues. Actually I decided on fostering, at first. I called the Animal Welfare League at Hoxton Park, said I'd done a lot of dog obedience training and had a big backyard, and if they had two dogs they wanted to keep together, even better, ones that had training or behavioural issues that I might be able to address to make them more adoptable, please let me know.

    Two days later, sight unseen, I was picking up two cross-Pomeranian sisters who had fallen on hard times. Already 5 years old, their elderly owners had died and they had been passed on to the adult children who didn't want to keep them, and so suddenly they found themselves in a noisy, concrete kennel at the Animal Welfare League, scared and bewildered. The behaviorist there had designated them as "highly stressed" and were looking for a home placement for them in the hopes they would settle down. They came with papers that said they were not fond of dogs, cats or other people — and should be kept away from small children. Sweet little girls with lots of problems, but undaunted I set about to start training them with the hope of making them a better fit for a forever home.

    Very long story short, yes, I am a "foster fail". These girls were so smart, so willing to learn new tricks, They quickly settled into the routine of my home like they'd been there forever — more quickly than a puppy, whom I would have to have stayed home with while toilet training and settling in. I took them along to Saturday obedience training like you would any new puppy (without the wait for vaccinations) and they did so well, they too started winning awards. They were eventually adopted out (I cried buckets and tried to convince myself I'd done the right thing as they disappeared in the back of their new owner's car) but as fate would have it, she brought them back a week later because they didn't get on with her 4 cats.

    In the meantime I had gotten a little kitten. So I went back to AWL, adopted my girls outright, spent a few weeks of effort introducing them carefully to the new kitten and now they are all the best of friends. They sleep together in a big, warm, furry bundle on my bed. And the girls LOVE little kids and older people. They regularly visit Aged Care homes and bring joy to the residents. Fantastic, little well-behaved girls they are. Attractive dogs, easy care coats, and they don't even smell like dogs — ever. It has something to do with the type of coat they ended up with as cross-breeds.

    I've had them 7 years now, so they're about 12 years old and show no signs of slowing down. They have a healthy, hybrid vigour, so the fact that I adopted them at 5 years old has not impacted the time I've had with them to any great degree.

    I have had many, many wonderful dogs in my life, but I can truly say these two are the most loving dogs I have ever owned. Yes, I put the work in at the beginning, as you will with any puppy, but the rewards are certainly there.

    I know you've already decided on a puppy and I completely respect your decision. I was you 7 years ago. But fortunately for me I took a detour into Rescues and it was the best decision I ever made. I actually now regularly volunteer for my rescue organisation. There is something extra special about giving a pup with an otherwise uncertain future a home. Be they an older dog, one with kinks you have to either work through or accept, one that isn't the breed you imagined or wished for — once they are part of your family, you grow together and it's like they were MEANT to be yours, and you can't imagine your life without them.

    As a compromise, https://www.dogzonline.com.au/ will also have links to older dogs of specific breeds, some that have been returned or the breeders have decided not to show. You might also consider a slightly older dog of a breed that suits you. They will certainly be cheaper than a puppy. Yes, in the Rescue world, there is a ton of backyard breeding that produces lots of unwanted large mastiff-cross type dogs that fill our shelters and may not be what you are looking for. But let all your local shelter and rescue places know what you are looking for and they will keep you in mind. Remember, these experts can match you to a dog with a temperament that suits you, and the foster carers can let you know how the dogs behave in a home and with other pets and children for example. So unlike a pup, they have often been road-tested.

    That's my pitch anyway. Just keep it in the back of your mind at least. Keep scanning those pages and calling your local shelters. You never know. Those $5000 pups will all find a home with no trouble. But the lost souls at the shelters or in foster care need someone to be their forever family.

    • Bystander on 29/10/2020 - 19:21

      Pics?

    • try2bhelpful on 29/10/2020 - 20:02

      Good on you for volunteering. I can’t do it, all I would do is cry all day. An older dog will get you past the chewing on everything and not housetrained stage as well.

  • cassidy02 on 29/10/2020 - 20:48
    +1

    We have just got a puppy, and yes, cost nearly double to what they used to be. Don't attack me; we lost our 12 year old rescue in May and wanted this certain breed again, and the experience of a puppy.

    Prices are up now because demand is insane. I checked the shelters first too and there was literally like 5 dogs left. Demand will go down when people go back to work. A lot of us are nervous about how many people will surrender their dogs when they stop working from home/get employed again. Presumably the prices might drop a bit then, but who knows in this crazy world.

    Making sure you're going with a reputable breeder is absolutely essential. Ask online, call the dog breed group for your state to check the breeders credentials. There are some bad breeders out there that don't care about the health and wellbeing of the pups they breed, and there is also scammers out there now taking "deposits" for a puppy…that doesn't exist. I would want to meet the breeder first (as we did).

    Finally, my GOD is it a lot of work having a puppy. Its putting a strain on us a LOT. I'm a human pin cushion to her baby teeth, toilet training is hit and miss, and the high pitched bark, just wow. But, we love her unconditionally and will just keep persisting with training! Just be mentally prepared, that's all. Good luck!

    • sickllama on 29/10/2020 - 22:01

      Thank you for all your advice. Yes we're preparing to take out a lot of time to train our puppy as we've heard it's the same amount of work as having a human baby!

      • Bushbasha on 30/10/2020 - 06:47

        It is very much like a baby. Are you and your partner working from home during Covid? And expecting to go back out to the office after covid? If so don't get a puppy now. They will likely get attached to you being at home 24/7 and have separation anxiety once you leave.

        • cassidy02 on 30/10/2020 - 19:09

          Second this. The breeder chose our particular pup for us as she was quite reserved in the litter and needed a lot of attention, but only on the knowledge that even after COVID is done, my husband would still be home full time with her.

  • bargain huntress on 28/12/2020 - 20:07

    Is it really impossible to get unwanted / rescue puppies these days? or are the people saying that being picky about breed? or age (how are we defining puppy)?

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