My partner and I have wanted to get a dog for some years but never been in a position to do so. We are now and dogs are crazy expensive!
I get that covid has tightened demand but really $4000 for a dog… I believe this was an issue before 2020 from what I've read.
Also, where are all the X breeds? Why all purebred's?
We had a few dogs growing up, German, Lab X and Jack Russell over the years. Even with inflation they should be maybe $600-$700 now days?
Seems exploitative with the insane prices, breeders just want big $ and if they can't get the puppy sold, ppl don't want older dogs, so do they just dump them?
Happy to pay up to* $1000 but all I see on gumtree/trading post is $8000 purebred's.
Give me any all old mongrel and it will live like purebred royalty! (Prefer Lab ;-)
Cheers
UPDATE* So after my whinging post we managed to find a local farmer that had his female boarder collie fall pregnant. A little of 10! $500 boarder collie cross, golden retriever I believe. Total cutie. Smallest "runt" of the lot but so worth it. He had people come from Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney to little old Casino at the drop of a pin. Mental. He couldn't believe the response he had.
Maybe a new post is needed but: What are people's thoughts on so called Runts' of the litter?
From what I have read vets and the like have dispelled alot of myths and tbats it is just a pup that was latched to the placenta where they had slightly less access to nutrients and come out smaller.
If they come out with birth defects they've had a really bad "connection" or supply. They say in the wild the mother would neglect, but dometicate most of the negatives can be over come. I.e. access to food from competing siblings. The owner said they did loose one maybe that was the runt, so maybe she's just smaller.
He used to breed purebreads collies and golden retrievers and said her mother was, but it makes no difference to us. She's full of beans and already crazy conscious and alert to commands and our body language.
Thanks to everyone help!
Our first dog was a Staffy gumtree freebie, and was not the best dog. He was 18 months old, and was not very companion like. Hated other animals, barked crazily when anyone came to the door. Didn't like cuddles, and the only way to get much love from him was to feed him … so he turned into a fat dog. Now … I get that we probably could have changed a lot of that behaviour.
He died last April.
We looked around on gumtree for another dog, but by then dogs were in demand. The local (Hunter, NSW) RSPCA weren't allowing people in to inspect dogs, but we chose a 6 month Staffy, and they brought it to us. Cost ~$400, and she's a much better dog.
NSW RSPCA have a range of dogs on their website that aren't those breeds you mentioned, although those breeds do seem to be over-represented.
Maybe pick a few to do more research on, and make a holiday out of going and looking.