Cost of Raising a Litter
Pre-breeding health tests
OFA HIPS and Elbows. $400 for each parent. = $800
OFA thyroid testing. $200 for each parent = $400
( repeated annually from 2-6 yrs of age)
OFA Heart Holter. $100 for each parent. = $200
( repeated annually)
** holter costs can be much greater if done through a vet. On average $350-$500 per reading** We purchased our own holter for $1000 Cdn but it still costs us $100 per dog to test and ship off recordings to be read.
OFA Echo with cardiologist $500 for each parent. = $1000
OFA DNA DM testing. $75 for each parent = $150
ARVC DNA testing. $75 for each parent. = $150
= $2700
Breeding Costs
Pre-breeding health check $75 for each parent. = $150
Optional CBC ( blood test ). $100 for each dog. = $200
Brucellosis Testing $75 for outside breedings = $75
Stud Fee. = $1500-2000
Ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. = $65
X-ray to get final head count. = $85
Post pregnancy check up. = $75
= $2145-2645
Puppy Care Costs
(Per litter) *avg. 7 puppies per
Dewormer = $100
Milk replacer
(not always used but always on hand). = $35
Vaccinations/Vet Checks. $50 per puppy. = $350
Microchips. $15 per puppy. = $105
Vet to implant microchips. $10 per puppy. = $70
Food (raw weaned)
Weeks 3 & 4 On average 3lbs per day x 14 days = 42lbs
Weeks 5 - 7. On average 6 lbs per day x 21 days = 126lbs
Week 8. On average 7 lbs per day x 7 days = 49lbs
217 lbs at $2.50lb = $542.50
Pet bedding ( litter box trained). $20 per week x 4 weeks $80
Misc. toys per litter. = $50
= $1330.00
Other
Litter registration CKC. = $25
Individual Registrations CKC. $50 per puppy. = $350
Puppy Kit supplies = $320
(includes 3 weeks of prepackaged raw food, toys, puppy blanket,Leash and collar)
Paper work/contracts, vet booklets/ info. = $100
For a grand total of. $7000-7500
This does not include any costs in keeping the dam/sire (housing, increased food during pregnancy/normal food through rest of year, routine vet care, training or competitions). It does not include shipping of the dam to the stud, progesterone testing if required or artificial insemination if required.
It does not include the building or purchasing of a whelping box, fuel to the vets office, unexpected complications such as c-sections ($1500) or mastitis ($1000-1500). It doesn't cover any advertising costs or annual website fees or updates. It also does not include washing detergent or electricity to do 2 loads of laundry per day or run the heater in their bedroom to keep their space at 25 degrees Celsius.
This amount also does not include my TIME. Litters require around the clock 24 hr supervision especially until 5 weeks of age. I get maybe 2 hours of broken sleep per night for the first 3 weeks of life. Then it improves to about 5 hrs of broken sleep until 5 weeks of age. It isn't until 6 weeks of age until I can get 6-7 hrs of sleep per night.
How much do you think my time is worth? Let's just base it on a minimum wage job at 84hrs per week (that's 12 hr days and I do way more than that) Our minimum wage is $10
8 weeks at 84hrs per week is 672hrs x $10 = $6720
So that's a final total of $13,720 gross
My puppies sell for $1800 each x 7 puppies = $12,600 ( I also have to pay personal income tax on this amount of 20%)
When you add up the health testing, vet bills, food and my time you can clearly see I have invested close to $20,000
So when you see "breeders" listing their puppies for $750-1200 you have to ask yourself where are they saving their costs and is it worth it to purchase from one of these breeders?
I also want to include that these figures do not include the costs of purchasing the parents. I understand that some breeders have home grown dogs in their breeding program but a lot of the time they purchase new lines to improve their own. On average my adult imports cost between $5000-8000 each. If I bring a puppy over to raise to breeding age the cost is around $3000-4000 for an 8-9 week old pup.
There is no money in breeding! Those that profit are taking short cuts at the expense of the puppies they produce! We breed for the love of the breed and to continue our bloodlines that we have invested time and money in.
OFA HIPS and Elbows. $400 for each parent. = $800
OFA thyroid testing. $200 for each parent = $400
( repeated annually from 2-6 yrs of age)
OFA Heart Holter. $100 for each parent. = $200
( repeated annually)
** holter costs can be much greater if done through a vet. On average $350-$500 per reading** We purchased our own holter for $1000 Cdn but it still costs us $100 per dog to test and ship off recordings to be read.
OFA Echo with cardiologist $500 for each parent. = $1000
OFA DNA DM testing. $75 for each parent = $150
ARVC DNA testing. $75 for each parent. = $150
= $2700
Breeding Costs
Pre-breeding health check $75 for each parent. = $150
Optional CBC ( blood test ). $100 for each dog. = $200
Brucellosis Testing $75 for outside breedings = $75
Stud Fee. = $1500-2000
Ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. = $65
X-ray to get final head count. = $85
Post pregnancy check up. = $75
= $2145-2645
Puppy Care Costs
(Per litter) *avg. 7 puppies per
Dewormer = $100
Milk replacer
(not always used but always on hand). = $35
Vaccinations/Vet Checks. $50 per puppy. = $350
Microchips. $15 per puppy. = $105
Vet to implant microchips. $10 per puppy. = $70
Food (raw weaned)
Weeks 3 & 4 On average 3lbs per day x 14 days = 42lbs
Weeks 5 - 7. On average 6 lbs per day x 21 days = 126lbs
Week 8. On average 7 lbs per day x 7 days = 49lbs
217 lbs at $2.50lb = $542.50
Pet bedding ( litter box trained). $20 per week x 4 weeks $80
Misc. toys per litter. = $50
= $1330.00
Other
Litter registration CKC. = $25
Individual Registrations CKC. $50 per puppy. = $350
Puppy Kit supplies = $320
(includes 3 weeks of prepackaged raw food, toys, puppy blanket,Leash and collar)
Paper work/contracts, vet booklets/ info. = $100
For a grand total of. $7000-7500
This does not include any costs in keeping the dam/sire (housing, increased food during pregnancy/normal food through rest of year, routine vet care, training or competitions). It does not include shipping of the dam to the stud, progesterone testing if required or artificial insemination if required.
It does not include the building or purchasing of a whelping box, fuel to the vets office, unexpected complications such as c-sections ($1500) or mastitis ($1000-1500). It doesn't cover any advertising costs or annual website fees or updates. It also does not include washing detergent or electricity to do 2 loads of laundry per day or run the heater in their bedroom to keep their space at 25 degrees Celsius.
This amount also does not include my TIME. Litters require around the clock 24 hr supervision especially until 5 weeks of age. I get maybe 2 hours of broken sleep per night for the first 3 weeks of life. Then it improves to about 5 hrs of broken sleep until 5 weeks of age. It isn't until 6 weeks of age until I can get 6-7 hrs of sleep per night.
How much do you think my time is worth? Let's just base it on a minimum wage job at 84hrs per week (that's 12 hr days and I do way more than that) Our minimum wage is $10
8 weeks at 84hrs per week is 672hrs x $10 = $6720
So that's a final total of $13,720 gross
My puppies sell for $1800 each x 7 puppies = $12,600 ( I also have to pay personal income tax on this amount of 20%)
When you add up the health testing, vet bills, food and my time you can clearly see I have invested close to $20,000
So when you see "breeders" listing their puppies for $750-1200 you have to ask yourself where are they saving their costs and is it worth it to purchase from one of these breeders?
I also want to include that these figures do not include the costs of purchasing the parents. I understand that some breeders have home grown dogs in their breeding program but a lot of the time they purchase new lines to improve their own. On average my adult imports cost between $5000-8000 each. If I bring a puppy over to raise to breeding age the cost is around $3000-4000 for an 8-9 week old pup.
There is no money in breeding! Those that profit are taking short cuts at the expense of the puppies they produce! We breed for the love of the breed and to continue our bloodlines that we have invested time and money in.