The price of pedigree puppies: how much does it cost breeders to have puppies?

If you have decided to become the proud owner of a puppy, you are probably facing this dilemma: should you get a cheaper puppy without a pedigree, or is it better to invest more in a pedigree puppy from a responsible, reliable breeder? But the real question is how much it actually costs breeders to have puppies. Another important question is why pedigree puppies cost so much more than those without one.

That is where the idea for this article came from, with comparison tables of the costs of puppies with and without a pedigree.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you make this important decision:

Whether you pay for a puppy with or without a pedigree, remember that the price of the puppy is only the first "instalment". Once you buy it, you need to be ready for all the other costs that come with it throughout its life (with or without a pedigree): regular vet visits, vaccines, good food, possible treatment for injuries, grooming and so on.

• Are you looking for a pet or a show winner? In both cases a reliable breeder will have the right puppy for you, but in the second case you have no chance if the puppy has no pedigree. Of course, a litter may have one champion, all the puppies may become champions, or none of them may. Check the pedigree carefully at least 4 generations back: if all the dogs are good representatives of the breed, your chances of buying a potential champion are very good.
• What are you really looking for when you buy a puppy of a particular breed? Is it just the colour of the coat or the shape of the eyes? If you want the breed's distinctive traits, such as temperament, abilities, size and posture, the right choice is a pedigree puppy from a reliable breeder. Unfortunately, none of this can be guaranteed if you choose a puppy without a pedigree.

Here are some of the requirements every kennel has to meet to breed pedigree puppies[1]:

• The mother and father must be completely healthy and free of hereditary diseases.
• Both parents must have X-rays and a vet's statement that they do not suffer from hip dysplasia and/or eye diseases.
• Only dogs whose owners are members of a kennel club can be bred (and kennel club membership has an annual fee).
• During the pregnancy, the owner of the female must provide the best possible conditions for her.
• Between the puppies' 45th and 56th day, an authorised club representative must visit the owner of the litter and assess each puppy (the owner of the litter covers the travel costs).
• All puppies must be vaccinated and dewormed by the age of 45 days.
• Every owner of a female who wants to breed her must have a registered kennel name, for which there is a fee.
• A pedigree is only issued if the puppy has a microchip.
• Every pedigree issued has a fee.

If any of these rules is not followed, the puppies will NOT get a pedigree!

Table 1: Costs before the puppies are born[2]

Cost	Pedigree dog	Dog without pedigree
Annual membership of an official kennel club	BGN 30	-
Kennel registration and FCI kennel name	BGN 80	-
Eye disease screening (mother)	BGN 90	-
Eye disease screening (father)	BGN 90	-
Hip dysplasia screening (mother)	BGN 120	-
Hip dysplasia screening (father)	BGN 120	-
Two conformation shows (mother)	BGN 70	-
Two conformation shows (father)	BGN 70	-
Total costs before pregnancy:	BGN 670	BGN 0

Before a litter is even planned, the breeder has to find a male and a female pedigree dog of the breed that are not related. Then they have to pay for hip dysplasia screening, eye examinations and at least two conformation shows for each dog. If one of the dogs has champion titles or has been shown at more than the two required shows, those costs are not included in the totals. If the future parents do not get the required grades at the shows ("Excellent" for the male and "Very good" for the female), the puppies will not get a pedigree. In short, before the mating even happens, the kennel owner has to pay BGN 670 just so that the planned puppies can one day have an official pedigree.

For owners of puppies without a pedigree, on the other hand, there are no such costs: two dogs (a male and a female) of the same breed are enough, and two months later there is a litter without a pedigree. Of course, nothing guarantees that the parents are not related or free of hereditary diseases. Still, we hope the puppies will be healthy and meet the breed standard.

Table 2: Costs for 3 months after the puppies are born

Cost	Pedigree dog	Dog without pedigree
First vaccine	BGN 30	BGN 30
Second vaccine	BGN 25	BGN 25
Third vaccine	BGN 30	BGN 30
Food	BGN 45	BGN 45
Internal deworming	BGN 10	-
External deworming	BGN 10	-
Pedigree certificate	BGN 15	-
Tracking microchip	BGN 30	-
Total costs after birth (3 months):	BGN 195	BGN 130

Once the puppies are born, they have to be raised properly. If the puppies stay with the mother's owner for 3 months after birth and get the necessary vaccines, the cost is around BGN 130 per puppy without a pedigree (assuming it is fed good food and really vaccinated) and BGN 195 per pedigree puppy, because it also needs deworming, a tracking microchip and the pedigree certificate fee. If the puppies go to their new homes before three months, the costs are lower.

Table 3: Total costs for the puppies

Number of puppies	Total cost per puppy		Total cost per litter
	Pedigree dog	Dog without pedigree	Pedigree dog	Dog without pedigree
1	BGN 865.00	BGN 130.00	BGN 865.00	BGN 130.00
2	BGN 530.00	BGN 130.00	BGN 1,060.00	BGN 260.00
3	BGN 418.33	BGN 130.00	BGN 1,255.00	BGN 390.00
4	BGN 362.50	BGN 130.00	BGN 1,450.00	BGN 520.00
5	BGN 329.00	BGN 130.00	BGN 1,645.00	BGN 650.00
6	BGN 306.67	BGN 130.00	BGN 1,840.00	BGN 780.00
7	BGN 290.71	BGN 130.00	BGN 2,035.00	BGN 910.00
8	BGN 278.75	BGN 130.00	BGN 2,230.00	BGN 1,040.00
9	BGN 269.44	BGN 130.00	BGN 2,425.00	BGN 1,170.00

Bottom line: if, for example, a litter of 3 pedigree puppies is born, the breeder has to pay BGN 1,255 (BGN 418.33 per puppy), while a litter of 3 puppies without a pedigree would cost BGN 390 (BGN 130 per puppy). And these costs do not include the breeder's round-the-clock care, extra vet visits, toys, supplies and supplements. Nor do they include chewed slippers, gnawed furniture or cleaning. Only people who have raised baby puppies until handing them over to their new owners know the real cost of raising a litter.

A dog is not like a car that you can take to a garage when it breaks down, or sell and replace with another. Puppies are a big responsibility, and choosing a pet is a very serious decision that deserves proper thought. Choose your future companion wisely, because there may not be a second chance.

[1] Source: "Breeding rules of the Bulgarian National Samoyed Club", 2014.

[2] The calculations are based on my own research for the Samoyed breed and include only fees paid to vets, clubs and similar. They do not include transport, paperwork or other related costs. Costs may vary by breed and breeder.

This article was published on 3 September 2014 on the website of the Thracian Glory Samoyed kennel.