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Dog Breeders Hike Puppy Prices
There is growing evidence to suggest that under lockdown, many people are considering buying dogs as they spend their time isolated at home. Some dog breeders appear to have increased the price of certain breeds during this time of growing demand.
This puppy inflation has meant that some customers are finding that puppy prices have risen to over £4000 for some sought after breeds. As a result of this the Dogs Trust are keen to send out a message that getting a dog is not just a short term decision and this needs to be considered very carefully.
Dogs Trust chief executive, Owen Sharp, said: ‘Dog ownership can be so rewarding, but it’s also a huge responsibility, which is why we are reminding people today that “a dog is for life, not just for lockdown”.
On Instagram their has been a huge increase in people searching for #lockdownpups and huge numbers of dogs have been bought which unfortunately has led to supply and demand issues with breeders raising the price up by 300%.
This is a worrying trend especially as the lockdown is now being relaxed and people are encouraged to get back to work. You have to ask what will happen to these puppies when the country gets back to our normal lives?
Certainly we have noticed a recent surge in enquiries for our breeder kennels from dog breeders of very sought after breeds like the American bullies and Cockapoos.
This unheralded rise in puppy prices has unfortunately not been missed by the organised crime gangs who are now targeting these breeders, as the value of a litter could be up to £30,000. They start to watch the social media sites like Facebook for puppy posts and then attempt to break an entry.
Only yesterday we put a post on about a litter that was stolen in Norfolk area and today another litter has been stolen in Lancashire. Breeder Lortan Cockapoo’s took to Facebook in a post which went viral, revealing burglars had stolen a litter of five six-week-old cockapoos, seven five-week-old cockapoos (one of which was killed), and 10 adults dogs, many of which were pregnant.
In total 22 dogs disappeared which is a tragic loss as they take a lifetimes work in building up the stock and bloodlines and this would devastate any breeder.
Another aspect is that once the lockdown is over you can be sure that many rescue centres will be full with unwanted dogs as owners begin to regret their decisions and try to offload these pets.
Obviously for some owners its been a blessing to have a dog during these difficult times but you can be sure that a lot will become unwanted pets in the near future.
We would ask any prospective new dog owners to ask yourself a series of questions as honestly as you can before deciding to take the plunge.
Can I afford to feed this dog for the next 12-15 years
Can I afford the considerable vets fees?
Can I realistically set aside the time to walk this dog at least 43 times a day?
Can I deal with picking up its poo on every walk?
What will I do when I want to go on holiday, who will look after it?
Are you prepared to get up early to walk the dog daily?
If you can’t 100% say that you are prepared for these, then maybe it might be best to wait until you have the time or money to commit to such a life changing event.
For those of you who still want to get a dog, perhaps our best advice would be to thoroughly research your breed before you buy. Make sure you understand how they may become as they develop and get older. Always try to match your property, lifestyle and situation to fit well with that particular breed.
