How Much Is That Puppy In The Window?
Cost Transparency
Why do Harmony Miniature Poodle puppies cost what they do? I’d like to be transparent about the cost of raising a Harmony Miniature Poodle.
Expenses can add up quickly for a breeder who uses responsible practices. The average cost of such a litter can fluctuate, but it takes a great deal of money, energy, and time.
The first expense we have is in raising and proving the mother. Some of these expenses go on beyond the girls’ show careers.
Feeding a high quality diet (average) $3/day x 365 = $1095
Training Classes (puppy, obedience/rally, conformation) $25/class x 50 weeks = $1250
Weekly bath and maintenance = $2600 per year
Show expenses (entry fees, grooming, handling, gas, hotel, etc. ) = $12,000 per year (varies)
Normal Vet costs (shots, annual check ups etc) = $1000 per year
One year of showing - $17,945 - Lets say each girl has 2 litters $8,973/litter
Then there are the normal breeding expenses.
Health clearances on the mother (hips, patellas, eyes, DNA, Brucellosis) = $675
Vet expenses (Progesterone testing etc) = $245
Stud fee = $2,000 - $4,000
Traveling to the stud (lots of variables - airfare, gas, rental car, hotel, etc) $500-$2000
Cost to breed each girl $3,420 to $8,920 Median = $5500
Then the pregnancy expenses.
Extra Food = $50
Ultrasound to confirm pregnancy = $177
X-ray to confirm puppy count = $203
Equipment needed to whelp a litter = $50
(I already have most of the equipment and have invested thousands)
Cost to whelp a litter $480
Finally the expenses of raising the average litter.
Extra food for the mother = $100
Extra utility bill for house = $125
Food for the puppies = $100
Vet visit for exam and one set of shots = $337
Eye exams = $248
Temperament test = $80
Structural Evaluation = $100
Cost to raise the average litter $1,140
That means on average it costs $16,043 per litter of puppies. The average size litter of Harmony Miniature Poodles over 18 years and 28 litters is 3.33 puppies. That means to raise a puppy costs about $4,813.38.
There are occasions when the costs are not as much. Some mother’s show careers are not nearly as long long as others, but most do show in conformation or performance events for at least one year. Sometimes the stud fee and expenses are not as much. This is offset by the times we do artificial insemination. Sometimes there is an emergency. One visit to the emergency vet costs $3,000 to $20,000 or more.
It is my choice to show my dogs. So let’s say we take the cost for showing out of the equation. That still leaves $7,070 per litter, making the cost of an average puppy $2,122. So I am making money if nothing goes wrong. That is if you don’t count my time.
I think we should consider my time. How many hours do I spend showing and prepping dogs to show? Some weeks its over 40 hours.
More directly related to breeding, I spend hours researching pedigrees, corresponding with stud dog owners, transporting dogs for breeding, driving back and forth to vet offices. There are the sleepless nights and days around whelping - usually 7-10 days. I spend hours doing extra cleaning - laundry, mopping, picking up poop, bathing mommas and puppies. I spend hours talking to potential puppy people. It’s my choice to get to know the people who are interested in our puppies, but I want to make sure I’m making the best choice for each individual puppy. For every wonderful home for a puppy, I communicate with at least five others that I wouldn't place a puppy with on a bet, and another five whom I’d love to place a puppy with if I had the perfect puppy for them. Many of those I refer to other breeders. Last of all is keeping up the website and Facebook pages to share the puppies’ journeys. There is no staff for any of this. It’s me and one amazing and helpful husband.
The price of a puppy in 2027 will be between $4000 and $4500.
