'Where did you get them?'

Lyzelle

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#61
I get that kind of thing a lot at the dog park. People like to blurt it out. Or use it as an 'excuse'. The other day, a dog was shy and didn't want to say hi to me - I could care less - my own dog is shy. The owner was like "She's a rescue. She's shy." Ummm, okay. Mine's not a rescue and he's shy. Or if they are acting badly "oh he's a rescue". lol. I just don't get it.
I think that's just pressure from the public. Dogs are supposed to be social and love everyone and it's expected for them to just be public property. The only "good" excuse in their eyes is if they are a rescue.

When I try explaining the foster girls or Zander were just shy and a little skittish, people do not get it. The most confused looks ever. Until I say, "She's a rescue."

Then the lightbulb just goes on. It's weird.
 

Flyinsbt

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#62
There is very little that makes me as uncomfortable when talking about dogs- but one thing that does is price. When people ask me in person how much my puppies cost I get super uncomfortable. I haven't been asked how much my dogs cost, but honestly most people think dogs cost $400. Mine cost slightly more than twice that. Its a weird thing to discuss...
I don't think anyone has actually asked how much my dogs cost, but they're curious about the breed (which is fine, of course), and ask if they are expensive. Which I know they are, by a normal person's standards. I have a co-worker who complained about how expensive her "heeler" was, at $200, so I know that normal people aren't ready for the costs of purebred dogs.

So I just say yes, they're expensive. And as I mentioned, do not own up to having bred them myself, because honestly, I don't want people trying to buy a puppy from me. I don't have any anyway. And I don't want to deal with crazy anti-breeder people.
 

chaospony

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#63
Everyone just assumes the girls are from a breeder. It blows people's minds when they hear they were both rescues. We get tons of comments like "Really? There are people that abuse those kinds if dogs?" What the heck? Do people think animal abuse is that selective? Sadly it's not.
We get lots of comments of "Those dogs are really expensive aren't they?" Depending on the person asking the answer varies! Some people just get a "Yes" or a "They can be" others get a more detailed explanation :rofl1:

Then there is the new guy. The question where did you get him is met by the response "from Qatar"
So far everyone has been nice enough not to say it, but you can see on their faces they are thinking "What the heck? Why go so far? Aren't any if the dogs around here good enough for you?"
 

Taqroy

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#64
My best friend said to me, "Yeah, when I get a dog I don't want to spend that much on the purchase price. I mean, I know it was worth it to you, but I can't imagine spending as much as you spent on Elsie--I mean it must have been, what, two hundred dollars at least?"

:rofl1:
OMG. Lol. My favorite was my dad - he couldn't believe we paid almost $300 for a rescue dog and made a 10 hour trip to get her. And then a couple months later my mom decided they needed a purebred Airedale from a reputable breeder - $800 plus $400 or so in airfare. I may have laughed at him. A lot.
 

Fran101

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#65
I will say though.. I hate the awkwardness of asking breeders puppy prices. I mean, after initial application and you've spoken for a bit..I WISH THEY WOULD JUST TELL YOU!

I hate having to ask!!! lol I know, in the perfect world "It shouldn't matter for the right puppy".. but I don't want to get all excited for a litter of $3000 puppies.
 
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#66
I will say though.. I hate the awkwardness of asking breeders puppy prices. I mean, after initial application and you've spoken for a bit..I WISH THEY WOULD JUST TELL YOU!

I hate having to ask!!! lol I know, in the perfect world "It shouldn't matter for the right puppy".. but I don't want to get all excited for a litter of $3000 puppies.

This. Times a bajillion
 

~Jessie~

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#67
I will say though.. I hate the awkwardness of asking breeders puppy prices. I mean, after initial application and you've spoken for a bit..I WISH THEY WOULD JUST TELL YOU!

I hate having to ask!!! lol I know, in the perfect world "It shouldn't matter for the right puppy".. but I don't want to get all excited for a litter of $3000 puppies.
THIS!!!

I'm also so awkward when I ask, since it's ALWAYS when I'm on the phone with the breeder. I always have an "up to" price I'll spend in mind (like, I love this breeder/parents/litter but if they're more than x dollars I'm backing out).
 

Fran101

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#68
LOL it's the worst! Like "SooOOo..I was just wondering about..you know...costs..and..um..average..price..of..you know..litters.."

and by email is just as bad! When I sent the email with the price question I WAS A WRECK until she wrote back! And writing it in itself..god. Had to make sure to write 3 paragraphs of other things and say it clearly but not TOO clearly and make sure it didn't seem like it was THAT important. Oy.
 

~Jessie~

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#69
LOL it's the worst! Like "SooOOo..I was just wondering about..you know...costs..and..um..average..price..of..you know..litters.."

and by email is just as bad! When I sent the email with the price question I WAS A WRECK until she wrote back! And writing it in itself..god. Had to make sure to write 3 paragraphs of other things and say it clearly but not TOO clearly and make sure it didn't seem like it was THAT important. Oy.
OMG, that's exactly what I do! I don't just want to write/say it right in the open, so I ask or say a million other things first. The last thing I want is for a breeder to think I only want a puppy because of the price.

I've never had a breeder give me some insane price, but it's one thing that makes me so worried. If they say $3000, how do I say I'm no longer interested in the litter? HOW do I get out of it without offending them? It makes me nervous thinking about it. Haha.
 

Fran101

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#70
OMG, that's exactly what I do! I don't just want to write/say it right in the open, so I ask or say a million other things first. The last thing I want is for a breeder to think I only want a puppy because of the price.

I've never had a breeder give me some insane price, but it's one thing that makes me so worried. If they say $3000, how do I say I'm no longer interested in the litter? HOW do I get out of it without offending them? It makes me nervous thinking about it. Haha.
That part is so horrifying! I loved the breeder I found, loved the litter she had planned and had already been talking to her for a WHILE. I was horrified at the thought of "...what if the price is too high and I have to back out? what would I even say?! how?!"

Thank goodness the price was right and she was willing to work with me!
 

~Jessie~

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#71
That part is so horrifying! I loved the breeder I found, loved the litter she had planned and had already been talking to her for a WHILE. I was horrified at the thought of "...what if the price is too high and I have to back out? what would I even say?! how?!"

Thank goodness the price was right and she was willing to work with me!
It's SO hard when you know the breeder is awesome and doing everything right, because you don't want to offend them if their puppies are out of your price range.

I'm so afraid I'm going to pick a different breed someday (I'd LOVE a Mudi), fall in love with the breeder, and then learn that their puppies are $4000 a piece. Thankfully, chihuahuas and border collies are VERY rarely priced over $2000 a puppy. Border collies tend to fall in the "under $1000 range," and chihuahuas are under $1500.

But still! If I found a breeder I absolutely LOVED and their puppies were amazing and the most awesome puppies ever, and were $3000 a piece, I'd feel so strange telling them I couldn't do it. It's always in the back of my mind when I contact breeders. I'm like, "pllllleeeeeasssseeee let them be in my price range!"
 

Fran101

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#72
It's SO hard when you know the breeder is awesome and doing everything right, because you don't want to offend them if their puppies are out of your price range.

I'm so afraid I'm going to pick a different breed someday (I'd LOVE a Mudi), fall in love with the breeder, and then learn that their puppies are $4000 a piece. Thankfully, chihuahuas and border collies are VERY rarely priced over $2000 a puppy. Border collies tend to fall in the "under $1000 range," and chihuahuas are under $1500.

But still! If I found a breeder I absolutely LOVED and their puppies were amazing and the most awesome puppies ever, and were $3000 a piece, I'd feel so strange telling them I couldn't do it. It's always in the back of my mind when I contact breeders. I'm like, "pllllleeeeeasssseeee let them be in my price range!"
and there is always that fear that they'll be super offended like I don't think their puppies are worth it, or worse, think that because I won't pay $3000 for a puppy that I can't afford care for a dog.. which of course isn't true, I just don't want to pay that much as an initial purchase price!

and I think that's why people very often ask owners of dogs how much they paid. Sometimes it really isn't a judgement or anything.. just more of a "It's easier to ask you than to ask the breeder!"

I would hate to get my hopes up and I would hate to waste a breeders time only to find out they are out of my price range.

Please, breeders of the world.. list average ballpark price range on your website. People who can't/won't pay that much won't inquire and those that do inquire don't have to deal with the horror of asking.
 

milos_mommy

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#73
It doesn't bother me so much when people say "she's a rescue" to explain (I don't want to say excuse) their dogs behavior.

I often see people with AWESOMELY well behaved dogs, champions at dog sports, service dogs, etc...and the people will gladly say "she's a rescue" which no one scoffs at.

If your dog was beaten by a man and rescued and she's nervous around men, or if your dog never walked on a leash until it was 4 years old and it's pulling and jumping around and being a jerk about it, I don't think there's anything wrong with telling people (especially at a park or day care or a pet store) that the dog was a rescue. ESPECIALLY if you're a trainer or dog walker, and you don't want people to think you just can't handle the dog for no reason.
 

Shai

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#74
and I think that's why people very often ask owners of dogs how much they paid. Sometimes it really isn't a judgement or anything.. just more of a "It's easier to ask you than to ask the breeder!"
That makes sense logically and yet the cultural taboo of asking such a question is so strong for me that unless I was specifically planning to get a puppy from that very breeder and really knew the person, I'm not sure I could ask. I'd rather have the discussion with the breeder even if I'm not sure how it will go. But that is nerve-wracking too...I mean buying a puppy is such a weird mess of conflicting protocols...at the end of the day you are buying a loved family member...so how do you put a price on that...and the breeder is selling a living soul...so again...but on the other hand there is reality and things like going rates and potential and what has gone into the litter to think of so the breeder is fairly reimbursed and you aren't living in a box down by the river...
 
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#75
and I think that's why people very often ask owners of dogs how much they paid. Sometimes it really isn't a judgement or anything.. just more of a "It's easier to ask you than to ask the breeder!"

Please, breeders of the world.. list average ballpark price range on your website. People who can't/won't pay that much won't inquire and those that do inquire don't have to deal with the horror of asking.
SO agree with you, Fran!

I think a lot of people ask simply because they don't have any idea how much legit breeders charge and it IS easier to ask someone standing there with a dog from one than to find one and ask, especially when they're curious but not ready to seriously look for a dog.
 

milos_mommy

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#76
I'm fairly certain most of my friends would have NO idea of even a ballpark range of what a breeder would charge. You can find out about pet store prices, or craigslist prices, or adoption fees, but those aren't usually comparable to breeder prices.
 

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