# Can you negotiate with good breeders?



## looneyfish (Nov 11, 2009)

I am now getting in touch with Border Terrier breeders and have heard some big swings in price. My husband does not want to pay a ton for a family pet. It isn't that we don't have the money, he just doesn't want to pay it. Is offering $1,000 when the breeder wants $1,300 a really bad idea? I hate negotiating over a living thing. It just feels so wrong and makes me very uncomfortable.

We are willing to go up, but he wants that to be the first offer.


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## KYASHI (Apr 12, 2009)

You can make an offer just as that. But I would ask if there is a lower price if the animal is fixed. Some breeders will give you a discount of what the spay would cost. It depends on how much money the breeder has put into this litter. It isnt usually a good idea to negotiate about the price but if you cannot afford that amount I would go for a happy medium. $1,150 is between what your hubby wants to pay and what the breeder is asking for. This keeps $150 in hubbies pocketbook and just a wee bit less than what the breeder wants. I hope this helps. Good luck. And happy dog ownership.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Get to know and talk to the breeder openly about what you are looking for. Often they will have a puppy that is not show quality or exactly matching breed standard, and they will sell the puppy for less. Sometimes they might have retired show dogs (generally only 2-3 years old) or dogs that have just not worked out in their breeding program. Our breeder (papillons) just had a very young female that has not worked out for him, she is too small to breed successfully, so he is looking for a pet home for her...at much less than what he would ask for a top notch puppy.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Keep in mind and tell your husband that one of the things you will be paying for is a dog that will be more likly to live a long healthy life. Verses (hypotheticaly) paying $200 for Joe Shmoes puppy down the street whos grandparnts may have died when they were 5 years old, But Joe Shmoe doesn't know that cause he doesn't care about pedigrees or health tests.


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## looneyfish (Nov 11, 2009)

Keechak said:


> Keep in mind and tell your husband that one of the things you will be paying for is a dog that will be more likly to live a long healthy life. Verses (hypotheticaly) paying $200 for Joe Shmoes puppy down the street whos grandparnts may have died when they were 5 years old, But Joe Shmoe doesn't know that cause he doesn't care about pedigrees or health tests.


I agree, it seems like such a piddly amount in the life of a dog, which will probably live 15 years. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't off base. Dh likes to negotiate things. He has bought too many cars, I think. 

We don't need the discount. He just hates paying "sticker." I am married to a crazy man.

Breeder did all the checks I would expect. Full health guaranty. It's already 4.5 months old. I don't know why it is left. The contract already states that the puppy will need to be spayed.


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## sparkle (Mar 3, 2009)

A issue I deal with all the time as a breeder both buying and selling ,and as someone who acquires future service dogs, stock dogs, and SAR dogs for clients/friends. Specifically I find no problem with respectfully offering less than the initial asking price for a well breed dog from a responsible/reputable breeder. It just DEPENDS.... on how you make the apporach verses what the breeder has in the costs for the breeding. Some/many dogs are typically priced well above what might go into the breeding and in some/many cases the breeder is not charging enough to cover the costs so again it can depend. 

Nothing wrong with trying as long as you do not settle for less elsewhere in the quality of the breeding from a health perspective (to which all important health screens on both parents/pups should be included/paper work provided.) and other important issues solely for a lower price.


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## sizzledog (Nov 23, 2008)

I don't think so... not unless it's a breeder you've known for years, and you're a proven home... but even then, asking for a discount seems kind of tacky. 

There isn't a big profit (if any profit) when responsible breeders sell puppies. Asking for a discount is only undercutting what the breeder put into the litter - so I'd say No, don't ask for a discount. You may end up offending the breeder, and not getting a puppy at all.

Chances are the breeder quoted you a price based on what you asked them for - so they've already assessed the situation and asked for a fair price.

A few hundred dollars isn't going to make any difference, once you've got the dog in your home and in your lap. I always say that if I had to pay my dogs' purchase price twofold, I would do it without question.  

Some people might find this odd - but I agreed to buy the "coming soon corgi" in my signature without even knowing the price - I didn't think to ask. I knew whatever the breeder charged me, it would be fair... and probably not even close to what he'll be worth to me, emotionally.


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

sizzledog said:


> Some people might find this odd - but I agreed to buy the "coming soon corgi" in my signature without even knowing the price - I didn't think to ask. I knew whatever the breeder charged me, it would be fair... and probably not even close to what he'll be worth to me, emotionally.


Well if you have to get rid of Kaylee to cut down on food/vet costs once you get the Corgi price, send her to me.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Same here We didn't know the price or even care what the price for Hawkeye would be untill we drove the 5 hours to pick him up.


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

sizzledog said:


> I don't think so... not unless it's a breeder you've known for years, and you're a proven home... but even then, asking for a discount seems kind of tacky.


I agree with this 100%. and the rest of the post. If you found a GOOD breeder then you've found someone that you trust, someone who is interested in improving the breed, someone who has spent years working on bloodlines, someone who has researched the lines,*** story about this later.

In essence if you trust then then the price is not negotiable, because you trust them to ask for a fair and reasonable price. Telling them that the price is too much and would you take less seems like you are saying "I don't trust you and I think you're just trying to make a buck off of me" 

When I found my breeder I realized that I;d be happy with any of her dogs. I agreed to buy the puppy that she felt was suitable for my family long before I even asked about price. 

However in Horse Buying (which is more like buying a car than a pet) people do haggle the price. Usually with arguments like "Mr seller, the pre-purchase vet exam showed that your horse has arthritic joints, will you lower your price because I will have to spend more $$ on joint injections to keep him comfortable enough to preform his job?"

*** this is a bit of a tangent but a Very Famous and thus Very Expensive Artist (a Japanese potter who was also a National Treasure) was decorating one day and a patron was there to watch him work. the artist took time and care to ponder his blank canvas, an undecorated pot and then with a rapid movement he placed the glaze in a random pattern. The patron exclaimend you charge $900.00 for a seconds worth of work! The artist replied, "That took me 60 years AND one second to make" I mention this only to point out that some breeders really have spent alot of time, years working on this particular dog breed. They didn't just throw 2 dogs together to see a bunch of puppies.

But back on track. The dogs cost is what it is, market price. The market will pay the price, either you or someone else. Do you want this breeders dog? Do you want a cheaper dog? It's ok to want either. Figure it out, then go from there. 

Another tangent, my mom went to the shelter to get a dog, she picked out a Very Young Puppy. The puppy got spayed. The puppy got sick. Got parvo. Got coccidia. Went to the emergency vet multiple times, got better, Got sick again, went back to the emergi vets. Now $1100 dollars later the pup is healthy and my mom loves her. THIS is not a story about shelter dogs vs purebred dogs. But about having a Healthy puppy vs an unhealthy one who had a very poor start in life.


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

If you've found a good breeder you're getting more than just a dog. You're getting someone you can call/email with questions or concerns, someone who can help you with questions about your dog. A good breeder can be invaluable to you in the future. Because of that, I wouldn't try to negotiate a price. I feel that the price reflects getting a dog plus a mentor. 

FWIW we didn't ask the price of either Toby or Cameron before we decided to take them.


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## sizzledog (Nov 23, 2008)

NRB said:


> A Very Famous and thus Very Expensive Artist (a Japanese potter who was also a National Treasure) was decorating one day and a patron was there to watch him work. the artist took time and care to ponder his blank canvas, an undecorated pot and then with a rapid movement he placed the glaze in a random pattern. The patron exclaimend you charge $900.00 for a seconds worth of work! The artist replied, "That took me 60 years AND one second to make."


What a great story, I'll be sure to remember this one!


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

looneyfish said:


> I am now getting in touch with Border Terrier breeders and have heard some big swings in price. My husband does not want to pay a ton for a family pet. It isn't that we don't have the money, he just doesn't want to pay it. Is offering $1,000 when the breeder wants $1,300 a really bad idea? I hate negotiating over a living thing. It just feels so wrong and makes me very uncomfortable.
> 
> We are willing to go up, but he wants that to be the first offer.


My first thought is why would you want to? If they are a quality breeder and you want a puppy and can afford it, pay the price.

That being said there are a few different scenarios that might be different.

If you are purchasing a puppy from an upcoming litter or purchasing an 8 week old puppy from a litter on the ground, pay the price and don't negotiate.

If you are looking at an older puppy or young adult that was held back for show or some other purpose but is now for sale, then you might negotiate some.


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

sizzledog said:


> What a great story, I'll be sure to remember this one!


Sizzledog. I'm glad ya liked it. The artist/potters name was Shoji Hamada. Here is his Wikipedia entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shōji_Hamada

And I probably got the details of the story wrong (ie it was really a $500 dollar pot or whatever) but the story itself was true.


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