How much for a pup?

I have never paid for a saint bernard. I have exclusively done rescue for close to 8 years. I would like to get a saint from a breeder when my lot is gone but have no idea what sort of prices to expect to pay. I am not sure if I want a pet grade or show grade one as I have not met a show mentor yet. I have alot to learn between now and the time I have to make the decision and hopefully several years to make the journey.

I have seen backyard breeder prices in the newspaper anywhere from $250-$600usd £150-£365. I have not checked with any reputable breeders yet and would consider importing as well.

What are your thoughts on exporting your dogs and (ball park) what do you charge for pups?

ive been watching the market so to speak for a while now and have seen them from £700 to £1500 with most COMMON being£1000
but alot of breeders also put endorsements on the pups to stop them going abroad so youd have look out for that aswell!
cheri

Yep figures are around £1000 - £1200
I have & do export, but mainly to private families that I can stalk before during & after If I wasn't sure I wouldn't export
Anywhere nice & warm (not to warm) for free hols also helps lmao!!

Same here, a puppy would cost £1000, then you would have shipping cost on top (going on recent pup sent to bermuda you could expect around £800-1000 for that). As for a 'show/pet' pup, in my mind they are one & the same. A pedigree puppy is just that, pedigree, well bred regardless of whether it can be shown or not. When we look at a litter for show prospective, what we deem as a show puppy at 8 weeks, may not be by 6 months. It comes down to (not necessarily in htis order) markings, how dark the eye is, the 'bite' (scissor is a must, undershot or overshot, although wont do the dog itslef any harm, is not good from a show point)& how well the dog carries itself (movement). Most pups in a litter will move similar, but to the trained eye, you will notice different stride patterns, shape, tailset, head shape etc & thats what we look at (my opinion anyway). Just because breeders may sell on a puppy as a pet, doesnt mean its any less a well bred pedigree pup than the one they keep, its just more of a personal preference. Many we have sold on as pets, have gone on to be wonderful adults & have been shown & done well too

From the research I've done, I'm expecting to pay between $1200 and $1800 for a well-bred dog in the USA.

I am located in Indiana and our prices including other surrounding breeders are about in the same range. All depending on whether you are doing a co-own etc but you can expect anywhere from $900-$2000. My prices max at $1500 but have heard of some selling at $2000 and above, to me that is almost crazy...LOL

In Norway a saint pup with pedigree is sold for NOK 10.000,- (US $=1700,-) (£1000,-) That is an agreement made by the breeders . Some breeders sell their puppies cheaper....if the market is slow or there are too many puppies for sale....

here is a link that can help you find quality breeders in the US http://www.saintbernardclub.org/2008Redesign/breeder_ref.htm

I know this is an old topic but I just wanted to ask a few questions on this.

After doing some searching I have found average price for a saint is £1000. I just wondered why the price is so high.

Obviously when we get our pup I want to ensure the pup comes from good breeding, background etc but because I pay a high amount will it guarantee it?
I have seen saint pups advertised from £650 but because they are cheaper are you taking a risk in buying a pup at this price.

Hi

The price is generally deemed, not only by the current 'going rate', but for most of us we look at it differently. Given saints are not generally 'easy' whelpers, we have to care for mum & pups from at least a week before birth, until they leave for their new homes. So once you have factored in the 24hr/7 day a week care, food for mum & pups, health testing for the parents, c-sections (if needed) etc the list is endless, we often end up raising pups for a mere 75p ah hour, depending on how many is in the litter!!!

On top of this, some of us import different dogs, to improve the gene pool in the UK, so we have a cost in there too. Bearing in mind that we breed only when we want to keep back for ourselves, something to show & carry on a breeding line.

A 'cheaper' pup as i say above is not necessarily a worse bred or cared for pup than any other, but there are alot of things to consider, & for 'us breeders' that do things correctly, there is alot of time & effort input for little return if any.

Thanks for your reply.

This is what scares me when we come to get our pup that I get taken in by someone who is just charging the going rate! This is why I chose to join this forum.

We are currently saving for our new addition but I get impatient lol I see pups for a lower price and think I won't have to wait as long but I know I would regret it in the end!

You will generally find (and this is a generalisation) that someone who just has 1 or 2 litters does not have the capacity to take puppies back if there is some drama later on & the new family needs some respite or to return the pup.

They also on the whole won't know all if any of the dogs behind their bitch or the stud dog, so won't have an inkling of what health problems could be lurking & 9 times out of 10 will have no idea how to help you if a problem crops up.

There are never any guarantees in life, particularly with mother nature involved, however you want someone who gives a monkeys if things go wrong & that has shown they have tried their best to produce healthy, good temperament puppies

Very true!


Is it best to go through breeders who are Kennel Club registered?

The Kennel Club runs an Assured Breeder Scheme some of us belong some of us don't but for the main part we all adhere to the Code of Ethics in relation to health testing etc

Hi Ali,

I can only agree with what Heather and Kathy have already said. I would just suggest that you have a read and get to know the KC code of ethics and this will give you an idea of the questions you need to be asking when looking to buy a pup. and if the "breeder" is reluctant to answer the questions i would suggest you look else where.

Maybe pop along to a show and have a look at the different types eg coat do you want a rough or smooth coat. and you can see what different breeders are producing.

Good Luck.

Gina

That's great, thanks for the advice x I need all I can get lol

Hi Ali

I'm not experienced at all and so don't claim to have good advice, but we have recently gone through what you are doing now so wondered if our experiences could help.

We started to look for a dog several years ago and had the same concerns as you, in particular we worried about being duped into buying from a puppy farm.

Although I am sure there are other ways of doing it, we looked at the KC website because we didn't personally know any breeders. We got in touch with one, however they let us down through being a little unreliable. In the end we found a breeder by accident by bumping into a St Bernard and its owner on a walk who put us in touch with a breeder.

We are now expecting to pick up our 8 week old pup in a little over a week and feel completely content that the breeder will give us all the support we need having been to visit them numerous times over the past 18 months or so (and generally being a pain by asking loads of daft questions...hence the reason for joining on here as well!). They have also been able to give us really detailed histories about all of their dogs

To be honest although the cost of the puppy was relevant in terms of being able to affod it, we felt it was more important to be happy we were buying from the right person and I think we too would have been concerned if offered one very cheap. We also needed to make sure we found a breeder we got on with and trusted; which we have!

Good luck with your hunt!

Chris

Hi Chris,

That is a great help thank you. How exciting not long till you get your little saint!

As I said previous I am impatient and if it wasn't for my partner I would have rushed into a lot things (he is the sensible one lol)
Like you say the most important things are a healthy happy puppy and a good breeder.

The monthly expense of a giant breed is no problem, we understand the high costs but just need to save a bit for the full outlay of £1000 (especially with Christmas on it's way)

I have been in touch with a couple of breeders. One breeder I probably pestered with numerous emails but she was great. Not been to visit as yet but have been told we are welcome to.

But with all the searching I have been doing seeing all these gorgeous little saint pups is melting my heart.

the advice people have given me on here is great and I just need to sit tight and wait and when we do have our own little bear it will be soo worth the wait!!

When we first visited 18 months ago there were puppies, one of which was available at the time, but we weren't ready, for a variety of reasons. But it was the right decision for us to wait because it gave us time to get things ready

I actually feel like a kid waiting for christmas....at times I wonder whether I'm more excited than the 3 kids!

lol can't wait to see the pic's.