Is your breeder getting rich breeding dogs?

In short, No! If your breeder is doing everything properly. Dotting I's, crossing T's, absolutely not! While there may be litters that they may bring in extra on they will surely fall short on others, many times ending up in the Negative. I will say my most recent breeding has cost me roughly $7000 in breeding costs alone. This doesn't include mandatory health testing that is required if I want to be taken seriously from my fellow breeders that I have deep respect for. These breeders have stud dogs I may want to incorporate into my breeding program and sometimes an exciting litter that I may want to inquire about bringing in a new hopeful. One of the most obviously common questions I receive through my 'Chat' option on www.trojhspringers.com is 'How much are your puppies?' And I'm going to be completely candid with you, it does irk me a bit and I always send a detailed e-mail back highlighting the information that is found on my Puppies page stating that I send out all pertinent information AFTER you fill out my Puppy Application. I will say that many breeders I've spoke to say that this is generally a question that doesn't help your odds in getting on the short list for a puppy. Why? Because if initial cost is potentially an issue, breeders worry about costs if the puppy were to get into something - Puppies ARE naughty sometimes! With that said, cost is something we as breeders generally don't explain to our potential puppy homes. Should we have to, No, however with Doodle this, Doodle That - Poo this, Poo that and the astronomical prices clearly put on Kijiji and Marketplace ads for mediocre, non health tested puppies with breeders that simply lie to make sales we SHOULD be giving people the short answer as to WHY we are asking what we are asking for our puppies. In doing this, even if the homes aren't good fits for our puppies, we can at least hope that they have learnt something and will dig a little deeper when making their decade long investment in their new family pet! I will say that we increased our puppy price last year when we were making breeding decisions. Unfortunately, reputable English Springer Spaniel breeders in Ontario are few and far between and stud dogs that compliment our girls here at that also have adequate health clearances AND work well with out girls pedigrees are just not found in our backyard nor elsewhere in Canada or they are simply to young. Conveniently, the 2 young boys I'm watching have the same sire as the litter I'm expecting next month. So, alas not too helpful to my situation moving forward LOL. For us, our priority is an equal combination of health, temperament and producing dogs that are beautiful and conform to the standard written by the preservationists before us. We will not lower our expectations so we continue to breed to dogs that are generally not easily accessible and require the expertise of our wonderful, knowledgeable Reproductive Veterinarian to assist us with our breeding needs. Science is incredibly beneficial to us. Without it, our breeding program would not be what it is today. But, it comes at a cost too! Breeding isn't guaranteed. Blood, sweat and tears come with the territory as well as our fair share of disappointment. For example, we bred one of our girls in December and the breeding didn't take. The stud dog ended up being sterile. And we move forward with different plans. We progesterone tested every other day so that we knew the timing was perfect. Progesterone testing is $100 each time with a consult fee of $100 with the first test. Stud fees are anywhere from $$1500-$2500 US. The conversion kicks us in the butt but producing beautiful, smart, healthy puppies makes it worth it! Then, it's shipping that liquid gold - yep, practically gold. Ask any breeder! The last semen I had shipped here cost me just over $1700 just to have it pulled from the facility, prepared and shipped. Add to it, Progesterone testing and the Surgical Implant and you've got yourself a costly venture! At this point in my current breeding, we're at roughly $7000. If it didn't take, we would have the opportunity to breed to the lovely sire again but add flights or gas - if we can even drive or fly ourselves - and if not, a broker to assist us in getting our girl to the sire. Honestly, every little bit of cost I spend is worth the stress, waiting and praying our luck continues and we'll be able to produce our next hopefuls and provide our puppy homes waiting with a puppy they can enjoy for years to come. So, if you find a breeder that you feel will be there to support you for years to come, has values in their breeding program that you are impressed by and their puppy is $2500 and up but also comes with Canadian Kennel Club papers or American Kennel Club papers (if you're residing stateside). That also shows in conformation or does a canine sport actively putting titles on their dogs that show their worthiness of breeding. They must do health testing and be able to provide certificates upon asking or link via the OFA website they are likely worth every penny. Get on their list! Don't settle for the puppy that is sold for less because unfortunately more often than not, that breeder will fall short on tall expectations. And just remember, no matter how much adding up you do, your breeder is never coming out on top! Quality food, Veterinary Care, Health Testing, Breeding Costs, Grooming Products, Crating and Fencing and everything Little Tykes we can get our hands on all adds up - and even we try not to think too hard and get reminded of the little BIG costs :) No regrets here, breeding is an art. Showing takes a lot of talent - and we're super proud of our accomplishments! Exciting times ahead and we plan on smashing our own goals as we go along! Cheers!