How much is that doggy in the window?
Call me a sucker, but the shiba has totally reeled me in.
After talking about them for a couple years now and dropping subtle hints (i.e., youtube videos, borrowed library books, and all things shiba related), my dad's gotten serious about adding a pup to our family. Up to now, I've just been lurking around the forum, but now that owning a shiba seems likely, I have a few questions of my own.
The debate my dad and I are currently engaged in regards price.
He thinks that a puppy (regardless of breed) should not cost more than $1000. The breeder I've been in contact with let me know that for a limited registration, companion pup we should expect to pay $1200 and for an open registration, companion pup we should expect to pay $1800. Based on the prices I've heard of at pet stores and those from other reputable breeders, plus the cost of early vaccinations, testing, etc., I could see the breeder's price being quite reasonable.
So my questions are: How much (a ballpark number will suffice) did you pay for your shiba? and What was the breakdown of the cost?
This forum's been pretty key in getting my dad on the Shiba Inu train, so any feedback would be much appreciated.
***Just for clarification, we ARE going through a breeder and NOT a pet store...please no hate responses--I just needed a catchy title.***
After talking about them for a couple years now and dropping subtle hints (i.e., youtube videos, borrowed library books, and all things shiba related), my dad's gotten serious about adding a pup to our family. Up to now, I've just been lurking around the forum, but now that owning a shiba seems likely, I have a few questions of my own.
The debate my dad and I are currently engaged in regards price.
He thinks that a puppy (regardless of breed) should not cost more than $1000. The breeder I've been in contact with let me know that for a limited registration, companion pup we should expect to pay $1200 and for an open registration, companion pup we should expect to pay $1800. Based on the prices I've heard of at pet stores and those from other reputable breeders, plus the cost of early vaccinations, testing, etc., I could see the breeder's price being quite reasonable.
So my questions are: How much (a ballpark number will suffice) did you pay for your shiba? and What was the breakdown of the cost?
This forum's been pretty key in getting my dad on the Shiba Inu train, so any feedback would be much appreciated.
***Just for clarification, we ARE going through a breeder and NOT a pet store...please no hate responses--I just needed a catchy title.***
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
As far as vaccinations, I don't recall exactly but I believe her first shots were around $60-75 and the second set was a tad cheaper than that. I studied up on the breed and dogs in general so I spend a bit more money than most people do on their dogs, excluding all the great owners in this forum. I think you will find that most people here recommend grain-free diets. I feed Mika Orijen Puppy Formula which is around $40 for a 15 lb. bag. It seems steep but I've noticed a difference in Mika since switching. Her coat is shinier and fuller and her potty schedule is very regular. That's just a suggestion. Especially since Shiba's can typically have allergy problems, grain-free is the way to go.
Excuse my rambling and long answer. I hope I have helped and feel free to follow up as always. I'm sure you'll get all the answers you need here.
Also, this is Mika, in case you were curious of the quality for the price...
$1800 does seem a bit much, but I think your hunch about local economy may be on the right track.
Funnily enough, my dad goes on and on about getting "only the best of the best" everything for our future pup--seemingly regardless of cost--and yet he's unwilling to pay the breeder's price. Sometimes, I think he may be pulling my chain and getting my hopes up, but alas, only time will tell.
Thanks for the feedback, MikaAndMe.
I would encourage you and your father to go meet the breeder and see his pups. That will help both of you. I am sure you have already read the how to find a reputable breeder thread. It is tough to tell someone that an additional 2-8 hundred dollars isn't a lot of money, but for the comfort and assurance that your dog has come from people who had nothing but the best interest of your babies health I think it is worth it.
Also seeing as this would be a family pet, I see no reason for you to need to pay the $1800, a companion shiba is ideal and in no way a lesser dog. It only means that he/she would not be used for showing or breeding. Being that breeding is best left to the professionals and showing is something best left to those who dedicate their lives as well as THOUSANDS of dollars to it, spending the additional $600 would be needlessly done.
I am very happy to hear that you and your family are doing the appropriate research. And wish you luck and happiness in your future furry family member. They are the most precious treasures life can give us.
Ike on the other hand, was $1000 as an adult from a wonderful show home, well socialized, no medical issues, has all his manners.
But, Toby was socialized with children as a puppy at the breeders, and played with ... and loved.
He's a well behaved Shiba, but it all boiled down to his well behaviour because I socialized him and took him to classes.
I would encourage people to do lots of research. I love my dogs and I don't regret getting them, but research is important. There is a lot of resources on this forum to find reputable, good breeders, or if you found one you like how to make sure everything is A-OK.
I have talked to many breeders some with puppies available but most did not. I knew I had found a good breeder when a significant amount said that they recomend her or have bought some of there own dogs from her.
The range I have found in my area is from $800 to $1250.
Lots of research on breeders! Even ask other breeders about a breeder...a good breeder will want you to support someone with ethics and point you in a good direction and not care about just getting your money (if that makes sense).
Sadie has been very healthy and came very well socialized. The breeder runs a private school out of her home and so all of the pups were very played with and loved on by young children. This made a huge difference in Sadie's approach to children as opposed to our other Shibas.
We knew that our breeder was fantastic and stands behind her pups, and that made the price pretty much non-issue. We would have paid just about anything to get a high quality, healthy, happy pup :)
I picked that breeder because she took really good care of her dogs, and I liked the dogs themselves. They were all fed homemade raw, which is quite a feet considering how many dogs she had. Plus, she had a rescued shiba, and I was impressed with that. She also had a dog that she neutered just because it seemed like the temperaments were off on the puppies he sired. He had a great temperament himself, so it was basically a mystery, but she felt it was the right thing to do, which also impressed me. And, of course, all of her dogs were beautiful, healthy, and friendly. Plus, the obvious stuff - she did health checks and her dogs performed well in conformation. Finally, I just liked the breeder personally and I felt comfortable doing this kind of transaction with her. She was straightforward, honest, helpful, and didn't give me the creeps or make me feel uncomfortable like this one other breeder did...
Anyway, I'd say the price you pay can vary drastically. Tojo is the picture of health and, in my opinion, a really good-looking shiba, too. His only problem to date was that he was a cryptorchid (one testicle didn't descend), but we were going to neuter him anyway so it really made no difference other than he had two incisions instead of one. He's got a really stable temperament, too. He's level-headed and yet delightfully eccentric.