BigGameHoundsmen.com

I have been looking at the puppies on here. Just can't see why they are so much money. It seems that guys are making a living at selling pups. Maybe i'm just to tight with my hard earned dollar.

Crazy huh! If a guy could just pick the best one, it wouldn't be so bad. I have always wondered the same thing. But I have also payed alot for pups from time to time. So far the best young dog I have, was the cheapest pup I have bought in a long time.

Go Figure!

i think the price of hound pups are pretty cheap, especially if you think what is asked of them to do. If you want to see high priced pups get yourself one of them cute little " kick me" dogs that will fit in a purse or look cute riding around on your lap in your outfit, now that to me is stupid and expensive!

Good Point.

I understand that. But on the other hand you can pay $400 for a pup feed it for 2 years an cull it in 2 seconds. A big lose for the guy making $15 a hour and supporting a family. Makes me fill sick when i look at the money i just lost. But had fun doind it. The lap dog is with you tell the UPS guy smokes it.

The idea is to try to offset the price of a seemingly expensive pup by buying proven genetics. If you want to hunt coon, don't go to a hog hunter. If you want to hunt lions without the presence of snow, don't get a pup from Montana. There are people out there that will try to sell unproven dogs/pups for the going price of proven lines, but it's up to the buyer to do the homework, and then do absolutely everything possible to give that pup the chance to excell. Even with all of that, there are no guarantees.

i was told that the plott guys keep their puppy prices low for a reason ,but i dont want to mis represent them . so lets here from them . you can get a pup for 150 dollars out of some of the best lines out there.

This is a great topic, I would like to know what everyone on this thread thinks the price should be on puppies, grade, proven grade, reg and proven reg. Im not much of a pup raiser but have had a few litters. I put a pencil to the cost last time i had a litter. Just to get even on food and shots, not including time whish can be extensive. I wouldn't even worry about paying 200 to 250 for proven grade pups. Im a firm believer in you get what you pay for. that's just my two cents

Tree_m, I guess I should have posted this topic before I put a price on my pups. I have never sold a dog, ever. I'm not a guy trying to make a living peddling pups. I wanted some pups so I bred to proven lines. As I posted before, what is a reasonable price? I truely would like to know what I should put on my pups for a price. If $400 is too much for a pup, what is the "right" price.

Scott

ps. I work on a ranch so it's been several years since I've seen $15/ hour.

I believe the price of anything is what you are willing to sell it for, and what someone is willing to pay for it! Each person is different, i for instance wouldn't pay $100 for the best breed pup in the country but someone else may pay $800, is it worth that to someone it is! Pups are no different than older dogs, guns or cars its supply and demand! i have found that plotts overall aren't as expensive because the demand for plotts are less!

Pups out of my ranch are 175 a peice. I only breed when I want a pup, my brother wants a pup or people who have bought some from me before want one, but then I need to have at least four requested. I believe my dogs are worth producing and will add positive traits to the breed, so I ask 175 a peice (what I hope is a low price) to help hunters out because I know hunters have been hit hard by the economy. The money I get from the pups goes back to food, vaccines, and fuel to keep them trained and in shape, as well as some equiptment like garmins, shockers and so on. It costs me way more to get a good set of dogs worth breeding than I ask for.

$100-$200 unproven cross.
#200-$300 Proven cross.
I my opinion if you breed with the intent to make money you are breeding for all the wrong reasons.
I personally would never pay over $400 for any PUP.
I think the pups that cost that much are not treated the same as the ones that are priced affordable. I will take a $200 pup and expose it to everything because they have to prove to me they can make the grade and i am not to concerned if i have to eat a few hundred dolllars on a experiment.
But if a paid more than $800 for a pup I would see a $800 bill running around. How could I throw a $800 bill into the cave with a lion, How could I turn loose a $800 bill on a track in a busy canyon, I wouldnt want my $800 bill chewing on those nasty disease infested coons. But i would sure as hell cut the $200 pup in on all of these situations. Thus the $800 dog would never get the exposure and training that the $200 dog would. What dog do you think would turn out better?
And just like older dog deals, once people start investing that kind of money on pups or dogs the tolerance for a dog not meeting there expectations is higher. Throw expensive money into any deal and you run the risk of ruining friends and family.
Just a thought. good luck.
Matt

I personally have paid from $100 up to $400 dollars all for plotts!! I think anything above $400 is 2 much for a pup. Just my opinion.

It’s like conservatives have been saying for years. Let the market dictate what a pup goes for. If there are only so many of a litter the price is going to be high. Also don't just look at a guys ad of a pup for sale ask about him and whats behind his dogs. If someone has spent their lives hunting, culling, and developing a better line of dogs $500 is awfull cheap if you ask me. Look at what some of these coon bred dogs are going for. Some of those stud dogs you see in the Magazines have gone for 10's of thousands of dollars. I just purchased a pup for $500 from Topper again. The price of going and getting it add another $400. Am I rich. Barely making it. However I also know that I have spent way more than that in the past on junk dogs that didn't make it. At least this pups breeding gives me more of a chance. If she makes it she [u]COULD be the beginning of my pack for years to come.

Just like race horses Lines are xtremely imortant when it comes to hounds. Like Benny said getting a pup with the proven genetics for the style you hunt is extremely important.

Take me for EX. Ive spent alot of time and money trying to get hounds that can cold trail lions in the desert. Cant even count the amount of hounds i went through. But it wasnt until i got a hound from the proven lines that i started to see the results i was looking for. As Luck would have it I didnt have to buy into the lines. But if I was going to start over again i spend $500 to get a pup from proven lines in a heart beat.

Cost isnt as important as the lines. Compared to other breeds $400-500 for a hound pup is cheap. My girlfriend just bought a R Ridgeback for a $1000 for a pup, and that dog will just be yard art!