how-much--pup-sells-for

Please read the material posted via "sales contract, clause-5" and "puppy package", both listed on the puppies' page.

Please also read the cost of breeding page. Cheap puppy mills do not spend money in a very important area related to nutrition and preventative supplement which requires a certain diet for the mother before and during pregnancy. This is very important otherwise the Danes will have the risk of shoulder problems later. Many breeders don't bother with such expense and they give you only a year - some even 3 months guarantee. This is an important fact and factor in deciding what breeder to choose. I explained this issue in the cost of breeding page.

Here is a quick tour:

1- Many people have no idea and seem to think it's a profit oriented operation. This can be true only for those who sell the pups for $3500+ or cheap puppy mills with no health care expenses and low cost breeding.

The minimum cost per pup before birth is well over $300. The cost per pup per day for the first two months is between $6 to $9 a day, about $450 per pup in 2 months. The average of a few other specific related costs per pup including vaccinations is $150 minimum (see how much a pup costs report for details. And there are are several other costs. Just read the write-up on this subject which included a report by a breeder who sells her pup for $7,000 and will show you in details and numbers how there is still no money in it the way she raises them. Hard to see it? read the report.

2- If you see how we feed and care for our Danes you would understand.

This is not a puppy mill and we are not a Danes kennel, we're a Danes family.

We didn't breed the female when she came into heat recently because - despite the fact that we had several names on a waiting list, we believed that we had only 3 good homes. We turned down many people who were willing to pay top $ cash on the spot and we gave the same pup for much less to people such as retired couples on limited pension but with lots of time, love and still can support a Dane. If you read our detailed report, you'll see how our cost (measured very conservatively) is well over $1000 a pup without taking into account weeks of almost full time supervision and minimum 3 weeks of part-time supervision, usually rotation between my son & I and hired help.

Well, I think I mentioned a case of a woman handing me, I think $2000 or $2500 after she told me

about her theory of training dogs with a broomstick to show them who is the Alfa! Another case when

a guy smelled like he just drank a bottle of vodka, threw $2500 in my lap and thought he would just

get a pup. He didn't. Both pups were sold for almost half these offers - $1200 & $1400 to GOOD homes, people who may not had a lot of cash up-front (but had a steady pension income) and had all the time and love the Dane needs and I knew the Dane will be happy there. Good home doesn't necessarily mean a rich home. If you have a house & fenced yard, the time to walk and spend time with the Dane, a heated bedroom for the Dane, steady income .. and are rich at heart .. you have a good home.

3- There are right now posted ads for Great Dane pups advertised for $4000 to $9000 a pup. Yes, no typo here! These pups are priced either to deceive the uneducated buyer who will assume they must be the best and you get what you pay for!!! or .. the owners don't know, and they don't know that they don't know! Some people claim that what they call "European Dane" .. smaller and pointed head like a fox .. doesn't even look like a Dane .. is actually the best line!!??

There are also ads for good (not necessarily "GREAT" ) pups, for $3000 to $4500 a pup. Again, if you read the article written by a wealthy breeder who sells her pups for $7000 (and they are good Danes .. again . very good even, but not great" .. she named 5 or 6 lines or breeders in the world who have the best Danes .. naming us as one of them) ..

And, sure .. there are puppy mills selling American pups on line in the $800 range or less ..

You have to see their Danes. I did. And as I mentioned on another page, some of them are scams

advertising a good picture of a Dane that is not even theirs!!! They claim it was produced by them

and no longer around!! A Canadian lady was smart enough to go to the States to pick up her pup in

person and called me from there in tears. The pup looked like a starving pup found in the wild and

when she took it to the vet, the vet himself could not even tell if it's a Great Dane! That bad!!! I am tempted

to post here some of the $2000 to $4000+ poor Danes pictures, but that may be misunderstood and may seem personal - though I never met those breeders! The point is obvious. Any Dane lover would find it frustrating!

And again, we're not trying to get you to buy our pup, we have a waiting list. This is just general Dane chat & advice. As I said, short & sweet is not one of my qualitis and I dedicated a late night with a cigar a glass of wine to chat here!

I enjoy addressing the Dane topic areas as you can tell by the lengthy site! so please, even if your are not purchasing a Dane now, still, please read all our material for the Dane's sake - and you're welcome to call me with your questions even if you purchased a Dane else where. As you may know, our site was voted the best and most informative breeder site.

I received a call the other day from an interested shopper who told me about a local breeder whose

Danes are known to have a heart condition! Surely such a Dane should never be bred! This is the

problem with puppy mills and inconsiderate - irresponsible breeders. Do your shopping and your homework carefully.

Please also read the page linked under (well, I too have questions).

Before you consider a Dane, think twice .. are you ready for a Dane commitment.

As I said, Danes are no ordinary dogs. They want love and attention as well exercise.

To get back to the direct subject of price; .. as I said, sometimes we get wealthy people who are also generous, and are appreciative of our quality Danes and they understand that others sell such quality for a lot more, so they voluntarily offer a lot more to secure a pup. They have a good home and we can't hold the fact that they are rich & generous against them! This allows me to make it up to others who have good homes but can't make one large payment. That's why I can afford to sell the pup for $1500 and less.

And, sometimes we get good hard-working people with good homes and steady income but a problem with the upfront sum. Well, sometimes I can do something about it. If you compensate me for the breeding costs - reasonably - and show that you can support a Dane but you only may have a problem paying $1500 pet / $3500 show pup up-front; and we are happy with the quality home you'll provide the Dane, I'll compromise when I can (if there is a pup without an offer). This is what I can do:

- Accept installment payments for up to 1/2 of the value

- Reduce the price if you are on pension or if you have a young family with more than one child and are in

the middle class financial category.

- This can only be done if we have pups unspoken for. We usually don't breed unless we have average

5 good homes confirmed, but sometime a litter can be 7 or more.

The price depends on several factors. Of course, first, is it a pet or registered show/breeding pup?

If you are a breeder, the price is $3,500 to $5,000 depending on some details. Never less than $3500

If the very same pup is sold as a family pet, it can be as low as $1000 or $1200 (if we have extra fund from either a canceled order or when a couple of people offer us more than $1500 per pup "some applicants voluntarily offer us $2500 to reserve a pet pup") - otherwise, the average pet is $1500 (or more. ). Here are the details:

Our pups that are sold as pets are true top quality, it just means no show or breeding papers / rights. And more than once we were offered $3000 and in one case $3500 and several times $2000 and 42500 for a pet pup. They offered it voluntarily and it happens often. The last litter we sent a pup to a Hollywood super star, the famous Kennedy family and even the parliament head of Germany. This happens often and it allows us to afford to sell some pups to average families for $1500 or less. We even sold a pet pup for just $1000 and $1200 .. and twice I accepted installments from two couples on pension and a government worker single mother with 3 kids .. basically at the breeding cost per pup of that litter. (See the page addressing breeding costs).

This of course is the exception; otherwise, it's $1500 average pet pup. You must read our breeding cost page to understand. But if you are a breeder or want a pet to register to show which means qualified to breed, our minimum price shall be $3500. Most of our pups are sold as pets for anywhere from $1000 to $1500 except as indicated for wealthy homes who wanted to secure a pup in advance with a larger offer.

Our policy is if we believe you are a good home and the Dane will be happy with you, we'll do whatever we can - subject to availability and the waiting list - to let you own a Dane and we don't mind considering an offer from a good home with secured ability to care for the Dane but not much cash upfront. If we have an extra pup and we are shopping for an extra good home, don't be shy to send in a pup application with an offer of what you can afford. We'll consider it - contrary to the advise of a friend breeder who thinks we shouldn't do or say that!

Well, first, we only breed an average once a year and only after securing 3 or 4 good homes, leaving us with very few pups available and very much in demand. Obviously it is not sales talk. Besides, those who know Danes will know that this is the most respected line and we have breeders asking us why so little for this quality and raising care? We were even criticized for explaining our breeding and care costs. We were told it may look to some people like "justifying" what needs not be justified. I know I talk too much and just don't understand the concept of short & sweet. Well, I'll have to think about their points of view I guess. My approach for now is; the better the home in terms of time, care, the more I would be willing to sacrifice to let the Dane have that home.

Second, sometimes we would have a pup or two extra, more than we expected when we made the waiting list, and we would give them to the first good home AT COST if no other good homes appeared within that very short time frame of 4 weeks, just to make sure they have a good home.

And, sometimes we have a cancellation and as such we have the non-refundable deposit to to be deducted from the price of the next pup. This allowed one couple last year to have a pup for $1000. IF money upfront is an issue and you don't want to settle for puppy mills and we have an extra pup, don't be shy, talk to us. We may be able to either reduce the price (no guarantee) or accept 2 or 3 payments to make things easy for you - only if you are such a great home for the pup and if of course when we have an extra pup not spoken for or reserved.

But again, having offered that, I must emphasize again that we were creticized recently by two breeders who have a fixed $3,500 a pup price - and people seem to always assume at first they must be the best! So, yes, our pet pup's market value is $3,500+ and we will state that in the pup certificate for insurance value as the ral replacement value.

It was just brought to my attention that a breeder on the same island sells the pet pup for $3500 and they now have pups and they insist on $1000 "non-refundable deposit". Someone who purchased a pup from them sent me a picture and I had no idea she paid $3,500 when I gave her my honest opinion. They have good blue Danes - but not the impressive elite quality. Besides, personally, to me a Dane is a Brindle, then a Fawn, then nothing else.

Another breeder friend expressed that we should be selective and should price our pup in the $4,000 range. My concern is that good homes are not always the rich homes. .This is not sales talk, as we don't need sales talk! we are not in it for business, and after the pups we give away to friends & family members for free, we may have very few pups to sell a year and they are sold within a week. Please read the note at the bottom of this page.

This is a major risk you are taking with your Dane. In fact I have to mention two cases we personally experienced last year, a lady in Vancouver and a couple in Edmonton both contacted us and were going to get a pup from me for $1500. They ended up finding two pups for under $1000. Both applicants contacted me a year later with regret and problems. At just age one year and 15 months both has several genetic problems and as well the Dane turned to be nothing like a good looking Dane. Apparently several breeders use a picture of a good Dane as a symbol implying its their sire. In fact, we found one new breeder in the States using our Cleopatra's picture!!!!).

As one of the indicated two applicants put it "there is a lot of garbage Danes out there".

Ask your breeder, did he administer the glucosamine, chondroitin VM diet to the mother along with protein prior to and during pregnancy? read the cost per pup page to see how much that would cost. What about the supplementary pup diet - or did he leave the poor dam to feed 8, 9 or 10 pups expecting that her milk would be alone sufficient? Cheap pups could not have had the poper care and they will most likely- like in nature - have problems.

Also stay away from those offering a maximum one year limited warranty.

This is a commitment and obligation of 10 or more years of relationship (last Dane here in town died at 14 years old after a happy healthy life). The $500 one of those applicant thought she saved, cost her $2400 vet costs and they ended up with an inferior Dane. Do your home work. Also b careful with over-priced $4000+ pups. It doesn't mean they are the best!!

Please read the library pages, send a pup application with an offer (if you have a special case) and a secured credit card confirmation deposit which will only be processed if we accept you.

Also note that all indicated costs or prices do not include shipping "air cargo" (average $150 depending on location), crate (average $80 for a pup at the 7 weeks old stage + some accessories) and at times hired labor for the airport trip (average $50).

Again, even if you are not buying a pup at this time or are getting one somewhere else, please read all our library material. It will help you.

Good luck with your Dane. We can surely say, if you are ready for a Dane, he will be a great source of joy in your life. He'll be a friend and a family member. You won't quite understand until you have a Dane.