How do I price LGD puppies?

[mylilchix]

I have a purebred Great Pyrenees whose parents protected goats and a 1/2 pyr, 1/2 Bernese Mountain dog who was raised with goats. I got both dogs to guard my goats. I've bred the 2 because LGD pups are hard to find in my area, and I've had a lot of interest from other livestock owners. The pups will be 3/4 pyr and a 1/4 bernese, and raised with goats. How much should I charge for pups. Neither dog is papered, but the pups will be raised as guard dogs. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the help!
Sonja

 

[dainerra]

do they have health tests? if not, I wouldn't pay more than what I can get a dog from the local animal shelter.

 

[dainerra]

the tests needed to insure healthy Berner puppies:
von Willebrand's Disease

• OFA Evaluation from VetGen

Hip Dysplasia

• OFA Evaluation - OR
• OVC Evaluation - OR
• PennHIP Evaluation

Elbow Dysplasia

• OFA Evaluation - OR
• OVC Evaluation

Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist

• Results registered with OFA - OR
• Results registered with CERF

Congenital Cardiac Database

• OFA evaluation with exam by cardiologist
  
  
  
  

 

[dainerra]

tests needed for healthy GP puppies:

Hip Dysplasia

• OFA Evaluation - OR
• PennHIP Evaluation - OR
• Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) - OR
• OVC Evaluation - OR
• AVA (Australian Veterinay Association) HIPS

Patellar Luxation

• OFA Evaluation
• GDC Evaluation - OR

Health Elective (One of the following tests)

• OFA Cardiac Evaluation
• OFA thyroid evaluation from an approved laboratory
• OFA Elbow Dysplasia Evaluation
• OFA evaluation based on BAER test
• OFA Shoulder OCD Evaluation
• ACVO Eye Exam - Results registered with OFA - OR
• ACVO Eye Exam - Results registered with CERF
• Canine Multifocal Retinopathy (CMR). Optigen test results registered with the OFA. First Generation Offspring of tested dogs eligible for Clear By Parentage
• Genetic Screening for Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia (GT). Auburn test results registered with the OFA. First Generation Offspring of tested dogs eligible for Clear By Parentage
• Genetic Screening for Renal Dysplasia

 

[dainerra]

eye problems are prevalent in both breeds. hip and elbow issues are common in both. a dog that can't see (or goes blind) or a dog that can't move without crippling pain is worthless as a guardian.

a dog that has renal issues, hearing problems, or one that could bleed out from an otherwise minor injury because of Von Willebrand's Disease is also worthless as a guard dog.

I hate to tell you but quality bred LGDs are not hard to find in Colorado. a quick google search turns up a couple dozen of each breed as well as Anatolians and other breeds.

so, it all comes down to what work you put into them. simply having the parents working and raising the pups around livestock is a good start as far as training but doesn't add much to the value of the dogs. If the parents are young (less than 6-7 years old), then there is no way you can know if they suffer from anything that has a later onset (severe arthritis, cancer and other "old age" type diseases can have a genetic predisposition).

having a male dog and a female dog with working reproductive organs and a job is only a tiny portion of hte equation.

 

[dainerra]

sorry for the multiple posts. for some reason it wouldn't let me put it together.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I have to agree with Dainerra. At this point, it may be too late for you to have any sort of screening before the puppies are born and you'll have to keep that in mind when pricing the pups. It doesn't necessarily mean people won't buy the dogs, but some people may ask about health tests and the status of the two parents. With dogs, just saying the parent is healthy doesn't mean much, as there are many conditions that the pups can pick up which the parents don't show and some that only show up later in life. Both these large breeds of dogs are prone to lots of health issues and as the previous poster mentioned, many of these issues could make it impossible for the dogs to perform their jobs.

With that said, I'm sure there are still people out there looking for LGDs. My family purchased an ACD 15 years ago from a backyard cow farmer (his parents had no tests that we knew of). This breeder sold females for $150 and males for $100. He was a great lgd and herded when we needed him to. However, I wouldn't expect to make too much money with these pets. Personally, knowing that those breeds are prone to many issues, I probably would not spend more than $200-$300 depending on how desperate I was and my need for an lgd. You don't want to price them too high and get stuck with older puppies. I would also recommend taking deposits from people who say they want a puppy. It's way too easy to back out once the puppy is born if you didn't give a deposit on the dog.

 

[dainerra]

compare those prices to a similar dog from working health tested parents which can go for $1000+. Someone who doesn't care about the lack of tests or doesn't know about the needed tests is going to want to pay less than $300. Maybe even less than $100.

 

[dainerra]

Quote:
the age-old "everyone wants a puppy from my dog" then, when it's time for the pups to go home, all of those people aren't ready for a puppy right now. It's amazing how many of those people disappear or you find out that they expected you to give them a pup for free or some other excuse

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Quote:
the age-old "everyone wants a puppy from my dog" then, when it's time for the pups to go home, all of those people aren't ready for a puppy right now. It's amazing how many of those people disappear or you find out that they expected you to give them a pup for free or some other excuse

That's exactly what happened to my friend when she bred her rottie. She didn't have enough at first and then came time for the puppies to go home and she had way more than she needed! Eta: this was despite my recommendation for deposits.