Is backyard dog breeding profitable?

[tharrell]

Quote:
Your friend made $1500 all at once, but how much did she spend to raise her female to breeding age, vet checks while mom was pregnant, vet checks for the puppies, extra food for mom/puppies, whelping supplies, lost sleep during labor and the first couple of weeks, advertising, toys, extra laundry, cleaning supplies, ect. It's all the money you don't think about. Yeah she got $1500 all at once, but how much did she REALLY make? Probably nothing at all!

 

[FarmerChick]

it doesn't matter


they were pets she owned regarless.

she had a male and a female....for life. they are pets and guard dogs.

so her breeding was profit in cash....from pets she owned.


that is why I said, what is the true purpose. as a business, you must include all costs, as a pet owner that owns a male and female and you want to make some side profit money-----

no, she MADE $1500 off pets she owned anyway.

 

[tharrell]

Quote:
They were like that MORE than a hundred years ago, and they were even more extreme abou things. There just weren't as many people doing it then and most people (the regular working class) just wanted a good farm dog that could do a job. The extreme breeders have been around as long as the purebred dog which is thousands of years!

 

[tharrell]

Quote:
So you don't think she spent a cent on those puppies? Everything on my list except for raising the dog to breeding age still applies to a pet.

 

[Jmurcks]

I bred show Poms for 5 years and sadly never made profit.
I agree with tharrell, sure it looks profitable whenever someone hands you $1000 for a show pup but you have to consider your overhead.
I paid around $1500 each for the parents, $800 for emergency c-section for 2 pups, about $200 for all food and worming and vet visits. AKC charges $25 + $2 per pup to register them. Then if the pup was only pet quality you can sell them for about $500. Even if I sold them both for $1000 each I am still in the hole!
That is excluding showing/handling costs, which is around $1000+ per parent. There is also flea control and heartworm prevention, the list goes on!
BUT there is nothing more rewarding than seeing those little pups looking up at you, it is wonderful!
I have a 2 year old and a 8 month old son and that is why I am taking a "break" from breeding but I miss it every day...
Sure you get real discouraged, I have waited years for a litter only to have them die during birth and it hurts. But if you keep them as pets first and consider "I may well get a pup someday but it doesn't matter because they are just my babies" its not as bad.
The good thing about chickens is if it all goes to crap you can at least have dinner

Jk!
BTW with the economy the way it is dog breeders are having a tough time moving pups. Buying a dog is considered "frivolous" when trying to make the rent!
But with chickens you have the prospect of free eggs and meat so it is a "investment" so to speak.
IMO I would think in the current world condition that chicken breeding would long term be more profitable/rewarding than dog breeding.

 

[FarmerChick]

of course it does.

I think she paid $200 for Bridgett the female.
I think that Gizmo the male was $150 back then. Of course she fed them, did her own vet shots except for rabies.

the dogs grew older, she bred them and made $1500 one year
had another litter, made about the same
had another litter, made about the same
had another the next and made about the same and I think she got 8 litters out of Bridgett before she passed.


so yes she has made a profit OFF PETS SHE OWNED regardless of cost.


don't you get it????

if I buy 2 pets, have to feed them and never breed, I don't have any profit. You pay all the time til they die.
If I breed my pets and make some money (eventually it will be profitable...probably after the first 3 breedings I am in the cash mode)


again I am not saying a dog business for income---I am saying if you breed one tiime per year off PETS you already own, you will be in profit mode eventually.

it ain't rocket science.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

The last litter I raised I didn't breed but it cost about $300-$400 to keep the 3 adult pugs all about a year an raise the one litter of 6 pups after all was said an done. 5 sold for around $300 each without papers. One I still have. Thats a profit of $1200 for the year. An only one of the two girls had puppies. Even if I had to pay for a C-section I would have been on the plus side. Are those pups healthy an happy in homes? Yep.

 

[TriciaHowe]

I have never bred or sold dogs but my husbands best friend bred their AKC mini dachshunds a couple of years ago (totally gorgeous dogs!) and got some beautiful dapples and long haired ones. Anyhow, even though they sold them for going rate $350 each I believe they said they really didn't make much money on them. They were fully vetted - by a vet not home vaccinated - microchipped, I THINK they had to dewclaws removed as well. Anyhow, they were very particular about the homes they went to and offered to take back any puppy for any reason no matter how old puppy was. They were registered, wormed health certificates and all. They haven't bred back the dogs because they said it's just not worth the headaches and worry with the puppies. They were hard not to get attached too! We almost bought one but since we had younger kids we were afraid they were harm a small puppy (we have a beagle, lab and golden retriever). All of my dogs were adopted from local shelters.
My neice also bred their AKC German Shepherds. Also gorgeous dogs with excellent bloodlines. They sold all the puppies and also said it was something they wouldn't do again and had their dogs fixed. It was a lot of work! They bought their dogs as puppies from 2 seperate breeders and waited 2 yrs to breed them. I think they made a slight profit on them (and they weren't microchipped before sale but were fully vetted) I don't think it was worth it to them to do it again.
A lady from my daughter's girl scouts breeds her AKC labs 1x year and charges nothing for the puppies but requires a $300 donation to an animal rescue group (must have proof).

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[tharrell]

Quote:
Yes, it looks like she did probably make quite a profit. She didn't even have pups vet checked and bred her a rediculous 8 times which is overkill. She kept her as a breeding machine until she died. Those are the kind of people who will always profit off of breeding!

The OP wasn't asking if being a one man puppy mill was profitable....

 

[FarmerChick]

no you are judging wrong

her dog lived til 15..I know cause I have known this dog for 15 years actually and know when Bridgett passed.
old for a dobbie cause she took care of her dogs.

So no she did not over breed. she breed thru the good strong years of the dog.

so quick to judge with no knowledge of the situation.

and MANY people vet their own animals. being a farmer she would get necessary shots from the vet, thus saving alot of money from a visit. there are ways to cut costs if you have the knowledge.