Spaniel pricing.

jimbo123p

Well-Known Member
Looking in the likes of Gumtree and Freeads spaniels can be had for around £350-£600. Family pets most of the time. You go on gundogs sales and Spaniels can be had from£280 to £400 most of the time with all the right lines. Where is the logic? Spaniel rescues are overloaded with 6 month to two year olds where folk have bought not understanding the breed. Why do folks pay over the odds for something that looks cute when they do not understand that these creatures need to run. Having worked with some of these rejects basics not taught, no recall, shadow chasing wrecks in some cases it is heart breaking but in there there are some excellent workers bought as pets. You looking for a basic worker, try the rescues. A lot of dogs are just ready for training and in the right hand make excellent working dogs.
 
Very good points. I rehomed my cocker when he was 9 months old, a 17 year old girl had him and could not cope. He had no training at all, not even sit, and was always walked on a retractable lead as if let off she had to wait until for him to come back as he had no recall. On the first visit she asked for £400 for him, I told her I would not give that but explained he was getting a home with experienced dog owners who were active and he would be worked and if she had problems let me know and I will come collect him.

Two weeks later I got a call from her to say if I still wanted him to come pick him up and would I be willing to part with £100. I accepted this and when I went to pick him up she told me she had put him to two other homes both lasted less than four days because they could not cope with him. Yes he was nuts but that is what I like about him, took about 6 months to get his recall good enough to trust him but now three years later he will never be a trial champion but he is great for what I use him for. Will flush and retrieve game and sit in a pigeon hide all day.
 
it makes me wonder what our real reasons are for breeding dogs.... whilst there are some with a genuine vested interest, I wonder about the folks that just see £ signs. I no longer buy dogs for the simple reason that there are more dogs out there than we actually need.

all our latest additions have been re-homes... you know what.. they are tough to train, sometimes bonkers but they are not dead because they are surplus to requirements and they are very rewarding. they are never going to be field trial champions but hey I'm not an Olympic shooter either!

just a thought.. but if all our dogs were worth £20 then would we have problems with over breeding or stealing our working dogs... (I realise this is head in the clouds stuff)
 
Jim whilst I somewhat agree with you, what we should be looking at is how these dogs end up in rescue homes. Too many breeding dogs (looking to make cash) with no real prospect of the litter going to working homes resulting in a working dog in totally unsuitable circumstances. People who would be far better with a retired greyhound end up with a cute cocker/springer whose mind and body will in time demand a working life. A lot to be said for times gone by when a mating took place to fill the need for good gundogs and pups were gifted to shooting people/keepers who required them.
 
it makes me wonder what our real reasons are for breeding dogs.... whilst there are some with a genuine vested interest, I wonder about the folks that just see £ signs. I no longer buy dogs for the simple reason that there are more dogs out there than we actually need.

all our latest additions have been re-homes... you know what.. they are tough to train, sometimes bonkers but they are not dead because they are surplus to requirements and they are very rewarding. they are never going to be field trial champions but hey I'm not an Olympic shooter either!

just a thought.. but if all our dogs were worth £20 then would we have problems with over breeding or stealing our working dogs... (I realise this is head in the clouds stuff)


Placing a low price on dogs would potentially be a double edged sword.
If dogs were £20 each it would potentially stop indiscriminate breeding for £, and also probably reduce the theft of a lot of dogs.

But a downside would be that they would become a disposable commodity, and also a generalisation I know, but welfare would take a dive.

As to the perfect solution, frankly I doubt there is one, but no doubt there there will be some interesting and very valid suggestions shortly.

regards,

HL
 
Surely this problem is down to the breeders in the first place, I am currently advertising a litter of cockers on here, I'll run you through my reasons for having the litter in the first place firstly between me and my father we have worked and breed cockers for forty years the current litter will hold 7 generations of our own dogs, we only breed when we need a pup to carry on this blood line even though its nothing fancy just good hard working biddable dogs I would of never needed to advertise the two pups I did only due to a order pre mating that cancelled after the pups were born . I have sold all pups to working homes which I've also vetted as I would never let a dog go to what I deem unsuitable owners this is why I may be asking over the stated asking prices but to me a dog is priceless and becomes a family member . I have also rehomed dogs in the past the latest a springer at five months old came with food a crate endless toys all the crap a dog dosnt need he had never been off the leed and hasn't been on it since within a wk he was sitting on the whistle I applied for his pedigree and its second to non and he would trial in a instant with the right handler but it's not my bag . No dowt there are many owners cashing in on pups but not everyone making sure pups are brought up right and homed right is bleeding hard work I'm not finished yet and it's gone ten
 
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Very good points made by the OP. Got my first pup just after the new year from a litter of 8 only three were going to working homes and both parents were worked as they are owned by a game keeper. Sad to think that the 5 that are going top be pets will probably go stir crazy as i know my dog is bonkers and so full of energy. As for the training well he is my first ever dog and well being the wrong side of 40 he is a hand full but thats probably down to me not doing the training right (anyone fancy showing a human how to comunicate with a dog) but heard it said you always make a mess of your first dog just hoping i dont make too much of a mess traing him. But that said however he turns out i will never part with him is is one of the family. Needless to say the next dog will come from one of the rescue homes.
 
The only thing i would say is, ur taking a dog on for potentially the next 10+ years so why increase the chances of taking a pot licker on??

If ur an experienced trainer fair enough, and i know a grouse keeper who gets all his dogs from rescue centres and there tidy enough dogs BUT he has space for a lot of dogs and will shift them on if not up to the job. Most on here would just put up with them
I have helped to find homes for a couple of spaniels (throu word of mouth not rescue centres) in last few years and both have been given back as too many problems that could not be fixed, noise, fear, not entering cover, gun shy etc. And they went to an experienced handler who spent a lot of time with them but still couldn't iron out there problems

A pup as stated originally is not that dear and that way u know wot u are getting from the lines u want (wether working or FT or a mix) and atleast u have a blank canvass with no problems/mistakes.

Unfortunately too many folk breeding unsuitable dogs/pups for money, althou i would say working dog can make decent pet dogs possibly more so than show lines as atleast u know they have been breed for there biddability, intellegance and not just there looks.


GBR Have u tried looking for group gundog classes to give u a hand with ur dog?? Can highly recommend them. The caledonian retriver club trains up ur way every sunday and i'm sure there could be others too.
 
It's all very well to blame irresponsible breeders and condem them as being 'in it for the money' but you have to question the motives behind some of these litters. Matings should be decided on objectively. I see a lot of litters that are bred from substandard dogs but the owner doesn't realise that they're substandard. Litters from skittish bitches or from dogs that have a poor temperament. They're bred from anyway because the breeder has an emotional attachment to the dog and they want to keep the line going whether or not it is any use.

I would be happier if we could adopt a system like the scent hound boys talk about the Germans having. Where the pups that are bred are controlled by the breed association rather than the dog owners and the puppies owners are vetted and allocated pups rather than choosing them. Testing dogs for temperament, ability and conformation before being allowed to breed litters is a good way to put off half hearted potential owners.
 
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