Episode 50 - How Much Is That Puppy In the Window? Puppy Seeker Perceptions of Value

7/7/2026

This episode’s question is from a breeder who’s frustrated by puppy seekers who seem to be just shopping for the lowest price:

I'm a small breeder, one or two litters a year. I'm in a rural area so most of my puppies travel to their homes, but because of how I raise them I have people happy crossing the country for them. But for every person who sees the value, there's 30 that don't… I find myself spending way too much time justifying [my pricing]…If I'm going to continue, I need to find a better way of dealing with the pricing issues…

Plot spoiler, if we want more puppies raised in a forward thinking and humane way, we have to support the breeders and caretakers who are raising the puppies that way. And by “we,” I mean the puppy buying public.

There is a cost and a value to raising puppies this way, and if we as a society value it, we need to be willing to pay for it.

But it falls to the breeders to communicate that value, and we could do better in that area.

In this episode, I explore those issues and also share some truly awesome suggestions for how breeders can help educate puppy seekers about the value proposition of a puppy that’s been raised with the “meaty” training and protocols in Puppy Culture.

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To read the transcript for this episode, click the link below.

Transcript - Episode 50

I'm Jane Messineo Lindquist., and this is a Puppy Culture Potluck podcast. You bring the topics, we bring the conversation.

This episode's podcast is about pricing puppies and selling the value proposition of a puppy that's been raised with a program such as Puppy Culture. And here's the question:

Pricing puppies. I'm a small breeder, 1 or 2 litters a year. I'm in a rural area, so most of my puppies travel to their homes.

But because of how I raise them, I have people that are happy to cross the country for them. But for every person who sees the value, there's 30 that don't. When our first interaction is how much? Right off the bat. I know it's not going to be a good fit. I'm not cheap. My time is not free. I break even.

I'm not getting rich. I do it for the love of it. And because we need more people like us that do it right. But, man, the selling part breaks me down every time I post constantly, the people following my puppy page know and love every puppy before they're ready to leave. Everyone is invested emotionally in where my puppies go.

I usually ask if they've gone through all my posts before reaching out. I recently was told they could get the same puppy somewhere else for less than a third of the price. I was tired. I was drained. I responded that yes, puppy mills, appreciate your business. I'm usually better than that. But at the tail end of this letter I was done with that BS.

I only had one available because the family for her was in an accident. Usually they're all spoken for long before go home time. Anyway, how does everyone else handle the judgment regarding pricing? I find myself spending way too much time justifying mine, which is actually on the low end for puppies equivalent to mine and raised this way. If I'm going to continue, I need to find a better way of dealing with the pricing issues.

I take time away from my regular business and pay my employees to cover those extra hours. So like I said, I'm lucky to break even.

Okay, me again. So there is a top level question here, which is how do we market the value proposition of a Puppy Culture puppy? And we got some great ideas on that in the comments.

And I'm going to share those with you. But you know, before we go there, I want to point out that this post generated 150 comments from fans, mostly breeders, sharing the querants feeling of burnout and frustration. And I think we need to talk about that.

I don't think there's a simple answer, but I'm going to use this post as an entree to just dip my toe in the water and begin talking about something that I've been holding back on for a long time, but thinking about a lot and that something, is that if we want more responsible breeders and we want more dogs bred and raised in compassionate and forward thinking ways, we have to support those breeders. And by we, I mean puppy buyers.

The puppy seeking public by the choices they make have as much impact and responsibility for the welfare of dogs in this country as the breeders. I doubt any puppy seekers that are listening to this podcast are the kind of puppy seekers who are going to be shopping for the cheapest puppy, regardless of how it was raised.

Almost by definition, if you've found this podcast and you're listening to it, you're a highly motivated puppy seeker. So this is not about you, but I just believe it has to be said out loud. It has to enter the general consciousness. The concept of value to the puppy buying public has to change, if we want meaningful change for the welfare of dogs.

And I'm going to say here that the onus falls to us breeders to educate the puppy buying public so they can make that change. And I do think that we breeders could do better in this regard. So that circles us back to the question on the table, which is how do we market the value proposition of Puppy Culture raised puppies.

We put way more time and effort into our puppies than 90% of the breeders out there. And that's not hyperbole. We represent a tiny portion of the dogs produced each year. The vast majority of dogs come from high volume situations, and a ton more come from suboptimal, lower volume commercial breeders. Why is that?

I think part of the reason for this is what the querant is expressing. The major limiting factor for ethical breeders is finding suitable homes that aren't just shopping for the cheapest puppy. The public says it wants a puppy from good breeders who enrich their puppies and health test and treat their breeding animals as family members. But when it comes to compensating breeders for the hard costs and time spent raising a puppy this way, you know the public suddenly doesn't have so much problem with a puppy that was raised in a cardboard box in someone's basement or barn.

So this question has micro and macro implications. If we're ever going to displace the high volume breeders, the public has to be willing to pay what it actually costs to raise a puppy in an ethical and humane manner.

I'm not going to delve deep into this any more, but before I leave this thought, I just want to head off at the pass. Anyone who's thinking or getting ready to comment about the ridiculous five figure prices some people are paying for dogs, and not because the dogs are bred or raised better, but for some crazy reason, like an exotic color or blend of breeds, or some undeliverable promise of coat quality or behavioral characteristics that just is not predictable.

The fact that some people overpay for the wrong reasons is not at odds with the idea that good breeders should be compensated for their time. It's just another facet of the same problem, and that is recognizing the monetary value of a puppy that's been raised with superior puppy raising practices. What I do find interesting is that so many people will kick at the cost of buying a puppy that's been through a program like Puppy Culture, but they'll pony up large sums of money for master trainers to train stuff that we Puppy Culture breeders routinely send our puppies home with.

Board and trained for young puppies is a big business. There's a whole industry of trainers that take puppies from breeders before they go. The puppies go to their new homes and keep them for four weeks and just put them through their paces. And we Puppy Culture breeders are doing so much more than that board and train work. I mean, we're doing everything they do, but then also socialization, basic husbandry, all kinds of enrichment.

And it's in an in-home setting. There is a real cost in time to teaching that. And there is a real value to the puppy buyer. But it's also difficult for the breeder to convey that as a value. And I think part of the problem is because we're not quote, trainers, unquote. It it's more difficult for the puppy owner to understand it as a true value to them.

So in the Puppy Culture discussion group, I called for a discussion about selling the benefit of a Puppy Culture raised puppy, and finding those buyers who understand and are willing to pay for that. And we got some excellent comments. Here's the first one:

That was going to be my point. I've been a training and behavior consultant for 20 years. Now I do H.R. for a board and train company. Board and train costs $4,700 for three weeks. It's a good program, and the majority of the customers are happy and think it was well worth the money. And we breeders have our puppies for more than twice as long and are doing significantly more work and have significantly bigger upfront investment with the care of our breeding animals and costs associated with breeding and raising the litter.

So yeah, there you have it. People somehow have no problem with $4,700 for what we breeders do quote for free, unquote as part of raising the puppy. Here's another one:

I think using social media as a sole way of marketing gives poor results. If I get a social media message like how much? I say something like, thanks for your interest, the place to start is our website, blah blah blah. I don't offer any more interaction on social media after that message. I do find that with people, if you give them instructions in a process, the serious ones follow it. Plus, my website has tons of information on it. Like Jane said, once people find my website and all that I offer and do for my puppies, they see I'm serious. I've had lots of comments about how my website and what I provide looks so professional. Also, I try not to just post pictures of puppies without a lot of context. I'd rather post videos and pictures of my hard work with the puppies. Videos working through Puppy Culture with the puppies always drum up great conversation. And I've had people reach out and say they're looking for a puppy specifically raised on Puppy Culture.

Okay. Me again. Interesting. There was a lot of back and forth, many comments on the use of websites versus social media. I had never really thought about this distinction before this conversation. But yes, a website is like a statement in one place. It has all of your policies. It says what you do and who you are. Whereas social media is more like proof of what you say on your website.

I think you need both. The website has your overall accomplishments, philosophy, pricing policies, but social media shows that you walk the walk. The number one suggestion in all of these comments most frequently mentioned was list your price on your website and here's a comment.

I agree it will deter tire kickers, and even if your prices vary for puppies, a starting or proximate price gives people the idea. Then you get less of the inquiries asking you to justify the price. And then someone responded.

I disagree with the notion that puppy buyers asking about price are tire kickers, but that's a different conversation. And I said, to be fair, I don't think that's what she was saying. I think she's saying that putting the price up front gets a legitimate question out of the way, and anyone who inquires after that is legitimately interested in a quality puppy and not shopping around for the cheapest puppy.

I mean, it's so interesting about the price on the website thing, because I can see it from the puppy buyer's point of view. What kind of person is selling puppies and nowhere on their website did they list the cost. I mean, it's a real and very legitimate question. If you're just getting your first puppy or haven't gotten a puppy a long time, you don't know if a puppy costs $500 or $15,000. You really don't know.

So I get that, to the average puppy seeker. It's incomprehensible that the suggestion of putting a price on their website is a revelation to many breeders. But I think we have to take this in context, because although the breeder who wrote in originally is on the younger side, most breeders are frankly quite old, and you can't imagine how difficult it is for us of a certain age to just put a price on our website.

It's not that we aren't transparent. It's that it's been ground into us, that it's just not done. Not by fanciers, not by good breeders.

When I started breeding and showing dogs back in 1997, you were a pariah if you advertised your puppies. There were some parent club members who advertised in the newspaper. Those breeders were seen to be reflecting badly on the fancy. Whispers were had behind their backs, hushed tones in the room when they came in. If you can imagine it, even advertising in the AKC Gazette put you on a certain level.

It was viewed askance. I know it's difficult for many people, particularly younger puppy buyers, to understand, but we were raised on not advertising puppies, being very proud of breeding very, very little, and certainly not putting a price out there like we were selling a pair of shoes. It just was not done. And you are one of those breeders. If you did it.

But you know, it's 2026. It's a much rougher, brutally direct world. We don't stand on those niceties anymore. So put your price on your website for sure it will cut down on the frustrating conversations with puppy buyers who are just looking for the cheapest puppy they can find. I mean, it's not going to weed them all out because a number of people wrote in that even though they have prices on their website, people will still try and negotiate a lower price, but at least it cuts down on that “How much for a puppy?” inquiries.

I want to make something else clear to any puppy seekers who are listening to this. I know you want to know the price and you deserve to know the price. So don't be sheepish about asking. You're entitled to that information before you burn up a lot of time, but that's not the same thing as leading with how much are your puppies?

If that's the first communication you send, any decent breeder is going to delete that message. If you really are just starting your search and truly have no idea how much a puppy costs, you could very politely say, I'm just starting my search and deciding if an X breed puppy is for me. I really don't have any idea what the price of a puppy is.

What is the price range that responsible breeders are charging for their puppies? That deserves an answer and I will always respond to that. Here's another response that I thought was a good one.

I have a checklist of every single thing we do with the puppies. I send Puppy Culture summary and the protocols. We use everything in writing. That care has tripled in the last few years, and health testing is a cost that many breeders don't have.

I avoid discussions about cost because I stated on my website, if someone questions the cost in the back of my mind, I begin to doubt if they could or would cover vet care in an emergency situation. It's a red flag for me. When someone questions cost after seeing everything we do to get our puppies ready to go home.

Me again? I mean, it's a reality. Owning a dog now is very, very expensive. And that goes back to the thing that I alluded to in the opening about breeders like us looking for homes that are going to care for the dog in a way that we find acceptable. And I'm sorry, but money is part of that, especially nowadays.

So I agree that someone who questions the price of a puppy is, you know, at least a yellow flag for me in terms of if they can't afford to pay for the puppy, can they afford the care? But I also just want to say that there are plenty of very rich people who will shop price, and also plenty of moderate income people who might not have $5,000 cash lying around to purchase a dog, but would mortgage their home to pay vet bills for a treasured pet. So questioning price is not dispositive, but it certainly raises concerns.

Just as an aside, Mark and I now make it a requirement in our contract that the pet owner maintains pet insurance. The cost of vet care for a major illness or injury has surpassed what any but the most wealthy people can pay. It's just a fact and something that compassionate breeders should, in my opinion, be thinking about when they place puppies.

Here's a comment. And unfortunately it was representative of many comments.

Number one reason after 12 years of breeding, I retired. It's getting worse with people and their judgments. It definitely wears you down.

Yeah. Me again. I hate to see this and yes, like I said, there were many who wrote in with similar sentiments. I don't know that it's actually worse than it ever was, but for sure it is exhausting.

But now I want to talk about a truly brilliant response that we got. And here it is.

My pricing is on my website and it discusses what they are investing in. It makes it easy just to link that page when people ask. In addition, I want people to come to me who want my puppies and value that effort.

So if it isn't worth it to them, then that's okay too.

And then when you look at that, this is me again. When you look at her website, she's broken down the cost of the puppy into categories and labeled them as mandatory or optional. So there's a base price and she lists all the testings and screenings the puppies and parents have received. That's mandatory. Then there is the, quote, training package unquote price. And that includes all the protocols and training she does with the puppies. And that is also mandatory. And it's absolutely brilliant because when you see all the things she does and trains with her puppies and you see that price, it not only places value on the training, she does, it makes sense and actually seems like a good bargain for that price.

So now the puppy owner really understands, oh, this is the Delta. This is why the pet store puppy is so much less. Then there's an advanced training package that you can purchase that is not mandatory. Basically, she'll keep the puppy for up to another four weeks at a price per week and do advanced training with the puppy. She limits this to 1 to 2 puppies per litter and advance approval is required. And by the way, it's a fraction of the price that people would pay for a board and train.

So what she's doing is brilliant because it defines what's being sold. So when someone says, I can get this puppy for a third of the price, it's not, their specs, it's specs to specs. She's putting out the specs of the puppy. And that puppy that you're getting does not have the same specs as this puppy.

And once the puppy buyer understands what's being sold and that the specs on this puppy do not match that puppy, that's a third of the price. Then they have to admit to themselves that the cheaper puppy is not the same thing as the more expensive puppy they may still choose the cheaper puppy, but now they realize they're choosing a different thing. And I think this is at the root of all the problems we have with the price chasers. We as a group have not defined the product we sell.

We've been very lofty about how progressive and ethical and responsible we are, but we have not actually quantified that in a way that a puppy owner can understand. As crass as it may feel, actually saying, we spend X hours with each puppy teaching Y and Z behaviors, and this is the additional cost of that that helps puppy seekers wrap their head around the value proposition you offer.

I mean, anyone that does anything more than lock puppies in a run can put up photos and say, look, home environment, ethical breeder. I mean really, they just throw puppies in a pen with some toys, put up cute photos and say they're an ethical breeder and most people will accept it, especially if it's half the price of your puppies.

You're asking way too much of puppy seekers to distinguish between that breeder and you who are doing the Communication Trinity, leash walking, crate and confinement conditioning, socializing, and spending tens of hours doing it. So I think the overall takeaway for me from this thread, was it inspired me on how you really need a website that very explicitly lays out what you do and what the cost associated with that is stated in terms of a pricing structure that's broken down into categories, with costs assigned to those categories, rather than one price that you have to try and justify by saying other less expensive breeders don't do what you do.

This way you can lean into your higher price and use it to your advantage to connect with people who understand and value what you have to offer.

If you like this podcast, you'll love Puppy Culture, the original film that started it all, available at puppyculture.com. And while you're there, check out our bundles. We have bundles for breeders. We have bundles for puppy owners. We have show puppy bundles, pet puppy bundles all available at a nice discount at puppyculture.com.

Speaking of discounts, breeders, do you want to get your puppy owners started out on the right foot? We have bulk discounts for breeders on our puppy course, With Open Arms and a Level Head: How to Welcome a Puppy into Your Life. Available at puppyculture.com.

Well, that's it for this time. Thanks for listening. Bye bye.