Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cost of Dogs?

The best dogs I've ever had were either free from the local paper or cost very little from the shelter. Got a 2.5 year old beagle bitch for free from an old lady who was going into a nursing home. Dog took to hunting like a frog takes to water and turned out to be the best rabbit dog I've ever seen.

Never paid anything up front.

Paid plenty for maintenance however.

$1600 for my whpg. no major vet bills other than annual vaccinations. Paying etc for health certs worth it

upland opener a few weeks ago

We just rehomed a Springer female from a breeder who was retiring her - no charge but she just cost me some major heartache. We brought her home last Sunday evening, got her through the front door, took the leash off and she panicked and bolted back through the door before we could close it and never stopped running. Obviously scared and didn't know where home was, I wasn't real hopeful on a good outcome. She was spotted a couple times a day through the week, so she was staying close but wouldn't let anyone approach her. We finally caught her in a live trap yesterday and I've been loving on her and spoiling her since. She's on the couch next to me right now and follows me everywhere, but this past week was an absolute living hell worrying myself sick over her.

Holy cow!

Amazing you got her back.

That was the short version! Had a full blown search and rescue operation going on - retired deputy sherriff reached out to us on facebook and worked it all week. He works with dog recovery groups and uses Rottweilers trained to run down dogs and hold them until he can approach with a leash. He provided a trap and also had a guy out here with a drone flying the area trying to locate her. We actually caught her in another trap a neighbor had set trying to help out. I was amazed with all the help/support we received.

There's no short answer for this question. Depends entirely on what you want.
You can pick up a shelter dog for a minor investment and hope for the best. I've done it and I lucked out: no health issues, dog lived a long and full life. To be perfectly honest that particular dog made me a better human being than I would have been otherwise, and that's no shyt.
If you have otherwise catholic tastes and any breed(s) of dog will do, well then you're in luck.
If, on the other hand, you want a dog capable of executing an extraordinary duty of some kind AND still being relatively free of health concerns AND all the while being a well tempered housemate AND beautiful to behold... well now, do your research and reach for your check book, brother.
I used to think pure bred dogs with all health clearances and pedigrees to brag about were obscenely expensive. Now I think they are one of the best bargains going. The initial cost of a very well bred dog is nothing compared to what you will put into it throughout its life and nothing compared to what it will give back to you.

I bought pointer pups out of top bloodlines years ago for 300 to 500 bucks. No telling what they cost now

My German Shorthairs averaged about $1000 each over the years. We had a couple of rescues that were $250-350. They all had their quirks, personalities, good habits and bad. Never loved any of them any more or less in accordance with what they cost, and they all gave us 100% of their love 100% of the time.

Drahthaars are running $1200-$1800. I've gotten that back many times over though.

I think my 3 dogs eat around $1,900 of food a year. That's not counting shots and heartworm/flea/tick. One dog was $100, one was $50, and the other was free. Haven't had a purebred dog since I was a kid, and most of the mixes have had very few health issues.

They are cheaper from the Blacktop Ranch.

Beautiful dog. They also make great family pets.

Reminds me of ours.

Friend who trains Dogs bought two Springer pups off a field trial guy in Ohio, for $600 apiece. Got them up and going and basic trained them himself on his pen Quail. One went to a preserve, which was a damned shame, and the other to a friend. $1500 for each. An outsider would have been looking at $2000 and perhaps plus.

I just hunted over the one that went to the friend. At $1500 for a Bird Dog I’m not sure he knows just what he has. In fact I’m fairly sure he doesn’t. I’ve only seen three other Dogs that had a nose better or equal, and anyone who knows Springers would take him off his hands for a profit.

Like many things, timing or who you know, often is a factor in what you pay.

Addition: Years ago, another friend got a 4 or 5 year year old English Setter field trial washout for $500. She was one of the three and a Ruffed Grouse whisperer.

I don't believe in spending a lot of money on a dog. I've bought a few, but never paid much, and won't. I guess if I was into bird hunting, or running hounds, I'd feel different. I like dogs, and have always had one or two around, since a farm is not a farm without a good dog. But, I just see no need in spending big bucks on one, when there are free puppies to be had everywhere......and in most cases, the mixed breed free mutts make better dogs. As to having an inside pet.......not into that.

I'm also pretty tight when it comes to taking one to the vet. I'll do whatever is absolutely necessary, but won't spend anymore than I have to. My son's chocolate Lab went blind at two years old. He has spent thousands of dollars on her, treating what was a very rare viral infection. The dog has no life. She has to spend her days in a pen, being let out on occasion to run around and bump into things that she can't see. She may be a good dog, and I'm sure there is an attachment there, but if it had been mine, I'd had her put down rather than subject her to a life of darkness.

Thats really something.


Never heard of using a dog to catch a dog like that before.

Wow! I see all these prices and I think I should be breeding dogs instead of training them.

Right now I own my most expensive ever dog, a GSD, and he's good.

Prior to this my best ever dog-of-a-lifetime was $40

Second best, and it was a close second, was $200

Trained a dog in my class last year for Archaeological Detection, and she's excellent. She cost $25

Peoples vanity frequently makes them insist upon a pure bred, or worse yet a " Designer Dog".....

I went to the same breeder I got Buster from and picked up Bandit for $1500. I wanted the same bloodline.

After Buster passed away, we had an opening... Got Bailey from some city folks that were in over their heads with her, in just a small back yard. She's a giant schnauzer, and they usually go for $2000 to $2500. But they just wanted a good home for her. I obliged.

This guy was $400[five years ago]
We will be adding a female within 5-6 weeks as a gift from my stepfather