Throughout the various lockdowns an restrictions, one of the industries that have benefitted is the sale of puppies, and the rate the prices have increased is somewhat immoral in my opinion. Having several clients over the last 18 months that I have sourced pups for, prices have been nothing short of ridiculous. Labradors, previously around the £700 to £1000 mark, have seen a three fold (minimum) increase in price, fueled in the main by the desire to have a companion during lockdown.
During lockdown all training was postponed / cancelled and subsequently everyone has taken to training puppies through online courses and videos, which in the main is not a problem. BUT when things dont go to plan, and the pups dont respond to the training no one was there to put you back on the straight and narrow.
During lockdown our business had to take a look at itself and come up with ways to keep getting our training and message out there, one of these ways was through our Day Training Service, whereby we have peoples dogs in for a day a week and work through your training goals for you, sending your very tired dog home, with your homework sheet.
The other came about as a result of clients actually admitting they were out of their depths with the training of their pups. We have in the last 18 months sourced around half a dozen puppies for clients, and rather than them getting things wrong with their socialisation and training we have been asked to do that on behalf of the client. Now you might think what the hell is the price ! with puppies being £3k plus training on top thats far to much. But if I told you we have been sourcing pups from reputable breeders, with them being fully health tested, hips & elbows scored, and eys tested, around 6 months of training and they have been costing our clients around the same money as the 'Greeders' want for pups.
The benefits far outweigh any negatives, in as much as at 6 - 9 months, where the average owner comes to us with all sorts of problems through poor training, poor socialisation, pulling on the lead, no recall, etc etc. The pups we have sourced for clients have had the best possible start in life.
Lockdown was a good excuse for people to say their puppies could not be socialised properly, thats Bollocks, sorry for the language but it is. We have a few dogs, and we NEVER allow them to socialise with other dogs. Have we got fearful dogs ? Nope, they are indifferent to all dogs, because whilst most people were blaming lockdown, we were training our puppies, and walking them in the streets (with the 2m distancing) so they got used to people and dogs, ducks on the village pond and much more. All without fear of some idiot steaming in and saying can I say hello to your dog.
If you are looking to get a puppy, and the prices dont seem to be dropping as quickly as some might have expected, then give Steve a call on 07795 466007 and ask about the new arrivals coming soon - Rum and Coke, Black Labrador Bitch Puppies, and you had better be well prepared to convice Steve that you are serious about dog ownership, or at least not have a problem with some one saying no to you.