For a bird dog pup? I just dealt with a fellow that had a litter of Sinbad pups out of a very nice Elhew female and the conversation went south when he asked for $4K for a female pup. What's the most you would pay?

Like an 8 week old pup? $750 max. There is no puppy worth more than that to me. Maybe others but not me.

Yes sir 8-10 weeks.

Chet, I have paid up to $800.00 for one. I am typically in the $5-600 range. The bigger the name in the pedigree, the more they cost. Go price you a female pup out of Shadow Oaks Bo and get ready to faint.

Chet, get 2, one for you and one for me.

I paid part of the stud fee for a littermate to Elhew Swami. I paid $600 for my Honkey Tonk Attitude pup. Pointers usually don't cost as much as some of the other breeds. I've been out of the market for so long, but I would think $800 max for a pointer pup.

Edit: I just checked NSTRA classifieds. There were no pointer puppies listed. Here a high priced Brittany.



Upcoming litters due in late May/Early June sired by NGDC NAGDC FC AFC Peter Gunn - the most decorated brittany in AKC Gun Dog history with a start in NSTRA. These breedings work to combine the best of NSTRA lines and AKC lines.
1) NGDC NAGDC FC AFC Peter Gunn x Genuine Risk (a National Dual Dog of the Year DC AFC Terra's Cabo Wabo daughter - which adds NFC DC AFC Tequila's Joker HOF to this litter's pedigree). $1500/puppy
2) NGDC NAGDC FC AFC Peter Gunn x FC AFC Emma Tayshon (a NFC 2xNAFC FC AFC Just Call Me Roy HOF daughter). Emma was the 3rd place dog at the 2014 National Gun Dog Championship and also the top female. Just Call Me Roy is a hall of fame inductee who is the most decorated all age dog in the history of the breed. This pedigree has an unprecedented 15 total national awards and placements in the first two generations. $2500/puppy
3) NGDC NAGDC FC AFC Peter Gunn x Ima Threat (a 2xNGDC DC AFC Winchester of Hanging Jaze dau ghter). Ima is only one of three females sired by Winchester of Hanging Jaze in existence. Winchester of Hanging Jaze is a 2x National Gun Dog Champion and also a National Dual Dog of the Year award winner who adds FC AFC Rimarda's Trademark HOF to the pedigree. $1500/puppy
Please see website for contact purposes and full litter details which includes pedigree, parental photos, and lineage details. www.carterbrittanykennels.com or contact Jim Carter, DVM via phone 912-383-5793 or email carterbritts@icloud.com

Haven't checked lately but Bo's pups were selling for $1800. Any good breeding with a multiple champ will cost $1000 to $1500 now days. Back a few years before his passing Bob Wehle was selling pups for $3000. But a 4k pup is ridicules. Typically a good pup will sell for the price of the stud fee but the stud fee for Sinbad isn't 4k (I think) though he is only AI now and that is a more expensive proposition. I was shocked.

I saw a Bo female pup recently that was 9 mo. old and still going through puppy training, not even broke yet, going for $3200.00. Finding an available female pup out of Bo is tough these days and if you want one, you are going to have to put up some real coin. Most of the breeders are keeping the females to demand these high prices. A little birddog supply and demand pricing going on here.

Quick word of advice:

When buying pups at these prices that have been mentioned, make sure that the parents have been DNA tested and the breeder is holding the seal on them and the litter before money trades hands. I know from experience.

Don't know, have paid $800 more than once...This year, I am afraid it's gonna cost me $1000.

$800 is the max I have paid. $4,000 for a pup is insane.

$1,500 for an AWS

Dad multiple master titles in retrieving and upland
Mom master retriever, mid-tier upland
Sorry, I've long since forgotten the specifics.

One of the parents had placed high enough in the Westminster dog show to be on TV shortly after I purchased the dog.

Couldn't pick the dog up until week 10 because my wife had a back fusion.

Dog already had some pretty decent obedience training for its age and was retrieving small ducks up to 40 yards away at four months while already associating gunfire with a reward.

Generally, the dog has taught me more about bird hunting with his instincts than I've taught him with training.

$4k. That dog better be able to blink a covey of quail into existence in east Texas from nothing but thin air, bring me drinks from the fridge and open the door to go out by himself, lock the door behind him on the way out and unlock the door with a key to get back in.

Word of advice.... You never want a quail hunting dog to "blink" a covey of quail. That is a negative connotation. That is a habit that is equal to or worse than gun shyness. It is nearly impossible to correct the dog of this habit of which they find a covey and leave it because of the pressure of staying broke and handling the report of the gun. They just ease off and don't participate in the action.

Just paid $850 for a female pup out of Rock Star Andy. Step up from $500 male, $600 female going rate I was used to. There is not a lot of inventory out there, about half of the good breeders i had in my contact list from 8 years ago have sold off or closed shop so I think its a victim of a supply and demand thing (in Texas anyway, cant comment on the other states). Proof point - about 5 of the breeders (several were good ones in Oklahoma that had published litters and recent welp dates) never called me back.

Great choice, did you buy from Buck or someone else have the female? Andy has as good a blood as any dog out there.

You don't understand the humor I'm using. When I say blink into existence, I mean like Jeannie on I dream of Jeannie. Wearing the outfit would, of course, be optimal for field work.

Shipping pups on planes is pretty normal. I wouldn't limit my search to driving distance

Not sure were the impression I limited my search came from. The pup I spoke of was in Iowa and the last pup I bought was in Minnesota but was delivered over land by Gun Dog Express, much safer and less stress on the pup than flying.

Pointers don't run in nstra typically? More horseback?

You see fewer and fewer pointers each year.

Fyi, I just shipped in 2 pointers from South Carolina with JRB Express. They are out of Dallas and were less expensive than Gun Dog Express. Pleased with the service.

600.00 max.
This is what I paid for new Brit pup and she is turning out to be the smartest dog I have had.

Chet - picking up pup Saturday from Phantom (Dan H.) in Abilene. He studded Andy with his Sky matron. I need to get in shape to be able to keep up with her, think she is going to being kicking up some gravel for sure

Sounds great, have a friend in LA. that has a year and a half old Andy pup (also from one of Dan's females) and she's a pistol. They considered trialing her at one point.

I always thought pointers sold for less than my breed of choice, but this changes my mind.
I would be tough for me to wrap my head around paying more than two thousand for a puppy.
I guess it all depends on the size of your wallet, and the pup in question.

You thought pointers were less than vizslas? I've never seen a pointer more than a V.

I've seen well bred elhew go for 600. Seems like a bargain to me.

I paid $1200 for my pup. I doubt I would go much higher than that, but I have seen several puppies in the $600 range that I thought were a ripoff so $1200 seemed reasonable. I flew up to get her in Wisconsin. She came back with me in a cat crate underneath my seat and was a pretty easy drip. I gave her a benadryl before we got to the airport and she was zonked most of the time.

What do you consider well bred?

It seems as if the price has doubled in the last few years, especially on pointers. It's been mentioned that a lot of people have gotten out of the business. I paid $600 for my Honky Tonk Attitude pup. She was out of Barshoot female that was the winningest female in NSTRA of any breed. I named her Cookie. She was the fastest dog in NSTRA.

I can assure you, I have never paid $4000 for a 8 week old vizsla puppy.
My dogs are 6 and 7 years old, and the price of a well bred V pup has went up in those years. They are now $1500-$2000, but you will occasionally see them for $2500.

You can ask whatever you want for a pup. I don't think anyone in their right mind is going to pay $4K for a pointer pup. if you have the right friends you shouldn't ever have to pay anything for one.

That's the most insane price I've yet to see on a pup. You could buy a well bred Bo pup for less than 1/2 that price and I've seen multiple broke dogs out of Bo for less than $4k.

This sounds like one of those deals where the breeder may not want to really sale the pup but if you come up with this ?????? much money, you can own her. He may have a different plan for her in his mind. I know I have a really nice setter female that is only 9 months old that I would be hard pressed to sale at $4k. But if anyone wants to offer, let's deal with it and see where it goes.

Agreed!!! I've got a pup I was offered good money for that won a couple plaques for me, but I raised her and it'd take an awful lot of money to get me to give her up now. $4k would probably get someone close though! Hahaha

If it was the right pup in my breed, I would pay as much as $3.5k. Average is about $2K.

I am positive that Economics 101, chapter 1, Supply and Demand, would come up strong in your situation. That is not a bad thing. You may have a valuable commodity on your hands if you are getting that kind of prices for pups. Heck, I may even look into that breed as I am easing into retirement.

About 25 years ago I was offered and turned down an offer of 4000k for a broke 3yo female pointer. My dad said that was a day two fools met. Two weeks latter I traded her for 3 $5000 dollar cats. I fooled him.

Just bought a pup today from Don Wiggins. Whippoorwill Wild Agin male and a Lesters Snowatch female. And Sinbad thrown in a generation back. Fine breeding and a repeat breeding at that. $1000. Could have bought 4 for the price of the original pup I posted about. I believe there are 2-3K pups out there and for the right one I might jump but not 4K...................

I would call that a repeat meeting

No way I'd pay that much for a pup no matter the breeding. It's just a pup, you don't know how it will turn out. Good breeding bring the odds in your favor sure but still.

I'd pay up 1200 depending on breed and breeding.

I certainly won't pay it. But from what I read on this forum there's no shortage of people willing to pay $10,000 for a lease even in down years. Those guys will pay it

You are correct. While more breeding is happening with Spinoni in the U.S., which is not necessarily a good thing, established breeders typically have long waiting lists. Most of these breeders only have one or two females. Limited breeding certainly means limited availability. The least expensive of breeders is going to be $1.5K for a puppy with most in the $2K to $2.5K range.

I know of only one breeder located in Texas but their might be a few more that I don't know about. It is a small world in this breed and to protect the breed I hope it stays that way. Some breeders only sell to existing Spinoni owners or if they were referred. Typically you will only find out about a breeding if you are involved in the breed in some manner. Very interesting "world".

I hunted behind one of his pups last season one day.
I figured the dog was worth a ransom.
The owner has the jack and dogs are his life.

Pedigree is really important to me when buying a pup, but its still a crap shoot.

Did the dog live up to all of the hype? Was it the best dog in the field?

Agreed Bill. I know so many people that buy a pup because it was sired out of Champion So & SO. The pups I buy always have a winning FT lineage, but I want the ones that the lineage has been winning for decades, not a flash in the pan. Also, hunters put so much stock in the Sire or Stud dog. I am just the opposite. I want a well bred pup with a good sire that was bred to a female that was from one of these old winning lineages. The female or dam is the most important factor of the pups I buy. I don't buy paper. I buy the bottom side of a good bloodline. This method has served me well for years.

The bottom side of the paper is where it's at!!!

You are correct sir, the female will put 60% or more in the pups and the mother line is very very important(miticondrial DNA that only the female can pass). The 4K pup went back through HOF CH Elhew Swami to Hanna's Elhew Lou who produced two HOF CH. and probably a third in 19 time Open Ch. Elhew Hannabelle. If you don't pay attention to the pedigree you're just guessing but within the range of dogs in a given pedigree you need to choose the best individuals. Paper alone is not the answer but sure increases your odds.

The best of all is to go to a dog that has produced in the past and of course a repeat breeding has the highest odds of success.

Lot of good dogs out there that day.
One thing for sure, he was the biggest....




My neighbors Yorkie could've found birds in that field.
The most I've ever seen.

Fine looking animals...................

Never paid for a dog

From a reputable breeder that I knew and trusted, I would pay up to $1500-$2000 for a pup.

You tell me what breeding and breeder you want then. I want to be your personal puppy broker. It will be a win-win for everybody involved.