What is the cost of a puppy?

Our prices as of  January 1st, 2019 for pet and family puppies are $950 for males and $1200 for females; quality puppies are scarce, as well as quantity of females. Usually only one or two females are born in each litter. We had not increased our prices for quite a while and everything has increased: gas, groceries. etc., so we had to adjust accordingly.

Private Reserve: Occasionally we may have some pups who we've held back to watch them mature a while and see if we'd add them to our breeding program. These are outstanding individual Irish Russell Terriers and great specimens of this unique breed. Occasionally we may consider placing this particular puppy with a family, if the match is great, and/or if the family may consider co-owning a share of this puppy.  Private Reserve pups are placed in the 2500-3000 range. and we would consider a working relationship with families we are impressed with and who share own same philosophy in these remarkable dogs. 

We do retire some of our young adult dogs each year and for the price of the spay/neuter, $250, we look to place them with special adoring families who will give them forever homes.

 

You will find the cost varies across the country from about $650 up to $3000. You may find puppies at a lesser cost, but can the breeders/owners show you the parents, and grandparents?

Does the breeder know the people who have lived with and developed the pedigree lines?

Does the breeder have references that can contact you or who you can talk to?

Will they be there for you to call with questions for the life of your puppy?

Do they offer a lifetime health guarantee and a temperament and disposition guarantee? These are important factors in your decision. Please do your research

 

We offer our pups with a contract option at these prices so families will have the opportunity to enjoy these special Irish JR's we have come to know and love. We are very selective in our placements and we are searching for discriminating families who will appreciate and agree to preserve these rare bloodlines.

This also protects the exclusivity of these rare bloodlines and preserves the bloodline authenticity of our legendary lines. 

 We are not a bargain basement breeder, nor are we typical breeders.  Our puppies are part of our family, each one is precious, and we are looking for the perfect forever home for them. Our prices are fair and competitive with the current market.

This is not how we make a living, this is a very expensive hobby raising a specialty rare breed and 

 an art and a science, that we greatly enjoy. It is more of a preservation conservancy as these bloodlines are over 100 years old.

 

 

How do you determine pricing?

 

 "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then,

is not an act but a habit." ~Aristotle 

PRICE vs. VALUE

"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money ----- that is all. When you pay too little, 

you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing is was supposed to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying too little and getting a lot ----- it cannot be done.

If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that, you will then have enough to pay for something better."               

                     John Ruskin, Philosopher 1819 - 1900

What does for 'pet and family purposes' mean?
These prices are for pet and family purposes. We do not sell breeding rights with our puppies. Our puppies are ideally suited for family homes. Upon providing proof of sterilization with an invoice/ letter from your veterinarian we will then approve the transfer of permanant ownership to you.  When you take your puppy home it is considered temporary guardianship or custody until you fulfill the part of the contract. Please read the entire contract that follows later on this page. You will not officially be the legal owner until we receive the vet's proof of sterilization and we release the transfer of ownership papers.

Breeding is not for the faint of heart and untrained lay person. It is complicated, nerve wracking, worrisome, and requires a great deal of time, talent, money, blood, sweat and tears, sleepless nights and extreme patience. So many things are involved and so much very often, goes 'not according to plan.'  We have worked with vets, for vets, lived next to them and around them all our lives. My son has worked for several years in vet clinics as a vet tech. And we continue to learn from each whelping.

Whelping, or birthing, is not an easy process, so please don't think you can have a litter so your children can watch for fun. This is not a guarantee of a pleasant process by any means, it can be quite sad and often very heart breaking. So please revisit and rethink about why you want to breed your puppy in the future. If you are determined to do this please check out the video from the library and do your homework before undertaking this huge responsibility.

What do I do next and how do I send a deposit?

The easiest and quickest way to get your deposit to us is to go to the bottom of the 'Reserving a Puppy page' and scroll to the very bottom of the page. There is a button that says 'Place a deposit on a puppy'.  It takes credit or debit cards. You don't need a Paypal account to use this button and it walks you through each step. It is maintained by Paypal.com.  It time dates and stamps the order when it arrives and provides you with an instantaneous receipt. You can use credit card or debit card payments with peace of mind as they are extremely secure and protective of our privacy rights.  If you've ever bought anything on eBay, then you are familiar with paypal and know how easy and convenient it is to use. Please try it if you have not had an opportunity to do so before. 

I recommend paypal because I am usually talking to several people on the same day about our puppies. Once people have filled out our questionnaire and we have talked with you about how you have prepared for your puppy and what research you have done, only then will you be able to go on our approved list to have one of our babies. When I encourage folks who have been approved to place a reservation deposit, then there are usually two or three families at the same point in this reservation process are you are. So the first family to place a reservation gets a place higher up on the waiting list.  

1) We require a $300 deposit upon placing a reservation, usually before the puppy is born. The next $300 deposit is due when the puppies are born. The people who have reservations will see the pictures of the new babies first. We do not post pictures on the website unless we have extra puppies which is a great surprise. Then we offer the extra puppies to the people on the waiting list to see if they would like a puppy earlier. Occasionally we have a puppy become available again, such was the case recently when a lady took a new job and it required her to travel 50%, so she moved her reservation to a future litter. Another family found they had a wedding to plan, and also moved their reservation to a future litter. So the folks who were persistent in calling, and got their answers in on the questionnaire, got approved and found there was a puppy available immediately! It doesn't always happen that way, but life is complicated for us all and life happens when we are making other plans. So we understand that and will help our families work through things if we can.

2) The next payment of $250 is due when you pick out your puppy or when you name your puppy. Or when I have chosen several that I think will be the best match for your family and household, and we present these puppies to you for your selection and your decision. All deposits and payments go towards the price of the puppy of course.

The balance is due by the time the puppy is 8 weeks old and preferably one week before you are to pick up your puppy, preferable here. If you have an out of state check it will take 10 days to clear so, then it will need to be either a certified bank check or paid two weeks before anticipated pick up, or bring cash or a certified bank check. Money can get complicated, we try to make it as simple and as painless as possible.

What are the shipping costs? ***As of Nov. 18, 2013 the USDA no longer allows airline shipping of dogs and other small animals. We do however, have our dog trainers who are part of our family and have been training our puppies for ten plus years. When they are free, they may or may not be available to hand deliver your puppy to you and meet you in person. The airline ticket for the courier and the puppy, and any hotel, etc, will be your responsibility.

Puppies must be fully vet checked no less than 10 days before travel date and the State of South Carolina, and Clemson University Dept. of Agriculture issues the final State vet certificate to travel out of state, to fly or out of country.

We are experienced in what is necessary to make the trip home for your new puppy a safe and happy one. We have puppies and dogs with families throughout the United States, and have puppies in 48 of the 50 states.  They are also in Mexico, Canada, England, Wales, Germany, Spain, France, Panama, Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, Columbia, South America and the Turks-Cacios Islands. 

Most of our families will come visit and pick up their puppies. Folks have driven from Vancouver, BC, Montreal and Toronto, Los Angeles, CA; Wyoming, Illinois, New York, Memphis, Michigan, Wisconsin, Seattle, Wash., Vermont, Massachusetts and Ohio.

We are located in Aiken, S.C. just 45 minutes from Augusta, Georgia. Some folks have planned a quick trip to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or Charleston and then pick up their puppy on the trip home. You are welcome to come by and meet us, and see the parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents by appointment. An appointment is required and very much appreciated. If you are unable to visit us in person, we will be more than happy to explain the process of what to do next in acquiring your new family member.

There are no shipping charges if you come to pickup your new puppy.

We use a vet tech lady who has a van pet transport business, she is our first choice. Her name is Brandy Oates, website: www.coast2coastpettransport.com Shipping costs are only if we have to have one of our family members/dog trainers fly the puppy to you within the US or out of country.

The start of the shipping costs for the puppy include:
$70.00 ·Travel approved soft-sided carrier, which can be used for the life of your dog. We have puppy and adult dog sizes available here.

$180.00 ·Vet fees for the check-up/rabies shot to fly and $350 for the international health certificate to fly.  $20.00 

The airlines charge $125 for the puppy one way, depending upon which airline. Some only allow 2 pets on board for each flight, so reservations must be made well ahead of time. 

 

**If one of us is available, (lately we've been too busy to fly) the price for our family member to hand carry the puppy to you, the airline ticket for the person, is approximately $450 to 650 so we round it off to $550.00.+/_ .

If our family member or dog trainer has to stay overnight, the hotel accomodations will also be your responsibility. If you have a spare bedroom that is appreciated too.

We can't give you the exact cost until determining the actual dates, the destination airport, getting a price 14 to 21 days prior is least expensive and it all depends on where you live too.

We do accept checks, but it will take 10 days to clear and we will not deliver the pup or make reservations until it has cleared. Most folks like the ease and accessibility of Paypal which is usually same day almost the same hour, or use FedEx or UPS next day,  and give you an instant receipt. Money orders or certified checks can also be sent by Express mail or by FedEX or UPS next day letter.

If you know of someone in your family traveling to or through this area you may arrange for the pick-up by someone you trust. Please call us for more information.