I know to the average person, $4,000-$5,000 can come across as an exorbitant amount for a puppy. For a low-quality puppy I would totally agree with you, but I will explain below why a Steel City Puppy cost more.
Employees
My wife and I work at “Steel City Puppies” all day, every day. There is no 9-5, no clocking out, no holidays, etc. You are paying for two full time salaries, plus more hours of overtime than you could count. It is 9:30 PM on a Thursday night as I write this very article. Keep in mind we have to pay taxes as well, so about a third of that income just goes away. We rely on what is left to pay for our mortgage, electricity, bills, food, etc. Without a decent income, we would not be able to both work the business and give our animals an amazing life, plus pay for our day-to-day.
The alternative: the dog breeder works a full-time job elsewhere, leaving the puppies alone all day. Or one spouse works and puppies only get half the attention they would with both spouses raising the puppies.
Quality Dogs
One thing about me is I always want the best. I will go for the $8,000 stud over the $1,000 stud if I believe he will produce the best puppies for my female. If I have a dog that I do not like the quality of the offspring produced, then he or she will be spayed/ neutered and retired. Reputation is very important to me, and thankfully due to our success, I have been able to purchase and use some of the best bloodlines in the business.
The alternative: I could easily lower our costs and prices if our parents dogs came from craigslist, the neighbor down the street, puppy mills, etc.
Day to Day Expenses
Our dogs get the best, it is as simple as that. Our dog food prices range from $4-$6 a pound. Our adult dogs are raw fed and get all the healthy treats and supplements. We use top-quality, expensive shampoos and conditioners for our dogs and pups. They have very nice beds, blankets, brushes, etc. It is a core foundation at Steel City Puppies that our dogs provide for us, so they will be given an amazing life.
The alternative: we use easily use an inferior $1 a pound dog food, even though this would probably lead to health issues. We could cut out all the treats and splurges our dogs get to enjoy.
Infrastructure
We purchased a large farm, outside of the city limits, just for the dogs. This was not cheap, but now they can run, play, and bark without bothering anyone. Then a very nice, expensive fence was put up to keep all the dogs secure. We also fenced in the entire property as a double layer of security. We put up a security gate to prevent unwanted visitors. The entire flooring inside the house is having to be replaced, as you can imagine carpet does not do well with puppies. :) All of our dogs and puppies are raised and live in our home and get plenty of playtime outdoors as well.
The alternative: I have seen breeders live in subdivisions and raise the puppies in their garage. It is also common for breeders to just raise their dogs in “runs” outside. The puppy mills typically just have a giant barn outside for the dogs.
Professional Services
You think your vet bills for your one or two dogs is bad, put yourself in my shoes. Haha! Think about the monthly grooming bill for 5 dogs as well. The simple fact is if our dogs or puppies have any issue, they will be taken to the vet and treated no matter the cost. We have the added cost of reproduction services, like artificial insemination. After rounds of progesterone testing, cost of semen collection and shipping, plus the stud fee, and the actual rounds of artificial insemination, our cost can be upward of $5000 to get one female pregnant. This is with no guarantee that the pregnancy will take. However, this is the cost to have and use the best bloodlines.
The alternative: our dogs and puppies could only go to the vet when absolutely necessary, if even then. Grooming is not necessary, and they will be fine if we shave them down ourselves a couple times a year.
Health Guarantee
We have a great 4 year health guarantee for inheritable diseases. Any issues our owners have, they know they can reach out to me. I want happy, healthy puppies and satisfied customers. Guaranteeing health is not free, as any reimbursments come directly out of our sales.
The alternative: no health guarantee. If you have issues with your puppy, that is not my problem and good luck to you.
Summary
Raising puppies in the way we do is not cheap. If you want a cheap/ value doodle, then we are not the right fit for you. If you want a high-quality puppy, raised in an ethical way from experienced breeders, yes we can help you out. We will not cut costs by switching to the alternatives above, and I can guarantee that.