10/15/2026
“I Just Want a Pet! Why Should I Pay That Much? I Ain’t Gonna Show It!”
Well, honey, I hate to break it to ya, but just because you ain’t taking that puppy to Westminster doesn’t mean its momma gave birth to it at a discount. 😂
I hear this one quite often, and Lord knows, I understand wanting to save a dollar. I grew up knowing the difference between being broke and being so broke you had to check the couch cushions for gas money.
But let’s talk about this for a minute.
That little puppy you’re wanting to take home and turn into a professional couch potato came from the same breeding program as the one headed to the show ring.
Same momma. Same daddy. Same veterinary bills. Same food. Same sleepless nights. Same breeder standing in the yard at two in the morning wearing pajamas and rubber boots, praying somebody will hurry up and p**p.
And believe me, the veterinarian doesn’t offer me a discount because I tell him, “Oh, this one’s just going to be somebody’s pet.”
He’d probably laugh so hard he’d charge me an additional office visit.
Now, sometimes a puppy is considered pet quality because its ears aren’t quite right, its bite is a little off, or it has some other feature that wouldn’t make it competitive in the show ring.
Does that make it any less lovable? Absolutely not!
That puppy couldn’t care less whether its ears stand at attention or look like two wet dish rags hanging off its head.
And your neighbors aren’t going to come knocking on your door demanding to see its championship certificate before allowing it to p*e on their mailbox.
But here’s where folks get confused.
You’re not paying for what YOU intend to do with that puppy. You’re paying for what went into producing it.
Thirty years of breeding experience doesn’t disappear because you want a dog that watches The Price Is Right instead of competing for Best in Show.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. A high price doesn’t automatically mean a good breeder. There are folks out there charging ch*****ne prices for something that ought to come with a warning label and a prayer.
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with adopting a dog or finding one that fits your budget.
But expecting a responsible breeder to knock hundreds or thousands off a puppy simply because you don’t intend to show it is a little like walking into a Cadillac dealership and saying, “Well, I ain’t planning on racing it. Can’t you sell it to me for the price of a bicycle?”
Honey, that ain’t how this works.
And let me give you one final piece of advice.
You might not be interested in showing that dog, but I can promise you that dog will be interested in showing YOU who’s boss.
You’ll pay the bills, buy the groceries, surrender your favorite blanket, and eventually find yourself sleeping on six inches of mattress while a four legged freeloader stretches out like it pays the mortgage.
Congratulations. You didn’t buy a show dog. You bought a furry, unemployed landlord with absolutely no intention of getting a job. 😂
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