"How much is your dog?"

Priceless.

If they say no really how much, just stare at them.  I've found nothing shuts a person up better than silence.
 

JMack

Priceless.

If they say no really how much, just stare at them.  I've found nothing shuts a person up better than silence.

 If someone asked my how much would it cost them to get a dog like mine I would not find that offensive, I guess it would depend on the how they ask and why they ask.

But I think if they are refering to how much my dog would cost now, priceless is the perfect anwser.

lol i love the Priceless answer

i've been asked that question before.. where i got them, how much, what breed, usually all in the same breath (lots of bully fans out here)

i just tell them the truth.. all of them were given to me (well we traded dogs in Ben's case.. the woman had a bulldog but felt bad because he was too clingy, and i had a shepherd that wasnt clingy enough.. she did better with shepherds, i did better with bullies and we both rescued these dogs from going to the pound.. it just worked) but when people ask .. i just cut it short.. they were given to me by friends.

and where i come from its not unusual to be asked how much the cost. probably means they want to know if they could afford such a beautiful dog themselves. and lol yeah they also ask how much a purse, shoes, or coat costs.. i've even been asked how much i paid for one of my hats....

i wouldnt be worried until someone asked how much your dog costs and then asked if he was for sale..  

I get that question a lot because I breed dogs, and people are naturally curious. I always tell the truth and I always use it as an opening to discuss the true costs of dog ownership, and how little less up front...can yield higher costs in future etc.

We got ours from a rescue and one from a so-called breeder. I don't find it offensive though if they ask me any questions.

Yes...priceless.....I would stick my nose up in the air...lol.......picture it now....I would stick my nose up in the air, look down it at them and say in my best snobbish accent "if you have to ask darling you can't afford one"....lol  Just kidding, don't get offended, some people are just curious.  They ask me all the time and I just answer generally.....Mastiffs who are AKC registered with champion bloodlines, depending on how "rich" those lines are can run from 850 to upwards of 4000.  But paying big money for a dog doesn't mean you are going to get a 'great' dog.

I've had people ask how much Rascal cost, usually right after they ask what breed he is. I find it offensive, but I usually answer them anyway, with something like, "I didn't buy him, but I think he was about $650 - it's usually pretty expensive to buy from a good breeder, but it's worth it because you end up with a happy, healthy puppy instead of one you'll have to take to the vet all the time for zillions of dollars." They usually just kind of blink at me and walk away.

Well, if they were to ask me about my other dog, I'd say "the Humane Society charged $75."  .... but, this is a purebred dog that is ... well, not cheap.  I feel uncomfortable telling them the exact cost! I understand that they are curious, but I don't breed.  I also do my best to educate people and refer them to rescue when possible. 

I like the 'priceless answer' tremendously! ... and i think giving them a figure of how much the breed can cost is also a great idea. 

I'm glad I'm not alone, I didn't figure I was! :)  And great suggestions!

For security reasons alone I would never tell anyone I just ran into on the street how much my dog cost.  Expensive dogs potentially give an indication of how much the owner would pay to get the dog back if it were kidnapped...or how much someone else might pay for a dog they could breed (if the dog were intact) or a dog they could hunt with or fight...or any of a number of less than honourable motivations...if they could lure the dog away from the owner.

For example, someone pays $1500 for a well bred dog...and they get stopped and ask that question.  Most people will be shocked at the answer...but there's always going to be someone who thinks "that woman has money to burn....hmmmmmm".
 

Right, and then people will be like, "WTH, you paid that much for a DOG? You freak." Of course, if you were to tell them you spent that much on a motorcycle or something that you were entering in shows they'd think it was perfectly normal, right?

Benedict

For security reasons alone I would never tell anyone I just ran into on the street how much my dog cost.  Expensive dogs potentially give an indication of how much the owner would pay to get the dog back if it were kidnapped...or how much someone else might pay for a dog they could breed (if the dog were intact) or a dog they could hunt with or fight...or any of a number of less than honourable motivations...if they could lure the dog away from the owner.

For example, someone pays $1500 for a well bred dog...and they get stopped and ask that question.  Most people will be shocked at the answer...but there's always going to be someone who thinks "that woman has money to burn....hmmmmmm".
 

very good point and important to remember.. asking the price might also give them ideas on how much money they could make if they bred those kinds of dogs themselves.

some friends of ours jokingly "named" their doxie puppy 750... because that was how much the dog cost... there was a weird story behind how and why they got the dog and it was all last minute and lucky they found THAT colour and that gender at that particular moment... so shelling out 750 in a moments notice was shocking to our friend.. he had never done that before. the dogs real name is Patches but its still a joke to say 750 when asked his name..

 I get this ALL the time with Snuffa.  People ask " is that one of those Labra-poodles and how much was he"? LOL.

I always tell them the truth, that he is a lap/poodle mix and that he was rehomed to me from someone who was horribly irresponsible.  I never get the impression that people are trying to be rude when they ask, just curious.

I don't get asked about the Shepherds, only certain people make comments about them, but not about price......in my experience most people don't care for Shepherds that much....not cute enough, mean looking......you get what I mean.....but, I have been asked about Ronin......sorry, he is a rescue.....some of them want to know where they can get one like that or how much one like him would cost.......

Max  is obviously not a purebred, so people aren't really likely to wonder what I paid for him.  I have volunteered the info that there was an adoption fee of $40, $60 for neutering and $25 for the bath the vet gave him.  Out the door - $125 - and worth every penny.

Joyce