[hcelsa]

I've read this thread with interest...and here's my 2 cents for what they're worth.

I've only raised two litters of puppies in 9 years, but in both cases I've held onto two puppies until their perfect match came along (in both cases I had homes waiting...they just weren't quite right for the puppies I had available). I can't imagine telling their potential owners (I think the longest one stayed until 13 weeks) that I was going to charge them for food, board, training, health care for that extra time they lived with us. For that matter at any point in the lives of my puppies I'll board and/or train them for free.

Yep, it definitely makes more work for the breeder to have extra pups around, but I guess to me that's the commitment I make when I decide to breed a litter. To keep, and care for each pup until his/her perfect match is available is entirely my responsibility (I kept two puppies from my first litter MUCH against my plans because I just didn't have anyone on my list that would be an appropriate home for Roca...explaining that to someone who really wants a puppy was incredibly hard). That includes all the basic necessities, plus making sure each puppy is getting appropriate socialization activities alone (again...lots of extra work, but the only way to be fair to the puppy and his/her future family). As far as vaccines go they usually come in fairly large quantities and I've always had extra's left over, so I can't imagine charging anything extra for those.

If this person is the perfect match for this puppy keeping the puppy until the best possible time for puppy and owner to get to know each other is the most important thing. Why have a purchase price for the puppy if not to help pay some of the costs of breeding and raising a litter anyway.

I'm also with Jud on the relationship with your puppy home subject...asking them to pay for the "extras" isn't necessarily the best way to start of a hopefully 12+ year relationship on a good foot! Additionally...the people that my puppies live with are my friends, and I wouldn't ask a friend to pay for the little things :-)