The Premium on Barrett Puppies

Hello, prospective Weimaraner puppy owner!

I’m hoping you’ve found this page as part of your research in getting a Weimaraner puppy. By now, you’ve probably figured out that prices vary, breeders vary, wait times vary, and quality varies.

That’s because breeders are like independent Bed and Breakfasts; we’re all quirky and no two of us are alike. Ha! We also have our own values and opinions on what defines a proper breeding program. 

If you’re just starting your search, feel free to interview a few breeders and ask them some questions about cost. To make it a tad bit easier on you, we’ll also provide you with our answers: 

How much do your puppies cost? For the last couple of years, we’ve charged anywhere from $1,800-$2,800. We typically decide the cost of a puppy once a litter arrives. By then, we’ll know how much has gone into producing that particular litter, and how much we’ll need to charge to recover some of our expenses.

Why do puppies cost that much? To be clear, we don’t make a profit breeding dogs. Ever. Any monies earned go back into the piggy to reimburse ourselves for expenses that have already been paid. (To be honest, we don’t need to make a profit, either. That’s what my day job is for.) Having said that though, expenses accrued as a result of how involved we are with the breed is MONUMENTAL. Six figures monumental.

Yep. A methamphetamine habit would have been cheaper. Or a yacht with a Michelin-starred personal chef.

But Weimaraners are my life’s work. In addition to breeding them, I own them, nap with them, train them, work with them, travel with them, compete with them, and teach people about them. There’s also about four generations of Barrett owners I coach on a daily basis about best practices and how to overcome their dog’s naughty behaviors. And a handful of breeder colleages I chat with every week to strategize our next breeding plans. And I answer about 20 emails every night from prospective Weimaraner puppy owners. Somewhere in between, I’m also giving back to rescue by picking up, transporting, fostering, and placing otherwise homeless Weimaraners. If the rescue is short on funds to care for a particular dog, we’re the first to pitch in. And then there’s my husband!!! I sneak in a few moments to spend time with him whenever I can. He’s the glue that’s holding us all together. 

In summary, buying a puppy is more than just buying a puppy. You’re voting with your dollars, and supporting where your puppy came from. 

Why is there a cost difference between litters? Various factors go into deciding what a puppy actually costs. To provide an example, let’s talk about Tennessee. Around the time that COVID hit, breeding plans had already been confirmed for her, so we continued our course to have her bred via artificial insemination (it’s IVF for dogs). Unfortunately, between a nervous male dog who had to get “collected” at the vet while his mom sat in the car, a FedEx shipment that sat around for an extra day, a dog who didn’t want to cooperate being inseminated by a vet she didn’t know, and just plain ‘ol bad luck, we found out after spending about $5,500 on breeding costs that Tennessee wasn’t pregnant. And a few months later, we tried it again!!! As of this writing, Tennessee is almost eight weeks pregnant, and it’s likely that we’re only expecting two puppies. GAH. In summary, we’re $11,000 in on just the two breedings alone… and there might be two puppies coming next week. It’s very likely that Tenn’s puppies will be sold on the higher end of the cost scale. 

What makes a Barrett puppy “different?” Honestly, we’re probably not much different than the next reputable breeder you talk to. Our price is likely higher, and our wait time is likely longer, but you’ll probably get the same lifetime commitment from us that you’ll get elsewhere. 

If socialization is important to you, we definitely have that category ACED!!! Here are two links that detail how we raise our kiddos. The second link will walk you through a 69-day streak of daily puppy posts. That was done as an excercise to 1) educate the public about what goes into raising a litter, and 2) keep the new owners informed of how their puppies were progressing:

• 2015 Bo x Mika Litter
• 2020 King x Gracie and Boulder x Stella Litters

We’re actually not sure there’s another Weimaraner breeder out there in the universe who chronicles their dogs more than we do. #archivenerd

Bringing home a Barrett puppy also means you become part of a four-generation network of “Barrett owners” all over the country. You can find us in CA, OR, WA, NV, UT, AZ, WY, NM, MI, TX, NC, SC, MA, and Canada. We all get together for play dates, group hikes, and share personal information so that we can ask each other questions about training, and trade babysitting duties. As the breeder, I’m also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any questions you might have about your dog, no matter if he’s 12 weeks old or 15 years old. 

And I also get that the average family probably can’t just drop a couple thousand dollars on their next family dog. Maybe you don’t have to.

Thank you for considering a Barrett puppy, and best wishes on your search!

– Kim

Last updated: October 2020