The Cost of Raising a Responsibly Bred Litter of Puppies
Average liter size in Pomeranians is 2 pups.
Breeding costs are the same regarless of looking for a Pet or Show dog.
Below is a summary of the costs associated with raising a litter of puppies responsibly.
Not all apply on every breeding, a general associated costs with raising puppies. Not including purchase price of parents.
| Pre-Puppy Expenses | |||
| Expense Description | Minimum | Maximum | Average |
| Show dog at AKC events to ascertain quality (avg. cost to attain championship, Grand Champions add some more) | $2,000.00 | $8,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| Travel to meet and compare various stud dogs(if not owned) | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | $500.00 |
| OFA and CERF certifications of health for Mom | $380.00 | $480.00 | $430.00 |
| 2-4 Progesterone tests @75/every 2 days | $150.00 | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Brucellous test & health check for bitch | $80.00 | $175.00 | $125.00 |
| Stud Fee to Stud Owner | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Travel to Stud dog (gas, tolls) local vs. out of state | $100.00 | $500.00 | $250.00 |
| 4 nights at mid-priced dog-friendly lodging @$80/night (not counting hours on phone finding it) + pet deposit | $0.00 | $400.00 | $200.00 |
| Semen Collection of Stud (if needed) | $0.00 | $500.00 | $250.00 |
| Implantation (surgery) or 2 Transcervical insemination of collected sperm into bitch | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | $500.00 |
| Ultrasound to check on status of breeding – did it take? | $0.00 | $150.00 | $75.00 |
| Pre-puppy Total: NO PUPPIES YET, just preliminaries | $3,710.00 | $14,505.00 | $9,130.00 |
| Puppy Expenses - If they are pregnant, otherwise repeat of the above. | |||
| Accumulate needed birthing supplies (clamps, heat lamp, heat mat, siphon bulb, replacement milk, etc.) assuming already have some things from previous litters | $50.00 | $250.00 | $150.00 |
| Special food in anticipation of pregnancy | $100.00 | $200.00 | $150.00 |
| Prenatal vitamins for bitch | $0.00 | $50.00 | $25.00 |
| X-ray to confirm pregnancy | $0.00 | $150.00 | $75.00 |
| Birth Expenses – Natural (have oxytocin, other drugs on hand for complications) | $0.00 | $200.00 | $100.00 |
| Birth Expenses – C-section/Complications | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Emergency visit cost (weekend, after hours or fading puppy vet visit) | $0.00 | $200.00 | $100.00 |
| AKC litter registration $29 + $32 per puppy | $57.00 | $185.00 | $89.00 |
| More premium food for nursing mom & puppies (once weaned) | $100.00 | $300.00 | $200.00 |
| Nursing Mom refuses eat premium food, demands steak and cottage cheese instead | $0.00 | $100.00 | $50.00 |
| Vet Emergency that can happens. (Mastitis in mom, diarhea, low calcium, you get the idea) | $0.00 | $500.00 | $250.00 |
| Start puppies on solid food (premium Puppy food, Chicken, Hamburger) | $75.00 | $300.00 | $150.00 |
| Worm puppies 3 times (assuming 2-5 puppies) – stool sample $50 each & meds | $100.00 | $350.00 | $250.00 |
| First Parvo/Distemper shots for 1-5 puppies (Vaccine, Microchip & Vet checkup) | $150.00 | $400.00 | $250.00 |
| New & replacement puppy toys, towels, baby gates, other misc. necessities | $50.00 | $100.00 | $75.00 |
| Home Destruction (replace chewed woodwork, cords, repair furniture & rugs etc.) | $0.00 | $300.00 | $150.00 |
| 24/7 job of supervising new mom, making sure puppies are safe & fed, laundress, playmate and poop picker upper | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Assemble puppy “going home” packets (copying, food samples, collar, toys, poop bags, etc.) | $75.00 | $250.00 | $150.00 |
| Added utility bills and laundry costs for washing puppy blankets and heating for puppies when they are first born. | $100.00 | $300.00 | $200.00 |
| Eventual Sleep and a Healthy Mom & Puppies – Puppy breath and cuddles | PRICELESS | PRICELESS | PRICELESS |
| Total Cost of Whelping/Raising Litter | $857.00 | $7,135.00 | $3914.00 |
| TOTAL COST TO BREED A LITTER OF RESPONSIBLY-BRED PUPPIES | $4,567.00 | $21,640.00 | $13,044.00 |
There is a reason Pomeranians are expensive. Responsible breeding is not feeding the cheapest food, and when the female come into heat she gets pregnant by your male while you’re at work. Nine weeks later you don’t come home to a pile of cash nursing on the mom and just have to wait another 8 weeks for that tidy sum to mature so you can cash in. Poms are known as the Heartbreak breed.
Each year dignified breeders spend tens of thousands of dollars on the care and breeding of their dogs. Quality food, vet bills, health tests, showing, DNA, supplies... When we have puppies they don’t leave our sight for the first 8 weeks... we call it "team no sleep" because we don’t sleep. We monitor nursing (every two hours, 7 days a week for weeks), we bottle feed, we tube feed. We pour ourselves into these tiny little lives to the point where we become sick. We cancel our lives: holidays, vacations, weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays... everything is on hold when we have puppies.
When we don’t have puppies we still have the daily upkeep of our dogs. We also use this time for research, training and further educating ourselves so that we can produce the healthiest puppies possible.
So, yes, work our butts off keeping these amazing babies not only alive, but healthy, well adjusted and ready for their new families.