HOW TO SELL DOGS— 12 



must be paid out immediately for 

 something which is not absolutely 

 necessary, often the sale is not 



made. We are heartily in favor of 

 time payments and believe that the 

 method offers a wider field for the 

 sale of good pedigreed dogs. 



H—WHAT PRICE PUPPY? 



We come now to perhaps the 

 most vital question in the sale of 

 dogs — what is the proper price for 

 a dog? 



First, the word proper must be 

 interpreted. Proper may refer to 

 the value of a dog, to the amount 

 of money the buyer possesses, to the 

 necessity of the breeder for reduc- 

 ing his kennels, and to a number of 

 other factors. 



There is the policy on the part 

 of some that a dog is worth the 

 price it will fetch. This should be 

 qualified so that the buyer will not 

 be imposed upon. Clearly a dog of 

 low-grade should not be sold at a 

 fancy price even tho the buyer 

 might be influenced to pay the ex- 

 cessive price. 



Two Sales Groups 



Let us clear the deck by dividing 

 dogs for sale into two groups — the 

 pet and companion group, and the 

 show and breeding group. Dogs 

 which are show or breeding pros- 

 pects clearly are worth more 

 money and the market for them is 

 among breeders and exhibitors. 



Sell Pets Early 



The kennel should divide the dogs 

 into these two groups at an early 

 time and the dogs which are for use 

 as pets and companions should be 

 sold as early as possible. The age 

 of three months is an ideal age for 

 selling puppies. After that age, 

 they become more subject to vari- 

 ous ills; the cost of feeding in- 

 creases; the profits will be devoured 

 by the dogs themselves in the way 

 of kennel expense and feeding costs. 

 The pet puppy clearly becomes a 

 profit-eater after the age of five 

 months. 



No higher price can be gotten for 

 a puppy of this group at the age of 

 six months as at the age of three 

 months. Therefore, logic urges the 

 breeder to move puppies of this 



class as early as possible, not only 

 for the sake of profit and getting 

 one's money back earlier, but also 

 for the sake of less work in the ken- 

 nel and more space in it for coming 

 litters. Also the puppy needs the 

 greater personal attention the new 

 owner can give. 



Keeping Promising Puppies 



But there is one consideration 

 which the oldtime breeder at once 

 presents — are you sure you can al- 

 ways divide the dogs into two 

 groups? The answer is "no." A 

 clear mark of the beginner in dogs 

 is his definite statement that he can 

 pick the champion in the nest. 



The oldtime breeder, when there 

 is a doubt in his mind, prefers to 

 keep the puppy until it is six or 

 eight or even ten months old; then 

 he can settle definitely the question 

 whether the dog will be a show win- 

 ner, an excellent breeding specimen, 

 or just another dog. 



Selling Champions as Pets 



A certain leading kennel in fox- 

 terriers does not sell puppies. This 

 kennel keeps all dogs until they are 

 at least eight months old. Any dogs 

 younger than this which are dis- 

 posed of are given away at the age 

 of two to three months for it is 

 clearly known that they are utterly 

 out of consideration as belonging to 

 the class of dogs of good type. 



Loud and long are the laments of 

 oldtime breeders who have sold 

 three-months puppies as pets at pet 

 prices only to have these same dogs 

 go on to high show honors and per- 

 haps reach a sales value as high as 

 five hundred dollars. Consequently, 

 where the breeder has any doubt in 

 his mind, he prefers to pay the ex- 

 tra expense of feeding and care un- 

 til the dog has advanced toward 

 maturity. 



Minimum Sales Price 



Few subjects cause such sharp 



