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Cost

How Much a Beagle Costs | Pricing

Overview

Overview

You may be thinking about purchasing a Beagle puppy or maybe you just have and you are wondering if you over or under paid. This section will talk about the elements that come into play regarding how much a Beagle costs.

While the initial cost is, of course, a deciding factor in whether or not you can afford to bring a new dog into your home, the cost of ongoing care should be factored in as well.  

We will discuss how the following affects the price that you will be paying:
  • Where you live and where the puppy originates from
  • The age of the Beagle
  • The type of registration that the dog has
  • How breeding restrictions or rights affect the overall price
  • Why some dogs are priced exceptionally high or confusingly low 

How Location Affects Pricing

Location and correlating price applies to more than just real estate! In the U.S. prices vary quite a bit depending on which state a breeder resides in. 

There are no laws that dictate pricing; however the element of “demand and supply” comes into play as well as operating costs.

While puppies can and are shipped out to new homes, most often you will find more breeders in states that are prone to buy more puppies. For example, there are relatively few Beagle breeders in the north eastern part of the country compared to some southern states. 
Puppies sold there, from small home breeders, may be priced higher since the supply cannot keep up with the demand. 

And of course, one should never give in to the temptation to purchase from a pet store, since a large number of them are supplied by puppy mills. 
In general, there is not an overwhelming number of home based dog breeders and a lot of this has to do with the fact that there is not too much money to be found in this type of business. 

The money that goes into purchasing quality dogs to bring into the program, veterinarian bills (for pre-breeding health  checks, on-going care, spaying of retired dogs, emergency C-sections and more), food, supplies and more create a situation where money earned from the sale of a puppy does not leave a large profit margin. 
Do be careful to differentiate between an ethical sale and a backyard breeder. If you are looking to purchase a new puppy and are not sure how to proceed, you may be interested in the Beagle Puppy Buying Guide. 

For those who must look outside their own state to buy a puppy, shipping costs come into play, which can add hundreds to the final cost.

While there are options (a pup can be flown out to you or you can fly to him, the buyer or the seller can drive, etc.) this does increase the price. 

In general, a quality AKC registered Beagle puppy from a small home breeder will cost more than one that comes from a state where there are a larger number of pups available. 

About Low Pricing

Do you get what you pay for? Well, sometimes. 

In some areas, puppy mills are still operating. They will place ads online, offer pups at flea markets, place them in pet stores and essentially inundate the market with cheap puppies. 

This puts small, ethically breeders in a bind. Many must keep their prices comparatively low to compete with the mills. However, sometimes greedy mills will keep the price as high as they can.

The bottom line is that you can’t judge a Beagle quality by the price. Cost is, of course, a factor, but not the only one.
Next, we'll talk about how prices can change with the seasons

Seasonal Elements

In areas that experience seasonal weather changes (cold winter, warm spring, hot summer) the majority of people bring new puppies into their home in the months of June and July. They begin looking in April and May, in order to allow time to find the perfect puppy, choose from the litter, put down a deposit and prepare for their new canine family member to enter the household. 

This is when children are home from school, adults often take vacation time in order to be home to care for the pup and facilitate the transition and the nice weather allows for easier housebreaking. 
During the months of November through March, for many this means snowfall, ice storms and plummeting temperatures…certainly not the best circumstances for bringing a new Beagle puppy home. Therefore, many breeders take break in the winter, when expected sales are low. In areas such as this, the lower demand brings about lower pricing.

If you want to take the opportunity to purchase a Beagle during the “off season” do keep in mind that training, exercise and other care elements may be more difficult if you do have snow storms and other unpleasant weather. 

How Age Affects Pricing

Timing is critical in regard to the price of a Beagle puppy. There is a very small window of time in which pricing can be top dollar. Top, reputable breeders may take deposits on litters not even born yet, however once the pups reach the age of 8 weeks old, the price usually takes a dramatic drop.

There is that notion that a Beagle puppy (or any other breed for that matter) “must be” 2 months old when purchased. Therefore, an unsold pup that is 9, 10, or even 11 weeks old will most likely be sold for much less money than his younger counterpart. If a person locates an ethical breeder of quality pups and does not mind having a pup that is a tad older than planned, this can lower the coat by hundreds of dollars.  

Alternatively another route is to think about bringing in a retired Beagle. For health reasons, female should generally be retired from breeding programs by age 7, and many are pulled even younger for various factors. Sometimes, they are placed in new homes at this time. If a person is open to the idea of having an older dog, pricing can be cut in half. This is a good choice for those who want to bypass the housebreaking phase and in many cases, have a Beagle that already knows his commands.

Breeder Vs Rescue Vs Shelter

Rescues or shelters are options and there are some things to consider. There are purebreds at shelters, in fact it was recently revealed that a bit over 30% of dogs in shelters were purebreds. There is a misconception that all abandoned or surrendered dogs have behavioral problems, the truth is that some do and some do not.

It is true that some are taken away or surrendered due to abuse or neglect and this can cause behavioral issues; however others become lost, some end up in a kennel due to owners who could not handle daily care, and other various reasons that have no impact on the physical or emotional health of the dog.

The Beagle, being the most commonly used dog for lab experiments, is a breed in high demand of rescue. 

Reputable shelters will give potential new owners an analysis of the dog. They will let people know if there are any behaviors or intolerance issues to be aware of. And sometimes this all works out in the best interest of the Beagle. 

For example, we were just contacted by someone who found an adorable 7 year old Beagle at a local shelter. The cost of adopting him was tempting, a little over $200 and those puppy dog eyes were even more tempting. He was told that the dog tended to bark and howl quite a bit…one of the main reasons that he was under their care.

The previous owner lived in an apartment and was gone for most of the day… surely not a good situation for the dog (or the neighbors) as he barked almost non-stop for most of the day light hours. However, the man who found this Beagle was retired. He lived on 3 acres of land and one of his hobbies was to hike through the adjoining forest and fields. 

He had the exact type of home and environment that the Beagle needed: He would be a companion for the Beagle for the majority of the time, giving the Beagle little reason to bark due to Separation Anxiety.
And so it was settled, for $250, the Beagle found a wonderful new home and the man found his best friend.

While this is a “best case scenario”, do keep the option of adoption on the table. You’ll find that price varies and usually is based to cover the cost of maintaining the facility, veterinarian visits, etc. Additionally, one reason why kennels charge a fee is because they question the issue of: If a person cannot afford a couple of hundred dollars for the purchase, how is he or she going to afford the cost of care?
And so it was settled, for $250, the Beagle found a wonderful new home and the man found his best friend.

While this is a “best case scenario”, do keep the option of adoption on the table. You’ll find that price varies and usually is based to cover the cost of maintaining the facility, veterinarian visits, etc. Additionally, one reason why kennels charge a fee is because they question the issue of: If a person cannot afford a couple of hundred dollars for the purchase, how is he or she going to afford the cost of care?
cute Beagle puppy with bucket and leaves

How Coloring, Marking and Breed Conformation Affects Pricing

In the United States, the AKC oversees the standard for all purebreds. This includes size, weight, height, body structure, ear set, coloring and more. Ethical breeders will strive to reach this standard and produce “show quality dogs’. Those that are show quality and have an impressive pedigree, with champions in the bloodline will sell at higher prices.

Even while striving for this level of quality, there will always be some Beagles that due to (usually recessive genes) do not meet the standard. Certain elements may classify the dog as having faults. 

In some cases, these faults are merely aesthetics and do not affect the health of the dog. When this happens, the price of the Beagle will be much lower than that of a show quality Beagle, anywhere from $200 to $500 less. If you are looking for a pet and do not mind some faulty coloring (or other non-health related issue), this may be a choice for you.

The puppy should be sold without breeding rights and a spay/neuter contract so that those faults are not passed down.

How the Type of Registration can Affect Cost

In the US, the AKC is the most reputable, trusted canine kennels, setting the standards purebreds. They strive to oversee breeding programs, making sure that their many rules are followed. This helps ensure the integrity of the breed and keep dogs healthy. 

Those who cannot or do not wish to follow their guidelines may default to having CKC registered dogs. The CKC has very few regulations…in fact, a dog can be declared as being “purebred” simply by submitting a photo and “testimonials” to the dog’s bloodline. Now, of course, there are purebred Beagles that are CKC registered, however with these loose regulations, this cannot be guaranteed.

Note: This is not to be confused with Canada’s CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) which is a very reputable kennel.

For this reason, AKC Beagles will be priced higher than dogs registered another way. This is a personal choice and there are many factors to be considered.  
two Beagle pups
two Beagle pups

Wild Fluctuations & The Bottom Dollar

You know the saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you see a Beagle puppy priced at $250, this is a red flag. Alternatively, a $2500 Beagle is exceptionally expensive.

While you must take all factors of locations, registration and age into consideration, the normal price range for a Beagle is $800 to $1500 in the U.S.

Ongoing Care Costs

We urge anyone considering the purchase of a Beagle to also consider the ongoing cost of care.

Please budget for a high quality food (or home cooking), grooming supplies (coat, shedding, dental), vaccinations, home supplies (gates, bed, leashes, bowls, etc.), routine checkups and of course, unplanned emergency costs. Owners typically spend between $500 and $700 for the normal care of a pet, without unforeseen health issues.
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