{"id":83159,"date":"2022-11-09T10:31:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T14:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=83159"},"modified":"2022-11-11T10:34:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T14:34:10","slug":"why-are-dogs-so-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/why-are-dogs-so-expensive\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Dogs So Expensive Right Now? Blame COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you thought about getting a dog in the past couple of years? Why are dogs so expensive at the moment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you thought the pandemic was the best time to buy a puppy, you\u2019re not alone. During the past few years, dog sales spiked dramatically. As the law of supply and demand tells us, when something is in-demand, prices go up. This affected every part of the dog-owning industry, from food to vet care to the dogs themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to consider before buying a puppy in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

COVID-19\u2019s Effect on Puppy Prices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why are dogs so expensive since the pandemic? Back in March 2020, when the United States began to undergo lockdown, many assumed it would only last a couple of weeks. But then weeks turned into months and people were stuck in their homes and working alone. Children also went without any social interaction with people their age since they were taking online classes. To make up for the lack of in-person meetings and connections, people opted for dogs instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog breeders who would get an average of 10 inquiries about puppies a day began to get more than 100 a day<\/a> during the pandemic. The American Pet Products Association (APPPA)<\/a> reported that in 2020 alone, pet ownership in the United States rose from 67% of households to 70%. Taking up the majority of those numbers are Generation Z and Millennials, who are more likely to be pet owners and spend more money on their pets than any other generation, the APPPA also reported. The statistics don\u2019t stop there: the percentage of people who got a pet from May 2020 to February 2022 rose from 7% to 14%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog breeders who still had puppies left took advantage of the increased demand for dogs to make a larger profit. They raised their prices to compete within the dog-buying market, and people were still paying these prices due to the stress of the pandemic, which many thought puppies could help with. However, the prices didn\u2019t go up just because breeders wanted to exploit people\u2019s desperation for a furry companion. There was also a shortage of dogs<\/a> because of the high demand for them. Des Kehoe, the vice president of Dogs West in Australia, also says that breeders have to raise their prices to make their dogs more impressionable. If breeders don\u2019t charge their dogs at a higher price than their competitors, then people might be skeptical<\/a> that they won\u2019t be receiving a \u201cgood product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breeding Is Expensive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even before the pandemic, breeding dogs was expensive. According to Cosmopolitan Dogs<\/a>, a home-based breeder for foundation-trained and allergy-friendly dogs, many factors make breeding cost more than adopting a pet from a shelter. Some of these factors are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n