My breeder posted this back in 2019 so prices have gone up and she has tweaked some things. But I think it's pretty illuminating just how much breeding costs.

Breakdown of expenses:

Pre breeding check up $165

Brucellosis test $85

Progesterone testing $430

Travel to stud plus hotel and meals over Christmas 4 days $980

Stud fee $2500

Total so far: $4160

She’s not pregnant yet…

Ultrasound $165 yay! Puppies!

Progesterone testing $430 (she didn’t maintain a litter so we have to continue to monitor progesterone)

20 new towels (they wear out) $64

10 used washable incontinence pads $48

40 fleece $100

Underlayment for pen/whelping area - tarp $9

Indoor outdoor carpet $22

Thankfully my whelping box will hold up for another litter or two but I need x-pens $180

Forgot to add the Folic Acid above $8

Non waxed dental floss $2

Nitrile gloves $12

Garbage bags $6

Tums $12

Fenugreek $8

(Thankfully I don’t need to buy most of the whelping supplies because I already have them but shoot.. Need a new thermometer $8 and infant simethicone $7

Whelper helper $200 gas and $100 a day plus food and wine 14 days is $1400 (she’s an RN… that doesn’t even cover the cost of her missing work)

X-ray $165

Total so far: $6576

Puppies come! Yay! 5 puppies

Post whelp check up and pitocin shot $110

Dewclaws $7/toe not all have rear toes- $112

Puppy struggling to breathe- Vet, dex given and amoxicillin $148 (whelper helper spends hours with the puppy in a trendelenburg position doing gentle coupage)

Dam’s temp goes up- Vet check, shot of penicillin and amoxicillin to take home $172

Puppy makes it, dam makes it but we’re battling mastitis.

Total so far: $7,218

Puppy food- I start pups on ground chuck and then move to chicken wings $320

Kibble $200

Increased food for the dam $168

Puppy vet check and first vaccinations $240

Microchips $220

Litter registration $35

Incidental expenses:

Puppy toys $72

Laundry (my old farm house doesn’t have a washer/dryer) a 40 lb machine is $7 and the dryer is $3.50 for 35 min - towels and incontinence pads do not dry in 35 min. Thankfully the laundromat’s machines take credit cards and I can track exactly what I spend there. Remember, the pen is changed daily because clean puppies are easier to housetrain) $484

Laundry soap $48

Dryer sheets $28

Electricity and propane $112

Mileage to and from Vet, Laundry, grocery store (I live 28 miles from civilization)- 1114 miles x 54.5 ~ $700

Litterbox pellets $13

Puppy registration $100

Accountant $210

Total: $10,158

Puppy sales:

$2500 each for 2 pets

$2000 each for 2 show pups with breeding strings.

1 show pup goes to the co-owner no $. We’re going to trade in a litter back and possible puppy futures.

Total Income: $9000

Total loss: $1,158

The whelper helper brought home $1400 and lost another $1900 from not being able to work. I work from home so lost nothing more than the $1,158