Paris Hilton pays $13,000 for a Pomeranian.

[Packy]

Would someone post a link to this news for us? We need to know. That Dog must be VERY cute, an the seller is one heck of a salesman, and Paris is.....well--I won't say it.

[bae]

I know good old boys back in the hills who have paid quite a bit more than that for decent coon hounds. And we won't talk about the madmen and their border collies.

[Blackdog Lin]

Seriously bae? Ignoring the celebrity/money/silliness thing - there are people kinda like US that would pay that much money for a DOG?

We had a pretty good-lined coon-dog in the 80's that I would have paid someone to take off my hands - noisy SOBs. And yeah, I can see a good border collie being worth some amount of money. But $13,000+?!!!

Tell me more. I'm having a hard time with the thought of any dog being worth this amount of money.

(full disclosure: I am a dog lover, and I am in love with our 14-year old baby, a mutt - and while I would never spend $13,000 to save her.....maybe I'd spend $5,000. or $6,000. or.....)

[bae]

People who are seriously into champion field dogs are insane, money-and-time-wise. They make the dog-show/comformance people look like amateurs.

A dog that has a serious nose and works well is valued beyond family by trackers and field-trial folks, the value is not just in the individual dog's performance and ability to win (if contesting) but as breeding stock.

A fellow here paid some serious money the other day for some breeding pigs from some heritage breed that produces insane bacon and ham. On edit: ah ha, I remembered the breed name. I must admit, they are darned tasty...

http://modernfarmer.com/2014/03/meet-mangalitsa-hairy-pig-thats-kobe-beef-pork/

Also, read this book a few years back on the border collie madmen, it was a fun read:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CEMESWMQL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU03_.jpg

[bae]

My Black and Tan Coon Hound cost me $50 to adopt, and about $1100 in medical fees when he ate too much grass a couple months ago and got....clogged up.

[Packy]

Yeah, but--$13,000 for a Pomeranian! $13,000!

[bae]

Yeah, but--$13,000 for a Pomeranian! $13,000!

Maybe it is a really good sheep herder? Or is micro-sled racing in fashion?

[Spartana]

I once spent close to $10,000 for medical care/surgery for one of my rescue dogs (a Lab). She was young and would possibly live a long time (wouldn't do that for an old dog). She died anyways after surgery. All my pets (8 in the past 10 or so years) have been rescues or strays, which included 2 labs and a border collie. I would never pay for a dog and would never buy one from a breeder - just a rescue place.

[Gregg]

Paris is a goof. I have an old rescue lab that she could have had for 1/2 that. (JK...probably)

[Gardenarian]

There are a lot worse things to spend your money on than a good dog.

[Packy]

Yes, there are worse things to spend $13,000 on than a Dogg. I won't list those things, here, because it would be off-topic. And off-color. Ha. Maybe, this particular dog is one that can produce offspring that do not bark at everything, like most Poms tend to do. Totally Yap-Free. It also might have a self-grooming coat, too, that it passes on to it's offspring. In that case--a dog might just be worth $2500, providing they throw in a leash, collar, bowls, and crate.

[Blackdog Lin]

Thanks for the explanation bae. I had no idea.

And.....
There are a lot worse things to spend your money on than a good dog.

Yeah. I can see that.

[Tussiemussies]

We are getting older and want two smaller dogs that are really good natured. Really a Golden Retriever would be perfect for us but the would be to large for us in our seventies. I looked online and found a breeder that is crossing a Golden Retriever with a Cocker Spaniel. The results are cute looking smaller versions of Goldens. The are adorable the only drawback is that they are $10,000.00 each. Since we love dogs so much and they are exactly what we need I would pay the money if I could afford it.....

[iris lily]

We are getting older and want two smaller dogs that are really good natured. Really a Golden Retriever would be perfect for us but the would be to large for us in our seventies. I looked online and found a breeder that is crossing a Golden Retriever with a Cocker Spaniel. The results are cute looking smaller versions of Goldens. The are adorable the only drawback is that they are $10,000.00 each. Since we love dogs so much and they are exactly what we need I would pay the money if I could afford it.....

What is wrong with all of the existing small dogs out there as pets for you? Why would you support commercial dog breeding and all of the misery that entails? I'm surprised to hear you say this, I thought that you were savvy about the pet breeding industry, mills and backyard breeders, all the commercial breeders.

Well, it's a free country, this industry is barely regulated, and people can buy dogs if they choose. Whatever.

I think that $10,000 is a joke, and I suppose this person has some pretty fancy marketing out there to convince the Paris wanna-bes that his/her dog flesh products are worthy of $$$$$.

This reminds me of a commercial mill in southern Missouri, possibly more of a back-yard breeder, who charges enormous fees for his bulldogs. I'm thinking something like $3,000 - $5,000 for dogs that are barely pet quality. But here's the kicker: we've had two of his dogs through Bulldog Rescue and they have had FANTASTIC personalities, utterly amazing! So in the world of bulldog personalities, they are stars. But I doubt that the breeder breeds for temperament, he's just been lucky. He's in it for the money and yes, he's got a big old website to promote his wares.

[Teacher Terry]

I have to agree that you can get any pure bred you want thru rescue groups. I have been involved with rescue since I did not know about puppymills & foolishly bought a puppy from a pet store & then spent $4000 to save her life. Worth every penny but let me learn about puppymills & i now rescue puppymill breeder dogs. Please do not breed but rescue dogs. They are so grateful. Nevada is the best place in the nation to be a homeless cat or dog. HOwever, we do not have anywhere near the number of puppymills that other states have. Until we can shut down the puppymills this will continue to be a huge problem. Unfortunately the Amish are one of the biggest, most gruel of the puppymill breeders in the nation. Until they get shut down the problem will never be solved. If you don't believe me google this.

[Packy]

I believe you. Breeding kennels are a cottage industry in rural areas, here. Since it's purely a for-profit proposition, surplus animals--those that are past breeding age, or deemed unsaleable are loaded up and dropped off at shelters or disposed of on-site. Just depends. The commercial breeders I've met are not much concerned with the suitability of the animals they use. As long as it has papers and will "throw" saleable puppies that look like purebreds, that's all that matters. So, they use dogs that are shy or temperamental, or don't meet the breed standards or are prone to pass on physical defects, such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy, vision problems. This just compounds the problem, because the puppies often end up in animal shelters when the consumers find out their pet shop dog has problems they don't want to deal with. It is not a self-regulating industry, as the AKC might have you believe; breeders will only form up activist groups to fight restrictive laws that are aimed at remedying the problem. The real solution is making the buyers beware---informing them of the origins of that pet-shop puppy. When demand decreases, and it is no longer profitable---the puppy millers will find another racket. But, you already knew that, didn't you?

[Packy]

I was just sitting here, intellectualizing, and this occurred to littlebittymee: It might actually be a "good" if Paris paids $13,000 for a dog. Just considering it from an economic point of view, if animals start having a higher dollar value, it will raise a possible barrier to impulse buying; it might make them less of a throwaway consumer item; demand for um 'preowned' adults might increase if the price of a puppy isn't affordable. And so on. Take this idea and expand on it. An example would be that dogg breed with the pushed-in face. With puppies selling for in excess of $1000, demand for 'rescued" animals is high. But, when you can buy a Lab for $150, they proliferate, and well----there are not enough good homes for adult Labs that lose their home 'cause the people don't want it any more. There's no prestige attached to something that's too cheap, and consequently no demand relative to supply. See?

[Karma]

I would say this would be one of the least offensive e things I have ever heard about her. :) not insulting or involving a axe tape.

[Jason]

not insulting or involving a axe tape. :laff:
I have spare Pomeranians to sell if she needs more. I'll sell them cheap, 10k each.