08/03/2026
Why don't we sell our Great Dane puppies for $800?
It's a question I hear all the time. "I found a Great Dane puppy for $800."
And that's okay. Everyone has a budget, and everyone is free to choose the breeder that best fits their needs.
But here's something many people don't realize...
By the time one of our puppies is ready to go home, we've already invested nearly $800 in that puppy alone, and that's before accounting for the cost of maintaining the breeding pair that produced the litter.
It's also important to remember that Great Danes are one of the largest dog breeds in the world. Naturally, everything costs more than it does for a small or medium-sized breed. They eat more, require larger doses of medication, larger crates, larger beds, larger collars, larger toys, larger chew items, and even routine veterinary care is often more expensive simply because of their size.
I recently sat down and calculated what it actually costs to maintain one breeding pair and raise one average litter. As we all know the cost of everything has been steadily increasing, we however have kept our prices same for the last 8 years.
Honestly...even I was surprised at the overall cost.
Annual cost to maintain ONE breeding pair
πΎ Victor Professional food β Approximately $4,650
πΎ Homemade meals (chicken leg quarters, rice, vegetables & liver) β Approximately $2,200 i spend 150 weekly on hamburger alone.
πΎ Heartgard β Approximately $375
πΎ Monthly deworming β Approximately $490
πΎ Bully sticks, ropes, balls, chew toys & enrichment β Approximately $1,100
πΎ Routine veterinary care, vaccinations, cleaning supplies, laundry, utilities, bedding, and general maintenance β Approximately $3,200
That's over $12,000 every year just to properly maintain one breeding pair before a single puppy is ever born.
Then the puppies arrive...
Before one of our puppies ever leaves for its new family, each one has already received approximately:
βοΈ Newborn veterinary examination β $125
βοΈ 8-week veterinary examination & vaccinations β $175
βοΈ Florida Health Certificate β $65
βοΈ Microchip β $45
βοΈ F***l examination β $40
βοΈ Deworming protocol β Approximately $80
βοΈ AKC paperwork β $35
βοΈ Goat milk, premium food, homemade meals, vitamins & supplements β Over $250
Purina one large breed 61.00 a bag not including blueberries Alaskan fish oil coconut oil and treats.
I've already invested over $800 in every puppy. And those are only the expenses that are easy to calculate. I didn't add collars, blankets, puppy packs, toys, paper towels, laundry detergent, disinfectants, electricity, water, and countless other everyday supplies...
What else isn't included?
β’ Pregnancy ultrasounds
β’ Pregnancy X-rays
β’ Emergency veterinary visits
Right now battling hookworms!!!
β’ C-sections
β’ Medications and antibiotics
β’ Whelping supplies
β’ Puppy play areas and enrichment equipment
β’ Fence repairs and replacement
β’ Whelping boxes, exercise pens, scales, crates, and equipment replacement
β’ AKC litter registration
β’ Electricity/ running the washer and dryer non stop!
β’ having your own clothes smell bc even sanitized washers after u wash and bunch of welping stuff stinks.
β’ The unexpected expenses that inevitably come with raising animals
Some litters are uncomplicated.
Others require emergency veterinary care that can add hundreds, or even thousands of dollars overnight.
And then there's something you simply can't put a price on...
Time.
A FULL TIME JOB before the rearing of puppies.. mine do not welp alone or stay alone the first 3 weeks.
The overwhelming majority of ethical breeders don't make a living breeding dogs. We have careers, families, and responsibilities just like everyone else. Breeding is something we do because we are passionate about preserving and improving our breed, not because it's an easy way to make money.
In reality, many ethical breeders are simply trying to break even. And that is only breaking even money wise. If you was paid for your time and energy and heart put into it we would be owed money.
None of these calculations include the countless hours we invest.
The sleepless nights spent beside a whelping box.
The constant monitoring of a pregnant mother.
Middle-of-the-night feedings when a puppy needs help.
The endless cleaning, disinfecting, changing bedding, doing laundry, and sanitizing puppy areas.
The baths after puppies discover mud...or worse.
Daily handling and socialization.
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS).
Sound desensitization.
Introducing different surfaces, objects, and environments.
Learning to wear a collar and harness.
Beginning leash training.
Teaching simple concepts like "wait," "back," and "down."
Nail trimming.
Water introduction.
Car rides.
Meeting new people.
Evaluating each puppy's temperament and personality.
Answering questions. Taking photos and videos, Sending photos and updates. Advertising, marketing, answering phone calls and messages.
Providing lifetime support long after a puppy goes home.
Those hours aren't reflected anywhere in the numbers above.
Neither are the emotional costs when something goes wrong. The emergency trips to the veterinarian. The unexpected C-sections. The antibiotics. The sick puppy that needs around-the-clock care. The heartbreak when, despite doing everything right, you still lose one.
Those are realities every ethical breeder hopes they never faces, but prepares for anyway.
The reality is that ethical breeding isn't about producing puppies as cheaply as possible. It's about producing the healthiest, best-socialized puppies possible and giving them the very best start in life.
This isn't a complaint. I chose this because I genuinely love this breed.
I simply wanted to share a side of responsible breeding that many people never get to see.
The next time you see a Great Dane puppy advertised for $500 or $800, ask yourself one simple question:
Where did the savings come from?
Quality nutrition?
Veterinary care?
Preventative medications?
Early socialization?
Health certificates?
Emergency preparedness?
Or perhaps the breeder simply accepted little or no profit on that particular litter.
Every breeding program is different, but the costs of raising giant-breed dogs responsibly are very real.
Sometimes the least expensive puppy on the day you bring it home can become the most expensive one over the course of its lifetime.
That's why I refuse to cut corners. Our goal has never been to produce the cheapest Great Dane. Our goal has always been to produce the healthiest, happiest, and best-prepared companion I possibly can.
At the end of the day we do what we do bc we love it. I try to show it in ever litter I raise and ever family that becomes part of my life β‘β‘
Copied and added to with my own twist..
