Have you priced a French Bulldog lately? If not, and you are thinking of getting into the market for one, you are in for a rather big surprise. They are expensive, with an average puppy costing nearly $5000 and that is just for a basic puppy. Want breeding stock? You will be well into the 5 figures for a dog with a proper lineage.
Why The High Cost?
The reason for the high cost of this breed is simply supplying and demand.
Let us start with the demand. These are popular pets as many people see them as the perfect dog. Modest in size, playful, and relatively quiet, they are not your average small dog. This is not a nippy Chihuahua or yappy Pomeranian. They are friendly dogs that make excellent companion animals. For this reason and because of the numerous celebrities that own French Bulldogs, they are wildly popular.
Now for the supply. French Bulldogs do not have big litters and they are notoriously hard to breed. Most litters consist of just 2 or 3 puppies. Breeding is difficult because they need help at every step along the way, which is expensive. They need artificial insemination, many vet visits and to give birth, they will require a scheduled C section.
Combine this high demand with low supply and high breeding costs and what do you get. A dog with a starting price of around $5000.
Getting A French Bulldog On A Budget
So, now that you understand where the price comes from, how can you make one affordable enough to own. We are not all made of money, so look at some possible options.
Financing
Yes, financing is available for a dog, but not from most breeders. Most breeders still choose not to offer financing for one simple reason, they do not have to. Why deal with the pain of paperwork to finance a dog when there are so many cash buyers out there?
To get financing, you need to use a third party and lucky for you, there are a lot of companies willing to help. Many of these will work directly with breeders, but this can limit your options. Some breeders will be completely unwilling to accept anything but cash, direct from a buyer.
If you want to keep your options open, look to a website like Puppylending.com that can help you get a cash offer. Once approved for a loan, your lender will deposit loan funds directly into your account. You can then shop any breeder that you like, just like any other cash buyer.
Credit Cards
While many breeders still do not accept financing, they may accept credit cards.
With the availability of card readers from companies like Square and Paypal, you might be surprised at just how many breeders will now let you pay with plastic. Just be prepared to pay a “convenience fee” to cover the processing costs which are usually around 3%.
If you have good credit, a credit card can be a nice option because you can usually grab a zero or low-interest introductory rate. For those with less than perfect credit, be careful about high-interest rates. You could really take a financial hit charging a $5000 dog on a credit card with an APR of 20% or higher.
Rescues
There will always be dogs in need and if you have the heart to take one in, you can save a lot of money in the process.
A rescue is a great choice because you would be helping a dog in need and saving money in the process. Keep in mind that there will be an adoption fee, but it will be much less than you would pay for a French Bulldog from a breeder. There will also be a limited supply, so you will need to check websites like Frenchbulldogrescue.org often to secure a pet as soon as they become available.
Rescuing a pet is a wonderful thing, but there is one downside that might be a deal-breaker for you. There will be no puppies. Puppies just do not pop up often at rescues, so you will have to settle for an older dog. If you can deal with that, you can also avoid all of the puppy problems like teething and house training.
Making The Right Choice
Now you have 3 legitimate options for making a French Bulldog affordable. Just be sure to make a solid decision that is not based on emotion. It can be easy to let your feelings get you into financial trouble.
If you can afford it, financing your puppy with a loan or a credit card is perfectly reasonable. Just make sure that the payment works with your budget and that you will not be paying an excessive amount of interest.
On the other hand, if money is tight, make a smart decision. Stick to a rescue animal that you can both afford to buy and properly care for.
