my biegon/maltese preggy girl! :)

Question
I know I spelled beigone(SP?) wrong and I am sorry to all that read.  She is pregnant and due to start labor I say this week.  I was wondering with my MIX of dog how many should I expect to look for since this is her FIRST litter.
ALSO...  I want to know since I do not believe dog stores sell their pets to responsible people sometimes I will NOT charge the rates some breeders and stores do.  I have HEARD my mix of dog sells between $1200 - $2000.  I want to sell the puppies we do not keep ourselves for $700 or $800.  That way families can afford shots and also I believe babies aka PUPPIES shouldn't be looked for just for the monetary costs but for the REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS LOVE for the animals and how much they love EACH OTHER. (both animal and the humans wanting them).  Is the price I am going to be asking for TOO HIGH? Too Low?  Tell me what you honestly think.

Thanks for you time and for the your love of animals.  Take care and have a great weekend!

*Lynette Harris*
in NJ

Answer
Hi Lynette:

As for how many puppies to expect your very best course of action would be to have a quick abdominal X-ray done by your vet. This way there's no guessing & you should be able to get a very close idea of the litter size. It may also help in knowing if any potential problems may be lurking that might make natural delivery problematic, such as an over-sized puppy. Since this is her first litter, I would strongly urge you to have this done as you have no way to judge via previous litters. On average, Maltese have average litters of three puppies. I'm not exactly sure what breed you mean by "biegon" - perhaps you mean Bichon Frise? If so, they have an average litter size of 3-5 puppies so my best guess would be somewhere in the range of three to five puppies. Many factors determine litter size, such as genetics, sperm quality, nutrition, etc.

I do understand your concerns about ensuring the puppies go to quality homes. Please bear in mind the following is strictly MY opinion. Many factors should be considered when planning to sell a mixed breed. One, what will the market pay for such a puppy? Any puppy, whether it be of the highest pedigree or the most mixed of mixes, can only be sold for whatever amount an interested party is willing to pay. In your case, my feelings are you can charge whatever you feel is fair - if potential buyers seem to be hard to come by or disinterested, you may need to lower the price. Keep in mind you can always come down in price - some people love to negotiate on price & it may be in everyone's best interest, including the puppy, if you're willing to accept a lesser amount if it means the puppy receives a loving, quality, forever home. Regardless of what amount you choose to charge, my best advice would be to screen all potential buyers carefully. Personally I always remember I may not actually like or become fast friends with buyers of my puppies but I must be as certain as possible that the puppy will be going to a quality, loving home & its lifetime needs will be met. I'm including a link to a sample questionnaire you may want to use as a guideline for helping to screen potential buyers - you will certainly want to customize it for those priorities you feel are most important & significant. Also I'm including another link which gives a general overview of raising a litter & some additional thoughts on choosing owners.

http://www.breedsmartpartners.com/bronline/en_US/data_root/forms/puppy_questiona...

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hvpup1.html#Choose

Best of luck with your impending brood & please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.