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The Metropolitan Transit Authority, New York has put in an order for six highly-skilled crime fighting dogs, and while prices are rising slightly- these six cost $35,800 - there are sales to be had.
List price for each male dog is $6500, negotiated down to $6000 for the transportation authority contract with $5800 charged for each female. In 2008, females fetched $300 less than the male mostly German Shepherd dogs, and in 2010 it’s $200 less. (The value of females on the force is advancing, however slowly, with little protest heard on the subject of gender equity;)
Crime fighting, bomb-sniffing dogs on K9 patrol prove their value every day on the regions rails and bus systems, with the city police force, and the Port Authority. Just last Friday, a dog sniffed out gunpowder in a package on the 125th Street Metro-North train station. It was no threat (shotgun ammo and some firecrackers), but the dog did what was required. No report mentioned if the dog was male or female. You can read more at the NYTimes. If you want to take a look at where most of the East coast agencies get their protection dogs, go to Connecticut Canine Services.
I think that even if they didn’t have three months of intensive training, these dogs would be a real bargain. After all, haven’t we all heard of or know people who have paid $2000 – 2500 at a pet shop for a dog of questionable health? And if you know why the females are cheaper, please share. I thought that was odd.
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I’m guessing there are two reasons why female dogs are cheaper; they cost more to fix because the procedure is more involved, and they are smaller. A larger male dog may be more intimidating. It’s just a hunch.
Hi Michele, thanks for hazarding a guess…maybe the company will pipe up and give us the scoop!
That price seems like a deal for dogs trained in bomb detection! I also find it funny that the females are cheaper, maybe it is because they are smaller.
I know that for a fact, mares are more highly prized in equestrian sports like polo and western reining, where the horse has to do some of it's own thinking to be successful at the sport. When you see the top reining horses in the sport, the majority of them are mares. It's the female burden, you know. The ladies have to raise, feed and protect they young so there is a lot of planning involved and therefore more thinking. Mares are also the herd bosses while the stallion is only there to provide protection and breeding services.
I'm not sure if the same applies to female dogs, but I wouldn't be surprised it female dogs were more intelligent, too.
Hi, Karen! Ha – love that you shared the role of mares in the herd, and I think that burden extends to other species;) And now we have two votes for size as the reason females cost less.
Before I read the comments, my initial thought was that females are smaller and, perhaps, less intimidating. But I am not sure about the fixing issue raised by Michele. When we found Buster, a GSD, one of our initial thoughts was to donate him to a police K9 unit. My cousin had a connection with such a unit, and one of the things she said was that fixed dogs would not be accepted.