2 years ago golden retriever puppies was sold for 2000 rmb on the markets in Chongqing, today you can buy them as low as 500 rmb, though if buying from good homes they go for 800-1000. What happened?
In Ao yuan kang Cheng, jiu long po district lives Zhang chun mei. She got her 5 year old retriever one and a half year ago by coinsidence: she was interested in getting one, but found the prices to high, when suddenly one day a dvd saleswoman she knew said – I know a family who wants to give their golden retriever away.
Zhang Chunmei went to see the golden retriever, the owners was a grandparents couple living in small appartment on zhi gang da dao, with their daughter and grandkid, and they thought the dog took up to much space after the grandkid had been born.
Chunmei didnt hessitate, the dog, Xue Er was sweet, gentle and beautifull, she felt struck by luck.
Soon after Xue Er changed home, Chunmei found that the dog seemed to be quiet famous. Her and her husband had changed the name to SuiSui, but almost every day on the streets Chinese bypassers was greeting it SuEr, and stopping to talk with the dog. ZhangChunMei thought it was because she also was living on Zhigangdadao, not far from the previos owners.
But when she half year later moved to a new build appartment in Ao yuan kang cheng, 10 minutes drive in taxi from Zhigang, there was stille people who called Suisui per her original name and stopped and talked to her.
And one day Zhangchunmei met another golden retriever owner online, who lived far away, and who came to visit to pair her male retriever with Suisui, she also knew the dogs original name.
How could that be? Zhang Chunmei was wondering, there is so many golden retrievers in Chongqing, why did her Suisui seem to be famous?
The answer lies in the market mechanismes and the growth and prosperity in Chongqing: Suisui is a 5-6 years old golden retriever, 5-6 years ago there wasnt many golden retrievers in Chongqing, its a likely guess that suisui was one of the first, so it became famous, Chongqing people loves golden retrievers, alone the name “golden” will indicate something precious to a Chinese, and in a fast growing city where most dogs are the typical chinese farm dog, a golden retriever will surely catch attention.
5 years ago some people in Chongqing realized that, and saw potential in selling golden retrievers, so they imported them, started to breed golden retrievers to sell to the many interested possible dog owners. Year by year the market got filled with golden retrievers, and today, where Zhangchunmei lives, theres at least 20 golden retriever owners, and new ones coming on monthly basis.
Zhangchun just sold SuiSuis puppies for 800 rmb, puppies which 2 years ago would have been sold for 2000.
But as she said, to her its not the price but the new homes which matters.
Facts
- In China its normal to sell puppies after only 42 days. They are considered ready by that time.
- Before it wasnt required to have a license for a dog in Chongqing, but the police is introducing new rules, maybe due to the growth in dogowners among middle class chinese
- Popular breeds in Chongqing are Golden Retrievers and small Poodles. German Shaefer, Schnauzer and dwarf dogs is starting to show up in the streets also.
- Dogs are in general well percieved in Chongqing, compared to f.x Shanghai where a bigger percentage of the population is genuinly scared of dogs.
- One can have a dog transported by flight in China, it costs around 800 rmb.
- When 2 dog owners does match making with their dogs in order to get puppies it is normal that the owner of the dad dog is either paid a fee or given one of the puppies.
- Most chinese dog owners cares a lot about their dogs and treat them to beauty saloons and spas.
- If a dog bites a human the victim can request that the dog is to be killed.