Constance Hauman, a world-traveling opera singer living on the Upper West Side, was shocked the first time it happened to her.
It was six years ago, and a stranger came up and asked how much she’d paid for her two rare, purebred English cream miniature long-haired dachshunds. “I was like, ‘what a weird question,’ ” she recalls.
Now, she doesn’t think it’s so strange.
In a city where it’s perfectly acceptable to ask someone you’ve just met about their monthly rent, the owners of fancy Fidos find they’re regularly fielding inquiries from friends and strangers about how much they paid for their purebreds.
“New York is such a competitve and expensive place to live. Money regularly becomes a part of the conversation, including what kind of pets we buy,” says Dr. Barbara Nusbaum, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who specializes in money psychology.
In true Big Apple style, Hauman has reached a point where’s she’s happy to reveal how much she paid for her dogs — because she got a deal. She paid a breeder in California just $600 for the two because one was on the smaller side, but, she boasts, “in New York, they would have cost $2,200 each.”
Others feel far less comfortable talking about how much they paid for what’s on the other end of the leash.
“It’s too personal. I really don’t talk about how much she cost,” says Andy Murray, a 39-year-old Manhattanite who refuses to price out his French bulldog, Madison, though strangers often inquire when he’s out walking the dog.
Not only does Murray find the inquiries intrusive but also potentially dangerous.“I’m afraid if they know how much the dog is, she’ll be a target,” he says, fearing the pup will be stolen.
When Lori Berman, a 28-year-old Manhattan fashion buyer, paid $2,000 for her purebred Lhasa Apso, she wasn’t worried about strangers knowing how much the dog cost. She worried what her mom might think. “She’s always telling me what to do with my money. She’s trying to be a mom,” Berman says. “It’s not as bad to tell a stranger [as it is] someone you know. With someone you know, they judge you.”
Onika Solomon, a patient care technician living in the Bronx, says people are surprised to learn she paid $1,500 for her purebred Yorkie, Tido, but she doesn’t shy away from the cost conversation.
“When people hear the price, they’re like, ‘Oh my God! Really?’ ” says the 34-year-old. But, she’s proud of having such a nice, friendly dog.“I tell everybody [how much he cost],” she says. “Then they’re like, ‘Can I have him?’ ”
COLLAR $IGN$
The price of puppies varies from breeder to breeder, but according to Michael Brigante, the general manager of American Kennels, a well-established pet store that’s been in business on the Upper East Side for 59 years, these are some of the priciest popular breeds and their approximate cost:
English Bulldogs: Up to $4,000. According to the American Kennel Club, they are the second most popular breed of dog in the city, but they’re pricey. “Breeds like this can come with health problems,” Brigante says, and breeding them isn’t easy. “The females can only give birth once or twice in their lives. They usually have to birth via C-section.”
German shepherd: Over $3,000. They’re the city’s fourth most popular breed, and, Brigante says, it’s possible to find plenty of puppies for $500 or even $300. But he cautions against those. “You want to make sure with big dogs that the parents and grandparents are tested for hip problems.”
Teacup Yorkie: Up to $3,000. Yorkie are the fifth most popular breed in the city, but their ultra-tiny versions don’t come cheap. “Little dogs require a lot of care,” says Brigante, adding that proper genetic testing to make sure parents are healthy for breeding is quite important. — RW
pets@nypost.com