As CNNMoney reported it can cost between $50,000 and $100,000 to show a dog at Westminster. And there is no guarantee ponying up that many bones will snag the Best in Show prize.
But to up the chances, some enthusiasts are buying show-dog quality sperm. And it isn’t cheap. According to Bloomberg, one vial costs about $2,000, which is less than the cost of purchasing a show-quality dog (starting at around $2,500) and shipping to your home. But the main caveat is the sperm may not take, meaning you are out a lot of cash and nothing to show for it. On the other hand, if it does work, you can produce an entire litter of show-quality pups at a low cost.
People have seen results. For instance, last year, a sheepdog got second place in the Best in Breed category at Westminster, the outlet reports. The sheepdog came from 17-year-old sperm from a dog named Yoshi (registered name Lambluv Desert Dancer). Yoshi took home 64 Best in Show awards and also three Best of Breed prizes at Westminster. While he passed away in 2006, his legacy apparently lives on.
Related: The Beauty Secrets of the Westminster Dogs
The idea of freezing sperm in hopes of producing offspring that can nab blue ribbons is nothing new. People have been doing this since the ’60s and one company, Breeder’s Veterinary Services, has successfully inseminate a dog and produced a liter using 27-year-old sperm.
While the use of frozen sperm to inseminate a dog has increased 26 percent in the last 10 years, it still only makes up approximately 1 percent of AKC registered litters, according to Bloomberg.
Related: Downtown Doghouse: Where Westminster Dogs Go to Get Groomed
Image via Flickr/Pets Adviser