Your numbers are pretty accurate and I agree with most of your post. A lot of times when the 'cost of the keep' factors in it is because they are paying someone to work the dog. Usually it is the numbers you spoke of plus 'labor'. That could add another $750-$1000.

I most definitely agree "You absolutely have to know your lane". The guy with a bucket full of money is not obligated to drop his stakes to make something happen. And they guy that does not can't be expected to re-finance the house in order to cover in another league. If the guy with a bucket full of money really wants to know the better dog, or really wants to prove he has the better dog, then he has the option to adjust. If he does or does not, that is his business. There is not a lot the guy without the money can really do except race in his lane.

With that said, neither lane has a monopoly on the quality of the dog. Neither dog is in a faster lane than the other. Unless of course one of the dog's can count and only makes scratch for said amount of monies and that would be an entirely different topic.

This does not happen often but it does happen. I collected a forfeit at a show where two dogs were going for their CH. I think we were going for $1000 or so with first time out dogs. I collected my money and the two 2XW's proceeded. When both camps laid their money out I was in awe. It started out at 10K per side and when they got thru arguing and side betting there was just about 30K on the table. The dogs put on a pretty good show. Both were game and one was a little more talented than the other. It took nearly two hours and one won and the other made what I thought was a really game courtesy scratch. My dog was their weight and I truly believed he would have stopped both of them on the same night. Even was dumb enough to say it out loud. I would have never had 10-15K to ride in that lane.

A few months later I sold that male and he was re-sold (three times what I sold him for the same week) to the inner circle of the dog that made champ above. After they paraded dogs to stop him and couldn't I got a phone call that I will never forget. First offering a shit load of money for any and every thing I had bred like him and secondly and far more memorable, "You were right, he would have stopped both those dogs on the same night".

Short story long, my bank would never let me call out the big money guys so I have to remain in the lane I can afford. In my heart of hearts I believe a good dog can compete in the fast, faster and fastest lanes. I also think if I did have the buckets full of money I would drop my rates to prove the better dog, but since I don't have a bucket full of money for the dogs that would be my personal speculation.

So I agree, know your lane, don't cry up or cry down based on $$$$$$. EWO