Why do dog breeders not sell dogs every year?

Many dog breeders inform their customers of their waiting list for certain breeds of dog. These list can sometimes take multiple years until a customer can buy the dog they want. The reasons for this link to Price Elasticity of Supply with elements of demand and supply which incentivise breeders to limited their stock.

PES:

The Price Elasticity of Supply for dogs is inelastic due to perishability — maybe a term that shouldn't be used when talking about animals. The average pet dog has a life span of roughly 10 years and of the many dog owners, the majority own a single dog at a time. However, almost all dog owners buy their dogs as puppies which means that the time span which a dog is in demand is limited to a matter of months. It is difficult to just produce more dogs as their gestation period last for 2 months. Therefore, dog breeders simply cannot produce more dogs on the spot which limits their stock and they consequently have to turn away willing customers. Using the neoclassical school of thought, this would be deemed as an uneconomical decision as profit higher profits are not obtained.

Demand and Supply:

However, this may actually benefit dog breeders due to price determination caused by the market forces of supply and demand. Inevitably, if a consumer wants a dog, price will not sway them too much. Once dog breeders build up enough demand, they can rise their prices, this is beacuse if the price is below the equilibrium there will be excess demand. Market forces will cause price to rise which will lead to an extension of supply and a contraction in demand which eliminates the excess demand.

Dog breeders will begin to ration the dogs which involves the rising prices so fewer consumers are able and willing to demand at higher prices therefore quantity demanded decreases. Once they have a smaller customer base with people that are willing to spend the highest prices on dogs they may gain a higher profit than selling more dogs at a lower price.

The last reason that dog breeders limit the number of dogs they produce is due to uniqueness. If they continue to sell a single breed of dog, many consumers will perceive this to be mainstream as they will be common. Many people like to be quirky and unique which dogs give a great opportunity for. This many decrease demand, so if they maintain the uniqueness of a breed, demand will rise.