Part of the cost must be due to the size of the litters. A lab or shepard can easily have 6, 7 or more puppies in a litter. When I was looking for my guys, the largest litter I came across was 4. I don't know about other toy breeds. Are they generally as expensive as Yorkies?
One of the main factors I suppose, at least here in California, is market price. And the fact that the breeders here all seem to know each other, at least the ones who show a lot do, so they know what their fellow breeders are charging for puppies.
Frankly, I was willing to pay the price for a bit more assurance -- well as much as it is possible to have with any living creature --- that I would get healthy puppies. |