I have also not read every post on this thread. I have been showing and raising yorkies since 1992. I have also struggled with the price issue. While I love being able to receive a price in excess of $1,000 on all the companion pets I place, there have been many times a retired couple or someone on a fixed income has come to me and the knowledge that this little creature would go to an awesome forever home has caused the price to magically drop to their ceiling figure. I can also attest to the cost of raising a litter. I've just whelped out a litter of six (see my avatar photo). C-section at 2:30 a.m. at the emergency clinic ($1,000), docking tails and dewclaws, shots, worming, driving home every day at noon to feed (have you SEEN the price of Goats Milk?), laundry (LOTS), makeup to cover the bags under my eyes
, etc, etc. I like to think I'm a responsible breeder...to that end I offer a 2 year health guarantee from date-of-birth, send my new parents home with 3-4 weeks of food, blankets, pee pad, ALL my phone numbers and email addys. I also babysit for my local pets and offer free shots (which we are allowed to do here in Oregon)
The monies I receive from my puppies allows me to get up at 4 a.m., bathe my show dogs, fill up my gas tank and drive 4 hours to the dog show site (hoping all the way that nobody throws up), pay $7 to park my car, take my 2 dogs to the show ring (which costs me $25/day/dog to enter). After the show I need to get my scissors sharpened, pick up that special organic dog food that costs $43 per 20 lb bag and schlep it all back to the van. Before I start the drive back, I need to set up the pen so everyone can go potty, drink a good amount of water and enough food to tide them over til we get home...but not so much they'll throw up on the way back...otherwise I have to bathe everyone again when I get home. BTW, most dogs shows are Saturday AND Sunday. Sunday 4 a.m....start over.
Long about Sunday afternoon 3 hours into the drive home....I'm thinking it's OK to charge over $1,000 for a puppy....
.....I'm just sayin'