I am a breeder...and I can honestly say there ARE certain situations where I would let a puppy go for much less than I was asking. BUT CERTAINLY NOT SOME LADY I RAN INTO IN A STORE!
Kabmom, for someone who has a loving family I would certainly make a deal, provided that I had all the correct references and had been in touch with the person or family for an extended amount of time.
However, that's not to say that everyone who calls me and says: "I don't have the money, I have a loving home, can I pay half of what you're asking?" is going to get a deal from me...it really just depends on the situation. I DO care more about my babies than the money, but at the same time, we have to make a living, and believe me, these babies are a full time job.
Raising small dogs is much different from raising, say, golden retrievers (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with goldens or their breeders), because they take A LOT more work and have to be watched so carefully. I never let my mothers give birth by themselves...they don't know how. And you are constantly having to watch the pups for sugar drops, and getting them to nurse or tube feeding...and you're up night after night. You have to decide when to give shots...half a shot? Whole shot? Are they too little to have a shot yet? It's constant monitoring...unlike with a larger breed, you don't worry about small puppies. By the time you get that puppy ready to go to a forever home, you've put thousands of dollars worth of effort into the process.
So, really, $1000-$2000 is a GOOD price for what you're getting. People really don't realize how much work goes into the process!
I always tell people if they want me to lower the price, they can come and work for me for a day and THEN see if they think that's fair...
