yes, i agree, you are right that sometimes people charge a lot of money for a small, unhealthy dog. now that is a scam!
i think the reason that backyard breeders exist is because there is a demand for them, and the reason there is a demand for them i think is mainly because of 2 reasons.
1) people want 'cheaper' dogs.
2) people want to buy a dog but were turned down by good breeders or rescue because they didn't meet the qualifications. so they turn to backyard breeders to get what they want.
and i think unless those 2 things are solved, there will always always be backyard breeders, because they fill a need...
it is very unfortunate!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nancy1999  I think there is a little truth in the statement, "you get what you pay for", but there are so many exceptions, nothing in life is that simple. For example, some websites sell dogs that don't met standard for outrageous prices, and say the dogs are "related to champions". That means nothing, but a cute website name and some good pictures of dogs in cute poses, make people think the dogs are worth more. Some sites promise a tiny, and again try to charge more; often the tiny is tiny because it's unhealthy or in most cases it's not even tiny. Dogs under a certain size can't be used for breeding so they should be worth less, not more, and most good breeders won't sell them for more. I don't buy the notion that good breeders charge more for tinies, because they want to ensure that the tiny goes to people who have the funds to pay for it's medical needs. Just because you can come up with an extra $1000.00 doesn't mean you have the funds to pay for future medical needs. The same with males and females, many good breeders sell both for the same price. Other sites sell off colors calling them "rare" and unusual, and charge more than a show breeder's dog. There is something called supply and demand, as you are aware, but really good breeders are more interested in finding the best homes, not making a buck, and don't try to create a false demand for their dogs.
I've seen some beautiful show breeders dogs, who were being held back because they were thinking of showing it, and at 8 or so months decided that they didn't need them in the program, and the dog could be perfect in every way, and worth thousands of dollars, but since it was older, they will sell them for under $1000.00. Sometimes you are paying extra money for hype, and so it takes a really educated buying to sort out the hype from the truth. Don't forget rescues, you get way more than you pay for here. |