Quote:
Originally Posted by crete456  Your reply only reinforces what I said in my response...nowhere do you comment that what advice I gave was helpful...only defending breeders...I'll say this...The median household income in the USA is $46,326...whom do you know can afford a puppy for $1000 and up?...that's why theres puppy mills...IMHO this is a major contributor of puppy mills... |
I make way less than that per year and somehow put out more than 1k for a puppy...I wouldn't have paid less to get one from a mill because I would have spent more than his purchase price on vet bills over the first year alone. You should always go with a reputable breeder, even if they don't have a puppy waiting for you ready to go that very second. It's best to wait 8 months for a healthy puppy that is around $1000 and is quality from quality lines, rather than get instant gratification for $500 from a byb who doesn't study lines and forked you over with a sickly pup. And because Millers sell to pet stores you get that sick pup for 1800 and then turn around and spend another 3600 trying to get that little cutie healthy.
Not worth it imo, just save up and do it right it'll save you heartache and money. I think for a pet quality pup from a reputable breeder anything around 1500 or less is totally fair, some charge more some charge less it's up to the breeder, and usually has to do with vet fees associated with bringing the pups into the world and running tests, etc. I don't know what they charge for show quality pups, but attending dog shows and speaking with breeders in your area that do show could give you a rough estimate on how much a show quality pup will cost you.