My pup isn't a purebred (he's a Yorkie/Maltese mix), but I can definitely agree that there are LOTS of breeders out there who will ramp up the price of a dog for no good reason. We got Louie from a breeder six hours south of us, who is also a veterinarian, for $550. I've seen other breeders in my state and surrounding states try to sell them for upwards of $1000, with the pups estimated to be 2-3 pounds going for like $3000. It's insane.
We have a happy, healthy boy (currently 4 lbs 13 oz at 21 weeks) and, at the end of the day, that's all that matters.
When we saw Louie online, the first thing I noticed is that the breeder offered a one year health guarantee. When we spoke to her over the phone, she was very professional and told us everything we needed to know (weight of mom and dad [6 and 5.5 pounds], health concerns, etc). When we arrived at her home, we were greeted by Louie's father, who was the SWEETEST thing! We noticed right away that her home was very clean, and the first thing she told us to do was sanitize our hands before handling the pups. Louie and his brother were in this little play pen, jumping up and wagging their tails happily, wanting us to go over to pet them. They were surprisingly well behaved ... No barking, barely any biting, and lots of kisses!
If the breeder doesn't offer a health guarantee, run. If the breeder refuses to answer your questions, run. If you're not allowed to meet at least one of the parents, personally, I'd run. If the place is dirty when you get there, and/or if the puppies look or act as if they're sick, RUN RUN RUN!
There are lots of red flags to watch out for, unfortunately. |