What was the price you paid for YOUR purebred dog?

Prices are all over the place. I've owned my breed for over 15 years. Costs have ranged from $65 for my purebred rescue to nearly $1,000 for my current pup. A well-bred, pet-quality pup in my breed from a reputable breeder will cost $800 - $1,200. Show dog pups from the well-known kennel lines will be several thousand.

I'm not familiar with your breeds of choice, but I know Maltese are fairly popular now. Try to find a quality breeder regardless of whether you want show-quality or not. Not every pup born will be of show potential. Pups that have a small confirmation flaw (such as an "off" tail set) are pet quality, but are great companions. These pups frequently cost less than the more perfect confirmation pups. I got a young adult dog from an excellent breeder for a fraction of the cost of a pup because this dog didn't have the proper tail carriage. Know that if you find a reputable breeder you will probably be put on a waiting list. I just got my pup that I was told of the breeding last December and put on the list.

Good luck.There is nothing wrong with wanting a pup as long as you go through a breeder who places the health and welfare of the parents and pups over the idea of profit. My rescue was the best, but sadly, she had many health issues. My "cheap" dog cost us a fortune in vet bills.

Right now the designer dogs are popular. People want teeny tiny dogs to put in their purse or dog that are hypoallergenic o just their two favorite breeds meshed together. Just like when ever there is a demand for things, people higher there prices and overproduce. The people who are getting these "designer dogs" don't know any better than to spend $2,000 on one. Maybe that's the reason! The people who are buying "designer dogs" know hardly anything about the dog business and are more prone to spending a whole lot of money for a mutt. They probably think with the fancy bow and background, these MUST be good breeders or a good pet shop to get a puppy from. People going to buy a pure breed dog may know that without papers, the dog can't be worth as much so they have a little more knowledge than the people looking to purchase a designer dog.

Well I know you don't want ranting so no ranting going, but an adopted dog does not mean a bad dog if it is a pup. My shelter mutt I got at 6 wks and she has been the best dog we've owned. Now our pure-bred mini Schnauzer (Spicer) the first owners paid $350 for from a pet shop. Spicer was given up for adoption due to health concerns, and behavioral problems, so we adopted him. Our purebred Chi was also from a breeder that was being shut down and we paid $25 for her. She was missing most of her teeth at the age of 2. So be sure when looking for purebred dogs that they are truly healthy. Price is sometimes a sign but make sure you meet the parents and some of pups. I have two examples of breeding gone bad, and granted we love them they have been a lot of work, they have been more work as rescue dogs than the mutts that we have rescued.

If you are serious about a purebred dog then contact the breed club of the dog you decide on. Then do your research, do not buy over the net and of course never from a pet store.

The breed clubs will be happy to help you. However there is usually a waiting list for even pet quality dogs from a reputable breeder. Maybe there is a local breeder that you could go visit the dogs to help with your fear.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a purebred dog, but I paid way more than that.

All the pure breed dogs I have had have all been rescues. All were (are) just pet quality but they were pure breeds.

If you don't care if your dog is just a pet & will only be a pet, any dogs you SEE advertised will do. But they are full of genetic faults & predispositions for breed specific ailments. The more you pay for a pure breed dog the better the quality.

You can get a pet quality pure breed form a show breeder, one that doesn't have quite what it takes to be a show dog. Breeders sell them as pet quality & require a spayneuter clause in the contract. These dogs are so close to perfect & don't carry all the bad genetics a BYBer would produce.

I groomed for 15 years & some of the so called "pure breeds" were the worst example of the breed that you ever saw, ahaaaa ......but it is registered pure breed. Yeah, loaded with genetic defects. over bite, under bite, ear set way off, neck too long, legs too long, angles at the hips & shoulders are out of alignment., bad temperament ............

Just be care full of who you buy from.

I think getting a well bred, well raised, happy, healthy puppy from a reputable breeder is the best way to get a companion. Shelters are full of dogs, but you just don't know what you are getting.

The best way to find a reputable breeder is to find dog shows in your area (try www.akc.org). Talk with breeders of the types of dogs you are interested in. Most breeders love to talk about their breed, unless they are on their way into the ring. And local breeders maintain a good network, so it will be easy for you to find a puppy - if one breeder does not have any, they will know someone else who does.

Best of luck.

PS - I got a male german shepherd puppy that way. He was the offspring of parents who were both conformation and herding champions, and who had all their health and genetics tests done satisfactorily. He was $1200, and he is very loving, and gentle. He's perfect. I live in New England.

From a professional breeder, dogs like that can be upwards of $800-1000.

I, however, had the luck of choosing a breed that is very frequently bred in my area. Not by bad breeders, either. By farmers, who breed their best working dogs to produce even better working dogs for their own sheep/cattle farms.

I paid $50 for my purebred, working line Border Collie.

Prices vary for breed as well as ethics of the breeder. A good quality breeder will pass on the cost of health checks, puppy shots, whelping, micro chips, stud fees, etc. My rottweiler was $2,000. The puppy I now have a deposit on is $1,500. Both come from very high quality breeders with championship bloodlines and titles for confirmation as well as working titles on both parents.

If you are going to spend money to get a purebred puppy, be sure to ask for health clearances on the parents and titles as well as pedigree information so that you can research the line. A good breeder will ask YOU a lot of questions to ensure that the puppy is going to a good home.

While there is nothing wrong about adopting from a shelter, there are often health issues to consider. I only ask that you avoid buying a puppy from a back yard breeder who has not done the leg work to provide your puppy with a good start. And pet store puppies are often acquired from puppy mills and back yard breeders. No reputable breeder would sell their puppies through a pet store.

Good luck in your search!

I paid $50 for my purebred shelter dogs. In the past I've paid $800 for a nice field quality puppy that had all passing health clearences in his back ground. I've paid $400 for a show bred dog on a co-ownership. Don't look at the price as much as the soundness andhealth clearences. In this area there are field bred labs that are sold for $350. the pareants have been OFA'ed, CERF'ed, cardiac and thyroid checked. The father has his MH and HRCH the mother has her SH and HRCH. The breeder says that he isn't in this for the money. He just wants his hunting dogs to go to people who will hunt them.

Prices vary on where you are wanting to buy your dog from.

Reputable breeders can sell their dogs for $1,000+.

Any dog could get diseases; but it's not true that only purebreds could get health problems.

Now, for my purebred Shih Tzu I got him from a Pet store almost 4 years ago. At the time I was completely oblivious on why people shouldn't support pet stores, but he ended up to be the best dog I could ever own; he was $385 dollars, and he's 4-years-old and healthy. :) But I wouldn't suggest buying a dog from a pet store because petstores support puppy mills and backyard breeders.

Good luck