what to expect to pay?

[Guest Guest]

This may be totally out of line but I am so confused. What can I expect to pay for a cairn puppy? I have seen everything from $200 to $700 for pet quality. I am not interested in "bargain shopping" at all, I was assuming $300-$400 based on other purebred prices in this area. I haven't decided on rescue or breeder and I haven't found a local breeder to talk to. Years ago I had a Maine Coon cat that was a darling and when I got him it seemed the more expensive breeders were the commercial ones and the "hobby breeders" that I was interested in were in the lower range. I don't want to unwittingly support an unethical breeder but I want a good, healthy puppy. (I realize if I go rescue it will probably be from a mill, that's okay, those little guys deserve a break!) AND, what about the puppys I see advertised in the paper on occasion. Don't reputable breeders normally have waiting lists? I'm so confused....

[Mama Kim]

Piper was $500 but one breeder in our area wanted $1000 for her pet pups.

[rubyandtazforever]

Hello,

I'm located in North Carolina.

I paid 350.00 for each of my Cairns.

Which that was 3yrs ago for my first one, and 1 yr. or so ago for my second one.

Edit: some content deleted. Forum rules.

[bradl]

Prices seem to vary regionally. In my area (Pacific Northwest) they were running 400-600 ten years ago. They seem to be more like 800-1000, or even 1200 now. These are from responsible breeders who are active in the breed.

It's hard to extrapolate cost across 'purebred dogs' when you take into account different breeds. Large litters of easily available breeds vs those that are a bit less common and/or have smaller litters on average. According to this site, Good Norwich Terrier Breeders Norwich/Norfolk were going for 2000-2500 in 2003, for example.

One comment about Pet v Show. Good breeders keep the best of the best, or place them in show homes if they can. The breeders I know all feel pretty much the same -- every single Cairn is a pet first. Some just have another job responsibility: proving the breeding program in the show ring and in the field.

Breeders dedicated to the breed itself - the ones who work to ensure that future Cairns will still resemble the breed standard -- seldom advertise a litter for sale.

[CallisMom]

I think it really does vary regionally. Here in CT a good breeder will run around $1200. My rescue pup donation was a $450 donation but the people that originally purchased Calli - bought her at a pet store for $850 (she's a puppy farm dog from out West).

Many of the puppies advertised in the paper are puppy mill puppies. If you keep an eye on them you'll start to recognize the numbers - and they usually want to "meet" somewhere. Not all are puppy mill puppies, there are some very decent breeders who are more "hobbiests" - especially with some mixed toy breeds. Same with the internet - some of the sites look like real breeders but if you look a little harder you learn to recognize that many are puppy mill sellers hiding under nice graphics and the right wording.

Calli is a rescue pup from a puppy mill out West and she is just a doll! Good luck!!

[Guest Guest]

Thank you all for your replys, I love the idea of rescue if they would consider us, my youngest is 9 and I know they prefer kids older than 12. I have a soft spot for older dogs that deserve a better life but the kids really want a puppy. (Of course they don't remember chewing, housebreaking etc... ) I love hearing rescue happy endings, everytime I do I get ready to fill out the app. form! Lots of thinking to do.....

[Scully'sMom]

I live in PA. We paid $700.00 for Scully; however, some breeders wanted $1,000.

20 years ago I paid $265.00 for my Cairn and I thought I was nuts to pay that but she was worth every penny.

The puppy mill puppies that are from the Amish section of Lancaster County, PA are always in the newspaper. They run $400.000 for a male and $450.00 for a female.

[CallisMom]

My children are 4 1/2 and 8 1/2 - but we went through a long interview process - our kids have been raised around dogs and are pretty responsible. I'm sure that you wouldn't have a problem. Toddlers are more the concern - 9 should be an okay age! Let us know how it turns out!

[maggie's_mom]

Chris and I got Maggie on the "Walmart" special (as we call it). We live in Texas. We got her from breeders that were new to the business and we're starting off small. They sold their litter for $500 each. Maggie was bought by someone who had a dog that didn't like her....can you imagine????

So she brought Maggie back and we got her for a discount ($350). I don't think I could pay $1000 for a dog. Lots of times you can get the last pick for a discount.

Good luck. Cairns are wonderful.