Is this overpriced?

I've been keeping an eye out for a Maltese pup for my mom. She had a gorgeous show-quality male Maltese in college that she absolutely adored, and has been pining for another one for a very long time. She's getting ready to retire soon, so I figure now would be a good time to start making arrangements with a good breeder. I know how long those wait lists can be!

I found a breeder in a neaby city who looks good, and I was extremely impressed by her dogs and how much she knows about them. All her breeding dogs are champions, and she does a lot of showing. All the dogs are absolutely gorgeous!

Here's my question: Her prices! For a pet quality female puppy (with limited registration and spay/neuter agreement) the price is $2,500 to $3,500. Is this overpriced for pet quality maltese, or the norm? If this is the norm, I guess I'll just bite the bullet.

Oh gosh you love your mom lol

I can't help you, the best I can advise is to look around at other breeders and see how much they charge, that's pretty steep...

For a Pet quality Maltese on a Spay agreement that is pricy.Here they go for $1500 or less but More for Show Potential.

LoL, it's not just me. My sister and father will also be pitching in. (Dad's paying the lion's share, though). The problem is that my mom's last maltese was drop-dead gorgeous, and she has her heart set on one of the same quality.

Are there some other breeders within 2-4 hours.Call them to see what they charge just to compare.Just make sure she is comfortable to talk to whichever breeder is chossen.Its important to be able to talk to the Breeder if need be down the Line.

Ouch!!

...$2500 to $3500 for a PET?! That's insane.

Why don't you ask the breeder why she charges so much for her pets? I fully understand paying up to $3-4,000 for a show prospect, but that is -very- steep for a pet quality puppy that will be spayed or neutered. What does she have that other reputable breeders don't, that warrants her charging such high prices for her pets?

Then again, I'm not involved with Maltese, looked at them a lot and know the standard but I didn't get far enough along in the breed to start finding out how much dogs sell for. I'm more involved with Paps and Cavaliers -- Both are rather "pricey" breeds but I have yet to find a pet quality Pap or Cav from a reputable breeder costing more than $1500.

And you do love your mom, lol.

If she doesn't want to "show" the dog and only wants a pet/companion why not check out petfinder.com, there are so many in rescue/foster that need homes? I'm sure you could find one for a whole lot less and a beautiful one at that. And, yes I think the cost she is quoting you is absolutely insane.

gempress - not sure if you have seen this before, but it might be of interest.

http://malteseonly.com/

She may not even be up to a pup !! Why not go rescue, get a great dog and have it groomed to the 'nth degree with bows before giving it to her.

We're very hesitant about rescue maltese. We've been doing our research for well over a year, and we've found that most rescued maltese are products of puppy mills. The poor things do not always have the best health or temperament. We'd prefer to try a breeder first.

And believe me, my mom is up for a pup. She's only 52! But here's what I found out. This breeder, along with several others I found, offer some of their retired show dogs to pet homes. They are very selective with who their babies go home with, but once selected, the new owners pay only the cost of spaying/neutering and a vet check. I think I'll look into this option. Wish me luck!

Good luck.That is a very good idea.

That is a good idea ! Sorry, I thought your Mom was older. Geez she's only 3 years older than my son !

Any pet quality, small breed should not be more than $700!!!

Nope!!!! What people don't realize is that good reputable show breeders put every ounce of care and money into their pet puppies as they do their show puppies. Maltese in general usually have small litters, some need c-sections and then there is the question of how much money the breeder put into health testing. Some breeders take their dogs very seriously and sell the pets for the same price as show dogs because they put the same hard work and money into raising the pets. I know many, many companions that come from show breeders and not one was sold to the owner for under $1000 and I think that's low!!!! I do however think that there should not be a range like $2500 to $3500 for a pet. Breeders usually have a flat pet quality price and then they give a range on their show quality dogs depending on lines, sire, perdigree and quality etc.... Keep in mind some breeders throw and outrageous price out initially to determine if people are serious or not. A price like that will surely scare off anyone who is just "curious."

omg 2500 lol im buying a show quality red doberman at the first of the year... well the parents are show quality so we are hoping that ares will be hehehe good chance it will be all have been so far and crap lol but i aint paying more than 1500 lol and that is what the price is lol OMG 2500 make me faint lol crap that is a down payment on a car. lol

Most breeders sell their "show quality" pups for alot more than their "pet" quality pups. Why would anyone buy a "pet" quality pup for more than $700 when you can find them for cheaper? Expecially when the pups are not even registered. What really makes me mad is when breeders sell "rare" colored pups for big bucks. I saw a chi breeder who was selling her "rare" merle and blue pups for $4,000 as well as her exrta small pups, and her other pups for $1,500 to $2,000. She has never shown any of her dogs and they do not conform to the breed standard. You can buy a horse for that kind of money. I understand that some females need a c-section, but the breeder should raise the prices for c-section pups and lower the price for regular delivery pups. Why do small breed breeders sell their pups in the thousands, and larger breed breeders sell their pups in the hundreds? It is because alot of the small breed breeders are fad breeders, which means that they know that small breeds are popular, so they are taking advantage of it to make a buck! I know bull mastiff breeders who sell their pups for $900 even when the female needs a c-section, which is quite common in the breed.

Cheaper isn't always better, Rottiegirl...... (oh, and it's not just small breeds. Have you seen the average price on a pet Doberman lately??? It's outrageous!! I love the breed but it's unfair IMO to ask an arm and a leg for a pet puppy. Lol.)

However... I, for one, would rather spend the money on the initial purchase price of the dog that is more likely to be healthy (tested parents, good structure, etc.) than have to spend it on vet bills because my "bargian" puppy was unhealthy.

I know some breeders do charge outrageous prices for their pets.. I'm curious as to why, if they claim not to be in it for money.. Something else to figure out someday, lol.

Overpriced

I think thats extremely overpriced.

I know that cheaper is not better, all I am saying is that there are responsible breeders out there that do not try to get thousands of dollars from selling a pup. There are good breeders out there who do health testing, and sell their pups for less than $1,000. I understand that you should get a pup who is healthy and had health tests done, but you can still get that without paying high pricess. Yeah, there are big breeds who are over priced as well, but most small breed breeders sell their pups for a lot of money. You can find a perfect and healthy doberman for about $800. You just have to look for a good, responsible breeder who cares more about improving the breed than making money.