I was just looking into buying a second PWC puppy from a breeder, and just found out that prices are way more than I ever anticipated.  I'm talking $1,500 per puppy.  Now, I realize that producing quality dogs to breed standards is very costly and that breeders don't really make much money on their puppies, but this seems very expensive.  I bought my current corgi from a responsible breeder located in OK (I was living in the midwest at the time) just two years ago and he was $900 (which I thought was just about right for the price).  

Are the prices just that much higher b/c I live on the east coast near Boston?  Can anyone from the general vicinity confirm or negate this seemingly high price?

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I was really excited about the price I got Orion for. He's such a good dog too. Potty training was easy, he learns really fast (knows lots of tricks, knows wait, won't walk out the door unless I tell him, very good off-leash, etc.) and he's overall been a very easy puppy. If I were to get another dog from a breeder I definitely would get one from her again
awesome... Carly is a little bit of a wild child.. so far , we've been through two cgc training classes and not passed.. of course shes only 9 months and im not about to give up or stop training..
We live in the Boston area and got Edison from a breeder in Springfield, Mass. about three years ago. We were also initially floored by the price ($1250), but there's no question that he's given us the best happiness per dollar we've ever paid.

That said, Edison came with a serious puppy resume (and a limited AKC registration). Our breeder is affiliated with the Mayflower Club, the local chapter of the PWCCA, and known by most of the other breeders we spoke with. Edison is from a show line (his littermates were picking up prizes in their first year), which is probably why he has a wonderful temperament, is gorgeous (my opinion, of course! :D) and came to us halfway housetrained at 11 weeks. He was also screened for genetic diseases, had had his first round of shots and had gotten medical tests that I doubt I've ever had. My in-laws like to call him the Yuppie Puppy. :D

(We also stopped by what was effectively a pet store, which was selling corgi puppies for about half as much. The dogs seemed well cared-for, but they were so obviously the product of puppy mills that I just couldn't do it.)

I think the regional disparity in puppy prices has more to do with the local cost of living and vet care and possibly different regulations for dog breeders in different states. Still, I know what we got (or rather, what Edison got) for $1,250 was well worth it.
Oh yes, our pup was well worth the price too! It's just sort of amusing to see the differences based on type of dog and/or location. Our pup also had a good resume, and I didn't know it at the time but our breeder is also well-known; she's even a judge.

We got an adult from the same breeder last year for free (plus a donation to rescue), so to be fair we actually ended up with two dogs for that $1200; she normally only places adults with people she's already known through puppy placements.
I've been pawing through (no pun intended :) the Mayflower site as well to find some local breeders, but the sticker shock is just crazy! I'm insistent on finding breeders who do hips, eyes and the corgi related genetic testing and who are breeding to conformation and breed standards, so I realize that these puppies are going to cost quite a bit. I was expecting prices out here to be higher, just not THAT much higher. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I had a job (I'm a poor, graduate student at this point). It's looking like i'll have to take a major loan from the parents or what until i have a salary before adding another puppy to the family.
I knew by the time I turned 16 that I wanted to have a well bred corgi for my dog. I did however realize this as unrealistic at the time. We just got our 1st corgi Frosty in January and I turned 30 last month. I decided it was more important to have financial and physical stability in my life before I spent the kind of money that a corgi can cost. I totally think that a corgi is worth waiting for, and not something you should rush into unprepared. Not only is there a high purchase price, but you have to factor in future vets bills, toys, food costs, etc. Make sure you are at a point in your life where you will be responsible for this dog for the next 10-15 years.
I quite understand your thought process, but I've already got one, and have been wanting to add a second in as well. It's basically costs at this point that are holding me back. I just figured that now would be the right time to get a second one since I'll have the summer off and then will start working in the fall once I graduate, therefore I will have more time to devote to training a younger puppy for the first few months. I did a similar thing with my first corgi as well (i.e. had the summer off to train, then went back to school in the fall) and it worked out well.
Linus is my third corgi and he came from a Mayflower - affiliated breeder. It was an excellent experience and I have such a respect for the members of that organization. Their Corgi Cryer magazine is a treasure trove of corgi information!!! Because he is a fluffy, Linus is also limited registration but I was graciously given the opportunity to use the Heronsway kennel name. While price may be a factor, I truly wanted a professional, successful breeder who has given everything he/she has to the corgi breed. The New England area is blessed to have a number of fine breeders - and you get excellent value in many respects. All the best from Williamsburg: Nancy (Bear, Tasha and Linus) - my two cents.
We live in PA and when we were looking for a pup we also found breeders who wanted $1,500 per puppy. So we found a breeder in South Dakota who could ship by plane and who was a lot cheaper. If you're interested I can give you her info. and she can let you know when her next litter is. We only paid $640 total for our Corgi.
We live in Iowa and there seem to be a ton of Pembrokes around here. Most of the breeders I have spoke to have a going rate of $200-400. Now if you're trying to find a Cardi around here, then its around $1000-1200 because nobody has any. People are breeding Pems like mad in my area.
I got Sofi from a breeder near Keokuk and she cost me $300. The breeder met me halfway which was very nice of her. I never got to meet the parents of my puppy but she was fully registered and came with toys and papers and vet records. Her parents were working dogs and she was raised on their farm where her mom and dad herded. She's the best dog I could ever have asked for and I'm really just shocked at the prices I'm seeing people throw around here. For a fourth to a third of a price of what other people have paid I got the same exact dog. She's five and healthy as a horse, in great condition with excellent temperament... I really wonder what the extra $1000 is for?
I have mixed feelings myself. I mean, I will pay what I need to pay to get the dog I want, but then again I am fortunate enough to be in a position where, while we are basically middle class, honestly an extra $800 here or there is not going to break us.

I do understand the numbers Joanna gives, but then again most dogs don't need a C-section or AI. Stud fees are usually the price of one puppy, so that is a figure that is set by the breeders themselves. And I guess I don't understand why I could get a sporting breed dog with field-champion parents and all the health tests for $800 in the same market that a show-bred Pem is going for $1500 or $1800.

I can honestly understand both "sides" (for lack of a better word) of the issue. To be honest, $1800 did make me balk a bit; if I wanted to, I could get a really nice horse for that amount and it costs hundreds of dollars a month to feed and board a horse.

I can understand breeders needing to recoup some of the costs of keeping their dogs, on the other hand the top breeders will have concerns about backyard breeders, but honestly the price is what makes many people choose backyard breeders to begin with. There is an upper limit to what the average middle-class person will pay for a dog, and I really think that the good breeders have sort of hit that limit. While I was comfortable paying what I paid and am thrilled with what I got, by the same token I generally won't mention what we paid to anyone but people who are working/showing/hunting their dogs because people nearly fall over when I tell them the price.

Like I said, I can see things from both sides of this fence.

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