09/15/2026
Copied from another breeder..
I’m frustrated by the mindset of “as long as it’s cheap and AKC.”
If puppies of a particular breed from good, responsibly run kennels typically cost $4,000–$10,000, and someone finds a puppy for $2,000–$3,000 and chooses it primarily because it’s cheaper, it’s really worth asking: what did the breeder have to cut corners on?
Because responsible breeding is simply expensive. Health testing, choosing quality breeding stock, showing or working trials, veterinary care, proper nutrition, diagnostics, raising the litter, socialization, documentation — all of these things cannot be done at a high level for half the price.
The word “AKC” is not a magic guarantee of quality. Just because a dog is AKC registered does not automatically mean it comes from quality breeding stock, that the kennel is responsible, or that the breeder is doing their work at a high standard. Registration is not everything.
What matters most is the actual investment a breeder makes in their program. Which dogs they choose for breeding, what health testing they perform, what they are working toward, what their breeding goals are, and how much time, knowledge, and money they invest in the quality of their dogs.
What frustrates me the most is when someone knowingly chooses a suspiciously cheap offer because “it’s AKC too,” and later complains about how terrible AKC, breeders, and the whole world are because problems have appeared.
It frustrates me even more because there have been times when someone chose not to buy from me over a $500 price difference, went with a much worse kennel, and later I still had to help that person because they couldn’t handle the situation themselves.
And why, exactly, should I have to?
That’s the moment when you grit your teeth, swear to yourself, but still help because you feel sorry for the dog and the person.
Not every high price means a good kennel, but a good kennel has real costs. A suspiciously low price should raise a red flag, not excitement over a bargain.
When buying a dog, don’t choose the cheapest pedigree just because it has AKC. Look beyond the registration. What dogs are behind that pedigree? What health testing has been done? What achievements do they have? How are the dogs raised and managed? What is the breeder doing for the future of the breed?
Because a piece of paper alone does not prove quality.
It’s like going to a Turkish bazaar and throwing a fit because you got an ADIDOSA instead of an ADIDAS. 🤡
You are responsible for your choices and for the lives of these animals.
You can get registration papers with a puppy. You cannot add the quality of the breeding program to those papers. 🫣
Picture of callie jo ❤️