Point #6: Puppy Pricing is often questioned and a debatable subject in many ways. How can you really determine a puppy's overall
characteristics so young? The answer is simple, you can't. If the answer to the 1st question is "you can't" then how do
you determine your prices? Honest answer, I give it my best shot. Like anything, certain tell tale signs are obvious from
the beginning to determine each puppy's overall looks. Other factors such as size, feature location and shape, coat color etc.
are determiners used. The quality of a breed or show puppy cannot be accurately determined before 6
months of age in general. Of course knowing your lines and multiple generations can provide determiners of certain characteristics,
but it is still not a guarantee of how a puppy will "turn out". Even personality, though forming by two weeks of age,
can dramatically and frequently change dependent on external circumstances. My pricing is fair andcompetitive.
Point #5: Pet Stores are not my competition and are not supported or condoned by reputable breeders. Anyone selling to a pet
store is already in direct opposition of the AKC and will be selling their lowest quality puppies when choosing this route of marketing.
This does not mean you can't get a good puppy from a pet store, but it certainly is limiting your chances of success. A pet
store puppy comes with no support from a reputable breeder because the puppies don't come from reputable breeders, they come from
"Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders" (see Point 3 & 4). Most pet stores pay very little for the puppies they resell
to the public. They know nothing about the facility used for breeding, nor can they even guarantee that the puppies are pure
bred, despite the paperwork you receive confirming each puppy's pure bred status. As a reputable breeder, I have invested immeasurable
time, research, training, care and LOVE into what I do. Using a pet store as a determiner of my prices or the quality of my
puppies would be like comparing grandma's cooking to fast food.
Point #7: Customers often have to drive a considerable distance to get their puppy. Occasionally a customer will live in the direction
of one of my friends or relatives and I will offer to help with delivery. I ask that the cost of my gasoline be covered
and I require a minimum of 1/2 down before even considering this option. Why, you may ask? My kennel not only houses my
Lhasa apsos (at least a dozen), it provides boarding to local dogs and in my spare time I do grooming. My daughter is home-schooled
and my husband actually likes his dinner prepared for him every night. These daily activities combined with providing frequent
child care for my 9 grandchildren means a very full life. It is necessary to have someone watch my affairs while I am away and
this costs $$$ which I have never passed on to a customer. When a customer puts a deposit of 1/2 down and covers my gas, they
show up. Imagine for a moment driving to meet someone 2 1/2 hours away only to have them email you after you have left to say
they have changed their minds...yes this happened to me, many years ago, and never again!