<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12294210#post12294210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fmellish
I've paid up to $350 for a dog from a rescue.
You're paying for the fact that the dog has been spayed or neutered and possibly micro-chipped and is up on his shots. Animals from rescues live good lives with a foster family until they are placed.
County shelters, (the pound) may be a cheaper route, but you may not get the healthiest or nicest dog.
For a puppy in a pet store you're going to pay retail, ($400-1500) depending on breed, etc. And store puppies are usually taken from their mommies too early and kept pumped full of antibiotics while in the store to prevent them from looking sick.
Everyone will tell you the best route is to go to a breeder, but I haven't had any luck that route, just finding a reputable breeder is hard, and then finding one that has dogs at the same time you're looking is even harder. And then on top of that the price may be just as much as in the pet store.
Cheers
Josh