Then why do I sometimes see puppies in the paper for $100 or less?

The people who sell those puppies have not done the necessary genetic screening, health testing, and may not have acquired the prenatal and puppy care that they should have. It's impossible to cover the costs of even a healthy litter at that price. The family down the street who breeds a litter "just this once" has not done the research necessary to be sure their puppies are genetically healthy. These breeders are also unlikely to offer the advice and support you may need throughout your dog's life. They may mean well and love their dogs, but they probably don't know much about the breed. And they certainly don't know anything about genetics and health.

It's possible to make money breeding dogs. That's what the puppy mills do. But they do it by cutting expenses to the bare minimum, raising dogs like livestock, and destroying those who are no longer profitable. No attention is paid to the physical, mental, or emotional soundness of the dogs. Caring breeders don't operate that way.

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