When i first saw Zack i was told he was $1250. I had been interested in another pup they had, a blenheim female who was $1500, and i didn't decide right away.
Also, i was trying to arrange with another person to see a blenheim male, trying to arrange a time with the breeder when i could come see him, and she didn't quote a price but made clear that it would be over $2000, she said she couldn't remember what they had decided, the pup's parents, grandparents and great grandparents were all clear of early onset MVD, only one of them, a 10 year old grandparent, had a very mild murmur, the puppy had an undescended testicle.
But of all the pups i saw, which included others besides those i mentioned, and were all in the $1500 to $2000 plus range, while they were all cute and most were sweet, only Zack really captured my heart, and when i went back to see him a second time, still not fully decided, i was told they decided to change the price to $900 because he has non-standard or not desireable markings.
While i don't love spending any more money than i have to, so in a way that was a good thing that they lowered the price, it actually caused me to hesitate more before buying him. I was informed that a cavalier should cost at least $2000, anything less would not be from a reputable source, although price alone, no matter how high, was no guarantee that the source was reputable.
So, although i don't love spending so much money, i felt that a lower price was a strike against a dog. And i kept looking. But i loved Zack, i kind of resisted and fought the urge to get him for all the right reasons, and tried to find another dog, but finally bought him for $900.
I was so reluctant to buy a cavalier who didn't meet high standards that i made a trip out to where zack was (pretty long drive) with the cash in my pocket, played with him, continued to love him, but still walked away that day without buying him, for all the right reasons, i never mentioned to the woman that i had the money on me and i told her i was still thinking about it. But I did buy him, about three days later, for $900, and then spent another $1100 on vet bills the first month :?
It was veterinary misdiagnosis rather than having bought a "cheap" cavalier that was the cause of the medical bills though. He had a very benign common easily and cheaply treatable condition that was not caught by several vets for over a month. In fact, the woman i got him from told me the first day what was wrong with him and sent me medication to cure it, but i ended up choosing to trust the vets instead.
My daughter's cavalier, Belle, who i consider to be "my" cavalier too in a way, cost $2000.