I paid 750 for my maltese , he's worth far more to me. I searched for him through a breed specific club and was referred to his breeder by several active club members. He comes from a top line of malts and is a beauty. I went this route because I wanted to avoid the backyard breeder, pet store/puppy mill dogs. I wanted a healthy , sound temperment dog that looked like what a malt is suppose to look like. I don't think it was too much to pay for a beloved member of my family.