"I just want a pet. I don't need to pay show prices."
Every ethical breeder gets pet puppies in their litters. Typically only one to a few puppies in a litter are show quality. You are not paying for a show puppy. You are paying for a quality pet which has been bred for health and temperament as the top priorities. The price pays for:
Cost to raise the puppies in the healthiest, most humane, and best way to ensure they live long healthy lives, are properly socialized, and are ready to transition easily into their new home.
Cost to health test the parents to ensure they are not passing on health problems to their puppies. Even if the parents are perfectly healthy, they can be hiding genetic diseases that can pop up in the puppies. Cardigans, as a breed, have genetic health problems ranging from blindness to conditions which severely impact dogs or can even kill them. Ethical, responsible breeders test for all of these known problems to give the puppies the best chance of being healthy.
Cost for emergencies. Not every pregnancy goes well. Sometimes the mom needs extra help growing and delivering puppies. Emergency C-sections are pricey!
Cost to title the dogs. While you might not need a show puppy, it is important that the parents of your puppy have proof they are healthy, have good temperaments, and have proper structure so their joints don't break down over time and result in pain and expensive vet bills!
Cost of the breeding itself (stud fee, progesterone testing to be sure of the best time to breed, etc.)
For a full list of the cost that can go into producing a litter, Cryslen Welsh Springer Spaniel's [WEBSITE] has an excellent list.
The Cost of an Irresponsibly Bred Litter
While the price of a puppy is often (but not always!) cheaper when you buy a puppy that is not from a responsible breeder, you will also be absorbing the future, hidden costs. Here are some of the hidden costs of a poorly-bred puppy over time:
$100-$5000 for purchase price (unethical breeders often charge more than ethical breeders!).
Degenerative Myelopathy-related costs: $2000-$4000, early death of dog (2).
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: vet exam fee, loss of vision in dog (3).
Trainer fees for aggression and severe behavior problems (all of which are partially genetic, and science has found multiple genes involved in these problems): $50-$200 PER TRAINING SESSION (multiple sessions required)
Human medical fees from dog bite: will depend on insurance, complications, etc.
Lawsuit from bitten individual, if not the owner
Emotional trauma of having to put down a dog due to extremely bad health (poor quality of life) and/or severe aggression.
You may think it is "all in how you raise them", but science has found multiple genes involved in behavioral problems in dogs. Fear, anxiety, and aggression are as much genetic as environment (4, 5, 6, 7).