I am new to this and have seen some real contrasts in prices. How do you know if you're paying a fair price? I am happy with the price agreed for my pup. I have spoken to people who paid less and more for their pups. It's hard to know what's a going rate!

Asking the breed club secretary will usually give a good indication of what is usual for a quality well bred puppy.

Even though the breed club is in a different country to the buyer and the seller? :)

Ah well then all bets are off prices in other countries can be wildly different.  For example prices in Ireland are generally lower than in the UK.

For example good breeders we have dealt with in USA in our breed charge roughly what we do, for well bred pups, though some are a bit more.  On the other hand some  Scandinavian prices are rather eye watering, but then their prices for everything are dear compared to UK.

So the only way to know is to find out what the going rate is from the country concerned, again the breed clubs are your best source, if you don't have friends in that country who can advise.

Ah, in this country it seems to be the average. I feel it is a fair price anyway I just got thinking about it last night when a friend who owns a rare (here, anyway) toy breed told me how much hers had cost and he was about two thirds of the price. He is also a well bred pup. Location, location eh! :)

In the US well bred dachsies are half the price they are here but getting them here costs a fortune.

Breeds can be different prices it does not matter if they are rare or not if you are buying a breed then it is the price of that breed in the country you are buying from that counts. Ask at breed clubs and if the one you are looking at is around that figure then you are paying the going rate but you can't compare the price of a toy with the price of a gundog with the price of a hound nor the cost of one hound with that of another.