Pre-Covid a KC regd pup from a reasonable breeder (ie someone who breeds to improve the breed, have a pup themselves etc) would lead in my breed to a price of c £800 - 1200.  The variation due to use of imported dogs, show v work v FT etc. Nowadays 'dodgy' breeders seem to be commanding £3k -3.5k.

There is a breed club 'breeders charter' that, amongst other things, indicated a max price of 1.5k in 2020.  Interestingly, there are only two breeders (both in NI) who openly have subscribed to this and one of those in 2021 is using 'verbage' to indicate that the price may now be higher.    

Do you think that prices will ever fall to pre-Covid levels again? 

I am asking as a pensioner who realistically will never be able to afford such prices....not looking for sympathy vote but realism as to where to get my next dog from.  Do I look at some of these foreign imports with the risk of various diseases or do I wait for the various teenage hooligans/delinquents/damaged goods to be put into rescue and hope that my experience/stamina/physical attributes are still sufficient to overcome?

I can't answer your question about what you should do, but with regards to whether the price will drop back to pre-Covid levels... No, I don't think so.

I think it will drop a bit when Covid is over - and then stabilise there.

I reckon the Byb/commercial breeder prices will probably drop somewhat when people start going back to work as the demand will not be there.
Reputable breeders I don't think will drop by much, I will say a lot of breeds were underpriced anyway compared to other countries and their prices, like for like if you will.

That's an interesting response....and I say this as someone totally ignorant in the 'global market' as opposed to the 'domestic market'. 

What is the differential in your breed between what the reputable breeders are charging and what the 'low level KC regd'/BYB breeders are charging?  (that's probably the wrong terminology, so apologies before I get anyone's back up! )

Sorry to say, but there are KC regd breeders  (in not just my breed) charging the 3-3.5K and MORE prices.

> I am asking as a pensioner who realistically will never be able to afford such prices

I'm in the same boat.  I am ready to  home a new puppy.  And I have been looking at 3 breeds which I would consider.  However, I can't afford any of them on a pension.  Yet I would be a good owner.

Just because a litter is kc reg to me that doesn't mean it's from a reputable breeder.
Someone who shows/works or used to and knows the breed inside and out, fully health tested and good pedigrees, lifetime back up and support etc I would say are charging around £1k - £2k less than the byb/commercial breeders.

I totally agree that just because a pup is KC registered, that doesn't mean it is from a reputable breeder;  HOWEVER, it does mean that breeding exclusions placed on the pedigree haven't been ignored, which is a start  in the right direction.

I would hope they do.

In my own  breed most breeders have just agreed a price of ,£1000.

My last litter 2 years ago was £850, and our Club Secretary and owner of our breed record holder sold their litter last year at £950.

There were only 1 or 2 breeders charging more last year.

My contacts in various breeds have largely told me they will be sticking to normal prices, as most of their puppy sales are to trusted current or former owners.

I was horrified to see on BBC 1, Crimewatch live this morning that 32000 puppies had been imported from Romania last year, many ilegally underage with false documentation!!!

In my breed I have seen adverts, some I suspect to be scams, far exceeding what the few breeders breeding registered pups are charging.

Previously puppy farmed stock registered with Mickey Mouse register were always same or slightly higher price.

I don't show dogs, never have done, nor do I show horses - my other passion - showing is just not my thing, although I understand the correlation between form and function. 

Sorry to everyone, and I know that is probably the majority here but when I discovered a health problem in a pup that I had purchased and was told by the breeder to 'drop it' when I tried to investigate/take it up with the owner of the stud dog, who was breed club secretary at the time as ' they would make sure that the owner of the dam never won anything again', and that I (the owner of said pup) never owned another of the same breed again. then I decided that dog showing was not for me. Verbal threats to me followed.  This was 15 years ago.

So, my question is, how does someone obtain, legally, a healthy KC regd pup with the working breed traits described in the breed club description without paying through the nose, importing or (god forbid) if you are not looking at/participating in the FtCh world or the ShCh world??

You are a sane, solvent individual, retired, but healthy and exercise more than most 20-30 years your junior.  Have owned dogs all your life - various breeds, participated  (low level) in agility, gun dog work,  tracking and (yonks ago)  Schutzhund/Begleitshundprufung.  Can provide references from vets/trainers etc.  Just not happy/able  to provide extortionate amounts of money when (to my mind) the cost of breeding hasn't gone up but it is appearing to be a closed shop to purchase a pup at a reasonable price?  Or is it just a myth that this is indeed still do-able?

In all areas of human endeavour there will be good and bad.

The majority of people that truly love their breed will behave well, and would welcome a person such as yourself.

Rivalry, peer pressure etc may cause a lack of openess/fear over being entirely open re any health issue raised, as reputations can be at stake.

Health is a complex area as we deal with living organisms.

Some issues are rare/bad luck, and general to the species.

A condition is not considered breed specific or hereditary unless occuring more frequently in a breed than the general population.

So alarm and as a result perceived protectionist attitude can be understood to an extent, as unfounded rumour can ruin a dogs or breeders reputation.

Some owners also will seek to blame a breeder for health issues that could not possibly be forseen, or not known to be hereditary.

For example before my time in my breed a rumour circulated that a lovely quality champion dog was epileptic (a condition common in dogs in general).

This ruined the dogs potential stud career (I think he was never used).

The truth emerged it was the OWNER who had epilepsy.

Goodness brainless what an awful story . Poor owner how rumours can grow and ruin a reputation. 
As an example and u don't know what breed the op is hoping to have but I know of someone who nearly burchased a puppy ,very recently and then discovered that not all health tests had been done . Also the pup was going to be more expensive than expected but she had decoded to go with that. She let that one go and has found a litter from a breeder who has done all tests and prices similar to last year . That is one example of how some breeders are still selling pups at prices that are reasonable to mamy .. the new owner is not involved in the breed just wanted another pet having lost her last dog
I think its going to take a lot of patience and waiting and research but they are still there

Many byb and commercial breeders often sell pups with kc reg and zero restrictions on the pedigree so I wouldn't even consider any breeder who is not known to a breed club in some format and that's in a positive light.

If you're not interested in showing or working or competing with your dog, why not rescue?

There are young dogs that come into rescue still...

Might - but it depends on supply and demand.   I don't see prices going back to where they were before Covid 19

I hope they drop a lot. I do not think it is good for dog welfare for puppies to cost such a mad amount, just encourages puppy farmers and theft

and on a personal level I would be priced out of owning a dog if they don't drop by time I am after one.  I have to be honest, I don't love all dogs- I love specific types of dog and would not get what I want from rescue as I don't like the types the rescues get in.  I remember visiting local dogs home when was looking before and the staff told me the only dogs they tend to get in are the ones that cannot be sold for good money private.  The dogs I saw there were all the same- couldn't live with other animals, couldn't be near children, most were dog reactive, or had huge medical bills attached,