STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Luigi Cangiano, a 2-year-old Shih Tzu, isn't just any dog.
He comes from a long line of award-winning show dogs.
And his owners, Traci and Vinny Cangiano, know so because they purchased him directly from a breeder in Saratoga, N.Y.
"Even his grandparents were show dogs," said Traci Cangiano, a real estate broker who owns Cangiano Estates in Great Kills.
"My kids wanted a dog and the year after I was president of SIBOR (Staten Island Board of Realtors) I agreed," she added.
But Cangiano wanted a dog that didn't shed and had a good temperament. At the direction of her vet, she looked up breeders of Shih Tzus. That's when she found Luigi.
"When I got to the breeder, I immediately locked eyes with Luigi and he's been in my shadow ever since," said Cangiano, noting he's her real estate office mascot.
But he wasn't cheap; Cangiano paid $850 for her in January 2014.
And every penny was well-spent, she said.
"I don't mind the cost because I have such love for this dog," she said.
HIGH COST OF ADOPTING A FULL BREED
And she's not alone. People pay from $500 to $1 million for purebred dogs -- with the average being about $2,500.
According to Purebreed.com, some of the most expensive dog breeds are:
- Tibetan Mastiff: $5,000 - more than $1 million
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: $4,000 - $11,000
- English Bulldog: $2,500 - $9,000
- Rottweiler: $2,000 - $8,000
- French Bulldog: $1,400 - $3,000
WHY IS THE COST SO HIGH?
Joan Markowitz, owner of Light N' Lively Poodle, who has been breeding miniature poodles for the last 45 years in Tottenville, said the cost is high because of all the testing and medical expenses the breeder does before you take your new puppy home.
"If you come to me for a dog I do all kinds of genetic testing before I breed two dogs of my own. I have them checked for everything that is known to affect miniature poodles," said Markowitz.
"I have their eyes checked for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). We also have testing for hip dysplasia, knees, heart, elbows. Once you're involved in something like that you have thousands of dollars invested in your own stock," she added.
Also, breeders take care of many of the health concerns for dogs, such as shots, prior to the adoption.
"Every dog that walks out of here has been micro-chipped, has his or her first shots, has been groomed since 5 weeks old and he/she gets a bath every single week," said Markowitz.
ADVANTAGES OF ADOPTING A FULL BREED
While many people opt to adopt rescue dogs or mixed breeds, there's advantages to adopting a purebred dog, including knowing more about the health and genetics of the animal.
"When you buy a full breed dog from a reputable breeder you know the genetics of the dog; you know the line and you know the health of the dog. If you buy from a pet shop or buy a mixed breed, even a Labradoodle, you have no idea what you're going to come up with," said Markowitz.
"I have been breeding for 45 years, so let's say I've been breeding 15 generations of this line. I know every single dog that I've bred to or bred myself. So I know the background of all of these dogs. I know what could come up, and what couldn't come up," she added.
DISADVANTAGES OF ADOPTING A FULL BREED
However, sometimes full-breed dogs are prone to particular medical issues. After paying $1,500 for a French bulldog nine-and-a-half years ago from an Oklahoma breeder they found online, Huguenot residents Tracie and Joey Giardina soon found the breed was susceptible to herniated disks
When Shea was just 3 years old, he suddenly stopped walking up and down the stairs.
"He stopped jumping; he stopped eating and then he was just panting excessively. He just collapsed on the floor, like he was just dead," she said.
"They did testing and found he had no feeling at all in his legs and feet. We rushed him to a hospital in New Jersey and they did emergency surgery. It was a 50/50 chance whether he would walk again. He was there for a week recovering and we had to crate him for two months to heal," said Giardina.
Exactly two years later, there was another disc out of place. And the surgery had to be repeated. Each surgery cost $7,000.
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