Location of where you are also impacts the cost. For example, Shih Tzu are very popular in the United Kingdom, versus the United States so you can get one a lot cheaper in the United States, than you can in the United Kingdom because there is more of a demand for them there. In the United Kingdom, you can expect to pay upwards of $1000.
Although you can purchase a puppy without AKC papers, it is not recommended. With the AKC papers you know where your puppy came from, it shows a lineage of their family. When you purchase a puppy without the papers, even though it is typically much cheaper, there is no way to guarantee that they are pure bred. When your willing to spend $1000 on a puppy, I would make sure you at least know where it came from, and that it in fact is registered.
