Puppy Prices in the US: Range & Average for 151 Breeds

I have conducted the most extensive research on puppy prices in the US ever made. Over a few months, my team and I have reviewed over 48,000 puppy ads from various sources, including the American Kennel Club, PuppyFind, NextDayPets, and breeders websites. This article presents the results of this work to establish the prices of 151 breeds of puppies.

On average, a puppy will cost $1,300 in the US. Some can be found as low as $50 and others as high as $85,000, but in general, 80% of puppies fall in the $500 to $2,500 range. Adoption is much cheaper and generally costs $50 to $500.

This article will share our findings regarding puppy prices and a few tips to find a cheaper puppy from a reliable breeder. We have only considered dogs up to 6 months old and exclusively bred in the US.

Average and median costs

As mentioned, the average cost of almost 50,000 puppies reviewed was $1,300. It seems like a reasonable amount as I was expecting something between $1,000 and $1,500.

An interesting fact is that the median cost is $1,000. It means that there were as many puppies for sale under $1,000 that there were over $1,000. It makes sense since there are many more unregistered breeders selling cheaper puppies than registered ones. Sadly, it’s also very well-known that many greedy backyard breeders and puppy mills are operating in the US, selling physically or mentally unhealthy dogs sometimes for a low price.

In fact, according to the Humane Society, there are over 10,000 puppy mills in the US. This is one reason buyers should be cautious about where they buy or (to a lesser extent) adopt their dog.

The other reason explaining the difference between the average and median is that some puppies are very expensive. We found almost 500 ads for puppies over $5,000. These puppies were practically exclusively sold by AKC registered breeders and were purebred show quality dogs from a prestigious bloodline.

Price range

To get a better idea of the actual cost people should expect to pay when buying a puppy, we have established a cost range excluding 10% of the cheapest puppies and 10% of the most expensive ones.

We found that 80% of the ads reviewed were between $500 and $2,500. As described later in this article, this range varies a lot depending on the breed.

For example, 80% of French Bulldogs were priced between $1,800 and $4,500 (from over 3,000 ads), while 80% of Labrador Retrievers were in the $400 to $1,500 range (from over 3,000 ads as well).

Some rare breeds tend to be very expensive because puppies are hard to find. In many cases, the only option is to put your name on a waiting list at a registered breeder and hope to get a puppy when the next litter is ready.

Within the same breed, there can also be a significant price difference between puppies. Many factors can explain this:

• Purebreds are more expensive than mixed-breeds (except for a few designer breeds like Goldendoodles or Cockapoos, for example).
• A show quality puppy coming from a prestigious bloodline could potentially be 100 times more expensive than the average dog from the same breed. For example, we have found three Yorkshire Terriers listed at $20,000, $80,000, and $85,000 when the average Yorkie sells around $1,200.
• The puppy’s coat color and markings will also have an influence on the price, depending on their popularity.
• Some expenses that a breeder can defray will also reflect in the price: health screening and other medical costs, microchip, training and socialization, registration papers.
• Some breeds are very popular in some areas and less in others. The selling price will reflect that.
• Age is also a factor. A puppy between 2 and 4 months old will be 4% less expensive than a newborn to 2-month old puppy on average. And a puppy between 4 and 6 months old will be 8% cheaper on average. On the other hand, buying an unborn puppy from a coming litter (usually from registered breeders) is likely to cost 28% more!

Finally, there was no direct correlation between a breed’s size and puppy prices.

Puppy prices for 151 breeds in the US

Please find the puppy price information for over 150 breeds in the table below. The price range represents 80% of the ads found. The ads column indicates the number of puppies of each breed found during our research.

Buying a puppy is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to expenses. To know more about the real cost of raising a dog, check our breeds page, and find more information about other costs associated with owning your favorite breed (supplies, food, grooming, training, medical, etc.).

Breed	Average Price	Price Range	Ads
Afghan Hound	$2250	$2000-2500	17
Airedale Terrier	$850	$500-1500	78
Akita	$1000	$600-1980	273
Alaskan Malamute	$975	$500-2500	207
American Eskimo Dog	$1000	$700-1500	43
American Hairless Terrier	$1500	$1125-1900	6
American Staffordshire Terrier	$750	$250-1500	43
Anatolian Shepherd Dog	$900	$500-2000	56
Australian Cattle Dog	$450	$250-1200	300
Australian Shepherd	$800	$400-1500	1740
Australian Terrier	$1500	$1440-1600	10
Basenji	$1400	$1250-2000	19
Basset Hound	$800	$450-1400	393
Beagle	$550	$295-1125	528
Bearded Collie	$1300	$850-2600	6
Beauceron	$1350	$920-1850	4
Belgian Malinois	$1000	$595-2000	176
Belgian Sheepdog	$1800	$1200-2500	14
Belgian Tervuren	$1700	$1500-2000	29
Bernese Mountain Dog	$1200	$675-1995	302
Bichon Frise	$920	$600-1700	160
Black and Tan Coonhound	$550	$250-800	24
Black Russian Terrier	$2000	$1000-2500	8
Bloodhound	$750	$450-1200	187
Bluetick Coonhound	$600	$300-1200	40
Boerboel	$2000	$1200-2500	41
Border Collie	$700	$300-1000	513
Border Terrier	$1900	$1450-2000	13
Borzoi	$1900	$1800-2000	10
Boston Terrier	$850	$550-1400	897
Bouvier des Flandres	$1800	$1500-2500	16
Boxer	$900	$500-1500	1041
Boykin Spaniel	$1050	$750-1500	27
Briard	$2150	$2000-2300	6
Brittany	$750	$500-1060	275
Brussels Griffon	$2300	$1500-4000	49
Bull Terrier	$1500	$815-2000	94
Bullmastiff	$1500	$1000-2200	131
Cairn Terrier	$950	$725-1450	76
Cane Corso Italiano	$1500	$700-2500	332
Cardigan Welsh Corgi	$1300	$800-1750	63
Cavalier King Charles	$1500	$800-2500	790
Chesapeake Bay Retriever	$1000	$550-1200	68
Chihuahua	$800	$375-2420	899
Chinese Crested	$1100	$600-2500	39
Chinese Shar-Pei	$1000	$750-1800	141
Chow Chow	$2250	$850-3800	32
Clumber Spaniel	$1500	$800-2400	5
Cockapoo	$2000	$1310-3460	223
Cocker Spaniel	$800	$500-1500	600
Collie	$800	$375-1450	288
Coton de Tulear	$1800	$1400-3000	34
Dachshund	$850	$450-1500	593
Dalmatian	$800	$450-1200	256
Doberman Pinscher	$1000	$500-2250	536
Dogue de Bordeaux	$1500	$900-2750	81
English Bulldog	$2500	$1500-4500	1573
English Cocker Spaniel	$1000	$800-1600	33
English Setter	$800	$600-1400	30
English Springer Spaniel	$850	$600-1200	449
English Toy Spaniel	$2500	$2000-3000	7
Flat-Coated Retriever	$2000	$1500-2500	7
French Bulldog	$2800	$1800-4500	3716
German Pinscher	$2800	$2000-3550	10
German Shepherd	$800	$450-1900	2349
German Shorthaired Pointer	$800	$500-1000	663
German Wirehaired Pointer	$800	$600-945	22
Giant Schnauzer	$2500	$1200-3500	32
Golden Retriever	$1000	$700-2000	1934
Goldendoodle	$2000	$1200-3200	1890
Gordon Setter	$1400	$800-2200	8
Great Dane	$1000	$500-1800	1445
Great Pyrenees	$550	$290-1000	267
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog	$2500	$1000-3000	35
Havanese	$1100	$650-1800	514
Icelandic Sheepdog	$2250	$2000-2500	4
Irish Setter	$1200	$700-2500	31
Irish Terrier	$2100	$900-3500	4
Irish Wolfhound	$2000	$1400-2500	33
Italian Greyhound	$1600	$1200-3000	34
Jack Russell Terrier	$1000	$500-1500	80
Japanese Chin	$1650	$1200-2000	38
Keeshond	$1500	$800-1800	22
Kerry Blue Terrier	$2000	$1200-2500	7
Labradoodle	$1550	$900-2800	775
Labrador Retriever	$800	$400-1500	3160
Leonberger	$2400	$1700-3250	16
Lhasa Apso	$950	$550-1240	127
Maltese	$1200	$600-2340	359
Maltese Shih Tzu	$1450	$830-2460	53
Maltipoo	$2000	$1150-3825	396
Manchester Terrier	$1600	$1000-2500	6
Mastiff	$1200	$600-2000	273
Miniature American Shepherd	$800	$450-1500	1102
Miniature Bull Terrier	$2500	$1500-3500	23
Miniature Pinscher	$700	$350-1215	148
Miniature Schnauzer	$950	$600-1800	1087
Neapolitan Mastiff	$3500	$2500-4500	36
Newfoundland	$1200	$600-2000	325
Norfolk Terrier	$3250	$2340-4000	8
Norwegian Elkhound	$1000	$700-1500	27
Norwich Terrier	$3500	$2000-4800	13
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	$2500	$1800-3500	8
Old English Sheepdog	$1250	$950-2000	180
Papillon	$1000	$500-1900	126
Parson Russell Terrier	$1200	$450-2000	27
Peekapoo	$1375	$900-2315	30
Pekingese	$1800	$800-3745	57
Pembroke Welsh Corgi	$1050	$750-1800	1221
Pointer	$1000	$400-1475	16
Pomeranian	$1200	$600-2000	1083
Portuguese Water Dog	$2200	$1500-2890	132
Pug	$1175	$600-1900	609
Puggle	$1000	$850-2220	63
Rat Terrier	$700	$500-1100	55
Redbone Coonhound	$600	$450-1200	25
Rhodesian Ridgeback	$1250	$600-2000	185
Rottweiler	$1150	$600-2000	495
Saint Bernard	$1000	$550-2000	276
Saluki	$2400	$1700-2700	6
Samoyed	$1850	$1200-3040	43
Schipperke	$850	$700-1100	20
Schnoodle	$2000	$1230-2695	87
Scottish Terrier	$1100	$600-1600	101
Shetland Sheepdog	$900	$500-1285	274
Shiba Inu	$1000	$650-1800	315
Shih Tzu	$850	$500-1600	1173
Siberian Husky	$650	$400-1200	1485
Silky Terrier	$1400	$900-2000	10
Smooth Fox Terrier	$900	$500-1500	11
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	$1000	$900-1500	133
Spinone Italiano	$1750	$1000-2000	5
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	$2000	$975-2500	38
Standard Poodle	$1000	$600-2000	1447
Standard Schnauzer	$2000	$900-2600	18
Tibetan Mastiff	$2500	$1800-4500	53
Tibetan Spaniel	$2000	$800-3500	29
Tibetan Terrier	$2000	$1300-2500	7
Toy Fox Terrier	$800	$500-1500	41
Treeing Walker Coonhound	$650	$300-1500	19
Vizsla	$1100	$500-1700	200
Weimaraner	$700	$500-1200	324
Welsh Springer Spaniel	$1900	$1800-2000	6
Welsh Terrier	$1600	$950-3000	13
Westie	$1000	$650-1700	135
Whippet	$1200	$850-1500	42
Wire Fox Terrier	$1800	$1150-3500	12
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon	$1200	$1000-1545	38
Xoloitzcuintli	$2750	$800-4000	32
Yorkipoo	$1600	$1135-2500	177
Yorkshire Terrier	$1200	$600-2500	1406

To find more information about a specific breed, go to the All Breeds page of this blog and select your favorite dog.

As with any data set analysis, the breeds with the most ads found will provide the most reliable information. Some breeds being very rare, and the info scarce, we are aware that some of our results could be challenged, but they are a representation of the data found at the time of the research

WONDERING HOW AND WHERE TO FIND A PUPPY TO BUY OR A DOG TO ADOPT? Our Guide will help you find a dog near you. We share the 26 best places to find your perfect pet.

Tips to find a cheaper puppy

The five following tips will help you find a more affordable puppy:

• Adoption. By investing a little time to visit shelter websites regularly, there is a good chance that you will be able to find a puppy to adopt. They are rare and get adopted very fast, but it is a realistic option. Not only is it cheaper, but it is also a great thing to do.
• Older puppies. Most people are willing to buy their dog as young as possible, creating excellent opportunities to find puppies a few months old for a much lower price. A 6-month-old dog will still be adorable and playful and should be cheaper than an 8-week-old one.
• Other locations/states. Some breeds are more expensive in specific locations because of their characteristics and the cost to operate a breeding business there. Looking at prices in different places is a great way to save a lot, providing you are willing to travel to meet the breeder and your future dog.
• Mixed-breed or purebred. Mixed breed dogs tend to be less expensive to buy than purebreds. This is especially true for purebreds with registration papers (pedigree). Most families are just looking for a pet to spend time with and do not need these registration papers.
• Friends and family. Let everyone around you know that you are looking for a dog. You might get a good surprise and learn that someone trustworthy has a pregnant dog and is looking for people to get the pups.

Even on a budget, always make sure to buy from a serious and responsible breeder. You will have a much better chance of getting a healthy dog without behavioral problems. Avoid puppy mills and unreliable backyard breeders. Before buying a puppy, visit the kennel, question the breeder about the breeding process and how he cares for his breeding dogs and puppies, and make sure to see and interact with the puppy to see if it looks healthy.

Adoption should always be considered first. It is cheaper, easier, and faster. It also saves lives. According to the ASPCA, over 3 million dogs enter US animal shelters nationwide every year. Sadly only 50% are adopted, and over half a million are euthanized. Responsible pet ownership starts here!

Related Articles

• Learn more about the cost of owning a dog or look specifically for your favorite dog breed, guard dogs, hypoallergenic dogs, or dogs for an apartment.
• Puppies available in the US for different budgets: Under $500, Under $1,000, Under $1,500, Under $2,000
• Check our Dog Supplies Guide and get tips to choose the right items for you and your dog (bowls, collar, leash, bed, and crate size, etc.). Learn everything about costs, and find the best products available.
• Top 25 Cheapest Puppies in the US
• Top 10 Cheapest / Most Expensive Small Puppies in the US
• Top 10 Cheapest / Most Expensive Medium Sized Puppies in the US
• Top 10 Cheapest / Most Expensive Large Puppies in the US

This article is original content from PetBudget.

This article is based on information we found while researching and does not guarantee that it will be possible to find a puppy at these prices when the article is read.

If you want to know whether to train your dog yourself or hire a professional and learn about the cost of training classes and supplies, check our article written with a certified dog trainer.