# Puppy Prices - How Much Did You Pay?



## Pytheis

There are some previous threads about how much a puppy's initial purchase price is on average, but they are a few years old. I thought it might be good to start a new thread to discuss it again.

I am looking for the average purchase price for each line, meaning working line, West German show line, and American show line. I have heard that show lines are more expensive. How much so? Why?

I know the initial purchase price is just a small part to pay, but I would like to hear what some of you have paid for your purebred GSDs, as well as hear stories about what may/may not have happened if you paid less initially and got a puppy from a not-so-hot breeder, or even a rescue. Did you end up spending way more on vet bills? I would love to hear from breeders about how they decide how much to ask for their puppies.

I'll start. At the end of 2016, I paid $2,500 for my WGSL service dog prospect. Despite a high purchase price, he was not a healthy guy. I spent over $3,000 on his emergency vet funds before he had to be put to sleep at 8 months old. We never found out what his problem was. Sometimes paying more isn't better!


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## Mei

I paid a total of 400$ for Mei. 200$ up front to reserve her then the other 200$ when the breeder let the pups go. 

I did partial AKC registration. Full registration would have been 800$, which is still a VERY good price for a purebred. We went with partial because we dont plan on breeding Mei. This was our breeders first litter too and she did awesome!


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## Cassidy's Mom

Cava is West German working line, and she was $1900. She will be 7 months old on Monday. 

Prior pups were a long time ago, so prices aren't that relevant today. Our WGSL dogs were purchased in 2004 and 2005, and our American line dogs were purchased in 1986 and 2000. Halo, the most recent, was $1200 in January 2009. She was also WGWL.


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## Sabis mom

Well, Lex-WL- was free from the breeder. She had been returned at 2 years because her owner was done with her. She had a CD, TD and a BH, then he decided he wanted a lab. She was used as a patrol dog but was semi-retired after a handler was caught kicking her all over the parking lot on camera. She had a few other mishaps that led my boss to finally retire her permanently at just shy of 3, and she came to me with a fear issue that required lifelong meds to keep her from chewing big holes in herself. Other then that she was healthy.
Bud-WL-was also free and I've told his story before. Healthy as a horse, lived to almost 14, never had a single issue beyond initial care but was suspected of having hemangio when I put him down.
Sabi was unknown breeding, cost me $200, probable ASL pet stock although several knowledgeable people stated that was not the case. She had HD and died full of cancer with advanced DM. However, for most of her life she had no issues other then a few injuries sustained on the job. In spite of extremely bad hips, she was sound and active for most of her 13 years.
Shadow was free, probable ASL pet stock although one of the dogs eventually seized from that property was a very pretty, registered and stolen WL intact female who was returned to her breeder. I stopped keeping track of her vet bills when it got too depressing, but I would hazard a guess that to date she has cost me somewhere near $30,000. Her first 2 years put me well over $20,000. I think her 5th year was about $4000. She has a weak heart, skin issues, joint problems, behavioral issues and allergies. Plus she is clumsy which has resulted in a number of injuries that required vet care. 

Both Bud and Lex sold as pups for $1200.


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## Hellish

May 2017 I paid $1,500 for east German working lines. "Seller will provide registration papers within 90 days of sale date including all signatures necessary for registration" and he has a great warranty on hips and health stuff also but since I haven't seen papers yet I am guessing the rest of those warranties will be as useless to me. AKC says he is in good standing with them but he is not answering me. He will surface on this board on occasion when discussion comes around to DDR dogs... 

So far the dog has been healthy and came to me healthy. (I don't count Pano flareups.) Temperament and drives are what I bargained for in looking at the eastern lines. It's a shame because the trainer is pushing us to title him and and asks if I had planned to breed him. She has her own Czech and WG breeding operation for K9 and PPD prospects. I believe her pups are going for $3500.


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## Dutchy

800 with no AKC.such a scam anyway

It's really area based. I think the average price for a GSD out here with AKC is like $1500-1600.


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## Jax08

Working line, from a reputable breeder, range from $1500-$2500. I would say most sell for $1800-$2000.


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## wolfstraum

In 2002 I paid $1500 for a puppy.

Today I see pups selling for $1500-2500 for working line pups.

An established breeder who is PROVEN to produce the type of dog you are looking for; whose dogs are certified and/or titled and health tested is going to be at the top of this range....there are also many COMMERCIAL operations, many with great websites and featuring those elusive black sables  to hook the buyer - 10 or more females, their own stud dogs, most imported titled and a few raised and NOT titled or sent to Germany to get a title slammed on them....who get 2500-4000 for a puppy....these are for profit businesses and are in a different category than the serious hobby breeder who has a few dogs and has established a family


Lee


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## dogfaeries

Most of my ASL friends charge about $1500, though it could be less for a pet puppy on limited registration. Depends on the breeding too.

(Edited to add how much I paid.)

Carly would’ve been $1500, but I paid less because I co-own her with her breeder. Russ was free. Scarlet was a gift from my breeder after I lost Sage.


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## Gwyllgi

I paid recently €800 for an East German line pup, plus €835 for boarding, vaccinations including rabies shot and €1000 for shipping by land.


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## Shepdad

There are major price differences based on the economy of the state and city. High cost areas of the country like the West Coast and Northeast, and the major booming cities in places like Florida expect 2 to 2.5k for WL. Costs for land and labor are higher and most people earn more. Lower cost areas like most of the Southeast, Texas, Southwest and Midwest outside of the booming cities expect 1.5 to 2k for WL. Add 1k to 2k to those prices for GSL.


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## Jpage24.87

My pup isn't AKC registered. He was a one-time litter produced from a coworkers family. After Sitka's litter, his mom was spayed after they realized puppies were too much work for them to handle. They pawned off the pups as soon as they were weaned and eating semi-solid food for $200. Hindsight is 20/20, but I took a chance, and acquired him at 5 weeks old. 
We have had a parvo scare at 9 weeks, he was given his shots on schedule and has since been perfectly healthy. Time will tell if any genetic issues show up. He's definitely had a few ups and downs with temperament, but seems to have mellowed out a bit once he realized that it wasn't acceptable and wouldn't be tolerated. No issues since.


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## Pytheis

The breeder I am speaking with about getting a puppy charges between $1,500-$1,800 for a working line. The parents are all titled, health tests have been done, and the puppies will be registered.
@wolfstraum, do you as a breeder factor in the stud fee when you decide how much to ask for a litter, or are all the litters usually close to the same, regardless of stud fee?


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## wolfstraum

Pytheis said:


> @wolfstraum, do you as a breeder factor in the stud fee when you decide how much to ask for a litter, or are all the litters usually close to the same, regardless of stud fee?



not really - the stud fee is only part of the expense of breeding ....vet work can cost twice as much as a stud fee....the big picture encompasses so much more than a stud fee....I don't agree with huge stud fees....the old idea that a fee should equal a puppy price....when vet work, travel loss of work etc can add up to the cost of 2 or even 3 pups - 


Lee


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## Nurse Bishop

Inga is my first GSD and is two years old. I paid $800 for her and this is in Texas. When I saw all the 100s of schutzhunds in her bloodline I thought she must be WGWL. Nope, she is WGShowLine since those had to be titled to order to breed and they all titled schutzhund. It shows their intelligence, biddability and some (ahem) appropriate agression. Also they are quite beautiful. I like WGSL.


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## McGloomy

Mine cost me $400 and that's it. Purchased in California, USA. No papers. Almost 13 months old, no health issues so far (fingers crossed!). Amazing temperament, never snapped at me, ridiculously obedient, protective in a good way, observant, curious. Out-of-this-world handsome, classic-looking. Best dog I've ever had in my life. Not saying everyone should just look for 'cheap' GSDs. Just sharing the part where I felt I got extremely lucky with this one.


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## McGloomy

Btw, what does it mean 'Hips guarantee/warranty' when buying from a breeder? Like if apparently the dog has genetic hips issues, it can be returned? Or is it like, the warranty covers the treatment etc? Just curious.


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## Sabis mom

McGloomy said:


> Btw, what does it mean 'Hips guarantee/warranty' when buying from a breeder? Like if apparently the dog has genetic hips issues, it can be returned? Or is it like, the warranty covers the treatment etc? Just curious.


Some breeders offer a replacement puppy and some a refund of some of the purchase price. With the replacement puppy some breeders insist that the defective puppy be returned, at least one I have found required it be euthanized, and some allow you to keep the defective dog(usually altered).


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## desinif

We gave $300 for Luna. We weren't looking, but knew a family that had a litter and saw the pups and we decided why not. I will say, unfortunately with Luna she seems to have some weak nerves. We've been working on counter conditioning her with her trainer for a few months now and she's improved DRAMATICALLY, but I know better than to think she's gonna be an outgoing/social dog. =p Just a bit of an opposite experience finding our "cheap" dog. We love her, but her temperament definitely has been a lot on the nervous side despite socialization, puppy classes, and professional training.

So far she's been healthy minus diagnosed pano and some flare ups with that! Her 1 year xrays were looking good, and we love her to bits either way.

Also just wanted to say she is still a great fit for us despite the issues! She's attached to my hip, active and fun, silly in her own ways, and she fills my life with so much energy.


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## Jenny720

Cost usually include the health tests, show and and or work titles. Max- asl was $1,500 pet contract and Luna wgsl was $2,700 open contract. 

My first gsd my working line that I bought in 1996 from owners due to life changes had to rehome so we got him for $1,000. He was two years old and washed out from the police program because he failed the test by not outing and was fully trained and lived till 12 and had no health issues. In the past Many dogs we have adopted and two purchased at pet Stores. We have no issues except our King Charles who we got from a backyard breeder and paid 1,500 who had a heart murmur and effected her later years. 

All priceless.


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## Nekro

$675 no papers, if I wanted papers it was going to be $1,200.


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## Shepdad

Pytheis said:


> The breeder I am speaking with about getting a puppy charges between $1,500-$1,800 for a working line. The parents are all titled, health tests have been done, and the puppies will be registered.


Sounds about right.


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## Sabis mom

When I am ready to buy a pup I will find a breeder that I like and can work with and then ask the price and if need be save more money. Within reason I am not sure that price should be an issue. I mean if I am planning on $1800, but I find a breeder who has what I want that charges $2500, I just wait six months and save more. 
Does that make sense?


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## Femfa

My girl was $1800. She comes registered in my name, no breeding contract, sold under "pet" for contract rather than breeding/sport. Reason being is I wanted a family pet more than I did a working dog because I wasn't sure what I was getting into. She comes from health tested, titled parents, with a 1 year guarantee on hips/elbows. If proof is provided that hips/elbows are dysplastic before then, I could replace her. The only expenses I have had are from me being paranoid and also because my dog is the kind of dog who will go hard despite being injured, and then after she's done you notice. If I had purchased her as a sport dog and she was not to my liking, or did not have the drives, I could return her and exchange her for a dog I preferred. 

An interesting thing to note is that it's actually illegal in Canada to sell a "purebred" dog without papers. It's against the Animal Pedigree Act. Not that people are punished for this (I don't think it's common knowledge), but it is actually against the law and you can report it. Breeders can include the "paper" price in their fee if they wish, but they cannot expect or tell the owner pay for the registration themselves. If their own dogs are registered with the CKC and you are aware of that they are doing this, you can report the breeder and have their registration with the kennel club revoked and essentially black listed. Not sure how it works with the AKC.

Pricing is always competitive and within range of those around them. Some breeders may choose to sell for less, but more often than not they will stay around the same price as others. WGSL are more expensive because that's what they can sell for. Why sell your dog for $1200 when everyone around you is charging $2500? It makes people naively think, "there must be something wrong with this dog if it isn't as expensive". What people don't always understand is that cost is not always reflective of value or breeder investment. Some breeds sell for far more on average than others. Working Line Huskies, for example, often sell for $1100-$1300, and yet an "XXL Designer Pit Bull" sells for $4000+, or your average Golden Doodle can sell anywhere from $2000-$10,000 (not kidding - my friend showed me a site where a woman commonly sells her doodles for 10K, AND she has a waiting list).


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## GandalfTheShepherd

Way too much... and it makes me very uncomfortable when strangers ask us in public...


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## Mei

Mei was a steal compared to what I'm reading people paid. She's a great addition to the family, very well behaved and training is going a lot better than I thought. 

Although she was only 400$, I have spent about 1500$ in training so far.


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## Sabis mom

Femfa said:


> An interesting thing to note is that it's actually illegal in Canada to sell a "purebred" dog without papers. It's against the Animal Pedigree Act. Not that people are punished for this (I don't think it's common knowledge), but it is actually against the law and you can report it. Breeders can include the "paper" price in their fee if they wish, but they cannot expect or tell the owner pay for the registration themselves. If their own dogs are registered with the CKC and you are aware of that they are doing this, you can report the breeder and have their registration with the kennel club revoked and essentially black listed. Not sure how it works with the AKC.


Haha! It confused me when people first told me that they needed to pay extra for papers because you cannot do that here. I thought there would be similar laws elsewhere but apparently not. Isn't there also a flip side of that that says an animal cannot be sold as a purebred unless registration is available? I know there used to be.

And I know the CKC prohibits the selling of puppies through pet stores which is why they are not referred to as purebreds but as types.


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## Josh Keller

A coworker of mine knew I had been wanting a GSD pup and turned me onto a breeder who's wife was in a bad car accident requiring hospitalization. That, coupled with their newborn, was too much to handle so he wanted to get rid of his current litter asap. I got Murph for $500 @ 6 weeks old. Shortly after that he lowered the price to $400. Both parents are registered, well behaved and beautiful. No health problems that presented in the couple of hours I spent with them, but I couldn't be sure. 
Breeder messages me every week to check on Murph. I almost wish I would've gotten two.....almost....


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## Kairo's Dad

Paid $900 for Kairo with full AKC registration.


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## Cassidy's Mom

Femfa said:


> Breeders can include the "paper" price in their fee if they wish, but they cannot expect or tell the owner pay for the registration themselves.


What's interesting is that registration fees are fairly low - the CKC non-member price for a puppy under 4 months old is $48.00, and the AKC charges less than $35.00, with an additional penalty for late registrations. Breeders who charge extra for "papers" tend to ask WAY more than that, such as the additional $525 in a post above. 

I wouldn't have a problem with a breeder who registers puppies before sending them home and includes the fee _at their cost_ in the purchase price. What I don't like is breeders who charge different prices for puppies in the same litter with registration and without. There is no valid reason for this other than to make extra money. Charge a fair price for what you're selling, and if the litter is registered, either register the puppies or provide buyers with the paperwork to do it themselves if they wish.


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## Cascade

Kilo was given to me for free when he was just over a year old. Apparently was bought for 2k but he had a couple different homes beforehand. He passed away in May just turning 8. But never had any health issues prior to getting cancer. Only had to see vet for occasional small injuries or check ups. He died from Hemangiosarcoma. It did cost up to 3k just to get him diagnosed though. No allergies, no HD or any other issues before that. 

Lola (8 year old) was a free 'rescue' (her owner passed away) she has pannus and some tumors that appear to be benign. Has no off switch, is anxious and has dog aggression. 

I was looking at breeders all across Canada for WL pups and they all seemed around the same price range (1500-2500) mostly ranging around 2k. I had no issue paying that for a well bred pup as I wanted to get the best chance of having a healthy and stable puppy. IMO it's important to find a breeder that really understands their lines and what they're breeding.


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## Spetzio

1500, limited registration that can be lifted at breeder’s discretion upon achieveing at least an IPO I and official OFA hips & elbows and DM testing. 

Breeder primarily breeds West German WLs, Sawyer’s litter was the result of an outcross to her imported WGSL sire. Dam is 50/50 WGWL/WGSL. Sawyer is 75% showline, 25% WGWL

I’m super happy with him. As an active companion/IPO dabble dog, he is perfect.


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## Squad50FF

$350 adoption fee. Toby came from a rescue.


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## Hineni7

$800 for Areli from a breeder who was a SAR K9 handler. Full papers etc. She knew I was getting Areli for SAR and kept the price lower as a gift back to the community. So far my girl has made her breeding look good ? That was 4 yrs ago... Saving for my next pup from an outstanding breeders stock and guidance


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## ksotto333

800.00 for each of ours, same breeder. They are now 7 and 4, never have had a lasting health or temperament problem. Tess had a couple panno bouts.


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## Smithie86

Depends on multiple factors. Who are you buying from? Have they actually trained, titled/competed with dogs or bought dogs titled/send them off to be trained and titled? Do they personally keep back dogs from their breedings and train/title the dogs themselves? Research and verify all claims. What are the pedigrees and why?


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## Katsugsd

$2k for my little girl. I have no regrets about my purchase, she's been a wonderful pup. Her breeder originally wanted her for a SAR home, but the longer she had to wait for that type of home, the more she realized that may not be the best option for this puppy. I reached out looking for a Nosework prospect and got not only that, but the most loving and willing to please dog could have asked for.


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## Soldes

*Another Angle*

Reading through this thread, is very interesting to see that no one has left a price number, that would be consider by the Forum general standards, as a very high price paid (you paid to much!).
A few thoughts on this:
- One my be willing to pay a higher price than the accepted going rate, for a pup that meets all your wish list or requirements.

- In a given search, One may absolutely has to have a specific bloodline, or a product of a breeding that we are familiar with; for which you have to exceed your allotted monetary pool, in order to make it happen.

- Matters of the heart my color the final decision, i.e.. your child, significant other, or someone very important in your life; just has to have this highly price dog, even though you know that the dog is grossly overpriced. 

- This dog in front of you, may be the last piece in your quest to achieve a great result, ie. may bring with him/her, some desirable traits that your present dogs are missing.

We fully understand that in this purchasing decision arena, you often times don't get what you paid for; and in the course of our lives, this statement my have rung true in other non livestock acquisitions (car, clothing etc.). In my case, I plead guilty of overpaying for my boy Red, but have absolutely no regrets in what was spend, because he is exactly what I wanted and envision in a GSD for ME.
As is the case with most folks in this great forum, money does not fall from the sky in our household; but as of now, my biggest concern is not the money spend on the purchase, but to make sure that we don't do anything to fail him as the leader of his pack. 

Just another angle, given with much respect to all members of this forum, regarding price paid for our GSDs.


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## JLee

Getting ready to pay more than I've seen mentioned so far but I don't care. My money, my choice, my dog. It's what I want and you only go around once. Besides I would just blow it on something else. Might as well spend it on my new best friend and give him an awesome life and home.


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## dkallas

My 4 yr old Male, Ace was a bargain. We got him for 300.00 with papers at a year old, but under the stipulation that we get him neutered. The owner had purchased him to breed with his female and it didn't work out. My 6 month old Male is from the same gentleman and we personally knew the owner of the male that he had breed his female with. We got Stipe for 800.00 with papers and certification of hips.


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## Jax08

Actually, No. It's just simply nobody's business what I paid. 

I paid the going rate for a working line that is meeting all my expectations on ability for sport and as a family member 




Soldes said:


> Reading through this thread, is very interesting to see that no one has left a price number, that would be consider by the Forum general standards, as a very high price paid (you paid to much!).


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## michaelr

We got Duke in 2010 at 8 weeks from a breeder in the Philadelphia region as pet quality (long coat) and I think we paid 2000 for him with papers. He's from show lines: ASL on his mother's side and (I think, judging from the name) WGSL on his father's. He's the sweetest, goofiest, best mannered and most outgoing shepherd I've ever known (and that includes the two we had before him). Healthy as a horse so far and not a week goes by when someone doesn't stop me in the street to tell me how handsome he is.



When we came to the breeder to pick out a pup at 6 weeks, there he was standing between his mother and grandmother at the door announcing our presence, while his 7 litter mates were either asleep or wandering around. We immediately said "we'll take him" without even looking at the others. The breeder's response was "you know, he's gonna be a little plush, don't you?" (a bit of an understatement) and our response to that was "No matter. He's the one." We haven't regretted our choice for a moment.


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## gattymu

Our cheepest dog costed us 700€ (the breeder was a friend of us, that also gave us two puppies as a gift). 
The most expensive one so far has costed 1.5K. It is from a breeder that I've recently discovered that only works with German lines. 

In my case, the most expensive ones that I've bought have long hair, here, in Spain, those are incredibly difficult to find.


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## Jersey27

I feel i got a great deal on Jersey. Out of the five GSD's I have had in my life time i Paid the most for her. Spent $2800.00 and about $750.00 in vet bill's to get all of her puppy shot's and check up's. She is by far the best dog I have ever had and I feel worth every penny for her blood lines. I did a lot of research on breeders and found her in Hot Springs Arkansas. Oh ya and extra $800.00 on road trip and Hotel. I don't think you can put a price on a great dog. I know many people that have paid north of $4000.00.


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## CometDog

Jax08 said:


> Actually, No. It's just simply nobody's business what I paid.
> 
> I paid the going rate for a working line that is meeting all my expectations on ability for sport and as a family member



This for me too. I paid a little more than what would be expected from a working line, but he was 5.5 months and well started. Had his basics down. Was in a puppy training house with a family, so some foundation had gone into him. I didn't have to do housebreaking, landshark training, and he knew his basics..sit, down, stay, and recall. In Slovakian. So that was a learning curve lol

As I look at future dream litters I see 2k to 2.5k as a popular price.


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## mkinttrim

*Colorado Breeder*

Paid $1350 with full rights and health guarantee, dbl neg for DM, Czech and German grandparents, polizei and bomb dogs with SAR and Schutzhund awards.


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## gsdforever850

Xena's WGSL and she was $1,800 or $1,900 in 2015 (although we paid before she was even born, so guess that would've been late 2014). Our breeder asked for her "official" name before we even got her. All the pups in her litter had to have names starting with "X," which I'm guessing had something to do with AKC. I don't know if she actually registered her or what, but we didn't do anything on our end because we just didn't care one way or the other.


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## HarleyQuinn18

*Hefty Price*

We spent $2500 for our GSD. We met dad and mom and was able to see lineage, documentation, and all the dogs they breed are imported. A cheaper pup in our area may be about $800 but no registration or hips or anything. Sometimes what you don't pay for a good well bred dog you end up paying in vet bills and no one wants to see an animal in pain. Breeders free range their animals with their shepherds and they truly were an all around dog. Kept the house and people safe and keeps all of their livestock safe.


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## BoTaBe

Wow, really interesting (and kind of surprising) to read about the puppy prices in America. I just used the currency calculator to check what I paid for my puppy when I got her (with papers and stuff) and it was 600€ (~ 680$). Prices for GSD aren't really that high here - unless you want a puppy from a currently popular and successful breeder. But most of the puppies are below 1000€ (~1100$). Maybe one of the perks of living in Germany...:wink2:


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## Solamar

First time dog owners with early teen kids, our goal was to stack the odds in our favor as much as possible.

Our requirements were - 

Long Coat (I know, dumb requirement)
Long established reputable breeder
Proven pedigree of temperament (IPO/SCH titles)
Proven pedigree of health, hips and elbows

We wound up with a WGSL import (Pink Paper) with a pedigree of Schutzhund titles all the way back to the first GSD (Horand). Paid $3500

Knock on wood, at two years old she is everything we could have dreamed of. Best addition to our family since kids.


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## aalleenn

I paid my puppy about 400usd here in Bosnia. He was little bit over 2 months old and now he have 18 weeks. And both parents have good results on shows. Also have papers with it now so complete bloodline is really good. Breeder give health and bloodline warranty. I think it is higher price in my country. Here you can buy nice puppy for about 150usd.


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## gregus73

I spent $300 USD, in San Francisco. Max is working line.

Not sure if he is even AKC. But really smart and an amazing dog.


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## huntergreen

Like Jax, I am not going to post what I paid, but I am sure my father did a spin in his grave. Lol. He never paid more than 150.00 for a gsd. That was in 68. IMHO, we pay what is a fair market price, if we find what we want. I have found the better breeders charge a bit more. For me money well spent.


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## JLee

I paid $800 for Shelby as a pup in 2004. Now that she's gone, I'll say she was worth 10 times that to me. Have never has a dog that gave me as much love and joy as she did.


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## Elsieb

We paid a lot for a German import, partially trained, 13mo old intact male. NO REGRETS for the $$$$ paid. 
A wonderful boy, incredibly polite and affectionate. 
Our previous gsd, purchased from a priest,with new skete lineage, was a dear boy with an auto immune skin disorder that kept 
Me busy for many years tending to his problems. 
Current boy is very healthy and very energetic. 
Money paid isn’t the point. One can get a fantastic dog from rescue or an elite breeder.


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## Nikka Khrystyne

We paid 1500 for both our working line gsd puppies together, so 750 each. We never registered them, but they did come papered and with each parents pedigree. It was a local breeder in our town, I don’t believe our puppies parents were titled or did anything competitions of the sort. Both the mom and dads parents and their parents held many titles though. But that wasn’t really that important to us and since we never plan on breeding or anything we never registered them. 

A lot of people wanted 1,500 or more for not papered puppies/parents. Honestly having an AKC registered puppy or a puppy from AKC register parents wasn’t really something that we had to have. But we felt like if we were gonna pay 1,500 for a gsd then they should be. 

And when we stumbled upon a breeder who lived less then 15 minutes away we went to see the Remaining puppies, which they said was only girls, picked one out. Fell in love with unavailable male puppy while we were there.. went to get the deposit for Layla and they ended up saying if we wanted Odin we could, but I was already in love with my little girl too. So we decided to get both. Best decision we made. 

Since joining this form I’ve come to learn that having AKC GSD doesn’t make a breeder “good.” I’ve learned that most breeders do health testing and all other things. 

Not saying our breeder is bad, but they for sure put more into breeding for looks and never once talked about health and looking back with what I know now and actually having to previously put down our last GSD to due health issues, in the future this is something I will pay more attention to in the future. 

But for 1,500 and tow beautiful and so far healthy and super smart pups. I am a happy dog mom and wouldn’t trade my babies for the world. 

Even though we aren’t doing or plan to do any IPO or competiting, we do plan on taking personal protection classes, agility and dock diving for fun on a per dog basis. 

We don’t plan on breeding either of our puppies.


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## anagram

For my current dog estimated 550 USD WGSL from registered parents with A+ hips SV AD and BH and good show ratings. Has A+ hips and 00 elbows , no serious health issues , just an environmental allergy which equates to an itchy dog. 



As many have experienced I have had a very expensive dog , much same price as above but a WL dog , Pannus at 3yrs , Perianal Fistula and DM at 7 yrs ( insert 99% sure all other causes eliminated). The cyclosporin alone was a small fortune, no regrets though , she was my dog and I did the best I could for her.


On the other hand , also had a free dog WL from my sister , that barely saw a vet for anything else than vaccinations and checkups. I think a foreleg sprain from fence running was the only other time we saw a vet. 



Perhaps it all balances out in the end, in terms of money once you have had many dogs. And while money is one way of measurement, the joy that they they have brought me is immeasurable.


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## Astrove

$300 for ours. His dad was 120lb Hawaiian show dog, and his Mum a 95 lb guard dog.


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## crittersitter

$1500 for our show line bred girl without breeding rights.
$1000 for our working line boy without papers.


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## clipke

I paid $200 on craigslist, he has papers as well. A few generations back there are several IPO titles. Great grandparents were imported from West Germany as well. The breeder the original owner got him from was selling puppies for around $2,000. I got one **** of a dog for the price I paid. There's no way I would have had the money for him from a breeder. A friend of mine has an uncle who breeds in the central NC area twice a year, and they sell their puppies for $1000. Not sure on the pedigree, but the family is from Serbia. I believe they brought dogs with them when they immigrated.


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## tc68

2 grand with limited AKC registration. I can get the full registration at 2 years when I get his hips certified. I probably won't breed him, but if I do I'll go through my breeder's kennel and let her handle it.


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## Mei

A lot of people paying a grand plus for GSD puppies. Very tempting to breed Mei! I wont though. I probably will mess it all up and possibly lose some babies. That would be terrible and selfish of me. If she mates with Chase, her GSD boyfriend, they'd have some gorgeous puppies! Heres them playing.


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## dogfaeries

Mei said:


> A lot of people paying a grand plus for GSD puppies. Very tempting to breed Mei! I wont though.




Yeah, most people think that is all profit. Umm no. 

If you have a bitch that has no trouble getting pregnant, you still have expenses for progesterone testing and ultrasounds, worming and vax, extra food (bitches eat a LOT when they are nursing). After Carly finished her championship (which cost me about $5000 in show related costs), she had one litter of 5 puppies. I split the litter with her breeder, and after all was said and done, I had just enough money to buy a fancy blow dryer. 

My breeder has told me several times that I don’t want to know how much the litter Scarlet came from cost her! She’s a wonderful friend for giving me Scarlet free of charge, instead of trying to recoup some of her losses.


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## GypsyGhost

Mei said:


> A lot of people paying a grand plus for GSD puppies. Very tempting to breed Mei! I wont though. I probably will mess it all up and possibly lose some babies. That would be terrible and selfish of me. If she mates with Chase, her GSD boyfriend, they'd have some gorgeous puppies! Heres them playing.
> View attachment 510947
> View attachment 510949


Breeders who actually take the time to train and title their own dogs would absolutely not even break even on a litter, if you were to look at time spent, cost to feed/house/vet their dogs, trial fees, equipment fees, travel fees, cost of health testing, etc. I know on paper it looks like they are making a lot of money off their litters, but really it probably doesn’t come close to what they have put into their dogs. Not to mention the good breeders washing a puppy they have invested time and money into if they do not pass health tests, or if they do not meet their breeding standards. The people who just slap two dogs together because they are good pets and charge $1000 per puppy are doing such a disservice to this breed.


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## dogfaeries

Forgot to add in cost of X-rays for OFA.


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## Mei

Definitely sounds like a lot of work and I applaud you for doing all that. There definitely are irresponsible breeders out there.


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## mycobraracr

Kimber was $1100, Xander was $2500 by the time is was all done, Areli we bred and shes the most expensive haha. And for those thinking its all profit, Im probably at least $3,000 in the hole on my B litter. Thats not including titling Kimber and Her health checks.


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## WateryTart

I have an American/German show line cross, purchased on limited registration. I don't know that I want to post what I paid for her four years ago, but I'll just say it's more than anyone else has posted on this thread for an American show line dog, and a similar pedigree now would be even more than that because prices have gone up since I bought my dog. My jaw dropped when I saw what @dogfaeries said the going rate in her area was - I'd expect to pay at least $1000 more for a companion puppy if I bought around here (though to be fair, I don't know the pricing structure of every ASL breeder). But I thought what I paid for my dog was very fair, and I think what I'd pay now for an equivalent puppy if I bought one tomorrow would be fair, too, given what goes into showing and health testing and any performance titling that does happen, plus vet care for the bitch and litter.


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## FenrisWolf

I paid $2500 USD for my girl on a non-breeding contract, with AKC papers and a health guarantee. She's DDR / Czech WL, from titled bloodlines. 


Sire is (5x) IPO3, SchH3, AD, BH, KKL1, HD/ED Good, LBZ (Koered for Life), and Dam is SchH3, KKL1, HD Normal. Many pups out of the breeding program I chose have gone on to SAR, police work, cadaver detection, personal protection, etc. and many others have settled into homes in a purely 'pet' role. 


She is absolutely, 100% worth the price I paid (even with the conversion to Canadian dollars, the import costs, and travel costs). She's stable, has excellent nerves, engages with her handler fully, has beautiful structure, 'works' when I need her to, but also has an off-switch, and is exactly what I was looking for (and what I asked the breeder for).


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## goldtwh

*Prices Then & Now*



clipke said:


> I paid $200 on craigslist, he has papers as well. A few generations back there are several IPO titles. Great grandparents were imported from West Germany as well. The breeder the original owner got him from was selling puppies for around $2,000. I got one **** of a dog for the price I paid. There's no way I would have had the money for him from a breeder. A friend of mine has an uncle who breeds in the central NC area twice a year, and they sell their puppies for $1000. Not sure on the pedigree, but the family is from Serbia. I believe they brought dogs with them when they immigrated.



We had one litter 20+ years ago & charged $650 to $1000. Our bitch (Magic) was not titled. She was bred to 1995 USA SchH3 Reserve Champion, born & trained in Germany, a retired Customs Service Dog. Magic was 3/4 black and red and Bodo was black and tan. They produced black & tan, 3/4 black & reds, and 5 or 6 all black (11 pups total). Purchasing new working GSD puppy within the next 3 months or so and expect to pay $2500 with no paper restrictions. Bitch, Svv1, absolutely beautiful Czech import with stunning plush coat. I don't have the info on the planned male. She will be bred in about a month, so we will get our pup in about 3 months. A previous female from this breeder did not take, so we moved from that waiting list to this waiting list. Actually, I like the looks of this female better. She is really stunning. Her mommy and daddy are both very dark & I am hoping for a dark sable male with plush coat, keeping in mind personality will be #1 & color just on the "wish" list of wants. 


We looked at another puppy with a different breeder and they wanted $2500 with restricted papers as "Companion Dog". I would never buy a dog that had paper restrictions. Our new puppy has a "lifetime" guarantee for "any" genetic medical issues. We guaranteed our puppies 5 years. Attaching picture of Magic and Ace (a male pup we kept from her litter).


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## [email protected]

The actual cost of the dog is minimum compared to what it cost to raise a dog.


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## Orphan Heidi

I just paid $10. for my 2 yr. old rescue Heidi, but before you say I paid too much, she was just spayed, all shots, and HW

tested. My last GSD I paid $75. at county shelter and she lived a healthy long 16 yrs and was the greatest dog.

Heidi has some huge shoes to fill. There are so many wonderful shepherds in shelters, I would encourage folks to

check there first. You'd be surprised at the quality dogs who get picked up as strays and owners are tired of fooling

with them. Some may need a little training or re-training but if you're experienced with shepherds, it's not a big deal.


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## cheffjapman

Arrow was $125 and General was $60.


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## Gregc

$1100 in 2012, AKC registered, 9 week old, male pup.


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## Sabis mom

Sabis mom said:


> Sabi was unknown breeding, cost me $200, probable ASL pet stock although several knowledgeable people stated that was not the case. She had HD and died full of cancer with advanced DM. However, for most of her life she had no issues other then a few injuries sustained on the job. In spite of extremely bad hips, she was sound and active for most of her 13 years.
> Shadow was free, probable ASL pet stock although one of the dogs eventually seized from that property was a very pretty, registered and stolen WL intact female who was returned to her breeder. I stopped keeping track of her vet bills when it got too depressing, but I would hazard a guess that to date she has cost me somewhere near $30,000.* Her first 2 years put me well over $20,000.* I think her 5th year was about $4000. She has a weak heart, skin issues, joint problems, behavioral issues and allergies. Plus she is clumsy which has resulted in a number of injuries that required vet care.



It bothers me when people shop for bargain prices on dogs, and the bolded part from my previous post is what I like to keep those people focused on. 

I have seen both sides, and if you adopt then you know going in that you may have issues. Yes all puppies can be a crap shoot as noted by the OP, but if I had not been willing to work 3 JOBS both Sabi and Shadow would have met with much different ends. Beginning with Sabi's $1000 spay surgery plus aftercare. To be fair that included the xrays on her hips, but I cannot stress enough that because of previous events I anticipated an issue and paid extra upfront to be prepared and it paid off. The surgery included some exploration that did in fact reveal an issue and when she suffered a bleed we were able to save her due to my preparedness. 
Don't get me wrong, a good dog is a good dog no matter the breeding or purchase price but supporting a good breeder does two things immediately. It stacks the deck in your favor and it helps the breeder continue to produce dogs that are good examples of the breed. Supporting BYB's to save a few bucks not only has the potential to cost you huge, it encourages the continued breeding of dogs that are sub standard.


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## Jenny720

Pet store prices are insane and it is interesting how people don’t question the price but brag about how unknowingly ripped off they and some would rather pay this amount then go to a good breeder - puzzling with health testing , lifetime support, get to meet and see the longevity in the lines -my favorite part etc.


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## RSharpe75

In 2001 my wee man, Windows, cost me £450 (about $570 on today's conversion). He was a WGSL and an absolutely brilliant dog. Luckily I had him insured so saved thousands in vet bills.


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## LeoRose

I paid $3.00 for Leo back in 2012. Well, that's what the four loads of laundry done at the Highland Washateria cost me. The stray puppy wandering the parking lot was free... 

April 23. 2012 010 edit by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2018-1-17 Sleet DSC_0533 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr


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## gabby100

I paid 500$ for my little princess.


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## atomic

$200 for my Rio, this was without papers and the breeder was in a bind to rehome remaining pups. He is a wonderful puppy.


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## germanshepowner

$400 for a dream puppy. A family had an oops litter. Knowing what we do now, we’ll get on a waitlist for a breeder next time around because we know we just got very very lucky. She’s very confident and a fast learner. Our friends who have met her say they’ve never met a dog like her before.


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## Gregandogs

I would say about $3,000 is a nice price for show line.

If you are from IL i would suggest to check Zeal German Shepherds, they are breeders but also have imported puppies so you can check how it looks.


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