How Much Is A Puppy?

A puppy from a breeder costs $775 to $4,750, while the adoption fee at a shelter or rescue runs $30 to $455, according to Rover’s Cost of Pet Parenthood survey. On top of the purchase, Rover puts one-time first-year costs such as vaccines, spay or neuter surgery, a microchip and supplies at $1,150 to $4,420.

So the full cost of a new puppy starts near $1,200 for a low-cost adoption and can pass $9,000 for a pricey breed with a full gear setup. The sections below show what pushes puppy prices up, what each breed typically costs and how to keep your deposit away from scammers.

Puppy Prices From Breeders Vs Adoption Fees

Where you get your puppy has a big effect on the price. Shelter and rescue fees mostly cover the organization’s costs, while a breeder’s puppy price pays for health testing, daily care and early socialization. Rover’s guide to raising a puppy breaks prices down by breed type.

Breed type	Adoption fee	Breeder puppy price
Common breeds (Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd)	$30–$300	$800–$2,000
Toy breeds (Chihuahua, Yorkie, Maltese, Shih Tzu)	$150–$400	$1,000–$3,000
Designer breeds (Goldendoodle, Cockapoo, French Bulldog)	$300–$800	$1,500–$4,000
Rare breeds (Lundehund, Azawakh, Finnish Spitz, Cane Corso)	$200–$500	$1,500–$5,000

Adoption also saves money after the purchase. Shelters often include vaccines and spay or neuter surgery in the fee, and Rover says breeder buyers can pay up to $1,380 more for those services. Rover also reports that adoption fees have dropped 19% from the prior year, and some shelters waive fees for senior dogs and dogs that have waited a long time for a home.

Rover’s newest survey puts breeder upfront costs at $675 to $4,440, though that figure comes from FOX TV station coverage of the release rather than Rover’s full report. The $775 to $4,750 range used on this page is from the report Rover published directly.

What Drives The Price Of A Puppy

Puppy pricing follows a handful of predictable factors. A puppy that hits several of them at once can cost several times the breed’s typical price.

• Breed demand. Popular breeds such as French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs command higher prices because more buyers want them.
• Health and genetic screening. Responsible Cane Corso breeders spend roughly $500 to $1,500 per parent dog on hip, elbow and heart screening. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders who follow the breed club’s heart and MRI protocol charge at the top of the $1,500 to $3,500 range.
• Difficult reproduction. Bulldog breeds often need artificial insemination and C-sections. English Bulldog litters are often only 3 or 4 puppies, which helps explain a typical price of $2,000 to $4,500.
• Rarity. Breeds with small breeding populations, such as the Lundehund and Finnish Spitz, fall in Rover’s $1,500 to $5,000 rare-breed tier. Spot puts the scarcer Azawakh at $5,000 to $8,500, as shown on the most expensive dog breeds page.
• Coat color and pattern. A standard French Bulldog runs $1,500 to $4,500, but merle Frenchies list at $6,000 to $15,000 or more. A dapple pattern adds roughly $500 to $1,000 to a Dachshund.
• Size variety. Miniature Dachshunds cost about $1,200 to $3,000, compared with $1,000 to $2,500 for standards.
• Age, sex and bloodline. Young puppies and show-quality puppies from champion lines cost more. Female Frenchies often cost $500 to $1,500 more than males.
• Location. Regional prices vary, and buying from an out-of-state breeder can add transport fees.

Puppy Prices By Breed

The table below ranks every breed on breedcosts.com/ by the top of its typical breeder price range, highest first, along with monthly insurance, first-year and lifetime costs.

Breed	Puppy price	Insurance per month	First-year cost	Lifetime cost
Goldendoodle	$2,000–$5,000	$40–$70	$5,480–$9,440	$28,700–$50,600
Cane Corso	$1,500–$5,000	$50–$100	$4,900–$10,200	$25,700–$45,400
English Bulldog	$2,000–$4,500	$70–$110	$5,340–$9,020	$22,420–$35,300
French Bulldog	$1,500–$4,500	$55–$95	$4,210–$8,390	$21,400–$34,680
Bernese Mountain Dog	$1,500–$4,000	$65–$130	$6,080–$10,860	$27,560–$50,100
Pomeranian	$1,500–$4,000	$35–$60	$4,120–$7,420	$26,340–$42,220
Biewer Terrier	$1,500–$4,000	$27–$55	$4,170–$7,610	$25,890–$42,260
Poodle	$1,200–$4,000	$32–$60	$4,880–$8,920	$34,410–$51,200
Cavapoo	$1,500–$4,000	$27–$70	$4,270–$8,090	$28,190–$45,750
Maltipoo	$1,500–$4,000	$25–$55	$4,200–$7,960	$27,300–$44,860
Bichon Frise	$1,500–$3,500	$35–$60	$4,620–$7,420	$31,240–$45,500
German Shepherd	$1,500–$3,500	$44–$80	$5,080–$8,510	$25,700–$41,620
Golden Retriever	$1,000–$3,500	$40–$95	$4,380–$8,340	$25,800–$41,780
Shiba Inu	$1,500–$3,500	$35–$60	$3,820–$6,620	$23,260–$35,420
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	$1,500–$3,500	$35–$105	$4,020–$7,560	$24,040–$44,800
Miniature Schnauzer	$1,000–$3,000	$35–$65	$3,720–$6,680	$23,920–$40,000
Doberman Pinscher	$1,200–$3,000	$40–$115	$4,630–$8,330	$26,500–$44,960
Morkie	$1,000–$3,000	$26–$60	$3,760–$7,070	$22,880–$39,550
Rottweiler	$1,500–$3,000	$56–$125	$5,120–$8,450	$26,100–$39,500
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	$1,200–$3,000	$30–$60	$3,680–$6,440	$22,220–$33,030
Mastiff	$1,000–$3,000	$80–$210	$5,560–$10,120	$22,360–$54,400
Dachshund	$1,200–$3,000	$30–$60	$3,310–$6,070	$19,920–$34,120
Pit Bull	$500–$2,500	$41–$70	$3,390–$6,640	$17,340–$39,400
Border Collie	$800–$2,500	$27–$60	$3,720–$6,620	$25,990–$40,500
Boston Terrier	$1,000–$2,500	$36–$60	$3,280–$5,670	$19,100–$28,110
Saint Bernard	$1,000–$2,500	$55–$130	$5,260–$8,760	$27,380–$45,300
Labrador Retriever	$800–$2,500	$39–$86	$4,120–$7,380	$24,980–$39,080
Australian Shepherd	$800–$2,500	$28–$55	$3,840–$6,660	$28,430–$42,500
Chihuahua	$800–$2,500	$20–$45	$2,690–$5,190	$19,460–$29,040
Basset Hound	$800–$2,500	$40–$80	$3,630–$6,410	$25,960–$41,550
Beagle	$800–$2,000	$35–$70	$3,170–$5,390	$18,200–$34,650
Siberian Husky	$700–$2,000	$40–$70	$3,630–$5,990	$25,960–$37,060

One-Time Costs Of A New Puppy

The puppy price is only the start. Rover’s survey lists these one-time costs for a new dog’s first year.

One-time cost	Low	High
Spay or neuter	$125	$600
Vaccinations	$195	$470
Initial vet exam	$90	$170
Preventives and deworming	$20	$310
Microchip and ID	$15	$65
License	$25	$125
Essential supplies (crate, bed, bowls, leash)	$220	$1,160
Grooming supplies	$300	$645
Starter food and treats	$65	$430
Cleaning supplies	$45	$125
Toys	$20	$100
Rover’s published total	$1,150	$4,420

The listed items add up to $1,120 to $4,200. Rover publishes its total of $1,150 to $4,420 separately, so treat it as Rover’s overall estimate rather than a sum of the rows.

Rover’s separate puppy guide gives a higher spay or neuter range of $300 to $800 and a lower core-vaccine range of $180 to $300, so quotes vary by clinic and region. The ASPCA’s older cost table, labeled a 2021 update, lists spay or neuter at $300, initial medical care at $300 and a microchip at $20.

After the first year, ongoing costs take over. The cost of owning a dog page covers food, vet care and lifetime totals by size. Pet insurance is one of the larger recurring costs, and since insurance can’t cover pre-existing conditions, enrolling a puppy early keeps more of its health covered. See dog insurance costs for typical premiums.

How To Avoid Puppy Scams

Online pet scams are common, and puppies are frequent bait. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) logged 680 online pet scam reports in 2022, 2,899 in 2023 and 2,278 in 2024, and 1,632 more in 2025 through September. The median reported loss was $750 in 2022 and $600 in 2025 through September.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) says about 60% of these scams involve a pet that is never delivered. Per BBB and AKC, the Federal Trade Commission estimates only about 10% of victims report, so the real numbers are likely much higher.

BBB’s latest data shows scammers most often use these breeds as bait:

• French Bulldog
• Dachshund
• German Shepherd

Watch for these warning signs before you send any money:

• A purebred puppy priced far below the breed’s normal range, or offered for free
• A seller who avoids phone or video calls and won’t let you visit in person
• Payment requested by wire transfer, gift card, prepaid card or a peer-to-peer app
• Surprise fees after the deposit for shipping crates, insurance or vaccines
• Photos or ad text that show up on other sites in a reverse image search
• Pressure to pay fast, sometimes with claims the puppy will suffer
• Excuses for missing registration papers, or a seller claiming an AKC “breeder badge,” which AKC does not issue
• Ads that use the word “teacup”
• A seller offering many breeds ready to ship right away

A safer approach is to meet the puppy and at least one parent in person, pay with a method that offers buyer protection and compare the asking price against the breed’s range in the table above.

Sources

• Rover: How Much Does a Dog Cost? (2025)
• Rover: What Is the Cost of Raising a Puppy?
• FOX 5 NY: cost to own a dog or cat in 2026 (Rover 2026)
• ASPCA: Cutting Pet Care Costs
• AKC: How to Spot a Puppy Scam
• BBB Tip: Buying a puppy
• Wisconsin BBB via WisBusiness: Pet scams update
• Adopt a Pet: 12 Most Expensive Dog Breeds
• Rover: Cane Corso Price Guide

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