The Most and Least Expensive Puppy Breeds (2024)

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• The most expensive breed overall is the Lagotto Romagnolo, costing an average of $3,850 per puppy.
• The cheapest breed overall is the Miniature Poodle, at an average of $800 per puppy.
• The Boerboel is the most expensive large puppy, costing $3,000 on average.
• The French bulldog is the most expensive small dog at $3,500, and the most advertised puppy for sale.

The two most expensive breeds have vastly different profiles. We found only 51 ads on PuppyFinder for the Lagotto Romagnolo, the Italian “truffle dog” that’s rare to find in the U.S. This rarity, along with the Lagotto’s wooly coat and irresistible cuteness, pushes their price to $3,850 per puppy.

But the second priciest puppy is a far more common breed. The French bulldog took over the Labrador to become the most popular dog in America in 2022. During our research, we found ads for 17,262 French bulldog puppies. The breed can partly thank its size for its popularity, as Frenchies fit into the apartments associated with modern urban living.

However, multiple authorities have warned against the trend of buying brachycephalic breeds due to the “serious health problems” that flat-faced dogs can suffer from, such as “breathing difficulties to eye ulcers and painful spine abnormalities.”

Poodles of various denominations account for three of America’s four cheapest puppy breeds. This may be due to the high number of Poodle rescue organizations offering more affordable ways of rehoming poodles, bringing down the price. Conversely, Poodle enthusiasts are often encouraged to go directly to breeders to find a puppy, which could lower demand on classified sites. Notably, the Miniature, Standard and Toy Poodle — along with the Shih Tzu — cost an average of 30% less than any other breed.

Our study shows that the size of the dog breed you choose has a minor impact on the price, which more so comes down to individual breeds. We found no significant difference between the average price of the five most expensive large, medium or small breeds, respectively. However, the cheapest small dogs in our study cost somewhat less than the cheapest dogs in the other categories.

If cost is a concern, it is also worth considering the costs of owning a dog depending on its size. For example, larger dogs need more food, and harnesses and other gear may cost more. Here is a closer look at how much puppies of each size category cost to buy:

Cost of Large Puppy Breeds

The Boerboel and the Neapolitan Mastiff are tied as the large breeds that cost the most. Boerboels are calm but intimidating-looking dogs, making them a common choice for families who want a guard dog and have the time to invest in training and socialization. Since this breed may be chosen for work or its looks, some Boerboel puppies are sold at very high prices, pushing up the average.

Families looking for a cheaper big pup may prefer a Labrador retriever, which was America’s favorite dog for 31 years before the French bulldog usurped it. Retrievers are the third cheapest large dog on the market at an average of $1,850 per dog.

Medium puppies are defined in various ways, but a good benchmark is around 30 pounds to 70 pounds once fully grown. Our list of the priciest medium puppies is led by the Lagotto Romagnolo ($3,850), as described above, which comes from Italy. The Samoyed averages $1,350 less than the Lagotto and hails from Siberia, making it tolerant of colder climates.

Alongside the standard poodle, more affordable options for a medium-sized puppy include some breeds like the Lagotto Romagnolo, Samoyed or Alaskan Klee Kai. The springer spaniel, pointer, Australian cattle dog and Vizsla are all hunting or herding dogs by tradition, so they have high energy levels and require plenty of daily exercise.

The most expensive smaller puppies in the chart below are of a comparable price to the medium and larger dogs above. However, the three least expensive breeds are considerably cheaper than the rest.

The Shih Tzu, with a nine to 16-pound frame, has more than a millennium of history as a dog breed. Buyers are often encouraged to seek out high-pedigree Shih Tzus with detailed histories and pay high prices for top specimens. However, this may polarize the market, making lesser-documented Shih Tzus relatively cheap — particularly since the breed is known to suffer from a range of health conditions.

The miniature poodle is the cheapest across our whole study. However, the exact cost may depend on the dog’s background. While the Poodle is consistently the fifth most popular dog in America, the rising profile of the French bulldog and poodle mixes — the so-called “doodle dog” — may have reduced demand for the Poodle.

We also looked to see which puppy breeds are most available right now. We found that America’s most common dog, the French bulldog, is way ahead of other breeds — accounting for nearly one-third of all the puppies for sale. Since this breed has small litters, exploitative puppy mills are likely catering to demand. This demand has seen thefts of the breed, such as when Lady Gaga’s dogs were stolen — not because they were hers, but because they were French bulldogs.

However, experts suggest that the French bulldog is not a humane choice of puppy to buy, especially if you live in a warm part of the country.

The second most popular puppy is the smallest of them all. The “feisty, old-time” Yorkshire terrier has a history as a rat catcher and retains its tenacious attitude even today, after generations spent as a lapdog. In its native Britain, the Yorkie has actually been put on a watchlist for vulnerable breeds. However, the Yorkie ranked as the second most popular breed in our study, and the American Kennel Club (AKC) named it the 13th most popular in the U.S. We found that a Yorkshire Terrier puppy costs $2,200 on average.

Some 53% of dog owners feel that their pet is part of the family. However, buyers must weigh practical and economic considerations when deciding to add a dog to their home — from ensuring they have the time and the right environment for a dog to researching pet insurance plans to help with vet bills.

While there are different economic factors to bear in mind, a key consideration is where you buy a puppy, preferably a humane and responsible breeder rather than a puppy mill. Of course, the more budget-friendly alternative is to adopt a rescue dog — whether it’s one of the AKC’s 2,000 recognized breeds or a dog in need of a family and shelter.

While the initial cost of a puppy can represent a significant upfront price, it is also important to consider your budget over time. If you are looking to add a dog to your home, learn more about the cost of owning a dog based on where you live.

We compiled a comprehensive list of dog breeds by size from the official list of breeds recognized by the AKC. We divided size classification into small, medium and large breeds based on the size filter available on the organization’s website. We included breeds classified as “XSmall” in our small category, and “XLarger” in our large category.

We then collected the breed type, age, price and location across U.S.-based puppy ads on PuppyFinder.com. To be considered a puppy, a dog had to be up to one year old. We filtered out ads for adult dogs based on this classification.

After excluding any ads without prices, we calculated the median price per dog breed and ranked breeds by median price overall and within each size classification.

Data suggests prices as of November 2023.