How Much Is a German Shepherd Dog Puppy?

How Much Is a German Shepherd Dog Puppy?

The German Shepherd, a breed that hasn’t been around too long, little more than a century, but has made a big, big impact on the purebred dog world.

From their noble, strong looks; to their energetic, loyal and playful natures, and finally to the fact that they are one of the smartest breeds out; the German Shepherd is a hugely popular breed. And if you are looking for a grand and gorgeous German Shepherd from a brilliant breeder, you need to be prepared to dust out that wallet, and sort through some pennies.

What Is a Typical Price for a German Shepherd Puppy?

Most people are going to find their puppy from a German Shepherd Dog breeder. And the first thing you should know is that there is no fixed price for a puppy, barely even a rough average.

There are lots of factors in play. From the location of the breeder, to the amount they spend on care for the litter, to the quality of the bloodlines. You would be amazed how much money goes into raising a successful litter. And most breeders don’t break even when they home their puppies. For many it is about love of the breed, rather than piles of profit.

A good starting figure to look for is $1000. With around $1500 a reasonable average to pay for a standard German Shepherd with a pedigree, from a healthy bloodline, and with a few show winners in the pedigree too.

You may be able to find a German Shepherd from a breeder for less than this, but, and this is a big but, you must be sure of a breeder.

A lower price could suggest that the breeder has not spent time, energy and money caring for their puppy. That is where much of the price tag comes from. A good breeder gives a litter, and the dam, both before and after birth, around the clock care. So a low price could suggest a less caring breeder.

Top Tip – Always, always, always check out the breeder and get as much info as you can before you buy. Ask to see the parents of the puppy, or at least the dam. Check the registration of the pups, and ask for what health checks the parents have had.

If you find a beautiful German Shepherd waiting for you in a shelter, you may well be able to adopt them for a few hundred dollars at most.

How Much Is a German Shepherd From a Champion Bloodline?

This is where things really start to get serious! A German Shepherd is a very special breed on it’s own, a pup from Champion winning bloodlines is extra special.

A Champion winner, is always a perfect example of the breed, in looks, conformation and temperament. So a puppy from a champion winning bloodline, and especially from champion parents is going to have a good chance of being an extra special example of the breed.

Expect a starting price to be around $2500, and it can get much, much higher. If the bloodline has serious winners, such as Champion of Champions and International Champions, then above $3000, or even $5000 is not impossible, especially if the puppy shows signs of being a potential show winner themselves.

Top Tip – Always ask to see at least copies of the parents pedigrees so you can be sure you are getting what you pay for.

How Much Does a German Shepherd Puppy Cost in Different Countries?

The price for an average, healthy German Shepherd puppy worldwide is fairly stable, and will mostly be in that range of $1000-2000. Outside of Europe and the U.S that amount may be a little lower, but breeders will be far rarer too.

In Germany the starting price could be a little higher, this is the home of the breed, and they take breeding them very seriously there. In Eastern Europe, where there are many successful German Shepherd breeders, you may be able to find a more reasonable price, as the cost of living there is a little cheaper.

Top Tip – When choosing a puppy from overseas, it can be better to work through a company with experience and a good reputation, rather than direct with the breeder. This can avoid communication struggles, and difficulties organising the travel.

How Much Is a Black German Shepherd Puppy?

The Black German Shepherd is considered by some to be a very specialist colour, and very rare. The colour comes from a different gene, but in every other way they are exactly the same as a regular German Shepherd. But actually it is less rare than it used to be, and seeing black German Shepherds is more common.

Despite being less rare than in the past, they are in very high demand. More breeders are realising this, and even though there are more black litters available, the popularity of the colour is still keeping the price up. And you can easily expect to pay around 30-50% more for an average black German Shepherd than a standard colour. But then you do have a dog that is a little bit rarer!

What Is the Cost of Owning a German Shepherd?

In some ways the German Shepherd is less costly to own than other breeds, in other ways not so much.

But remember first, that if you are making a commitment to a breed, you must be ready, and sure you can afford it. And not just in the short term, but in the long run.

The German Shepherd has less common health conditions than a lot of breeds. And because of this, they are less expensive to insure, a lot less than say an English Bulldog.

But they are a big breed, so the cost of food will be higher, but it shouldn’t break the bank.

They are a smart breed too, so for an experienced or knowledgeable dog owner, they are relatively easy to train, and there is a lesser necessity to hire an expensive dog trainer.

No fancy dog groomer required either with a German Shepherd. Not a Poodle for sure, so the cost of grooming is low too.

With insurance, food, toys and general costs of care, you can still expect to fork out $50-100 per month for your German Shepherd.

So in the long run that one off payment to get your German Shepherd puppy isn’t so much when you get so many years of joy with them!