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!

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

@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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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).

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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?

 

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).

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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....

 

Paid $900 for Kairo with full AKC registration.

 

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.