The 20 Most Expensive Dog Breeds in the World
For some people, finding their next best friend is as easy as going to the local animal shelter and paying the fee in order to adopt a dog. There are individuals that couldn’t care less what breed of dog it is. They simply go to the shelter, find the one they connect with, and the rest is history. Other people have a fondness for purebred dogs, so much so that they can’t imagine what it would be like to own a dog that doesn’t come with papers. If you happen to be one of those individuals, you might be interested in reading about the 20 breeds included on this list. These dogs are among the most expensive purebred dogs that you can purchase. Without a doubt, you’re expecting to see some of them on this list. You’ll be surprised to see others and there’s a better-than-average chance that you’ve never even heard of some of them. If you’ve always dreamed about owning a purebred dog of your own, read on and find out which one interests you the most. Once you’re finished reading, you will also have a better idea of how much money you need to save up in order to make that purchase. Here are the 20 most expensive dog breeds out there.
Chow Chow
This is a fairly rare breed of dog, probably because they cost so much money. They originally came from China, but people have been breeding them in the United States for several decades now. The dog has a tendency to look more like a lion than a dog. Some people consider them the epitome of beauty. These dogs have a tendency to be very intelligent but they can also be so overprotective of their owners that they become aggressive toward other individuals. If they’re raised and trained correctly, this usually isn’t a problem. However, the breed as a whole has gotten somewhat of a bad reputation because of this tendency, thanks in part to breeders that were less than ethical and people that got in over their heads when they purchased one of these dogs. If you know what you’re doing with them and you’re not afraid to shell out some serious cash, it might be a good fit for you. However, you should be prepared to spend at least $3,000 in order to get a purebred Chow. Depending on the bloodlines involved, you could spend as much as three times that amount.
Rottweiler
The Rottweiler definitely has a reputation that has a tendency to divide people. Some people absolutely love this breed of dog and can’t imagine having anything else and others are scared to death of it. Again, it comes back to breeders that didn’t breed dogs with the best qualities and owners who purchased these dogs without knowing anything about them to begin with. The Rottweiler, when it is healthy and well trained, is a dog that is fiercely loyal to its people, but really doesn’t pay much attention to anybody else unless it feels like it has to protect its owner or its property. The dogs are sturdy and they don’t scare easily, under hardly any circumstances. If you want one, you’re going to have to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of about $7,000 in order to get one that’s bred ethically.
Lowchen
This is another dog that’s pretty rare, especially in the United States. That’s actually one reason that it’s so expensive. Most people have never heard of the breed and don’t really know what to expect. If you’ve never seen one before, think about an over-sized Shih Tzu bred to a Poodle. That’s basically what this dog looks like. As far as its personality is concerned, it’s fairly docile. They also have a tendency to be loving and affectionate. The breed originated from Japan and they’re far more numerous there than they are here in the United States. Since there aren’t that many breeders in the U.S. to begin with, you can expect to spend just under $7,000 in order to get a Lowchen of your own.
German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is a beloved dog that’s been doing all kinds of police work for decades. Of course, that isn’t the only thing these intelligent and powerful dogs are used for. Some people use them to guard their property and others use them for far more involved things, such as teaching children to read or helping people become more comfortable with themselves through various types of therapy programs. German Shepherds have long been used as seeing eye dogs. Some of them are beloved and pampered pets. The truth is, there’s virtually nothing that a German Shepherd can’t do. These dogs are capable of running at roughly the speed of most race horses and they have the capacity to understand commands that goes far beyond most breeds of dogs. Once again, some people are absolutely terrified of the German Shepherd and they see them as a serious breed that should be watched closely. Nothing could be further from the truth. If a dog is misbehaving, it always comes back to one of two things, or perhaps a combination of the two. It involves poor breeding and poor training. A well-bred and well trained German Shepherd is one of the best companions anyone could ever hope to have. Prices for these dogs vary a great deal depending on breeders and location but in general, a German Shepherd from a top-of-the-line bloodline sells for around $6,500 each.
Samoyed
These are beautiful, white fluffy dogs that look like an albino husky that just came from the salon. They tend to be very affectionate and that makes them a dog that is widely sought-after, especially in homes that have children. These dogs are fairly intelligent and they have a tendency to be extremely gentle with children, older individuals, and people that are compromised physically in one capacity or another. It’s almost as if they know when they need to show a calmer, gentler side of themselves. They’re not that easy to find, so they usually sell somewhere between $6,000 and $6,500.
Canadian Eskimo
This dog looks a lot like a husky but there are some key differences between the Husky and the Canadian Eskimo. In fact, this is actually the oldest purebred dog that exist in the United States. It’s also said to have the purest Bloodlines and existence. All of this doesn’t come cheap, as you might have guessed. If you want one, it’s going to cost you about $6,000 for a puppy.
Tibetan Mastiff
As the name implies, these dogs are extremely large. That means that they cost more to own when it comes to things like feeding bills, as well. With that being said, if you can afford to purchase one of these dogs from a breeder, it shouldn’t be any problem to afford the dog food, as they have a tendency to cost about $5,000 a piece. That sounds like a lot, and it is. However, it is said that this particular dog is related to a much older breed from several centuries ago and that one of those dogs sold for roughly $50,000. There may be truth to that story or it might be completely fabricated, but it almost makes $5,000 seem like pocket change.
Chinese Crested
If you watch dog shows on television, you’ve probably seen one of these breeds of dogs running around. In this particular case, the expensive version is the hairless form of the breed. They’re not much bigger than a chihuahua but they’re said to have regal breeding that goes back several centuries. If you want one, it’s going to cost you anywhere from $3,000 all the way up to $5,000 in order to get one.
Dogo Argentino
This breed of dog has one of the most unique names that’s ever existed. It sounds cool, too. Most people have never heard of them and don’t even know they exist. They’re extremely rare, making them very valuable as well. If you’re wondering what one of them looks like, think about a pitbull. They look very much like this breed of dog, but they are known for their affectionate and loving nature. They’re also known for being very expensive, selling for somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,000 per puppy.
Akita
If you ever saw the movie Hachi, you know what an Akita looks like. The movie was also fairly accurate about the personality of these dogs. As such, they are beloved pets and people are willing to pay a lot of money to get their hands on one of these purebred dogs. They’re not easy to find, just like most of the dogs on this list. If you want one, you might have to spend as much as $3,500 in order to get the dog of your dreams.
Pharaoh Hound
These dogs are sleek and fast looking. Just as the name implies, they got their start in Egypt and they were bred for royalty. They still maintain their royal bloodlines, meaning that they cost a lot of money. If you live in the United States and you want one, it is possible to find a breeder that specializes in them but it won’t be cheap. They usually cost about $3,000.
English Bulldog
Some people are extremely fond of this breed, so much so that they don’t really want to have anything to do any dog that’s not a purebred English Bulldog. Other people want nothing to do with them. It really has a lot more to do with an individual’s personal preferences when it comes to breeds of dogs than anything else. As far as the dogs themselves go, they’re docile and relatively affectionate. However, English Bulldogs do have a number of different health problems that they’re typically afflicted with, and it has a tendency to get worse as the dog gets older. Therefore, people that don’t have experience with this kind of dog should stop and think about whether or not they’re prepared to deal with those types of issues before they get one of their own. A lot of them have breathing difficulties because of the way their faces are shaped. It causes them to have trouble with their airway and as they get older, this problem can exacerbate itself, especially if the dog is overweight. With that being said, they’re still an extremely popular breed and you can spend as much as $3,000 on a new puppy.
Portuguese Water Dog
The name pretty much says it all with these dogs. Most of them really enjoy being in the water and in fact, a lot of them are used for different sports such as fetching geese and such that fall into the water. They’re a relatively large dog, but they’re certainly not among the largest, not even on this list. They have a tendency to be affectionate, loyal, and fairly intelligent. They can be trained relatively easily and they usually do well with families that have children or other animals. These dogs don’t usually have a tendency toward aggression and they have relatively few health problems, especially for a purebred dog. More often than not, dogs that are purebred actually have more health problems than dogs of mixed breeds. This is because they have developed certain conditions that a particular breed is prone to over the years and as the same bloodlines are bred again and again, these health problems can become exacerbated. It makes puppies from those particular bloodlines more prone to having those problems. This is a breed that is fairly healthy. As such, you can expect to pay about $2,500 for a purebred puppy.
Russian Terrier
Most people have never even heard of the Russian Terrier before. You know that if you’re talking about a purebred dog and you’ve never even heard of it, it’s not going to be cheap because it’s obviously not one that is frequently bred. It goes back to the basic things you learned about in a high school economics class about supply and demand. The more people want something and the more rare that something happens to be, the more they can charge for it. A lot of things about economics have changed over the years, but this is pretty much the cornerstone of the entire subject and it’s not likely to change anytime in the foreseeable future. Because these dogs are so rare, they cost about $2,000 each. If you want one, you might have to look a long time in order to find a breeder but it might be worth it. The dogs are fairly healthy, sturdy and they’re usually well-tempered.
Landseer
This is another rare breed of dog that costs about $2,000 to get a puppy. Like most of the dogs on this list, they have a tendency to be fairly durable for a purebred and they’re relatively intelligent. One of the main reasons that people seem fond of these dogs is that they do well with families that have children. They also have a tendency to flock toward older individuals that are a little more fragile. Watching one of these dogs display their gentle nature with these individuals is nothing short of miraculous. Because of their characteristics, they make excellent decisions for older people that live alone, as well as households to have several children, children that are extremely young, or those households where older individuals are living with the rest of the family. The dogs have a tendency to become true family dogs, often gravitating toward a single individual but remaining affectionate toward everybody that lives in the house.
Irish Wolfhound
The first thing that you’re likely to notice about these dogs when you see one is that they’re very large. By most accounts, they’re not the prettiest dog in the world, either. However, they were bred originally to be protective of the families which own them and that is largely why people still have them, aside from competing with them in dog shows and such. The Irish Wolfhound is a striking individual that you never forget once you see one. Despite their rather enormous size, they have a tendency to be very gentle around people. However, they’re also very protective. This gives them a near perfect balance between being a great family dog and a guard dog. Sometimes, it can be difficult to strike that balance in any breed, but these dogs seem to do it almost instinctively. It really makes sense, especially when you consider that protection is basically what they were bred for several hundred years ago. If you want one, they usually cost just under $2,000 each.
Cane Corso
This is another dog that people don’t see very often, especially not with completely pure bloodlines. That makes them relatively valuable. They’re also rather large dogs that are fairly athletic. When you first look at this particular breed, you might mistake it for a Pitbull or something similar, as it has physical characteristics that are very much like a Pitbull. The major difference is that it’s physical appearance is slightly more refined and it’s a little bit taller in most cases. This particular breed is also known for being very affectionate and extremely intelligent. The dogs can learn to do just about anything you want them to and they’re usually very willing when it comes to training and obedience. For the most part, this is a breed of dog that doesn’t really seem to mind even if kids are climbing all over it. Thanks to its size, a lot of younger children have a tendency to try to ride the dog as if it were a horse. Fortunately, the dogs really don’t seem to care. They usually cost about $1,500.
Bedlington Terrier
These are the white curly haired dogs that you usually see at dog shows with the strange haircut. They make good pets, although most people that have them do so because they’re either breeding them or they’re competing with them in dog shows. If you happen to be partial to this breed, this can make it very difficult to find a breeder in your area. There just aren’t that many of them around. This is especially true if you don’t live next to a major metropolitan area, where it’s more likely that you will be able to find different breeds of dogs. This also makes them worth about $1,500 a piece. Of course, you could pay significantly less or significantly more, depending on the particular bloodlines of the dog in question and how popular that breed of dog is in the area where you decide to purchase it.
Saint Bernard
Who hasn’t heard of the Saint Bernard being bred to go out and find lost skiers in the Alps? Even young children grow to associate this particular breed with this activity, largely from watching cartoons and from seeing clips on videos where these dogs are being actively used in a rescue. The Saint Bernard was also the dog featured in the popular series of movies Beethoven. When the movies were at their height of popularity, the breed enjoyed a resurgence in its popularity as well. This was especially true when it came to families that had children, as the children wanted to go get a dog that looked just like Beethoven in the movie. The dogs typically sell for about $1,500 each, but the costs don’t stop there. These are massively large dogs that eat a tremendous amount of food. They can also suffer from certain health problems so it’s imperative that you decide to go through a breeder of impeccable quality if you decide you want one of these dogs. Rest assured, you can have a long and happy relationship with your new Saint Bernard puppy. You just have to do your research and know who you’re purchasing the puppy from before you get carried away.
Kerry Blue Terrier
If you haven’t already noticed, Terriers seem to be popular breeds, regardless of the specific dog in question. These dogs sort of look a lot like the Bedlington Terrier, only they’re kind of bluish in color, as the name implies. They’re are not really all that plentiful, so they’re fairly expensive to purchase. Typically, you can expect to spend about $1,200 for one of these dogs. If you have a fondness for them, it might be worth the price because they have a tendency to live quite a long time and they’re usually well-tempered.