The cost of purchasing a dog varies with age, sex and breed. In addition, the principle of demand and supply also determines the price of certain breeds. Dogs that are common and readily available tend to be cheaper compared to breeds of dogs that are not common. The source of the dog; if it is home-bred or imported from another country also influences the cost of purchase.
The variance in dog’s price is not only breed-specific, dogs of a particular breed can be more expensive than other dogs of the same breed. Factors that determine how expensive a dog could be include:
- The percentage line (how pure the dog is).
- Availability of the dog. (If it is locally bred or has to be imported).
- The sex of the dog. Most females are more expensive than males.
- If the dog is registered or the bloodline is registered. For example, an appraised and registered Boerboel from South Africa will be more expensive than a non-registered one.
- The type of breed you want. For example, Caucasian shepherds are more expensive than German shepherds. Maltese are more expensive than Lhasa apso.
- The celebrity status of the dog. Breeds like French bulldog and Siberian husky are known to be celebrity dogs because many celebrities keep them. This makes them more expensive than other dogs.
