Dogs have become members of many families today, but it's safe to say that owning a dog is no small financial burden. It can cost thousands of dollars annually for basic vaccinations, food, and necessities. However, these are only the visible expenses. In fact, due to the rarity of certain breeds or their inherently high price, the price of a dog can be staggering. So, do you know which dogs are the most expensive in the world? What breeds do the wealthy prefer to keep? Let's take a look at the ranking of the world's most expensive dogs. This article primarily uses the exceptional prices of some dogs as its research standard; please refrain from negative comments.
1. Tibetan Mastiff
The Tibetan Mastiff, also known as the Tibetan Mastiff Dog, is a breed of mastiff known for its immense strength, fierce temperament, and retained wild instincts. Originating in Tibet, China, this breed is generally considered one of the most ferocious dog breeds in the world. Typical characteristics of the Tibetan Mastiff include its powerful physique, high alertness, and strong territorial instincts. Within its territory, it displays extreme hostility towards strangers, is fiercely loyal to its owner, and excels at protecting its owner and their property. Due to its innate loyalty and protective instincts, the Tibetan Mastiff is not only the best guard dog for nomadic peoples but is also widely recognized as the best guard dog for kings and tribal chiefs.
Reason for inclusion: Dogs were once used for guarding, but today they command exorbitant prices. China once had a breed of Tibetan Mastiff known as the "Shocking Beast," whose value has soared to tens of millions of yuan, a rarity among canines. The world's most expensive Tibetan Mastiff reached a staggering 40 million yuan, and the "Shocking Beast" breed is of exceptional quality, with a single mating costing as much as 1.2 million yuan. Its scientific name is "Shocking Beast," belonging to the animal kingdom, phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata. This mastiff can reach a shoulder height of 91 centimeters and weigh over 100 kilograms. As strong as an ox and as majestic as a lion, it exudes a regal aura and nobility. In various exhibitions, the "Shocking Beast" has demonstrated extraordinary power. According to its owner, someone offered 30 million yuan for the dog when it was only 8 months old, and its current price has soared to 40 million yuan. However, due to numerous incidents of Tibetan Mastiffs biting people, people have distanced themselves from these fierce dogs, and their prices have dropped significantly.
2. Rottweiler
The Rottweiler, also known as the Rottweiler, is a breed of dog belonging to the Canidae family. Renowned for its strong physique, agile movements, and imposing presence, it is a highly respected breed worldwide, known for its courage and strength. In its early days, Rottweilers were used for herding livestock; they are intelligent, strong, and easily trained. Today, they are widely recognized not only as military and police dogs but also as a popular and expensive family pet. Rottweilers are medium to large in size, with a moderate weight—neither too heavy nor too light; their limbs are well-proportioned and powerful, with well-developed muscles, demonstrating great strength, agility, and endurance; their overall build is symmetrical and compact.
Reason for inclusion: Generally, as pet dogs, a Rottweiler of average quality costs between 5,000 and 8,000 yuan, while a top-quality show-quality Rottweiler can reach 20,000 yuan or higher. Imported Rottweilers are even more expensive. In Chinese Rottweiler clubs, there are even Rottweilers priced as high as 650,000 yuan, while "Routweilers" priced below 4,000 to 5,000 yuan are often no longer purebred Rottweilers but rather mixed breeds.
3. German Shepherd
The German Shepherd, also known as the German Black Shepherd or Wolfdog, originated in Germany. This breed is renowned for its intelligence and alertness, ranking third in the world's canine intelligence rankings. German Shepherds are well-suited for jobs requiring active movement and are therefore frequently used for various tasks. During World War I, German Shepherds were also recruited by the German army as military dogs. Due to their large size, imposing appearance, and exceptional working abilities, German Shepherds are widely used globally, serving as military dogs, police dogs, search and rescue dogs, guide dogs, herding dogs, and even as show dogs and family pets.
Reason for inclusion: Excellent German Shepherds are known for their sturdiness, agility, muscularity, alertness, and energy. They are very strong and possess keen senses of smell, sight, and hearing, making them frequently used as police dogs. On some online shopping platforms, high-quality show-quality German Shepherd puppies consistently command hefty prices, often reaching two to three hundred thousand yuan. And this is just the price of the puppies; their parents' wealth is even more staggering.
4. Border Collie
The Border Collie originated in the border regions of Scotland and is a member of the Collie family. They possess a strong herding instinct, are naturally intelligent, adept at reading expressions and movements, and can accurately understand their owner's commands, thus ranking first in the world's dog breed intelligence rankings. Border Collies have a strong ability to adapt to harsh climates. Common coat colors include black and white, blue and white, and brown and white, as well as tricolor coats, primarily with black, blue, and brown as the main colors. Their characteristics include intelligence, a quick learning ability, strong comprehension, ease of training, gentle temperament, loyalty, and high obedience. Border Collies are mainly distributed in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Reason for inclusion: Border Collies that win dog shows range in price from 2,000 to 50,000 yuan, while pet puppies generally sell for 800 to 3,000 yuan. Puppies sold in kennels typically range from 2,000 to 100,000 yuan, while show-quality puppies range from 10,000 yuan to an unlimited price. On online shopping platforms, some high-quality show-quality Border Collies approach 300,000 yuan; their parents are usually show champions.
5. Akita Inu
The Akita Inu is Japan's national dog and is widely loved as a family pet. As Japan's largest Spitz breed, the Akita is also highly regarded in Europe and the United States, where Spitz populations are abundant. In Japan, the Akita is considered part of the national historical heritage, renowned worldwide for its iconic figure, Hachiko, and is one of Japan's designated natural monuments. Akitas are known for their strength, courage, keen senses, ease of training, loyalty, and intelligence, and are relatively easy to care for. In recent years, the Akita has also gained popularity among dog lovers in China.
Reason for inclusion: At the Shanghai Pet Festival, the highest price for an Akita Inu reached 150,000 yuan. The Akitas on display came in various coat colors; males had yellow necks, while females had larger white areas on their necks. There were also snowflake-colored Akitas, which were more expensive than the yellow ones due to their rarity. As a relatively expensive breed, Akitas typically sell for around 20,000 to 30,000 yuan at the festival, but the most expensive Akita at this event was priced at 150,000 yuan, and some show-quality Akitas even reached 200,000 to 300,000 yuan each.
6. English Bulldog
The English Bulldog, also known as the Tiger Dog or English Bulldog, costs approximately 3,000 to 9,000 yuan. Originating in England, this breed is said to have evolved from the Mastiff and Bull Terrier. It has prominent facial wrinkles, and adult dogs weigh between 18 and 25 kilograms, with a shoulder height of 51 to 64 centimeters, classifying it as a medium-sized dog. Originally used for bull-teasing, but after this activity was banned in the 19th century, the bulldog transitioned to a show dog breed, with types including the French Bulldog and the American Bulldog. Bulldogs are mascots for many schools, organizations, and even countries. For example, Yale University's mascot is a bulldog known as "Handsome Dan," and the US Marine Corps and the United Kingdom also use bulldogs as mascots. Furthermore, Butler University's sports teams in Indiana, USA, use bulldogs as their mascots.
Reason for inclusion: The English Bulldog, as one of the world's most famous fighting dogs, is also a relatively expensive pet. Price is influenced by many factors, the most important being pedigree. Prices for English Bulldogs vary widely; common domestic breeds cost between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan, while premium breeds may exceed 10,000 yuan, and top-tier breeds can reach tens of thousands of yuan, with show-quality dogs even costing around 100,000 yuan. On online shopping platforms, some show-quality English Bulldog puppies are priced as high as 200,000 to 300,000 yuan.
7. French Bulldog
The French Bulldog, originating in France, traces its ancestry back to the English Bulldog, particularly the erect-eared Toy Bulldog. Around 1860, many Toy Bulldogs were introduced to France from England, and through breeding with other local breeds, the small, flat-headed, rose-eared or bat-eared French Bulldog was eventually formed. French Bulldogs are known for their affectionate, gentle, loyal, persistent, and courageous temperament, possessing a unique charm that is fully displayed in their expressions and behavior. They are friendly towards children, while also being energetic, determined, highly adaptable, and curious, making them a truly outstanding toy dog breed.
Reason for inclusion: The price of a French Bulldog primarily depends on its pedigree (whether it has a pedigree certificate) and appearance. Prices may vary slightly by region, but pedigree and appearance are the main factors. High-quality show-quality dogs cost at least 100,000 yuan. Typically, French Bulldog puppies with proper pedigree certificates (potentially descendants of high-quality show dogs) cost over 15,000 yuan for females and over 12,000 yuan for males. Online, some high-quality show-quality French Bulldog puppies have reached prices of 200,000 to 300,000 yuan. However, caution is advised, as many pedigree certificates do not match the actual pedigree of the dog. Ordinary pet-quality French Bulldogs are relatively inexpensive (much cheaper than high-quality English Bulldogs), generally ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 yuan depending on their appearance.
8. Belgian Shepherd
The Belgian Shepherd is a highly intelligent, versatile, and easily trained breed, slightly smaller than the German Shepherd. Its appearance is both beautiful and strong, with an agile and muscular physique. Alert, energetic, courageous, and tireless, it is well-suited for various jobs. There are four different varieties of the Belgian Shepherd: the short-haired Belgian Malinois, the black long-haired Belgian Groenha, the mixed-color long-haired Belgian Tempranillo, and the wire-haired Belgian Lacannos.
Reason for inclusion: As a versatile, extremely intelligent, and easily trained breed, the Belgian Shepherd is elegant, strong, agile, and muscular, alert and energetic, brave and fearless. Generally, the price of an ordinary Belgian Shepherd ranges from 1,000 to 8,000 yuan. However, show-quality Belgian Shepherds are typically ten times more expensive than ordinary breeds, and some are even more pricey. On some online shopping platforms, show-quality Belgian Shepherd puppies can cost as much as 250,000 yuan.
9. Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu, scientifically known as "Shiba Inu," is also called the Japanese Shiba Inu. It is a national treasure of Japan and designated a "natural monument" by the Japanese government. Medium-sized, it is a long-established breed and an excellent guard dog and companion dog. Known for its stable temperament and loyalty to its owner, it is a widely kept pet in Japanese households. Its popularity has increased significantly due to its appearances on television, and its enthusiast population is growing in China as well.
Reason for inclusion: The Shiba Inu, a national treasure of Japan, is naturally lively and active. Once domesticated, it displays exceptional loyalty, making it an ideal breed for guarding homes and property. In China, Shiba Inu breeding technology is relatively underdeveloped, so most people choose to import them. This contributes to their relatively high price. On the market, Shiba Inu prices range from approximately 1,000 to 10,000 yuan, but the actual price depends on factors such as the dog's quality and physique. Common red Shiba Inus typically cost between 6,000 and 15,000 yuan. Experienced breeders suggest that Shiba Inus priced below 5,000 yuan are generally not purebred. On online shopping platforms, some show-quality Shiba Inu puppies can fetch as much as 250,000 yuan, reflecting the high value of their parents.
10. Chinese Crested Dog
The Chinese Crested Dog, also known as the Chinese Hairless Dog, Half-haired Dog, Chinese Naked Dog, Chinese Royal Naked Dog, and Chinese Boat Dog, is one of the few hairless dog breeds in the world. This breed gets its name from the tuft of hair on the top of its head, which resembles the hat of Qing Dynasty officials. The breed was introduced to the United States in 1975. The Chinese Crested Dog is a toy dog, relatively small in size, generally not exceeding 33 cm in height. Its skin is mottled, with various color patterns, commonly black with blue spots and pink with brown spots. This breed is very clean, does not shed, has a gentle temperament, and enjoys being around people, making it a very suitable family companion dog.
Reason for inclusion: Generally speaking, the price of a standard and high-quality Chinese Crested Dog ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan. For some purebred, high-quality Chinese Crested Dogs with show potential, the price can reach tens of thousands of yuan. The market for Chinese Crested Dogs varies greatly, with significant differences between individual dogs. An ordinary standard Chinese Crested Dog might cost around 4,000 to 5,000 yuan; however, the price increases accordingly with the purity and rarity of the bloodline. Show-quality Chinese Crested Dogs can sell for between 20,000 and 50,000 yuan.
