You’re interested in getting a German shepherd puppy but don’t know how much it will cost? Well, my friend, you’ve come to the right place because I’ve gathered price lists from different German shepherd breeders and rescues in the US and put them all together in this one single post.
So, how much does a German shepherd puppy typically cost? The average cost of a German Shepherd puppy is somewhere between $2000 to $9,500 if you’re buying from a breeder. If you’re wanting to adopt or rescue, the average price is anywhere between $125 to $500.
Take a look at the following table below for a quick overview of different breeders and rescues and their price for German shepherd puppies.
Average Cost of Buying German Shepherd Puppies
Name | Location | Rescue/Breeder | Price | |
1 | Kraftwerk K9 | Rochester, WA | Breeder | $6,500 (untrained) $9,000 (trained) |
2 | Top Shepherd Kennel | California | Breeder | $5,550 – $6,500 |
3 | Vom Berk Haus | Corvallis, Montana | Breeder | $6,800 – $8,500 |
4 | Countryside Kennels | Burlington, CO | Breeder | $2000 |
5 | Kolenda Kennels | Dorr, Michigan | Breeder | $2,900 – $3,300 |
6 | Geliebte Shepherds | Menomonie, WI | Breeder | $3,500 |
7 | Fleischerheim | California | Breeder | $3,500 – $9,500 |
8 | Vom Banach K9 | Port Orchard, WA | Breeder | $2,500 – $3,500 |
9 | Southernwind K9 | Brooksville, Florida | Breeder | $2,500 – $3,500 |
10 | Highlander Bluff | Toston, MT | Breeder | $2,000 – $2,500 |
11 | Nadelhaus German Shepherds | Corning, CA | Breeder | $2,800 – $3,800 |
12 | Von Der Otto German Shepherds | Rockwall, TX | Breeder | $6,000 – $6,500 |
13 | Shepherds without Borders | Silverton, Oregon | Rescue | $400 |
14 | All Shepherd Rescue | Baltimore, MD | Rescue | $300 |
15 | Southeast German Shepherd Rescue | Mooresville, NC | Rescue | $300 |
16 | Mid Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue | Mt. Airy, MD | Rescue | $350 |
17 | German Shepherd Rescue & Adoptions | Raleigh, North Carolina | Rescue | $300 |
18 | German Shepherd Rescue of New England | Wayland, MA | Rescue | $150 (puppies and adults) $300 (seniors) |
19 | Char-Wills German Shepherd | Schuylkill County, PA | Rescue | $300 |
20 | Vegas Shepherd Rescue | Clark County, NV | Rescue | $125 – $400 |
21 | Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | Rescue | $150 – $500 |
1. Kraftwerk K9
Kraftwerk was founded by Wayne Curry. According to the breeder’s about us page, he is the only breeder in U.S. German shepherd history that sent his breeding dogs to Germany to compete and won!
As you can expect, based on Curry’s accomplishment, buying a GSD puppy from Kraftwerk is not cheap, but you can be sure they know what they’re doing.
Location: Rochester, WA
Price: $6,500 for untrained puppies and $9,000 for trained puppies
2. Top Shepherd Kennel
The Top Shepherd Kennel, located in Temecula’s renowned wine country, has been breeding German shepherds for more than 25 years. If you’re looking for a purebred German shepherd puppy, this is the breeder that you want to go to.
They sell GSD puppies from $5,550 – $6,500. These costs have included vaccinations, micro-chipping, and puppy socialization training.
Location: California
Price: $5,550 – $6,500
3. Vom Berk Haus
Vom Berk Haus focuses on breeding family-friendly yet real-life protection German shepherd dogs. They achieve this by making sure that the puppies they sell have passed an IPO test.
An IPO test is an evaluation test that determines if the dog has the appropriate traits and behaviors that are necessary in a proper working German shepherd. There are three things that are measured by the IPO test: tracking, obedience, and protection skills.
Location: Corvallis, Montana
Price: $6,800 – $8,500
4. Countryside Kennels
The Countryside Kennels was founded by current owner Derek Stevens. Derek Stevens himself has more than 30 years of experience in dog training and breeding. Their available dogs for sale include German shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherd cross breeds.
What makes this breeder worth considering is their 1-year satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with their dogs due to any reason, they will take the dogs back.
Location: Burlington, CO
Price: $2,000
5. Kolenda Kennels
Founded by John and Susan Kolenda, the husband and wife duo have been breeding German shepherds since 2000. Right from the beginning of their breeding career, they have decided to have all of their German shepherds imported from Germany.
The price of buying a puppy from this breeder is between $2,900 to $3,000. And when you consider the quality of their breeding dogs, I think you get yourself a pretty good deal here.
Location: Dorr, Michigan
Price: $2,900 – $3,300
6. Geliebte Shepherds
Serge and Veronica, the founders of Gelibte Shepherd, have been breeding German shepherds since 2011. Before they met, Sergey had experience working with various dog breeds for some time in Europe, while Veronica had learned everything about breeding dogs early in her life from her parents, who happened to be breeders as well.
All of their puppies have been vaccinated, microchipped, and dewormed before going to their new home.
Location: Menomonie, WI
Price: $3,500
7. Fleischerheim German Shepherds
Fleischerheim is comprised of a group of experienced German shepherd breeders in the United States and Germany. What is so astonishing about this group is that they have been running their breeding business for over 55 years!
They are located in multiple locations around the US, including California, Texas, Southern California, South Carolina, and Washington. The cost of purchasing a GSD puppy starts from $3,500 and includes vaccinations, deworming, and health certificates.
Location: California, Texas, Southern California, South Carolina, and Washington
Price: $3,500 – $9,500
8. Vom Banach K9
The Vom Banach K9 was founded by Julie Marlow, a veterinary technician with more than 20 years of experience. Her main strength is breeding a working line German shepherd, particularly DDR/Czech and West German Working Line dogs.
You can expect to pay between $2,500 to $3,500 for her service. These costs include vaccinations, microchip, deworming, medical check, and screening for genetic canine hip dysplasia.
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Price: $2,500 – $3,500
9. Southernwind Kennels
The Southernwind Kennels is currently run by its founder, Cecilia Martinez. She started her kennel back in 1978. Prior to establishing her own kennel, she worked at Schlosserhauss Kennels when she was a teenager. She started working as a kennel helper to be promoted later on as puppy nursery supervisor.
From there, she went on to achieve much in her professional career, including working with the mounted police for 22 years and being a certified trainer, all-breed judge, and temperament test judge.
Location: Brooksville, Florida
Price: $2,500 – $3,500
10. Highlander Bluff K9
This breeder is located in the big sky state of Montana. Their available puppies range from German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherds and are available in a price range starting from $2,000 to $2,500. All puppies are vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped, and vet examined.
Location: Toston, MT
Price: $2,000 – $2,500
11. Nadelhaus German Shepherds
Nadelhaus German Shepherds was founded by Traci Needles, who has been successfully breeding German shepherds from German bloodlines for the last 30 years. All of her dogs have been vaccinated to date, vet-checked, and temperament tested.
Besides breeding, she also provides other services that include dog training, dog boarding, and importing German shepherds.
Location: Corning, CA
Price: $2,800 – $3,800
12. Von Der Otto German Shepherds
Von Der Otto German Shepherds kennel is a family business owned kennel located in Rockwall. They have been focused exclusively on breeding German shepherds from West German Show lines as they believe these dogs are the best at protecting children, families, and single women.
Location: Rockwall, TX
Price: $6,000 – $6,500
13. Shepherds Without Borders
The Shepherds without Borders is a rescue that specializes in German shepherd dogs. Situated in Silverton, this rescue has successfully rescued all different ages of German shepherds. The price of adoption is $450 for all dogs and has included vetting, up-to-date shots, microchip, and spayed.
Location: Silverton, Oregon
Adoption Fee: $450
14. All Shepherd Rescue
All Shepherd is a rescue that focuses on rescuing and re-homing German shepherds in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Most of their dogs are adult and senior dogs, so you can expect that if you’re getting a dog from this rescue, they have been house trained before and know some basic commands.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Adoption Fee: $300
15. Southeast German Shepherd Rescue
The Southeast German Shepherd Rescue has been running for over 30 years, with an operation area across the southeastern United States. They rescue all breeds and ages of German shepherds from puppies to seniors.
Any dogs older than 8 months from this rescue will be fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped, dewormed, and heartworm tested.
Location: Mooresville, NC
Adoption Fee: $300
16. Mid Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue
Since its founding, the Mid Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue has helped over 4,200 German Shepherds find homes. Its rescue operation reaches across the Mid-Atlantic area. What amazes me about this rescue is its large selection of German shepherds. This rescue is worth checking out whether you want to adopt a purebred or a mixed-breed German shepherd.
Location: Mt. Airy, MD
Adoption Fee: $350
17. German Shepherd Rescue & Adoptions
This rescue is based in Raleigh, NC, but they are also operating in South Carolina and Virginia.
Speaking about locations, they have this strict requirement that adopters must originate from the same areas as well.
To adopt a dog from this rescue, you need to pay an adoption fee of $300 plus an application fee of $30.
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Adoption Fee: $300
18. German Shepherd Rescue of New England
The German Shepherd Rescue of New England is Massachusetts based rescue that serves the six New England states (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT). If you would like to be considered to adopt GSD from this rescue, you must meet the following requirements:
- All children in your home must be age 7 or older.
- Your home must have a fenced yard.
- And you must reside in the area they serve (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut).
Location: Wayland, MA
Adoption Fee: $150 for puppies and adults, and $300 for seniors
19. Char-Wills German Shepherd
This breed specific rescue for German Shepherds was founded by Diane Buhl. she has for over 30 years worked at veterinary hospitals and shelters in various positions, starting as a veterinary assistant and kennel attendant till acting as a state dog warden and supervisor.
Their rescued German shepherds mostly come from Pennsylvania and sometimes New Jersey, New York, eastern Ohio, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Louisiana.
Location: Schuylkill County, PA
Adoption Fee: $300
20. Vegas Shepherd Rescue
If you live in Clark County, this is the only place where you can adopt a German shepherd. Their adoption fee varies from $125 to $400 depending on the German shepherd’s age and condition.
Location: Clark County, NV
Adoption Fee: $125 – $400
21. Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles
Established in 2002, this organization has so far rescued and helped more than 4,000 GSDs find good homes. They work with German shepherds of all types and all ages. With a team comprised of behavioral experts, veterinary staff, and dedicated volunteers, you’ll surely find a perfect dog for you and your family here.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Adoption Fee: $150 – $500
What Determines The Price of a German Shepherd Puppy?
As you can see from the above list, the price of each puppy can be wildly different from breeder to breeder. Here are some factors that determine the final cost of your GSD puppy.
The GSD’s age: The younger the dog, the more it costs. Puppies are more expensive than adult dogs, and likewise, adults are more costly than seniors.
Location: If you live in a higher income state, such as New Jersey, you’ll likely have to pay a higher price than if you live in a lower-income state, such as Mississippi.
Lineage: No matter where do you live, purebreds and show quality German shepherds are going to cost big bucks, while mixed breeds are going to have a lower price tag.
Cost of raising a German Shepherd: The breeder needs to make money too. You might not be aware of this, but a lot goes into raising a litter of German shepherd puppies until they are ready to be taken home. The cost includes training, food, utilities, and vet bills.