The Worlds 10 Most Expensive Dog Breeds

The most popular dog breeds are not the worlds most expensive dog breeds,  but the luxury dogs rate high in the top of the list. Popular dog breeds change from year to year and from country to country; and so do the most expensive dogs in the world.

What Makes a Dog Expensive?

There are a variety of factors which make dogs expensive. Purity of breed or their rarity can make dogs extremely expensive. When they are offspring from prize winning dogs the prices can skyrocket too, but the biggest factor is the C-factor. As soon as a dog is spotted or photographed in possession of a celebrity, the dog’s price will shoot beyond the moon. It has happened in the past, and it will happen in the future.

The most expensive dog ever sold

The most expensive dog ever sold was recently in March 2011, a red “Tibetan mastiff” called Big Splash, or “Hong Dong” in Chinese.  This most expensive dog ever is already 11 months-old and already stands nearly three-feet-high at the shoulder and weighs more than 180lbs, says his breeder, Lu Liang.   He was purchased by a chinese multi-millionaire coal baron.

‘Big Splash’ sold for an amazing 10 million Yuan which is about 1.5 million US Dollars and beats the earlier record set by another Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan mastiff” called Yangtze River Number Two which was sold to a chinese woman in 2009 for a whopping 4 million Yuan (About $609,000).   But this still doesn’t make the Tibetan Mastiff generally the most expensive dog breed.

Top Ten of Expensive Dogs

Roaming along the internet, in a variety of countries here is a countdown of the top ten most expensive dog breeds our editors found.

10 – Akita

Ok so in at No.10 for the most expensive dog breeds is the Japanese Akita which can sell for between $1,500 – $4,500

9 – Bearded Collie

At No.9 in our list of the worlds most expensive dogs is bearded Collie which can be sold for between $1,000 and $5,000

8 – Pharaoh Hound

In at No.8 of the most expensive dog breed is the Pharaoh hound which can fetch between $2,500 – $6,500

7 – Tibetan Mastiff

At No.7  in our list is the Tibetan Mastiff which can usually go for around $2,200 – $7,000.  Now although one of these was sold for a whopping $1.5 million  it still doesn’t make it as generally the most expensive dog breed.

6 – Rottweiler

The Rottweiler makes it to number 6 in our most expensive dogs list at between $2,000 – $8,000

5 – Chow Chow

At No.5 of our list is the Chow-Chow a chinese breed which can fetch between $3,000 – $8,500

4 – English Bulldog

The good Ole English Bulldog or ‘British Bulldog’ as it’s know in the UK is at no.4 of our most expensive dogs breeds at between $2,500 – $9,000..  And now wait for it, the top 3 most expensive dog breeds…  drumroll please….!!!

3 – Samoyed

The Samoyed which originates from Siberia is our No.3 selection which can be bought for between $4,000 – $11,000

2 – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

And 2nd in our ‘Top Dog’ list is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from England which can sell for a princely sum of between $1,000 – $14,000 and the No.1 most expensive dog breed is…………………

1 –  German Shepherd  (Alsation)

In at No.1 as the most expensive dog breed in the world has to be the very versatile Alsation which can fetch anything between $3,000 – $24,000..

So there it is.  An exciting list of dog breeds, and unfortunately some very popular dogs did not make it to the top ten.

What happened to the Golden Retriever, Komondor, Malteser Terrier, Bichon Frise, Norfolk Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier and the Australian Shepherd? All popular dogs but they did not make it into the top ten of most expensive dogs 2011.

Worlds Most Expensive Dog Breed

The winner is the German Shepherd, a trustworthy dog which has proven it’s capacity to be trained beyond the scope of many other dogs. The German Shepherd can be trained as a rescue dog, drug sniffer and as guidance dog for the visual impaired. Not a wonder that he/she claims the top of the list of the most expensive dogs in the world. A dog training institute in Germany sells their German Shepherds for a cool $24,000, they claim to train the best rescue dogs in the world.

More is not always better. The price of the dog is not important, it is all about the love it gives to you and the love you can give back to the animal.