Buying a puppy is expensive and finding one under $200 is honestly almost impossible. After reviewing thousands of ads from all over the US, we have established a list of 8 breeds that can potentially be bought on a very tight budget. Each of the following breeds is very rarely sold for less than $200, but during our research, we were able to find some puppies under 6 months old that were available for this price.
Buying a good and healthy puppy this cheap will require patience and work. Be sure to read the last paragraph of this article to avoid bad surprises as you always want to make sure to buy a healthy puppy from a responsible breeder.
It is tough but possible to buy a puppy for under $200 for the following breeds: Beagle, Labrador Retriever, Australian Shepherd, Chihuahua, Australian Cattle Dog, Siberian Husky, German Shepherd, or Border Collie. At this price point, adoption will be the safest and easiest way to find a puppy.
Keep reading to see which breed will be the easiest to find and get a few tips on finding a cheaper puppy. If you are on a tight budget, we invite you to check our complete cost analysis (supplies, food, vet, training, grooming, etc.) for the breeds you are interested in to find how much the dog will cost you every year and in total.
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Beagle – Very hard to find
Average Price: $550
Usual Price Range: $295 – $1,125
Ads Found: 528
Ads Under $200: 34
6.4% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 7
Weight: 20 to 30 lb.
Life Expectancy: 10 to 15 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own a Beagle or learn How to Find a Beagle Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
Labrador Retriever – Very hard to find
Average Price: $800
Usual Price Range: $400 – $1,500
Ads Found: 3,160
Ads Under $200: 33
1% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 1
Weight: 55 to 80 lb.
Life Expectancy: 10 to 12 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own a Labrador or learn How to Find a Labrador Retriever Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
Australian Shepherd – Very hard to find
Average Price: $800
Usual Price Range: $400 – $1,500
Ads Found: 1,740
Ads Under $200: 32
1.8% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 13
Weight: 40 to 65 lb.
Life Expectancy: 12 to 15 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own an Australian Shepherd or learn How to Find an Australian Shepherd Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
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Chihuahua – Very hard to find
Average Price: $800
Usual Price Range: $375 – $2,420
Ads Found: 899
Ads Under $200: 27
3% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 35
Weight: 3 to 6 lb.
Life Expectancy: 14 to 16 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own a Chihuahua or learn How to Find a Chihuahua Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
Australian Cattle Dog – Very hard to find
Average Price: $450
Usual Price Range: $250 – $1,200
Ads Found: 300
Ads Under $200: 23
7.7% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 55
Weight: 35 to 50 lb.
Life Expectancy: 12 to 16 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own an Australian Cattle Dog or learn How to Find an Australian Cattle Dog Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
Siberian Husky – Very hard to find
Average Price: $650
Usual Price Range: $400 – $1,200
Ads Found: 1,485
Ads Under $200: 20
1.3% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 15
Weight: 35 to 60 lb.
Life Expectancy: 12 to 14 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own a Husky or learn How to Find a Siberian Husky Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
WONDERING HOW AND WHERE TO FIND A PUPPY TO BUY OR A DOG TO ADOPT? Our Guide will help you find a dog near you. We share the 26 best places to find your perfect pet.
German Shepherd – Very hard to find
Average Price: $800
Usual Price Range: $450 – $1,900
Ads Found: 2,349
Ads Under $200: 16
0.7% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 2
Weight: 50 to 90 lb.
Life Expectancy: 7 to 10 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own a German Shepherd or learn How to Find a German Shepherd Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
Border Collie – Very hard to find
Average Price: $700
Usual Price Range: $300 – $1,000
Ads Found: 513
Ads Under $200: 13
2.5% of the puppies found were under $200
Breed Popularity Ranking: 33
Weight: 30 to 55 lb.
Life Expectancy: 12 to 15 years
Considering this breed? Read our article about The Cost to Own a Border Collie or learn How to Find a Border Collie Puppy to Buy or Dog to Adopt.
On a personal note, I would not buy a puppy for less than $200 unless it was from a family member or friend that I was sure had cared for their pregnant dog and puppies and was only trying to cover their expenses. Otherwise, I would focus on finding a young dog or puppy to adopt.
When buying a puppy for this amount of money, you can almost be sure that it was bred in a puppy mill or by an unscrupulous backyard breeder. First, it is essential to know that the risk of health issues or behavioral problems is higher for these puppies than for a dog bred by a caring and responsible breeder. Second, it is best not to encourage breeders solely motivated by profits and neglecting animal welfare. But if your puppy comes from one of these breeders, I still think that any dog deserves to be with a loving family (they didn’t choose their breeder after all).
Did not find your favorite breed and looking for more options? Read our article about puppies you can buy for $500 or less.
WHERE CAN I FIND A DOG?
WHAT SUPPLIES DO I NEED?
WHAT SHOULD I ASK THE VET?
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST PRICES ON DOG FOOD?
Please find all the answers to your questions in our Dog Owner Guide. It’s a 5-minute read packed with useful information.
How to find a cheaper puppy?
Here are a few tips to find a cheaper puppy:
- Adopt. Puppies for adoptions are rare and get rehomed extremely fast, but it is possible to find one if you are willing to invest the time to search and visit shelter websites regularly. Adoption should always be considered first.
- Buy an older puppy. As they grow older, prices tend to go down as breeders are more in a rush to sell. In fact, most people want to buy very young dogs. Therefore, a 6-month-old pup is likely to be cheaper than an 8-week-old one.
- Expand your research territory. Breed popularity and prices as well as breeders’ operating costs vary depending on location. Future owners who are willing to drive further away have better chances of finding a good price for their dog.
- Go for a mixed-breed dog. Purebreds tend to be more expensive, and some mixed-breed puppies will look almost exactly like your favorite breed.
- Ask around. Just by letting family and friends know that you are looking for a pet, you might be informed that a trustworthy person near you has a pregnant dog and could get one of the puppies.
Even on a budget, always make sure to buy from a serious and responsible breeder. You will have a much better chance of getting a healthy dog without behavioral problems. Avoid puppy mills and unreliable backyard breeders. Before buying a puppy, visit the kennel, question the breeder about the breeding process and how he cares for his breeding dogs and puppies, and make sure to see and interact with the puppy to see if it looks healthy.
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You will learn everything you need to know to raise, train, and care for your dog: from choosing the right puppy, training techniques, picking supplies, finding a vet, selecting the right food, handling behavioral issues, and much more. You can listen and learn so much about raising a dog while going to work, running errands, exercising, etc. This audiobook can definitely make a difference.
If you want to know whether to train your dog yourself or hire a professional and learn about the cost of training classes and supplies, check our article written with a certified dog trainer.
This article is based on information we found while researching and does not guarantee that it will be possible to find a puppy at this price when the article is read.
