Statistics
Puppy Price Statistics UK 2026: Up 16% in a Year, Back to 2019 in Real Terms
The average puppy advertised in the UK costs about £1,059 in 2026, and asking prices are up about 16% in a year. Figures from 19 sources, drawn from 47 checked, on what puppies cost, by breed and nation, and how prices compare with the pandemic peak.
What this guide covers
The average puppy advertised for sale in the UK now costs about £1,059, and asking prices have risen by about 16% in a year. Our own price index, built from 94,015 adverts across 134 breeds, puts October 2026 asking prices 34.0% above November 2024, and all 24 of the most advertised breeds cost more than a year earlier. Adjusted for inflation, though, puppies cost about what they did in 2019, and just over a third of the March 2021 pandemic peak. Figures come from 19 sources, drawn from 47 we checked.
£1,059
average asking price for a puppy across 96,656 adverts in the 12 months to November 2026 (our calculation)
[1]
+15.7%
rise in asking prices between October 2025 and October 2026 on our price index (our calculation)
[1]
24 of 24
most advertised breeds cost more in October 2026 than a year earlier (our calculation)
[1]
£2,947
the March 2021 peak average of £2,237, in today's money (our calculation)
[6][7]
52%
price gap between puppies from licensed breeders and unlicensed hobby breeders, in Pets4Homes' March 2026 report
[2]
16.1%
typical extra asked by breeders over private sellers for the same breed (our calculation)
[1]
How much does a puppy cost in the UK in 2026?
About £1,059 on average. That is the mean asking price across 96,656 puppy and dog adverts for 273 breeds on Pets4Homes in the 12 months to November 2026, weighting each breed by how many adverts it had (our calculation) [1].
Pets4Homes' own headline figures point the same way. It put the average puppy price at £989 in December 2025, up 19% year on year [2], and its mid-2026 report, as covered by trade press, put it at £1,093 in June 2026 [3].
| Measure | Figure | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average asking price, weighted by adverts | £1,059 | 12 months to Nov 2026 | Pets4Homes breed pages [1], our calculation |
| Average puppy price | £1,093 | June 2026 | Pets4Homes report, via Pet Business World [3] |
| Average puppy price | £989 | December 2025 | Pets4Homes [2] |
| Mean advertised price, three websites | £927.14 | June 2018 to May 2020 | Ross et al. [4] |
These are asking prices in adverts, not what buyers finally paid, and they come mainly from one platform. A peer-reviewed study of 17,389 adverts on Pets4Homes, Gumtree and Preloved gives an independent, largely pre-pandemic baseline of £927.14 [4].
How fast are puppy prices rising?
Fast. Our index tracks the monthly average asking price of the same 134 breeds, weighted by their number of adverts, so a shift towards dearer breeds can't push it up on its own. It rose from £855.50 in November 2024 to £1,146.00 in October 2026, a rise of 34.0%, and by 15.7% in the last year alone (our calculation) [1].
Source: Pets4Homes breed price pages [1]; our calculation
134 breeds with a price for every month, weighted by adverts in the 12 months to November 2026. They cover 97.3% of adverts. November 2026 is left out because the month was not complete.
Show the data
| Average asking price, fixed breed mix | |
|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | £855.5 |
| Dec 2024 | £863.3 |
| Jan 2025 | £870.3 |
| Feb 2025 | £878.7 |
| Mar 2025 | £926.4 |
| Apr 2025 | £913 |
| May 2025 | £906.6 |
| Jun 2025 | £886.3 |
| Jul 2025 | £906.6 |
| Aug 2025 | £912.6 |
| Sep 2025 | £941.8 |
| Oct 2025 | £990.7 |
| Nov 2025 | £1,003.9 |
| Dec 2025 | £1,015.9 |
| Jan 2026 | £1,019.4 |
| Feb 2026 | £1,019.4 |
| Mar 2026 | £1,037.9 |
| Apr 2026 | £1,078.9 |
| May 2026 | £1,071.2 |
| Jun 2026 | £1,060.5 |
| Jul 2026 | £1,054.9 |
| Aug 2026 | £1,049.5 |
| Sep 2026 | £1,099.2 |
| Oct 2026 | £1,146 |
| Month | Index | Month | Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | £855.50 | Nov 2025 | £1,003.90 |
| Dec 2024 | £863.30 | Dec 2025 | £1,015.90 |
| Jan 2025 | £870.30 | Jan 2026 | £1,019.40 |
| Feb 2025 | £878.70 | Feb 2026 | £1,019.40 |
| Mar 2025 | £926.40 | Mar 2026 | £1,037.90 |
| Apr 2025 | £913.00 | Apr 2026 | £1,078.90 |
| May 2025 | £906.60 | May 2026 | £1,071.20 |
| Jun 2025 | £886.30 | Jun 2026 | £1,060.50 |
| Jul 2025 | £906.60 | Jul 2026 | £1,054.90 |
| Aug 2025 | £912.60 | Aug 2026 | £1,049.50 |
| Sep 2025 | £941.80 | Sep 2026 | £1,099.20 |
| Oct 2025 | £990.70 | Oct 2026 | £1,146.00 |
Source: Pets4Homes breed price pages [1]; index values are our calculation
The index rose 17.7% from December 2024 to December 2025, close to the 19% Pets4Homes reported for the same period [1][2]. All 24 breeds with 1,000 or more adverts cost more in October 2026 than in October 2025 (our calculation) [1].
| Breed | Average asking price, 12 months | Oct 2025 | Oct 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocker Spaniel | £1,053 | £959 | £1,106 | +15.3% |
| Miniature Dachshund | £1,045 | £980 | £1,145 | +16.8% |
| Cockapoo | £940 | £915 | £1,017 | +11.1% |
| Labrador Retriever | £1,066 | £992 | £1,145 | +15.4% |
| French Bulldog | £855 | £768 | £881 | +14.7% |
| Dachshund | £823 | £751 | £861 | +14.6% |
| German Shepherd | £920 | £885 | £1,042 | +17.7% |
| Cavapoo | £1,425 | £1,389 | £1,554 | +11.9% |
| Chihuahua | £1,040 | £892 | £1,195 | +34.0% |
| Pomeranian | £1,469 | £1,419 | £1,533 | +8.0% |
| Jack Russell | £621 | £589 | £637 | +8.1% |
| Border Collie | £599 | £558 | £596 | +6.8% |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | £1,278 | £1,172 | £1,484 | +26.6% |
| Golden Retriever | £1,729 | £1,621 | £1,837 | +13.3% |
Source: Pets4Homes breed price pages [1]; the 14 breeds with the most adverts; changes are our calculation
Are puppies more expensive than before the pandemic?
In pounds, yes; in real terms, no. Pets4Homes put the average puppy at £808 in 2019 [5]. After inflation that is £1,080 in September 2026 money, almost exactly today's £1,059 average (our calculation) [1][5][7].
The pandemic spike was far bigger than today's rise. The average reached £1,875 in 2020 [5] and peaked at £2,237 in March 2021 [6], which is £2,947 in today's money. Today's average is about 36% of that peak in real terms (our calculation) [6][7].
- As published
- In September 2026 prices
Source: Pets4Homes [5][6][8][2]; Pet Business World [3]; ONS CPI [7]; our calculation
Pets4Homes averages, adjusted with the ONS consumer prices index (all items). The June 2026 figure is from trade press coverage of the Pets4Homes report.
Show the data
| As published | In September 2026 prices | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | £808 | £1,080 |
| 2020 | £1,875 | £2,486 |
| Mar 2021 | £2,237 | £2,947 |
| Apr 2022 | £1,329 | £1,596 |
| Nov 2022 | £1,083 | £1,232 |
| Dec 2025 | £989 | £1,017 |
| Jun 2026 | £1,093 | £1,105 |
| Point | Average price | In September 2026 prices | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | £808 | £1,080 | Pets4Homes [5] |
| 2020 | £1,875 | £2,486 | Pets4Homes [5] |
| March 2021 (peak) | £2,237 | £2,947 | Pets4Homes [6] |
| April 2022 | £1,329 | £1,596 | Pets4Homes [6] |
| November 2022 | £1,083 | £1,232 | Pets4Homes [8] |
| December 2025 | £989 | £1,017 | Pets4Homes [2] |
| June 2026 | £1,093 | £1,105 | Pets4Homes, via Pet Business World [3] |
Source: as listed; real-terms values use the ONS CPI all items index [7] and are our calculation
Pets4Homes has also given a second pre-pandemic figure, £876 "before covid" [6]. That is £1,171 in today's money, so against that higher baseline today's average is about 10% lower in real terms (our calculation) [6][7].
Which dog breeds cost the most and the least?
Among the 99 breeds with at least 100 adverts in the 12 months to November 2026, the Bernedoodle had the highest average asking price at £2,298, and the Lurcher the lowest at £373 [1].
| Most expensive | Average | Adverts | Least expensive | Average | Adverts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernedoodle | £2,298 | 122 | Lurcher | £373 | 473 |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | £2,239 | 151 | American Bulldog | £384 | 303 |
| Australian Labradoodle | £2,015 | 231 | American Bull Staffy | £440 | 120 |
| Italian Greyhound | £1,947 | 297 | Patterjack | £458 | 128 |
| West Highland Terrier | £1,738 | 321 | Patterdale Terrier | £475 | 395 |
Source: Pets4Homes breed price pages, 12 months to November 2026 [1]; breeds with 100 or more adverts
Among the 14 most advertised breeds, the Golden Retriever is the dearest at £1,729 on average, and the Border Collie and Jack Russell the cheapest at £599 and £621 [1].
Which breeds do buyers ask the price of most?
Golden Retrievers draw by far the most price questions for the number of puppies on offer. There are about 880 UK searches a month for "how much is a golden retriever puppy" [9], against about 161 Golden Retriever adverts a month on Pets4Homes [1]: about 5.5 price searches for every puppy advertised (our calculation).
| Breed | Monthly price searches | Adverts a month | Searches per advert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Retriever | 880 | 161.2 | 5.46 |
| Cockapoo | 720 | 586.8 | 1.23 |
| Labrador Retriever | 590 | 509.3 | 1.16 |
| Cocker Spaniel | 390 | 644.2 | 0.61 |
| French Bulldog | 210 | 473.3 | 0.44 |
Source: Google Ads search volumes, October 2025 to September 2026 [9]; Pets4Homes adverts, 12 months to November 2026 [1]; ratios are our calculation and a guide only, since one search phrase per breed is compared with one website's adverts
Do fewer registered puppies mean higher prices?
Mostly, but not for the breeds falling out of fashion. Royal Kennel Club registrations fell by 13.8% between 2024 and 2025, from 187,772 to 161,901 [10]. Of the 20 popular breeds we matched, 19 registered fewer puppies and 18 were advertised at higher prices in December 2025 than in December 2024 (our calculation) [1][10].
The breeds with the steepest falls in registrations saw the smallest price rises. The French Bulldog, Bulldog, Pug and Siberian Husky each lost more than a quarter of their registrations, and none of their prices rose by more than 11.2%, against a median rise of 16.3% across the 20 breeds (our calculation) [1][10]. That fits falling demand for those breeds, not just falling supply.
| Breed | Registrations 2024 | Registrations 2025 | Change | Asking price Dec 2024 | Asking price Dec 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | 34,141 | 29,919 | −12.4% | £835 | £991 | +18.7% |
| Cocker Spaniel | 23,177 | 21,618 | −6.7% | £784 | £1,000 | +27.6% |
| Golden Retriever | 10,201 | 9,976 | −2.2% | £1,416 | £1,614 | +14.0% |
| French Bulldog | 13,789 | 7,750 | −43.8% | £762 | £847 | +11.2% |
| English Springer Spaniel | 6,527 | 5,845 | −10.4% | £653 | £757 | +15.9% |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 5,447 | 5,375 | −1.3% | £862 | £1,151 | +33.5% |
| German Shepherd | 4,817 | 4,278 | −11.2% | £717 | £822 | +14.6% |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 3,132 | 3,224 | +2.9% | £1,405 | £1,611 | +14.7% |
| Bulldog | 3,865 | 2,711 | −29.9% | £1,239 | £1,355 | +9.4% |
| Pug | 1,316 | 834 | −36.6% | £693 | £619 | −10.7% |
| Beagle | 1,170 | 1,044 | −10.8% | £754 | £675 | −10.5% |
Source: Royal Kennel Club breed registration tables [10]; Pets4Homes monthly asking prices [1]; changes are our calculation. Pets4Homes adverts include puppies that are not Kennel Club registered, so this is a comparison of trends, not of the same dogs
Do breeders charge more than private sellers?
Yes, for almost every breed. In 94 of the 99 breeds with at least 100 adverts, puppies listed by breeders had a higher average price than those listed by private sellers, and the median gap was 16.1% (our calculation) [1]. For Labradors, breeders averaged £1,197 and private sellers £967 [1].
Licensing and checks carry a premium too. Pets4Homes' March 2026 report found puppies from licensed breeders cost more than £1,500 on average, a 52% gap over unlicensed hobby breeders, and that breeders who completed its ID verification charged 23% more [2].
Where in the UK are puppies most expensive?
Scotland, on current adverts. Weighting each breed's regional average by its adverts, puppies averaged £1,145 in Scotland, £1,060 in England, £989 in Wales and £972 in Northern Ireland over the 12 months to November 2026 (our calculation) [1].
| Nation | Average asking price, 2025/26 | Adverts | Mean advertised price, 2018 to 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £1,145 | 5,489 | £905.21 |
| England | £1,060 | 82,769 | £968.36 |
| Wales | £989 | 7,412 | £952.50 |
| Northern Ireland | £972 | 635 | £514.38 |
Source: Pets4Homes breed price pages, 12 months to November 2026, our calculation [1]; Ross et al., adverts June 2018 to May 2020 [4]
Before the pandemic the order was different: England was dearest and Northern Ireland far cheaper than anywhere else [4]. Northern Ireland's current figure rests on only 635 adverts, so treat it with care.
What did owners actually pay during the pandemic?
The best evidence of prices actually paid comes from research surveys, and it stops at 2021. A Royal Veterinary College survey found 24.3% of people who bought a puppy in 2020 paid £2,000 to £2,999, against 1.8% in 2019 [11]. In 2021 the share was 26.0% [12].
| Buying behaviour | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid £2,000 to £2,999 | 1.8% | 24.3% | 26.0% |
| Paid a deposit before seeing the puppy | 8.9% | 17.2% | 10.9% |
Source: Packer et al. 2021 [11] and 2023 [12]; self-selected samples of UK puppy buyers
Designer crossbreeds cost more than pedigrees in those years: 25.7% of designer crossbred puppies bought in 2019 and 2020 cost £2,000 to £2,999, against 15.1% of purebred puppies [13]. In the Dogs Trust National Dog Survey 2021, the breeds most often bought for over £1,000 were the Miniature Dachshund (54.2%) and the French Bulldog (54.1%) [14].
How does buying a puppy compare with adopting?
Rescue fees are a fraction of breeder prices. Battersea charges £275 for a puppy under six months and £230 for a dog over six months [15]. Dogs Trust charges £300 in England, Wales and Scotland and £287.50 in Northern Ireland [16].
| Rescue | Puppy | Adult dog |
|---|---|---|
| Battersea [15] | £275 (under six months) | £230 (over six months) |
| Dogs Trust [16] | £300 (£287.50 in Northern Ireland) | £300 (£287.50 in Northern Ireland) |
| Scottish SPCA [17] | £400 | £300 (under 8), £250 (over 8) |
Source: each charity's adoption page, checked 9 November 2026
The purchase price is the smallest part of the bill. PDSA estimates the lifetime cost of a dog at at least £6,200 to £12,000 for a small dog and at least £8,200 to £18,800 for a large one, not counting the price of the dog [18]. In early 2025, 46% of dog owners said owning a pet cost more than they had expected [19].
What this means if you're buying a puppy
Prices are rising again, which brings back the pressures that scammers and poor sellers rely on. Each point below is tied to a figure on this page.
- Check what a fair price is for the breed. Averages range from £373 for a Lurcher to £2,298 for a Bernedoodle [1], so a price far below the breed's typical level is a reason to ask more questions.
- Don't pay a deposit before you've seen the puppy. The share of buyers doing so almost doubled in 2020, from 8.9% to 17.2% [11].
- Check the breeder's licence. Licensed breeders charge more, about 52% over hobby breeders [2], so make sure the licence is real. Every Companimal listing shows what we've checked against official records, such as a council licence or Kennel Club registration, and says so plainly when we can't confirm something.
- Expect to pay more from a breeder than a private seller. The typical gap is 16.1% for the same breed (our calculation) [1]; ask what the extra covers, such as health testing or registration.
- Budget for the dog, not just the puppy. PDSA puts lifetime costs at £6,200 or more even for a small dog [18], and 46% of owners found pets cost more than expected [19].
- Consider a rescue. Adoption fees run from about £230 to £400 [15][16][17], and many rescues and rehomers list on Companimal alongside breeders.
Methodology, sources and credit
How we compiled these figures
We checked 47 sources across marketplace data, peer-reviewed research, charities, government statistics and search data, opening every figure at its original publisher on 9 November 2026. Our own figures are labelled "our calculation". The average price and price index come from the 273 Pets4Homes breed price pages that showed data, read on 9 November 2026: the average weights each breed's 12-month average by its number of adverts, and the index keeps the same weights for the 134 breeds with a price in every month from November 2024 to October 2026, so changes in breed mix don't move it. Real-terms figures use the ONS consumer prices index (all items) for September 2026. Registration comparisons use the Royal Kennel Club's breed tables; our sum for 2025 is 161,904, three more than the 161,901 in the Kennel Club's own group totals. All marketplace figures are asking prices on one platform, which has an interest in a strong market; the price-paid surveys are self-selected samples. Figures marked as coming via trade press are used only where the original report could not be opened.
Sources (19)
- Pets4Homes, Dog and puppy prices by breed, November 2026
- Pets4Homes, UK Pet Market 2026: the decisive turning point for pet parents and breeders, March 2026
- Pet Business World, Interest in terriers on the rise, says new report, August 2026
- Ross et al., What Patterns in Online Classified Puppy Advertisements Can Tell Us about the Current UK Puppy Trade, Animals, 2023
- Pets4Homes, Pandemic pets: how Covid-19 affected pet sales and pricing in 2020, updated March 2026
- Pets4Homes, The slow return to a new normal: how post-pandemic factors have affected pet sales and pricing in 2022, 2022
- Office for National Statistics, CPI index 00: all items, 2015=100, October 2026
- Pets4Homes, A stabilisation in rehoming of pets, but breeders are facing more challenging times than pre-pandemic, 2022
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, UK search volumes via DataForSEO, November 2026
- Royal Kennel Club, Breed registration statistics, 2026
- Packer et al., Pandemic Puppies: characterising motivations and behaviours of UK owners who purchased puppies during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Animals, 2021
- Packer et al., Is UK puppy purchasing suffering a long COVID effect?, Animals, 2023
- Burnett et al., How much is that doodle in the window?, Canine Medicine and Genetics, 2022
- Anderson et al., National Dog Survey: describing UK dog and ownership demographics, Animals, 2023
- Battersea, Dog rehoming FAQs, November 2026
- Dogs Trust, How to adopt a dog, November 2026
- Scottish SPCA, Adoption fees, November 2026
- PDSA, Cost of owning a dog, 2024
- PDSA, PAW Mini Report 2025, 2025
Key facts about this page
| What this page is | A cited reference of UK puppy price statistics for 2026, with Companimal's own price index |
| Average asking price | About £1,059 across 96,656 adverts, 12 months to November 2026 (our calculation from Pets4Homes) |
| Annual change | +15.7%, October 2025 to October 2026 (Companimal price index) |
| Compared with 2019 | About the same in real terms: £808 in 2019 is £1,080 in September 2026 prices |
| Pandemic peak | £2,237 in March 2021, or £2,947 in today's money (Pets4Homes, ONS) |
| Dearest and cheapest breeds | Bernedoodle £2,298 and Lurcher £373 (breeds with 100+ adverts) |
| Dearest nation | Scotland, £1,145 average asking price (our calculation) |
| Sources | 19 cited here, drawn from 47 checked |
Using these figures? Please credit Companimal with a link to this page. It keeps research like this free.
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