While you’re on the hunt for your adorable border collie, it’s key to know the average price of puppies, what could change that price, and other costs that often slip under the radar.
The best answer: Standard AKC pedigree border collie puppies range between $600-$1500 in the USA. Some collie puppies from a show dog bloodline may cost up to $3500.
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Border Collie Puppy Price (USA)
AKC Pedigree Border Collie puppies normally cost between $600-$1500 in the USA. Price varies depending on the breeder, bloodline, and availability. Border Collies coming from show dog bloodlines can cost as much as $3500 and over.
If you are looking to rescue a border collie, prices typically range from $250-$600 depending on the collie’s overall condition, health, age, mental state, and behavior.
How Much Do Border Collies Cost (UK)
In the UK, Border Collies typically cost between £400-£1000. Prices vary depending on the blood lineage, the breeder, availability, location, gender, and whether the pup is already KC registered.
7 Factors That Change How Much Border Collies Cost
The price of a border collie varies depending on several factors. These are important to know because this could be why a puppy you are looking at is either more or less expensive than usual.
7 Factors that can change the price of a puppy
1. Show dog bloodline:
This will be made very obvious from the start. Usually requires specialized breeders and the price will be outstandingly high.
2. Breeder:
Breeders that are well-known across the country or have a good reputation may charge more purely because of that. This is very common.
3. Health:
Good health should be a given so this usually doesn’t push the price higher. On the other hand, health problems or any physical ailments can push the price of a puppy lower.
4. Pedigree & AKC registration:
Aside from show dog pedigrees, there are still pedigrees that can be considered “higher quality” or “lower quality” than others. In reality, it should just be either that the dog is pedigree or not, but breeders sometimes use this to play on the price. Additionally, whether or not the puppies are AKC (American Kennel Club) registered will affect the price significantly.
5. Breed availability:
Supply and demand has a big impact on the price of all breeds. Although there are plenty of collies out there, they aren’t one of the most popular breeds, so depending on their current availability, it could push the price up.
6. Gender:
Many breeders charge more for female puppies, simply due to their ability to reproduce. In the eyes of many, this makes them more desirable as you could potentially sell future offspring.
7. Appearance & unique markings:
Lastly, but certainly not least, puppies with noticeably unique or beautiful markings/colors can demand a higher price. Collies that have light/blue eyes (blue merle collies) can fetch higher prices because of this.
Recommended article: Are blue-eyed collies still purebred?
So How Much Should You Pay For a Border Collie?
To know how much you should pay for a border collie puppy, it’s important to consider the factors mentioned above.
Crucial questions should be asked like…
Is the border collie pedigree? from a reputable breeder? Is there a current shortage of border collies in your state?… All of these things have to be factored in before gauging a fair price.
Depending on the factors above, you could end up paying on the lower end of the spectrum at $600 or if the stars align for that collie, upwards of $1500.
Unless you are specifically going for a show dog border collie from a competing blood lineage, you shouldn’t really pay anything over $1500 for a puppy.
Average Cost of Border Collies In 20 States
Border collies are most popular in the following 20 states. I’ve included their average price range which has been estimated by looking at well-known sites including American listed, Gooddog, and of course, craigslist (to get a real sense of the local prices)
| Rank # | State | Average border collie puppy price with AKC registration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $800-$1200 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $600-$900 |
| 3 | Utah | $700-$900 |
| 4 | Montana | $600-$1000 |
| 5 | Oregan | $800-$1100 |
| 6 | Colorado | $700-$900 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $600-$900 |
| 8 | Washington | $800-$1200 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $600-$900 |
| 10 | Alaska | $800-$1300 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $600-$900 |
| 12 | Arkansas | $600-$1000 |
| 13 | Vermont | $700-$1000 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $700-$1100 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $800-$1200 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $600-$1000 |
| 17 | Missouri | $700-$1100 |
| 18 | Main | $600-$1000 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $600-$900 |
| 20 | Iowa | $700-$1200 |
Cost of Transporting a Border Collie Puppy (after purchase)
Something often overlooked is the cost of transporting a puppy after purchasing. Granted, if you are driving yourself to pick up your collie from a nearby breeder then costs will be much lower.
If you are purchasing a border collie from across the country the breeder will probably arrange a suitable delivery method. Puppies can either be flown or transported by road. This can cost anywhere between $200-$500 depending on how far away and the type of transport.
This is certainly a significant cost to be aware of in advance.
Border Collie Ongoing Costs (monthly expenses)
The initial purchase price is one thing, but the ongoing costs of raising and keeping your border collie happy and healthy is a different kettle of fish!
The typical monthly expense of owning a border collie is around $140, which includes all the essentials. However, if you add in extras like professional training and superior diets, the monthly cost could be upwards of several hundred dollars.
| Basic needs (essentials only) | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Food: Assuming high-quality kibble | $50 |
| Insurance | $35 |
| Grooming | $10 |
| Treats | $15 |
| Toys | $10 |
| Dental health: Dog toothpaste & chews | $20 |
| Average Monthly Cost Of Owning Border Collie | $140 |
Additional Costs
Something I haven’t included in the above list, are vet bills, optional dog training, initial accessory costs, premium diets.
Potential Vet Bills
In the first year, you’ll have more vet bills than normal, and this will be due to completing vaccines and keeping up with worming medications. You’ll also need your vet to chip your collie if that hasn’t already been done by the breeder.
The cost of small things like this and general minor checkups change dramatically depending on where you live in the States.
For those in California, you can expect to pay the highest vet bills even for basic things like jabs and chipping (which also aren’t covered by pet insurance). In other states like North Dakota and Arkansas, you can expect to pay a fraction of the price for the same service.
To give a very rough estimate, you should factor in at least $200-$500 for basic vet bills during the first year of owning your border collie.
Optional Dog Training
Border collie and training may as well be the same word! This isn’t an article about training so I won’t get into it here, but just know that it’s absolutely crucial and fundamental for EVERY border collie to receive firm and extensive training.
Many owners take on the challenge of training their collie themselves, and that’s awesome, but it’s no small feat!
Professional trainers and classes are a very good idea for collies, but this usually comes at a hefty price. Again, where you are located has a big impact. Generally speaking, hiring a professional trainer for one-to-one sessions could cost over $1000 for a set amount of lessons. Group classes typically cost less than this, but still range from $25-$75 per lesson.
Initial Accessory Costs
When you get your puppy you’ll need to make a rather large, one-off purchase of all necessary accessories. This includes things like:
Initial accessory costs for your border collie will likely come to around $195. This can change if you go for premium options.
Crate 42“: $50
Bed: $30
Harness: $30
Leash: $25
Water/food bowls: $15
Collar: $15
ID Tag: $10
Pet-friendly cleaning products $10
Poop bags: $10
Border Collie Food & Diet Expenses
I mentioned above that it’s around $50 per month assuming you are using a premium kibble for your Border collie.
Most premium kibbles cost around $65 per 25lb bag. And one bag usually lasts just over one month (around 40 days). So on a monthly basis, it’s about $50 give or take (don’t check me on that! lol)
This, however, can change dramatically! For those that want to opt for a raw food diet, you’re instantly looking at around $10 a day, meaning $300 a month just on food! (give or take). Likewise, if you opt for human-grade dog food (pet plate) you’re looking at around $150-250 a month.
So with the food option, it can easily be a lot higher than $50 a month depending on what you want to go for.
Future Vet Bills
Although border collies are a generally healthy breed, they are still prone to certain health conditions that come with some eyebrow-raising figures.
According to Embrace Pet Insurance, here’s the following cost of common health issues in Border Collies (subject to change) Source:
| Hip Dysplasia | $1,500-$6,000 |
| Follicular Dysplasia | $200-$500 |
| Optic Nerve Coloboma | $100-$300 |
Thankfully, these may never happen to your collie, or not at least for a very long time.
Summary: Total Costs For Your Border Collie
Here’s a complete breakdown of the initial and monthly costs you can expect to pay for your border collie puppy.
| Item | One-off or monthly | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of border collie (with AKC registration) | One-off | $800 (average) |
| Initial vet bills (jabs, worming, chipping) | One-off | $250 |
| Accessories | One-off | $195 |
| Food | Monthly | $50 |
| Insurance | Monthly | $35 |
| Grooming | Monthly | $10 |
| Treats | Monthly | $15 |
| Toys | Monthly | $10 |
| Dental health: Dog toothpaste & chews | Monthly | $20 |
| TOTAL | One-off: $1245 Monthly: $140 |
I hope this article has helped with the costings of your border collie and given you some insight into how much everything can/should cost.
⭐ Thank you for reading!
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