Shih Tzu Price [What Affects The Price and What Is Included In The Price]

Many people want to own this cute toy dog breed, but the cuteness comes with a price. I did thorough research on the Shih Tzu price range and everything related. Here is what I’ve learned, and I would like to share it with you.

Shih Tzu Price

The average Shih Tzu price is $2300 US. This price is average for purebred Shih Tzu puppies from registered and reputable USA breeders. Many factors influence the price, but the most important ones are puppy demand, location, gender, and if the Shih Tzu is pet quality, show quality, or breeding quality.

This dog is an excellent family pet. But is Shih Tzu expensive? Many questions come to mind when thinking of purchasing the Shih Tzu. Since the Shih Tzu cost depends on different criteria, I found the answers to many questions you may have.

Shih Tzu Price Range

According to preferred criteria, let’s take a closer look at Shih Tzu price and what you can expect to pay if you want to buy it.

Shih Tzu Criteria	The average price in US$
AKC registered female puppy	$2400
AKC registered male puppy	$2200
No AKC-registered puppies	$1000
Female (1-year-old)	$1200
Retired female	$1200
Imperial Shih Tzu puppy	$1900
Puppies from private sellers without papers	$500

Please note that the Shih Tzu prices mentioned above are average, and the exact cost will depend from breeder to breeder. Individual breeders value their Shih Tzus more or less, so the rates might be much higher or much lower than average.

How Much Does an AKC Shih Tzu Cost?

The average price of a The American Kennel Club registered Shih Tzu is $2300 US. AKC registered puppy is a puppy whose parents are purebred and are registered with The American Kennel Club. Puppies of such a parent will be AKC registered as well.

The lowest and highest listed Shih Tzu prices among AKC registered breeders

The prices stated in the table are the lowest, and the highest found prices listed at the AKC marketplace, and as you can see from the price range below, they vary from breeder to breeder.

Shih Tzu puppy gender	Lowest price in US $	Highest price in US $
Female Shih Tzu	$1250	$4000
Male Shih Tzu	$1250	$3000

Imperial Shih Tzu Price

According to registered AKC Imperial Shih Tzu breeder list, and listed prices, the average cost of the Imperial Shih Tzu puppy is $1900 US.

Imperial Shih Tzu is a small version of a regular Shih Tzu. The smallest female and male Shih Tzus are purposely bred through generations producing litters of the miniature Shih Tzu puppies that will stay small their whole lives.

These tiny Shih Tzu puppies are also called Teacup Shih Tzus.

Teacup Shih Tzu prices are surprisingly low, considering their availability on the market.

Imperial Shih Tzu puppies are in higher demand as many families find them to be perfect companions for their children, and it’s expected to see the Imperial Shih Tzu price rise in the future.

Shih Tzu Price In Canada

The average Shih Tzu price in Canada is $2500 for a pet-quality puppy.

The average price is calculated from The Canadian Kennel Club purebred registered breeders and their listed prices. Canadian buyers can expect to pay anywhere from $1200-$2750 CAD for a Shih Tzu, depending on the breeder.

To find puppies and older Shih Tzus in Canada by province, please visit The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC).

Is Shih Tzu Expensive?

Shih Tzu is a somewhat expensive breed as most breeders price their puppies $2000. With that said, some prices go up to $4000 US, but this is more exception than the rule.

Shih Tzu puppies cost more compared to some other dog breeds such as American Foxhound. But the breeder’s cost must be taken into consideration when talking about how expensive Shih Tzus are.

Your Shih Tzu puppy will come with a health certificate, health guarantee, dewormed, vaccinated, and more; all of these cost money, and the breeder has to pay for it. Your future puppy will pay several visits to the vet before it comes to you.

Of course, this is not the end of the Shih Tzu expenses. Once the puppy is in your possession, you will have to take care of it. Dog care costs money as you will have to continue with vet visits (for vaccinations and regular health checkups), buy necessary supplies, and more.

How Much Is a Shih Tzu Worth Without Papers?

Shih Tzus that are sold without papers are the ones whose parents are not registered and, therefore, the puppy’s history is unknown.

Shih Tzus, without recorded documents (popularly called Shih Tzus without papers), cost $500 US on average but can cost the same as the puppy from a reputable breeder that is registered.

Some owners will breed their Shih Tzus and sell it privately without papers. These owners don’t want to register their Shih Tzus for various reasons.

For a dog to be registered as a purebred with reputable dog registries such as the American Kennel Club, specific rules need to be followed. The main rule is that both parents need to be registered as purebred.

How Much Should a Shih Tzu Cost?

This question is hard to answer because it depends on the point of view. Most pet owners don’t want to pay more than a few hundred dollars for a Shih Tzu puppy, and that is possible when buying a puppy without a health guarantee and registration.

On the other hand, Shih Tzu breeders will probably disagree. If the breeder would sell their Shih Tzu puppies for a few hundred dollars, they would probably not make any profit considering breeding expenses.

Let’s not forget that the majority of breeders are breeding for profit, and all the reputable breeders are taking such good care of the puppy parents and puppies themselves.

How much a Shih Tzu puppy with AKC registration should cost is discussable. As mentioned before, the lowest price of such a puppy is $1250 US, and in my opinion, that is a reasonable pet companion Shih Tzu price.

What Affects the Shih Tzu Price?

To better understand prices and what influences them, here is the list of possible reasons for a higher or lower price.

• age
• gender
• color
• champion bloodline
• AKC registered or not
• CKC registered or not
• location
• current puppy demand
• current breeder offer
• waiting list
• breeder itself
• breeder reputation
• breeder’s years of breeding
• purpose of buying (pet, show, or breeding quality)
• how many puppies are in the litter
• shipping
• delivery

As you can notice, many things influence the price. To find out the exact cost of a puppy you want, according to your personal needs, please contact the breeder directly.

Female and Male Shih Tzu Price Differences

Comparing the selling prices of female and male Shih Tzus, it seems that female Shih Tzu puppies cost more than males in many cases.

It’s worth mentioning that some breeders will sell their puppies for the same price no matter what gender. Other breeders value female puppies more than males.

Females that breeders are selling for breeding purposes will be priced much higher than the pet quality females and males.

Female Shih Tzu that is to compete in dog shows will be usually priced higher than pet companions, and the contract will state the dog can compete.

Does Shih Tzu’s Age Affect The Price?

In most cases, Shih Tzu’s age does make a difference in what you will pay for a puppy. Younger puppies are usually more expensive than older ones.

Older Shih Tzus are usually sold for less than what the puppy’s price is. Most future Shih Tzu owners prefer a puppy over an older dog.

Does Color Of a Puppy Affect the Shih Tzu Price?

Puppy color, in some cases, does affect the price but highly depends on the breeder. Some breeders exclusively breed just one color or one pattern Shih Tzu, while others breed two-color and tricolor puppies.

If the color is in high demand and there are not many available puppies in that particular solid color or pattern among breeders, you can expect to pay significantly more for a puppy.

Individual breeders breed only solid color puppies such as chocolate or white color Shih Tzu puppies, and therefore the price might be higher compared to some other colors such as brown and white or black and white.

What Is Included In Shih Tzu Price?

When buying a Shih Tzu from a reputable and registered breeder, similar inclusions apply in the Shih Tzu price.

What is included in the price will also depend on state laws and on the breeder itself.

Reputable breeders may include the following in the Shih Tzu price:

Contract	All breeders
Spay/neuter agreement	Most breeders depending on the buying purpose
Health Certificate	All breeders
Health guarantee	Most breeders 1-5 years health guarantee depending on the breeder
Age-appropriate shoots	All breeders
Deworming	All breeders
Declaw	Some breeders
Microchip implantation	Some breeders
Puppy delivery	Some breeders for surrounding areas
Lifetime support	Most breeders
Care package	Some breeders

Is Shipping Included In Shih Tzu Price?

Shipping your new Shih Tzu puppy is not included in a puppy price. Shipping costs will affect the price, and you can expect to pay an additional $400-$500 US for shipping.

Most breeders will ship the puppy by plane through the pet nanny service, so your puppy is safe during the airplane ride.

Pet nanny service means your Shih Tzu puppy will be with a pet nanny on the plane and is not going to be shipped as cargo.

Shih Tzu Puppy Deposit

If you are buying a Shih Tzu puppy, you will be required to pay a deposit. Deposits are, in all cases, non-refundable, and the amount depends from breeder to breeder.

The average deposit amount for the Shih Tzu puppy is $200, but some breeders are asking for up to $500.

Deposit is required even when the puppies are not available, just to be on the waiting list. If you change your mind about buying a puppy, the breeder will keep the deposit.