Dog owners know all too well how the costs stack up when looking after their pets from their food to vet bills.
Whether you’re looking to expand your family by four paws or you’re curious to see where your pooch comes from, we’ve got you covered.
Analysis from Sambla has broken down the cost of owning a dog over its lifetime including:
- Insurance
- Annual booster injection
- Professional grooming
- Food
The researchers also analysed one-off costs such as the average cost per breed, and initial vaccine course.
Most expensive breeds to own over their lifetime
Tibetan Mastiff
Taking top place as the most expensive dog breed analysed is the Tibetan Mastiff costing a staggering £31,530 on average across their 13-year life span.
Tibetan Mastiffs are an overall affectionate family dog breed, but one of the most expensive to buy as a puppy, costing an average of £2,333.
Their food costs are also particularly pricey, costing on average £1,079 per annum.
Newfoundland
The Newfoundland, originating in what’s now modern-day Canada, is another fairly big dog.
They can weigh anywhere between 55-80 kg, which explains the over £1,200 you will have to spend on food each year.
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Be prepared to pamper your pup if you’re planning on buying a Newfoundland as it costs just shy of £500 per year for it to be professionally groomed.
These are just some of the factors for why the average cost of a Newfoundland over its lifetime is £28,332.
Mastiff
The Mastiff, also known as the English Mastiff, comes in as the third most expensive dog breed costing £27,330 throughout its 11-year lifespan.
One of the most ancient dog breeds, Mastiffs cost on average around £1,525 to buy and weigh in at around 71kg, meaning that their food does not come cheap, costing a whopping £1,549 per annum.
A massive benefit to this breed however is that they don’t require professional grooming.
Most affordable dog breeds to own over its lifetime
1. Patterdale Terrier
The laid-back, compact working Terrier from England came out top as the most affordable dog breed to own costing £5,763 over its 13-year lifespan.
This beloved family pet has an £893 average buying cost and the average food bill costs £99 per annum which works out to just £8.25 a month.
2. Border Terrier
In second place is a Border Terrier, one of the smaller dog breeds from the Terrier group, costing around £6,365 over its 13-year lifespan.
The Border Terrier is a slightly more expensive dog breed to buy costing £1,133, however, the maintenance costs are a lot less than other breeds.
The average annual pet insurance cost for a Border Terrier is just £204, over £100 cheaper than the average per insurance cost for all breeds of £336.12.
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3. Jack Russell
In third place was the Jack Russell, with an average cost of £884. Like other Terrier breeds, their wired and short-haired coats save owners a lot on grooming costs.
They are also cheaper to feed than bigger dogs costing around £153 a year.
Overall, Jack Russells will set you back an average of £7,623 over their 16-year lifespan, just under half the average lifetime costs for all dog breeds of £14,060.
