The real cost of a dog in the UK
The purchase price is the smallest number involved. Setup, insurance, food, and the bills nobody budgets for.
People budget for the puppy and are surprised by the first year. Here is the shape of it, using the figures we see across adverts and the costs a typical UK owner reports.
Buying
Most pedigree puppies from health-tested parents sit between £900 and £2,000. Crossbreeds are usually a little below that; a few breeds and colours are marketed well above it, and colour premiums are almost never justified by anything you can measure.
Rescue adoption fees are typically £150-£350 and usually include neutering, vaccination and microchipping, which is several hundred pounds of work.
Setting up
| Typical | |
|---|---|
| Crate, bed, bedding | £70-£150 |
| Bowls, lead, collar, harness, tag | £45-£90 |
| First vaccinations (if not done) | £60-£90 |
| Neutering, later in year one | £150-£400 |
| Puppy classes | £80-£150 |
| Initial food and toys | £60-£120 |
| Total | £350-£700 |
Every month
Food is £20-£35 for a small dog and £45-£80 for a large one. Insurance is the number that moves most: £15-£25 a month for a healthy crossbreed, £40-£70 for a brachycephalic breed or a large breed with known joint problems, and it rises every year as the dog ages. Flea and worm treatment is £10-£15. Grooming, if the coat needs it, is £45-£70 every six to eight weeks - for a Cockapoo or a Poodle cross that is a real £70-£100 a month once you spread it.
The bills nobody budgets for
The excess. A lifetime policy with a £150 excess plus 20% co-payment on a £2,400 cruciate repair leaves you paying £600.
Pre-existing exclusions. Anything that appeared before you insured, or during the waiting period, is excluded for life. Insure the week the puppy arrives, not after the first problem.
Dentistry. A small-breed dental under general anaesthetic is £400-£900 and most policies treat it as routine, meaning not covered.
Boarding or a sitter. £25-£45 a day. Two weeks away is £350-£630, every year.
Over a lifetime
Twelve years of a medium dog, insured, comes to somewhere between £14,000 and £22,000. That is not a reason not to get one. It is a reason to know the number before you do, and to be honest that the difference between a £900 puppy and a £1,600 puppy is about 4% of what you are actually committing to.