Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Are all dogs ridiculously expensive now?

125 replies

lechatnoir · 02/05/2023 09:50

We're ready to welcome a dog into our home but just can't afford the ££££'s being asked by breeders and as novice/first time dog owners wary about getting a rescue. Is £1500-2k standard nowadays? I'm shocked and sad that this is beyond our reach so it's looking unlikely we will be able to find one. We are aware that dog ownership isn't cheap and factored in day-to-day costs it's just this upfront lump-sum we're struggling with. Any advice?

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 02/05/2023 09:52

There will be dogs in rescue suitable for you. Go to all your local rescues (smaller are better than national) explain your circumstances and wait for the right dog. No one needs to spend thousands on a dog.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 02/05/2023 10:16

For a pedigree dog from health tested parents, £1500’ish is about standard.

Floralnomad · 02/05/2023 10:23

I don’t intend to be rude but if you cannot find that sort of money unless you qualify for PDSA care then I wouldn’t get a dog as even with insurance you often have to find large sums upfront . As an example on the 1/2/3rd of January this year our dog had cost us about 1k at the OOH and our own vet and I’d spent about 2k by mid January before the insurance started paying out for the first bills . So far this year I’ve paid out over 3k and still counting , yes the insurance pays me most of it back but you do need to have it in the first place as many vets will not accept direct payment . ( including the OOH ) .

wildinthecountry · 02/05/2023 10:25

Pedigree well bred dogs have always been expensive .

fruitbrewhaha · 02/05/2023 10:29

Dogs are expensive though. I bought mine last year for £750, a parsons jack Russel. What I have saved on a breader, I will spend on shoes, slipper, garden plants, leads, socks, vets and toys.

ChypreNovice · 02/05/2023 10:31

Just received my annual dog insurance bill: £1200 😳

Honestly the initial cost of buying is a drop in the ocean compared with the lifetime of costs ahead of you.

AdaBrady · 02/05/2023 10:37

My pedigree, hip-scored, fully tested dog was £1,500.

My rescue mutt was £500.

Even rescues aren’t cheap!

That said, rescues are just full of pedigree pups at the moment so I wouldn’t rule it out if I were you. Demand has dropped so there’s a big increase in pregnant dogs being surrendered because unscrupulous breeders know the demand isn’t there.

Original poster
lechatnoir · 02/05/2023 10:45

I disagree with the comment that if you can't find £2k for a dog you can't afford one - we have budgeted for insurance, food, grooming etc and know we can afford this on an on-going basis and if any unexpected vet bills come will use our overdraft just as we do for our cat, but I don't have £2k sloshing around to buy one! Will keep looking but obviously worth a call to a few rescues

OP posts:
Cantthinkofaname2203 · 02/05/2023 10:50

What breed are you looking for?

”fashionable” breeds and crosses- frenchies, dacschund, poodlypoo’s, pugs etc will cost considerably more than the less popular breeds.

Original poster
lechatnoir · 02/05/2023 11:05

Not hung up on a particular breed but small with low prey drive (we have a small cat we don't want terrorising!) & family friendly - been looking at cavalier king Charles spaniel, mini poodle, westie, Maltese but also open to a cross breed if it's not from a family home and not a large breeder. Would happily have an older dog but nervous about one with an unknown history as we are not experienced dog owners

OP posts:
Original poster
lechatnoir · 02/05/2023 11:06

*from a family home NOT a large breeder

OP posts:
coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 02/05/2023 11:19

I'm afraid I agree with those saying if you can't afford the upfront cost then you probably can't afford a dog.

£1500 is a drop in the ocean when it comes to the ongoing costs of dog ownership!

Snoken · 02/05/2023 11:21

No, you honestly can't afford it if you don't have £2K to spare to buy the actual dog. Only a couple of years ago my oldest dog had tooth infections and I had to pay just over £3K in vets bills as it's not covered by insurance. Then there are lots of unexpected costs to factor in such as when we go on holiday I pay £40/night for boarding, one dog chewed off a pretty vital part of my car boot which cost £1400 to fix, another one sat on and broke my glasses (£600), the same dog (as a puppy) chewed our skirting boards and sofa which both had to be replaced costing well over £2000. There are many more stories such as these where there have been unexpected large bills.

waterlego · 02/05/2023 11:22

I think if you are patient, something suitable will come up in a shelter.

Our mutt was 4 months when we got him, so still very much a puppy. Our children were 11 and 8 at the time, and the rescue were happy to let us take him. We paid £200.

Spanielsarepainless · 02/05/2023 11:23

My large-breed puppy was double that, but both parents had had the full suite of health and DNA tests and the set-up was just amazing. Because of the pandemic we hadn't spent much money so we could afford him. I must admit I was expecting £2,500 tops but in terms of a doggy lifetime it doesn't matter.

waterlego · 02/05/2023 11:25

Also- we’ve had him for 6 years and have yet to have any horrendous massive unexpected bills. Family or friends look after him when we go away so we have no boarding fees to pay. We can afford his food, insurance and pet plan which covers vaccinations etc. If we get a sudden large unexpected bill, we will have to put it on a credit card! (I also have a few £££ in savings which I could use for an emergency- perhaps OP has some funds like that.)

Allfizzandfun · 02/05/2023 11:26

Dogs are expensive- the up front cost is nothing. Mine have monthly injections at £120 a pop that the insurance will not cover (even though they are generally a 5 star insurer). Dogs do silly things and for the most part, insurance will cover. However, there are a whole host of non insurable items to consider.

The breed of dog will make a huge difference. What are you looking for?

Newpeep · 02/05/2023 11:31

My puppy was £2k. KC reg, fully health tested parents. She had had health tests available for her at a month old. Fantastic start with experienced breeder. Came with a month's insurance, vaccinated and all the legal stuff (worming, chipped etc etc) and advice and support should we need it.

It is a drop in the ocean compared to what she will cost us over her life. She spent a day in the vets as she stopped eating and drinking and that cost over £400 with no treatment as it was a mild infection. Her spay will cost nearly that as our vets are excellent but not cheap.

Training, fuel to take her out, harness, food, treats etc. Dogs are not cheap.

Our last was a rescue pup. Cost £65 20 years ago. Rescues now in our area are £500 - more for a pup. They often come with ongoing health or behavioural needs which cost money, much like a pedigree can.

XVGN · 02/05/2023 11:33

ChypreNovice · 02/05/2023 10:31

Just received my annual dog insurance bill: £1200 😳

Honestly the initial cost of buying is a drop in the ocean compared with the lifetime of costs ahead of you.

This. I had 5 dogs at one time and budgeted £1K p.a. for each. That is probably 1.5K now, so be sure that you can afford it.

Get a rescue. Please don't use breeders.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 02/05/2023 11:35

waterlego · 02/05/2023 11:25

Also- we’ve had him for 6 years and have yet to have any horrendous massive unexpected bills. Family or friends look after him when we go away so we have no boarding fees to pay. We can afford his food, insurance and pet plan which covers vaccinations etc. If we get a sudden large unexpected bill, we will have to put it on a credit card! (I also have a few £££ in savings which I could use for an emergency- perhaps OP has some funds like that.)

It's old age that tends to be when the big costs hit - you have to pay a percentage of their bills even with insurance, they often need dental care (again, not covered by insurance), plus things like supplements for arthritis, special foods for various liver and kidney issues...

2k really is nothing compared to all that. If OP is unable to get 2k together with months of planning, how will she pay for those emergency vet bills?

Baxdream · 02/05/2023 11:39

Lhasa apsos are brilliant! I just looked and they are between 750 and 1k. They're not trendy but definitely meet your needs

CC4712 · 02/05/2023 11:39

Prices have come down in my area. During covid, some breeds were going for £3-3500! They are half that now- which is still very expensive. There are also lots of rescues because people have gone back to the office and the dogs can't cope.

OnYerBikeSteve · 02/05/2023 11:40

Our rescue dog cost £300 - he was rescued as a days-old puppy along with his litter mates - and many other dogs - from an unlicensed arsehole breeder. That rescue is overflowing with pregnant bitches or recent mothers handed in by people who thought they'd make a quick buck from their family pet, then ran into problems they couldn't/didn't want to pay for.

PLEASE contact local rescues first. They're literally on their knees right now.

UnaLaguna · 02/05/2023 12:12

If you have money in your budget for ongoing costs, you can save that money for a year and then you will have the upfront cost...

CombatBarbie · 02/05/2023 12:16

Get on the fb rescue pages. However you are still looking at £250-500 for the adoption fee.