{"id":226400,"date":"2025-06-30T10:38:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T10:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/226400\/"},"modified":"2025-06-30T10:38:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T10:38:13","slug":"revealed-the-uks-most-expensive-dog-breed-that-costs-16000-to-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/226400\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: The UK’s most expensive dog breed that costs \u00a316,000 to own"},"content":{"rendered":"

From mountains of dog food to unexpected trips to the vet, looking after man’s best friend can often be expensive. And some cost much more to keep than others<\/p>\n

According to experts, the Romanian Mioritic shepherd dog is the priciest pooch to own, costing \u00a316,250 over its lifetime.<\/p>\n

On top of an average \u00a3511 initial cost, this dog would set you back \u00a3104 per month for its entire 13-year life expectancy.<\/p>\n

That includes a whopping \u00a35,789 spent on food alone, over nine times more than the \u00a3610 cost of feeding a Chihuahua for life.<\/p>\n

At the other end of the scale, the English toy spaniel proves to be the most affordable breed for British dog owners.<\/p>\n

These small dogs cost \u00a35,163 over their 11-year lifetime, or just \u00a339.12 per month.<\/p>\n

Tom Sadler, managing director at Pet Insurance Deals<\/a>, which conducted the analysis, says: ‘While cost shouldn’t be the only consideration, understanding the long-term financial commitment can help prevent heartbreaking situations where owners must surrender pets they can no longer afford to care for properly.’<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The most expensive dog breed in the UK is the Romanian Mioritic shepherd, which costs\u00a0\u00a316,250 over its lifetime<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The UK’s cheapest dog breed is the English toy spaniel, which costs just \u00a35,348 over its 11-year life span<\/p>\n

Size is one of the biggest factors in determining a dog’s cost, with seven out of the 10 most expensive breeds weighing over 36kg (80lb).<\/p>\n

Following the Romanian Mioritic shepherd, which can weigh up to 60kg (130lb), the next most expensive dog is the 27kg Hamiltonstovare, which costs \u00a314,951 over its 15-year lifetime.<\/p>\n

This is followed by the Estrela mountain dog, which weighs up to 50kg (110lb) and costs \u00a314,778.13 to own over its life span.<\/p>\n

Smaller dogs, meanwhile, are significantly cheaper to keep.<\/p>\n

The cheapest dog, the English toy spaniel, weighs no more than 6.3kg (14lb) at its very largest.<\/p>\n

This is followed by the Japanese Chin, which costs \u00a35,348 over its lifetime and weighs 1.8-3.2kg (4-7lb).<\/p>\n

Likewise, the pomeranian costs as little as \u00a35,594, or \u00a333.30 per month, and weighs just 2kg (4.5lb).<\/p>\n

However, medium breeds offer the best value for money in terms of cost relative to average lifespan.<\/p>\n

\"The\u00a0Hamiltonstovare <\/p>\n

The\u00a0Hamiltonstovare is the second most expensive breed, costing\u00a0\u00a314,951<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The third most expensive breed is the Estrela mountain dog, costing\u00a0\u00a314,778<\/p>\n

The UK’s most expensive dog breeds<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Romanian Mioritic shepherd dog: \u00a316,252.53<\/li>\n
  2. Hamiltonstovare: \u00a314,951.24<\/li>\n
  3. Estrela mountain dog: \u00a314,778.13<\/li>\n
  4. Afghan Hound: \u00a314,275.83<\/li>\n
  5. German wirehaired pointer: \u00a314,187.13<\/li>\n
  6. Central Asian shepherd dog: \u00a314,171.75<\/li>\n
  7. Belgian Malinois: \u00a313,795.69<\/li>\n
  8. Spanish mastiff: \u00a313,628.94<\/li>\n
  9. Tornjak: \u00a313,062.47<\/li>\n
  10. Large Munsterlander: \u00a313,016.76<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Lifetime price includes initial purchase cost, insurance, food, and grooming expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Dogs like the border collie and Australian cattle dog cost \u00a38,676 and \u00a39,328 respectively, but live for 13 to 14 years on average.<\/p>\n

    These cost differences are largely due to the increased cost of feeding significantly larger dogs.<\/p>\n

    A large dog might need to eat between 500 and 600 grams of food per day, compared to the 80 to 100 grams required for small breeds.<\/p>\n

    But some breeds have different dietary requirements<\/a>, and the costs of feeding can vary significantly between breeds.<\/p>\n

    For example, the central Asian shepherd dog requires \u00a337.67, while the similarly sized Belgian Malinois requires just \u00a325.74 of food every month.<\/p>\n

    Another big factor for the overall cost is grooming, with some dogs requiring frequent professional treatment.<\/p>\n

    Breeds that require specialist treatments like hand-stripping, a method involving pulling dead hair from dense-coated dogs by hand, can cost over \u00a31,740 just to groom.<\/p>\n

    The Afghan hound, the fourth most expensive breed, costs \u00a31,925 in grooming costs over its lifetime.<\/p>\n

    \"Long-haired <\/p>\n

    Long-haired dogs such as the Afghan Hound can cost up to \u00a31,925 just for their grooming\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \"Smaller <\/p>\n

    Smaller breeds such as the Japanese Chin, costing only\u00a0\u00a35,348, were much cheaper due to the smaller amounts of food needed\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Insurance costs can also be a big factor in determining how much a dog costs to keep.<\/p>\n

    Since certain breeds are more prone to health conditions or congenital disorders<\/a>, they are expected to have higher medical costs and larger insurance premiums.<\/p>\n

    For example, the Afghan hound costs owners \u00a32,227.68 in illness and accident insurance over its lifetime, nearly triple the amount for some smaller breeds.<\/p>\n

    Likewise, the Romanian Mioritic shepherd dog costs \u00a32,361 to insure over its lifetime compared to just \u00a3700.80 for a Kuvasz, despite both being large breeds.<\/p>\n

    These total expenses often dwarf the initial cost of purchasing a dog, which typically ranges from \u00a3400 to \u00a3500 for pedigree breeds.<\/p>\n

    Mr Sadler says: ‘The financial aspect of pet ownership often surprises new dog owners who haven’t factored in the long-term costs beyond the initial purchase.<\/p>\n

    ‘We recommend budgeting not just for routine expenses but setting aside emergency funds for unexpected veterinary care, which can be substantial regardless of breed.’<\/p>\n

    The most expensive dogs to own in the UK <\/p>\n

    Lifetime price includes initial purchase cost, insurance, food, and grooming expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Romanian Mioritic shepherd dog: \u00a316,252.53<\/li>\n
    2. Hamiltonstovare: \u00a314,951.24<\/li>\n
    3. Estrela mountain dog: \u00a314,778.13<\/li>\n
    4. Afghan hound: \u00a314,275.83<\/li>\n
    5. German wirehaired pointer: \u00a314,187.13<\/li>\n
    6. Central Asian shepherd dog: \u00a314,171.75<\/li>\n
    7. Belgian Malinois: \u00a313,795.69<\/li>\n
    8. Spanish mastiff: \u00a313,628.94<\/li>\n
    9. Tornjak: \u00a313,062.47<\/li>\n
    10. Large Munsterlander: \u00a313,016.76<\/li>\n
    11. Irish setter: \u00a312,974.38<\/li>\n
    12. Stabyhoun: \u00a312,966.24<\/li>\n
    13. German longhaired pointer: \u00a312,869.56<\/li>\n
    14. Portuguese pointer: \u00a312,841.66<\/li>\n
    15. Otterhound: \u00a312,774.25<\/li>\n
    16. German shepherd: \u00a312,721.89<\/li>\n
    17. Wetterhoun: \u00a312,658.12<\/li>\n
    18. Wirehaired pointing Griffon: \u00a312,595.22<\/li>\n
    19. Poodle (Standard): \u00a312,563.74<\/li>\n
    20. Bouvier des Flandres: \u00a312,559.93<\/li>\n
    21. Small Munsterlander: \u00a312,449.58<\/li>\n
    22. Boerboel: \u00a312,304.19<\/li>\n
    23. Canaan dog: \u00a312,258.57<\/li>\n
    24. Azawakh: \u00a312,245.07<\/li>\n
    25. Bohemian shepherd: \u00a312,237.15<\/li>\n
    26. Bloodhound: \u00a312,227.52<\/li>\n
    27. Eurasier: \u00a312,136.30<\/li>\n
    28. Alaskan Malamute: \u00a312,056.87<\/li>\n
    29. Catahoula leopard dog: \u00a312,020.81<\/li>\n
    30. Beauceron: \u00a312,012.73<\/li>\n
    31. Wirehaired Vizsla: \u00a311,983.01<\/li>\n
    32. Hokkaido: \u00a311,959.64<\/li>\n
    33. Belgian sheepdog: \u00a311,897.88<\/li>\n
    34. Belgian Tervuren: \u00a311,897.88<\/li>\n
    35. Saluki: \u00a311,896.22<\/li>\n
    36. Australian shepherd: \u00a311,896.22<\/li>\n
    37. Borzoi: \u00a311,875.60<\/li>\n
    38. Gordon setter: \u00a311,873.23<\/li>\n
    39. Kuvasz: \u00a311,834.51<\/li>\n
    40. Vizsla: \u00a311,766.61<\/li>\n
    41. Airedale terrier: \u00a311,736.68<\/li>\n
    42. Norwegian elkhound: \u00a311,731.22<\/li>\n
    43. Harrier: \u00a311,711.72<\/li>\n
    44. Briard: \u00a311,671.27<\/li>\n
    45. Samoyed: \u00a311,656.14<\/li>\n
    46. Irish red and white setter: \u00a311,621.79<\/li>\n
    47. Rottweiler: \u00a311,618.59<\/li>\n
    48. Sloughi: \u00a311,594.58<\/li>\n
    49. Entlebucher mountain dog: \u00a311,577.47<\/li>\n
    50. American bulldog: \u00a311,547.25<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From mountains of dog food to unexpected trips to the vet, looking after man’s best friend can often…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":226401,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[51,92,261,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-226400","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-sciencetech","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114771887235179548","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/226401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}