The UK’s most (and least) affordable dog breeds 2023
One of the things that stood out during the time the UK spent in and out of lockdown was how pet ownership rose during the pandemic – with an extra 3.2 million households across the UK buying a pet from March 2020 to March 2021.
Puppy demand drove the average cost to buy a dog up considerably, however, now three years on and we’re in a cost-of-living crisis which is stretching peoples’ everyday budgets to their limit.
With many people struggling with the soaring costs of food and other everyday essentials, could owning a pet make a positive impact on your mental health? Well, new research has revealed that 94% of pet owners say that owning a pet makes them happy, with 44% going as far to say that their four-legged friend has been a lifeline during the cost of living crisis.
With this in mind, if you’re considering welcoming a new furry friend to your home you may be wondering what are the cheapest dog breeds to own versus the least affordable. Good question, but thanks to our team of data analysts here at The Insurance Emporium (TIE) we’ve done all the hard work by looking at our top 30 most popular dog breeds.
Our methodology
Before we get into the heart of which breed tops our list, let’s talk you through what factors we’ve taken into consideration.
Our list looks at the 30 most popular UK dog breeds that we insure here at TIE, we’ve then analysed costs against each breed for the following factors:
The average cost owners paid for their pooch according to our data from 1/03/2022 to 28/02/2023
The annual cost to insure each breed according to our data (correct at the time of writing this: 18.05.23) – based on each breed being under 8 years of age, located in York, on a Time Limited Bronze Yearly policy with Illness & Accidents cover.
Pet food costs are based on the typical weight of the breed, feeding 2% of the bodyweight per day with a mid-range dry dog food costing £3.65 per kg.
Our ranking table is purely to demonstrate which dog breeds work out cheaper to buy and look after versus those which are more expensive. It does not reflect the whole cost of owning a dog, for example, routine vaccinations, flea and tick treatment, neutering (if the owner decides to do this), toys and treats, and holiday care if you go away.
Plus, we can’t account for whether your canine has a penchant for expensive dog food or the several dog chew toys that will inevitably be destroyed in a matter of moments from being brought home from your local pet shop.
The cheapest dog breeds in the UK
From our research we can reveal the top 5 dog breeds that are the most affordable to own are:
Topping our list of the most affordable dog breeds is the small but mighty Jack Russell Terrier. It’s the cheapest on our top 30 to buy and relatively inexpensive to look after, costing around £16 a month to feed.
In at number two is the Yorkshire Terrier – while it’s not the cheapest to buy its small stature means it is one of the cheaper breeds to feed, as long as you’re not the type of pet parent to feed your beloved pooch only the finest dog food that is.
Sadly, this once widely popular breed has fallen out of favour with pet owners and now Yorkies have been put on the ‘at watch’ list by The Kennel Club. We hope our list will help people see that a pedigree breed such as a Yorkshire Terrier doesn’t have to cost the earth to own.
It’s no surprise that the Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, and Chihuahua make up the rest of the pack of most affordable dog breeds due to their smaller size. In particular, the Chihuahua, which is commonly regarded as the smallest breed of dog in the world, is the cheapest to feed. This pocket-sized pooch is the ultimate lap dog for those looking to really spoil their pet with love and affection.
The most expensive dog breeds in the UK
On the other end of the scale, we’ve got the dog breeds which are likely to cost you the most:
At the bottom end of the scale, the British Bulldog is the most expensive breed to own. There are several reasons for this. First of all, female British Bulldogs often have to be artificially inseminated to become pregnant. The puppies are mostly delivered via caesarean section (C-section) and finally, they produce very few litters. Therefore, these costs are reflected in the price owners are likely to pay to take a puppy home.
You’ll notice that Bulldog breed types make up three out of our five most expensive breeds to own and that’s partly because brachycephalic breeds such as British and French Bulldogs are prone to several health issues that can incur costly visits to the vets including breathing difficulties, skin and ear conditions, and eye problems. These health conditions subsequently make this breed more expensive to insure.
In addition, when it comes to dog food, owners will find that a French Bulldog, the smallest of the Bulldog breed types, will be the cheapest to feed, a British Bulldog has a medium-sized appetite, while an American Bulldog is considerably bigger and will require more food day-to-day.
In the middle of the most expensive breeds is the German Shepherd. Although this dog breed is cheaper to buy in comparison to a Bulldog breed, feeding one dog alone will cost you £85 on average a month due to their size and love for the great outdoors – making them ideal for owners that enjoy being outside.
And finally, taking the penultimate spot on our table is a household favourite – the Golden Retriever. It’s their popularity that puts this breed as one of the most expensive to purchase, and with a healthy appetite, the cost to keep this pooches hunger at bay will soon stack up.
Cheapest versus most expensive dog breeds to buy
Outside of our top 30 most popular dog breeds, we also explored which UK breeds were the most and least expensive to buy where we insure 100 or more of each breed to get a fair representation on cost. Again, this was according to our data from 1/03/2022 to 28/02/2023.
Buying a dog from the offset can be a considerable investment, with some breeds costing closer to two thousand pounds. What’s more, buying a pedigree or popular breed of dog can also make your dog more desirable to pet thieves.
A study earlier this year found that American Bulldogs were the most stolen breed in 2022, with the number more than quadruple compared to the year before. Staffordshire Bull Terriers and French Bulldogs were also popular targets for dognappers, with the former seeing a 610 per cent year-on-year increase. French Bulldogs saw thefts rise by 31 per cent compared to the prior year.
To help prevent your pet from being taken first make sure your dog is microchipped as this is a legal requirement – and always remember to keep their details up to date too. Never leave your dog tied up outside a shop or in a car unattended. Keep them on a lead in busy areas, especially if the area is unfamiliar to you and your pet. Finally, when considering pet insurance, it’s worth checking if your cover includes ‘loss by theft or straying’.
The increase in popularity of people turning to ‘self-insure’
Pet insurance can give owners peace of mind they’re covered should the worst happen to their beloved furry friends. However, a survey in January 2023 by The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) has shown that of UK adults who were insurance or protection policyholders in May 2022, 13% (or 6.2m people) cancelled and/or reduced cover – in the 6 months to January 2023, specifically to save money due to the rising cost of living.
CEO of The Insurance Emporium, Francis Martin commented: “Across the pet insurance market, we’ve heard more frequently that some owners have turned to self-insuring their pets. We understand with the cost-of-living crisis that forfeiting insurance to save money could seem appealing. However, insurance should be viewed as protecting the things you love and to put it simply – could save you thousands of pounds. Without it, you are financially responsible, and you will need to ensure you commit to saving a lot of money to protect yourself from emergencies.”
Our top 30 UK dog breeds in full
So which dog breeds made our top 30? Take a look here to see the full rundown of breeds and how they ranked overall in terms of cost to own from least expensive to most expensive. When looking to purchase a new dog we’d always advise people to do their own research to help them decide which breed of dog is going to suit their lifestyle the best.
If you’re due to welcome a new puppy to your home – here at The Insurance Emporium our range of pet insurance cover gives owners the flexibility to choose what suits their needs the best. We also offer owners a 10% multi-pet discount, plus a 20% introductory offer (see our website for T&Cs) – paw-fect!
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