With Crufts starting today wannabee dog owners are being warned not to make a snap-purchase when buying a dog. That’s according to research from comparethemarket.com.
Over the past few years, Crufts has sparked trends for exotic dog breeds, including the French Bulldog, Dachshund, Pugs and Chihuahuas. While these breeds remain fashionable, many potential owners fail to take into account how much a breed will cost to care for over its lifetime.
Prospective dog owners believe the average annual bill for a dog to be just over £880 per year, however this is in fact THREE TIMES LESS than the cheapest breed. For example, a French Bulldog will typically cost £3,033.95 a year to look after. In some cases, this can reach £25,849.33 across a dog’s lifetime, which would deter just under two-thirds (60%) of potential dog owners from taking the plunge.
A lack of knowledge of the potential costs before buying a dog is potentially leaving thousands of pooches in danger of ending up homeless - shockingly, more than one in ten (14%) would consider returning their pooches if costs were to go over £633 per year.
To highlight the long-term costs of owning a dog, comparethemarket.com has collaborated with Vets in Practice’s, Emma Milne. Together, they have created a canine calculator that highlights the range of costs incurred when owning different breeds of dog: https://www.comparethemarket.com/pet-insurance/content/not-just-for-christmas/
The new research further showed that dog food alone can cost up to £1,198.75 per year – a startling contrast and six times more than Brits claim they’d be prepared to spend, which was on average £182.44 per year.
Top 10 Most-Expensive Pooches
|
Ranking
|
Breed
|
Annual Cost*
|
|
1
|
Saint Bernard
|
£3,907.60
|
|
2
|
Newfoundland
|
£3,756.22
|
|
3
|
Bernese Mountain Dog
|
£3,382.06
|
|
4
|
Bulldog
|
£3,415.08
|
|
5
|
French Bulldog
|
£3,033.95
|
|
6
|
Great Dane
|
£3,215.52
|
|
7
|
Dogue de Bordeux
|
£3,006.44
|
|
8
|
Rottweiler
|
£2,941.08
|
|
9
|
Italian Spinone
|
£2,831.41
|
|
10
|
German Shepherd Dog (long and short coated)
|
£2,800.02
|
Top 10 Least-Expensive Pooches
|
Ranking
|
Breed
|
Annual Cost
|
|
1
|
Mongrel (small, short coated)
|
£1,214.17
|
|
2
|
Mongrel (medium, short coated)
|
£1,371.42
|
|
3
|
Mongrel (small, long coated)
|
£1,374.17
|
|
4
|
Mongrel (medium, long coated)
|
£1,539.42
|
|
5
|
Yorkshire Terrier
|
£1,612.66
|
|
6
|
Chihuahua (smooth coat)
|
£1,615.36
|
|
7
|
Mongrel (large, short-coated)
|
£1,653.31
|
|
8
|
Chihuahua (long coat)
|
£1,716.13
|
|
9
|
Whippet
|
£1,722.22
|
|
10
|
Beagle
|
£1,746.52
|
Stephanie Corbett, Head of Pet Insurance at comparethemarket.com says; “Before buying that new pup for your family, It’s important to take heed of the famous slogan, 'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas', and do the necessary research first. Whether it’s the cost of pet insurance, food, doggy day-care, or simply the time needed to invest in your dog, the expense of a pet can really mount up.
“With this in mind, we have created a handy tool that allows would-be dog owners to budget accordingly. Before taking the leap and bringing a new family member home, careful financial planning and research will stop any nasty surprises”.
As well as pet-related budgeting, further research found that pet owners also struggle when feeding their beloved pets. In fact, the majority of Brits (86%) are giving their pets extra snacks and treats outside of typical meal times, despite only a quarter of pet owners knowing exactly how much they should be feeding them. This is leading to a pet obesity epidemic - over a fifth (22%) of Brits believe their pet is overweight.
To help combat the issue, comparethemarket.com has developed a pet calorie calculator to measure calorie content of human snacks and treats commonly given to pets, comparing the intake to the human equivalent number of burgers that have been consumed: https://www.comparethemarket.com/pet-insurance/content/overfed-pets/
