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Cost of owning a dog in United Kingdom

Lifetime and food cost for 272 dogs, localized to GBP.

The cheapest dog to own in United Kingdom is the Japanese Chin (~£12,440 lifetime). All costs in GBP. Pet insurance is widely available in United Kingdom.

Cheapest dogs to own in United Kingdom (GBP)

Chart: the six cheapest dogs to own in United Kingdom, by total lifetime cost.

#	Breed	Size	Food/yr	Lifetime
1	Japanese Chin	Small	£160	£12,440
2	English Toy Spaniel	Small	£185	£13,625
3	Russian Toy	Small	£115	£13,815
4	Danish-Swedish Farmdog	Small	£265	£14,295
5	Toy Fox Terrier	Small	£100	£14,540
6	Jagdterrier	Small	£285	£14,740
7	Boston Terrier	Small	£275	£14,770
8	Russell Terrier	Small	£200	£14,890
9	Chihuahua	Small	£95	£14,925
10	Miniature Pinscher	Small	£160	£14,985
11	Miniature Bull Terrier	Small	£325	£15,015
12	Schipperke	Small	£210	£15,035
13	Bolognese	Small	£130	£15,120
14	Lancashire Heeler	Small	£210	£15,165
15	Portuguese Podengo Pequeno	Small	£185	£15,195
16	Norwich Terrier	Small	£200	£15,400
17	Tibetan Spaniel	Small	£200	£15,400
18	Border Terrier	Small	£210	£15,550
19	Australian Terrier	Small	£265	£15,720
20	Japanese Spitz	Small	£265	£15,720
21	Italian Greyhound	Small	£180	£15,735
22	Norfolk Terrier	Small	£190	£15,805
23	Cirneco dell’Etna	Small	£310	£15,935
24	Affenpinscher	Small	£155	£15,945
25	Scottish Terrier	Small	£290	£15,975
26	Papillon	Small	£140	£16,025
27	Brussels Griffon	Small	£160	£16,045
28	Smooth Fox Terrier	Small	£250	£16,110
29	Wire Fox Terrier	Small	£250	£16,110
30	Cairn Terrier	Small	£220	£16,170
31	Mudi	Small	£325	£16,180
32	Lakeland Terrier	Small	£260	£16,210
33	Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka	Small	£140	£16,260
34	Pekingese	Small	£220	£16,290
35	Parson Russell Terrier	Small	£235	£16,380
36	Cesky Terrier	Small	£280	£16,515
37	Löwchen	Small	£205	£16,555
38	Chinese Crested	Small	£175	£16,590
39	Pug	Small	£250	£16,590
40	Basenji	Small	£325	£16,685
41	Silky Terrier	Small	£175	£16,735
42	Beagle	Small	£345	£16,860
43	Lhasa Apso	Small	£235	£17,005
44	Poodle (Miniature)	Small	£205	£17,155
45	Shetland Sheepdog	Small	£290	£17,170
46	American Eskimo Dog	Small	£295	£17,275
47	Maltese	Small	£130	£17,560
48	Sealyham Terrier	Small	£325	£17,655
49	Teddy Roosevelt Terrier	Small	£250	£17,715
50	Shiba Inu	Small	£290	£17,725
51	Bedlington Terrier	Small	£290	£17,765
52	Welsh Terrier	Small	£290	£17,765
53	Havanese	Small	£175	£17,815
54	Rat Terrier	Small	£265	£17,885
55	Taiwan Dog	Medium	£425	£17,945
56	Manchester Terrier (Toy)	Small	£200	£17,945
57	Biewer Terrier	Small	£115	£17,990
58	Maltipoo	Small	£205	£18,210
59	Pomeranian	Small	£100	£18,215
60	Yorkshire Terrier	Small	£110	£18,375
61	Bulldog (English)	Medium	£535	£18,505
62	American Hairless Terrier	Small	£220	£18,545
63	Treeing Tennessee Brindle	Medium	£490	£18,645
64	Braque du Bourbonnais	Medium	£525	£18,745
65	Pumi	Medium	£350	£18,860
66	Manchester Terrier (Standard)	Small	£260	£18,905
67	Dachshund	Small	£335	£18,925
68	French Bulldog	Small	£310	£19,035
69	Shikoku	Medium	£535	£19,140
70	Basset Fauve de Bretagne	Medium	£405	£19,190
71	Yakutian Laika	Medium	£555	£19,390
72	Dogue de Bordeaux	Giant	£1,005	£19,400
73	Mountain Cur	Medium	£535	£19,605
74	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	Medium	£385	£19,635
75	Poodle (Toy)	Small	£100	£19,720
76	Dandie Dinmont Terrier	Small	£300	£19,840
77	West Highland White Terrier	Small	£265	£19,985
78	Icelandic Sheepdog	Medium	£370	£20,155
79	Peruvian Inca Orchid	Medium	£410	£20,320
80	Kishu Ken	Medium	£535	£20,380
81	Slovensky Kopov	Medium	£475	£20,455
82	Swedish Vallhund	Medium	£370	£20,480
83	German Shepherd Dog	Large	£745	£20,485
84	Nederlandse Kooikerhondje	Medium	£345	£20,560
85	Norwegian Lundehund	Medium	£345	£20,560
86	Karelian Bear Dog	Medium	£550	£20,560
87	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	Medium	£405	£20,645
88	American Water Spaniel	Medium	£445	£20,665
89	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	Small	£240	£20,670
90	German Pinscher	Medium	£445	£20,760
91	Kai Ken	Medium	£395	£20,835
92	Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen	Medium	£420	£20,840
93	Tibetan Terrier	Small	£335	£20,850
94	Miniature Schnauzer	Small	£240	£20,945
95	Irish Terrier	Medium	£355	£20,960
96	Boykin Spaniel	Medium	£420	£21,170
97	Whippet	Medium	£420	£21,190
98	Cocker Spaniel	Medium	£345	£21,200
99	Field Spaniel	Medium	£510	£21,230
100	Sloughi	Medium	£510	£21,230
101	Flat-Coated Retriever	Large	£705	£21,240
102	Irish Wolfhound	Giant	£1,060	£21,315
103	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	Medium	£410	£21,420
104	Swedish Lapphund	Medium	£465	£21,425
105	Shih Tzu	Small	£205	£21,435
106	Ibizan Hound	Medium	£555	£21,440
107	Finnish Spitz	Medium	£360	£21,465
108	German Shepherd	Large	£745	£21,475
109	Glen of Imaal Terrier	Medium	£450	£21,545
110	English Cocker Spaniel	Medium	£395	£21,605
111	Norwegian Buhund	Medium	£425	£21,625
112	Croatian Sheepdog	Medium	£460	£21,695
113	Portuguese Sheepdog	Medium	£560	£21,840
114	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Medium	£510	£22,010
115	Chinese Shar-Pei	Large	£600	£22,045
116	German Shorthaired Pointer	Large	£640	£22,180
117	Brittany	Medium	£445	£22,240
118	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	Medium	£445	£22,240
119	Bichon Frise	Small	£235	£22,270
120	English Springer Spaniel	Medium	£535	£22,300
121	Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog	Medium	£475	£22,330
122	German Spitz	Medium	£345	£22,450
123	Schapendoes	Medium	£495	£22,585
124	Deutscher Wachtelhund	Medium	£555	£22,595
125	Irish Red and White Setter	Medium	£555	£22,595
126	Working Kelpie	Medium	£525	£22,605
127	Miniature American Shepherd	Medium	£395	£22,620
128	Coton de Tulear	Small	£190	£22,705
129	Kromfohrlander	Medium	£370	£22,765
130	Finnish Lapphund	Medium	£520	£22,890
131	Azawakh	Medium	£525	£22,990
132	Canaan Dog	Medium	£535	£23,090
133	Welsh Springer Spaniel	Medium	£535	£23,090
134	Bohemian Shepherd	Medium	£565	£23,165
135	Australian Cattle Dog	Medium	£510	£23,170
136	Kerry Blue Terrier	Medium	£460	£23,230
137	Jindo	Medium	£490	£23,250
138	Norrbottenspets	Medium	£345	£23,345
139	Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen	Medium	£510	£23,565
140	Chow Chow	Large	£640	£23,595
141	Keeshond	Medium	£490	£23,635
142	Portuguese Water Dog	Medium	£555	£23,720
143	Portuguese Pointer	Medium	£550	£23,745
144	Bullmastiff	Giant	£1,080	£23,970
145	Drever	Medium	£465	£24,020
146	Xoloitzcuintli	Medium	£420	£24,065
147	Border Collie	Medium	£510	£24,090
148	Portuguese Podengo	Large	£580	£24,165
149	Lagotto Romagnolo	Medium	£390	£24,305
150	Rhodesian Ridgeback	Large	£805	£24,360
151	Puli	Medium	£395	£24,400
152	Sussex Spaniel	Medium	£490	£24,445
153	Polish Lowland Sheepdog	Medium	£490	£24,675
154	Skye Terrier	Medium	£490	£24,675
155	Bernese Mountain Dog	Giant	£915	£24,890
156	Neapolitan Mastiff	Giant	£1,180	£25,005
157	Belgian Laekenois	Large	£665	£25,070
158	Boxer	Large	£705	£25,210
159	Standard Schnauzer	Medium	£490	£25,255
160	American English Coonhound	Large	£620	£25,275
161	Australian Shepherd	Medium	£600	£25,345
162	French Spaniel	Large	£620	£25,515
163	Labrador Retriever	Large	£725	£25,555
164	Clumber Spaniel	Large	£745	£25,940
165	Entlebucher Mountain Dog	Large	£600	£26,065
166	Segugio Italiano	Large	£580	£26,140
167	Rottweiler	Large	£1,030	£26,200
168	Greyhound	Large	£705	£26,270
169	Curly-Coated Retriever	Large	£805	£26,285
170	Bluetick Coonhound	Large	£685	£26,340
171	Siberian Husky	Large	£555	£26,440
172	Scottish Deerhound	Giant	£915	£26,480
173	English Foxhound	Large	£725	£26,485
174	American Bulldog	Large	£820	£26,490
175	Doberman Pinscher	Large	£820	£26,490
176	Spanish Water Dog	Medium	£490	£26,525
177	Transylvanian Hound	Large	£620	£26,635
178	Dalmatian	Large	£640	£26,905
179	Golden Retriever	Large	£705	£26,915
180	Great Dane	Giant	£1,270	£26,925
181	Broholmer	Giant	£1,115	£26,990
182	Mastiff	Giant	£1,480	£27,150
183	Czechoslovakian Vlcak	Large	£580	£27,190
184	Weimaraner	Large	£765	£27,285
185	Thai Ridgeback	Large	£620	£27,305
186	American Foxhound	Large	£705	£27,325
187	Black and Tan Coonhound	Large	£880	£27,425
188	Porcelaine	Large	£650	£27,680
189	Old English Sheepdog	Large	£820	£27,745
190	Plott Hound	Large	£580	£27,785
191	Small Munsterlander Pointer	Large	£580	£27,785
192	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	Large	£725	£27,795
193	Irish Water Spaniel	Large	£635	£27,850
194	Berger Picard	Large	£665	£27,870
195	Treeing Walker Coonhound	Large	£665	£27,870
196	Dutch Shepherd	Large	£650	£28,035
197	Bracco Italiano	Large	£765	£28,050
198	Perro de Presa Canario	Giant	£950	£28,095
199	Lapponian Herder	Large	£745	£28,120
200	Greater Swiss Mountain Dog	Giant	£1,060	£28,140
201	Borzoi	Large	£840	£28,150
202	Barbet	Large	£580	£28,155
203	Pharaoh Hound	Large	£580	£28,155
204	Bull Terrier	Large	£665	£28,225
205	Drentsche Patrijshond	Large	£670	£28,270
206	Wirehaired Vizsla	Large	£620	£28,320
207	Vizsla	Large	£595	£28,395
208	English Setter	Large	£685	£28,420
209	Gordon Setter	Large	£685	£28,460
210	Basset Hound	Large	£600	£28,495
211	Hovawart	Large	£805	£28,500
212	Newfoundland	Giant	£1,150	£28,960
213	Saint Bernard	Giant	£1,315	£29,070
214	Saluki	Large	£600	£29,080
215	Wetterhoun	Large	£685	£29,150
216	Samoyed	Large	£580	£29,260
217	Slovensky Cuvac	Large	£840	£29,290
218	Airedale Terrier	Large	£665	£29,290
219	Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound	Large	£595	£29,365
220	Norwegian Elkhound	Large	£595	£29,365
221	Catahoula Leopard Dog	Large	£765	£29,415
222	Harrier	Large	£600	£29,465
223	Wirehaired Pointing Griffon	Large	£600	£29,465
224	Hanoverian Scenthound	Large	£890	£29,535
225	Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer	Large	£640	£29,640
226	German Longhaired Pointer	Large	£725	£29,685
227	Hokkaido	Large	£620	£29,720
228	Stabyhoun	Large	£580	£29,770
229	Leonberger	Giant	£1,180	£29,905
230	American Leopard Hound	Large	£640	£30,020
231	Redbone Coonhound	Large	£640	£30,020
232	Alaskan Malamute	Large	£820	£30,090
233	Appenzeller Sennenhund	Large	£655	£30,175
234	American Staffordshire Terrier	Large	£620	£30,350
235	Belgian Sheepdog	Large	£665	£30,385
236	Belgian Tervuren	Large	£665	£30,385
237	Great Pyrenees	Giant	£915	£30,625
238	Kuvasz	Giant	£915	£30,625
239	Collie	Large	£685	£30,630
240	Pudelpointer	Large	£640	£30,665
241	Bloodhound	Giant	£935	£30,830
242	Bearded Collie	Large	£580	£31,110
243	Beauceron	Giant	£895	£31,355
244	Chinook	Large	£745	£31,390
245	Briard	Large	£805	£31,570
246	Eurasier	Large	£620	£31,940
247	Irish Setter	Large	£705	£32,035
248	Bergamasco Sheepdog	Large	£745	£32,135
249	Otterhound	Giant	£955	£32,345
250	Pointer	Large	£665	£32,430
251	Afghan Hound	Large	£620	£32,790
252	Bouvier des Flandres	Giant	£895	£32,920
253	Tibetan Mastiff	Giant	£1,045	£32,965
254	Dogo Argentino	Giant	£925	£33,000
255	Tornjak	Large	£865	£33,020
256	Boerboel	Giant	£1,480	£33,385
257	Belgian Malinois	Large	£665	£33,480
258	German Wirehaired Pointer	Large	£665	£33,480
259	Hamiltonstovare	Large	£640	£33,740
260	Poodle (Standard)	Large	£640	£33,850
261	Black Russian Terrier	Giant	£1,010	£34,160
262	Estrela Mountain Dog	Giant	£1,005	£34,290
263	Giant Schnauzer	Large	£745	£34,460
264	Komondor	Giant	£895	£34,485
265	Tosa	Giant	£1,315	£34,730
266	Caucasian Shepherd Dog	Giant	£1,215	£34,865
267	Akita	Giant	£970	£35,180
268	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	Giant	£1,080	£35,190
269	Rafeiro do Alentejo	Giant	£1,005	£36,960
270	Spanish Mastiff	Giant	£1,450	£37,425
271	Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog	Giant	£1,080	£37,935
272	Pyrenean Mastiff	Giant	£1,510	£39,760

What a dog really costs in United Kingdom

Across 272 dogs, lifetime cost in United Kingdom ranges from about £12,440 for the Japanese Chin up to £39,760 for the Pyrenean Mastiff — roughly a 3.2× spread. That gap is driven by body size (which sets how much a dog eats and its medication doses), breed health risk (which sets insurance premiums and likely vet bills) and lifespan (which multiplies every recurring annual cost). Local prices matter just as much: United Kingdom sits at a food price index of 0.95 and a services index of 0.9 against the US baseline of 1.00, so the same breed can cost noticeably more or less here than abroad. Every figure on this page is in GBP. Pet insurance is widely available in United Kingdom.

Food & vet localized via United Kingdom's price-level index; converted to GBP. US base from the RER/MER food formula and NAPHIA insurance averages. Modelled estimates — verify locally.

Compiled by the PawCosts data team from World Bank price-level data, NAPHIA averages and AAFCO/vet nutrition formulas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest dog to own in United Kingdom?

The Japanese Chin — about £12,440 over its lifetime in GBP.

What is the most expensive dog to own in United Kingdom?

The Pyrenean Mastiff — around £39,760 lifetime.

Is pet insurance available in United Kingdom?

Pet insurance is widely available in United Kingdom.

How are United Kingdom dog costs calculated?

US base costs (food via the vet RER/MER calorie formula, NAPHIA insurance averages) scaled by United Kingdom's price-level indices — food 0.95, services 0.9 — and converted to GBP.

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