Spending money on our pets is part of the deal when adopting, fostering or buying a dog. Some are very expensive to purchase initially, while others cost more over the long term.
For example, a French Bulldog is pretty pricey when you buy one from a certified breeder, but costs less on average than, say, a Bernese Mountain Dog after a decade or so.
It's hard to calculate the lifetime cost of a dog before you buy it, as you can't predict specific health issues or unexpected events. But, we can estimate. Here, the 10 most expensive dog breeds.
portuguese water dog
WEIGHT: 35-60 lbs GROOMING: Regular grooming LIFE EXPECTANCY: 11-13 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,200 LIFETIME COST: $22,000+
RUBBERBALL PRODUCTIONS
1
CHOW CHOW
WEIGHT: 45-70 lbs GROOMING: Regular brushing LIFE EXPECTANCY: 8-12 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,250 LIFETIME COST: $21,000
ANDERSON LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES
2
afghan hound
WEIGHT: 50-60 lbs GROOMING: Daily brushing LIFE EXPECTANCY: 12-18 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,250 LIFETIME COST: $27,000
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3
brussels griffon
WEIGHT: 8-10 lbs GROOMING: Regular grooming LIFE EXPECTANCY: 12-15 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,300 LIFETIME COST: $17,000
westend61/GETTY IMAGES
4
SALUKI
WEIGHT: 40-65 lbs GROOMING: Regular brushing LIFE EXPECTANCY: 10-17 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,400 LIFETIME COST: $24,000
ROSS BROWN/GETTY IMAGES
5
LEONBERGER
WEIGHT: 90-170 lbs GROOMING: Daily brushing, weekly grooming LIFE EXPECTANCY: 7-10 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,400 LIFETIME COST: $25,000
BIGANDT_PHOTOGRAPHY
6
GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG
WEIGHT: 85-140 lbs GROOMING: Minimal LIFE EXPECTANCY: 8-11 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,500 LIFETIME COST: $22,000
PHOTOSTORM22/GETTY IMAGES
7
ENGLISH bulldog
WEIGHT: 40-50 lbs GROOMING: Regular brushing & cleaning between folds LIFE EXPECTANCY: 8-10 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,500 LIFETIME COST: $16,000
WESTEND61
8
ENGLISH TOY SPANIEL
WEIGHT: 8-14 lbs GROOMING: Regular brushing & trimming LIFE EXPECTANCY: 10-12 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,500 LIFETIME COST: $14,000
ILONA FROEHLICH
9
GIANT SCHNAUZER
WEIGHT: 70 lbs GROOMING: Hand-stripping LIFE EXPECTANCY: 12-16 years AVERAGE INITIAL COST: $2,500 LIFETIME COST: $34,000