How Expensive is a Samoyed?

Are Samoyeds expensive/aren’t Samoyeds expensive? I get asked this question or some variant of it about once a week, so I thought it was worth answering in detail for anyone considering a Samoyed (or indeed any other dog).

I get frequent puppy enquiries on Sal’s Instagram (please note: social media is NOT the place to go looking for a dog, instead you are best to contact your local and national breed clubs and rescues). After I tell them I’m not a breeder and Sally isn’t ever having puppies, the next questions invariably include “how much did you pay for Sally?”, and  “are Samoyeds expensive?”.

Puppy Prices

The answer is: it depends. While here in the UK most of the reputable breeders haven’t increased their prices as a result of COVID-19, there are few available puppies, and as rare-breed pedigree puppies, yes, they are expensive. Expect to pay £1000-2000 (depending on bloodlines and geographic area) for a KC-registered Samoyed puppy. This seems like a lot, until you factor in the health testing for the parents, the cost of those parents attending breed shows and/or working and agility dog meets to prove their suitability to pass on their genes, stud fees, puppy health checks, ultrasound, extra food for mum and babies, whelping box, puppy packs, KC registration, microchipping and first vaccinations, and all this before you consider loss of earnings for the breeder’s household as someone needs to stay home with mum and the young pups. The breeders I know are lucky if they break even on a litter. They are NOT breeding for the profits. The reputable rescues may ask for £300-500, while some that rescue from the Chinese and Korean meat-trade ask you to cover the astronomical flight cost if you can, so it can end up costing over £5000 (post-Covid flight prices have increased to ridiculous numbers) to rescue, meaning rescue is not always the cheaper route to Samoyed dog ownership.

Running Costs

The real issue is that the 1-2 grand you drop on a puppy/rescue is just the beginning. I’ve heard it said you should have 1-4 times this in reserve in a bank account as you are going to need it by the end of their first year. But it’s all a bit of a dark secret. People with dogs smile knowingly and say “yes they are expensive but they are worth it”. Maybe it’s an attempt to hide the true costs, or maybe they are too embarrassed/scared/shocked to find out. The PDSA tried to work out the cost, first in 2016, and they update every year, but they admit their numbers are an underestimate. They put the lifetime cost of a medium sized dog (such as a Samoyed) at a minimum of £13,000 and that’s not including the initial outlay on buying/adopting the dog.

I Made a Spreadsheet

I’m a scientist and I like facts and numbers. Before I got Sal I tried to make a budget spreadsheet to work out if I could afford a dog, and what her likely running costs would be, I admit I got it totally wrong. There’s some things (dog daycare, groomers) we’ve never really used and others (SALLY SNACKS!) where it’s so easy to go hopelessly over budget. Then there’s things I’m ashamed to say I never even thought about (dog first aid kit/toothpaste anyone?). Plus, there’s ongoing expenses like insurance that will increase year on year (it started at £120 a year, now at over £500 for lifetime insurance and we’ve only ever made one £150 claim) if you decide to insure your pet. Also there’s the one-off cost of spay/neuter should you choose to desex them.

Sally’s Running Costs

In an attempt to break through the veil of secrecy as to what a dog costs, I’m going to list Sal’s “running costs” for a year.  I found the puppy fee (£1000, this was 5 years ago) was only a quarter of the cost of our first year. It cost roughly the same again as I paid for my puppy to puppy-proof my house, and buy all the bits and pieces needed for walking, grooming and feeding. Then, my yearly running costs were twice that, over £2000, and that’s without a dog walker, daycare, or grooming fees as I do these myself. In short, this year so far, owning Sal comes in at approximately £6 a day!

I’ve screenshot and I’ve linked my spreadsheet so as you can play with the input numbers and see what the likely cost of dog ownership would be for you. Remember every dog and everyone’s situation is different, so your costs won’t necessarily be the same as ours.

And Here’s That Spreadsheet…

Excel file below:

Indirect Costs Not Included

These are only Sal’s direct costs. I haven’t counted indirect expenses such as new boots and waterproof jackets and outdoor clothing for me, or the petrol money, parking fees and bus tickets to take her for walks, nor the cost of repairs after her puppy hobby of home and garden redecoration. I also left out the (one-time) cost of neuter/spay as it isn’t applicable to everyone. Even so, hopefully these figures go some way towards answering the question: what does a Samoyed cost?. The answer to the more important question: what is a Samoyed worth?, is of course – priceless! She’s my fluffy wolf!

What do you think? Did the costs of dog ownership come as a surprise? Would the costs put you off getting a dog? As always, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or stories about your experiences. Remember you can come say hello on Sally’s Instagram too @scotlandwithfluffywolf. Looking forward to hearing from you!