How Much Does a Bull Terrier Cost? (2021 Price Guide) | Hepper
How Much Does a Bull Terrier Cost? (2021 Price Guide)
Bull Terriers may not be one of the most popular dogs in the United States, but they have stolen the hearts of many. Many of these dogs are much cheaper than you’d imagine. Puppies range from $800 to $2,000 when you purchase them from a qualified breeder. This is similar to other dog breeds of around the same size.
However, you also need to consider the cost of owning one of these dogs. Their costs do not stop after you pay for the puppy.
You will need to pay for regular monthly costs, like food and vet bills. Most puppies will also require a few upfront costs. These include things like dog beds and crates, as well as cheaper items, like dog bowls and dog collars. While many of these costs are small, they can add up quickly.
In this article, we help you figure exactly how much you should budget for this dog.
Bringing Home a New Bull Terrier: One-Time Costs
Before you first bring your Bull Terrier home, there are quite a few one-time costs you should budget for. As you might imagine, you’ll have to purchase your puppy themselves. This price will vary quite a bit depending on where you purchase the dog. The price from a breeder is usually around $800 to $2,000.
On top of this, you will also have to purchase different supplies. Your dog will need a bed and various items to use at home. If you already own a dog, you may be able to skip some of these items. However, for the most part, you’ll likely need to purchase most of the items that we suggest. Dogs can’t share collars, after all.
Image Credit: I_Love_Bull_Terriers, Pixabay
It is rare to find a Bull Terrier for free. These dogs are rare in many parts of the United States and Europe. Therefore, there are few puppies that may be available for free.
While you obviously will save money by adopting a dog for free, this is not recommended. Usually, dogs that are available for free have not had much money put into them. They don’t always receive the proper health care, especially if they are puppies.
You may end up paying quite a bit in the long run to help these dogs catch up. In the end, you may not actually save that much money.
Adopting dogs is often quite inexpensive. Adoption agencies and shelters are not-for-profit agencies. Their job is to get as many dogs out the door as possible while still being able to afford to care for new dogs. So, they price their dogs appropriately.
Often, the price may be tied to certain health problems that the dog has. Puppies are often more expensive, especially if they have to be sterilized before they are adopted out. This costs the agency more money, so it often leads to a higher price for the puppy.
Breeders are typically the best option if you’re looking for a high-quality canine. It is often difficult to find these dogs at a shelter, so your only option may be to purchase them from a breeder. They are more expensive, but there are quite a few reasons for this.
Breeders often perform significant health testing on their dogs before breeding them, ensuring that only the healthiest dogs are bred. They also get plenty of health care for their puppies. Usually, the puppies are provided with their first vaccinations before being adopted out, which lowers your overall vet costs.
As you might expect, these dogs need similar supplies as most other dogs. Many of the things that you will purchase will not be that expensive. For instance, you will need to buy a brush, collar, and leash. These are all fairly inexpensive items, but together, they can add up quickly.
We recommend budging for these items alongside the price of the puppy because you will need to purchase many of them up front. These can add a substantial amount to your start-up costs, so plan accordingly.
You can spend less by budgeting carefully. If you know that you’ll be getting a puppy in a few months, you can look for sales and purchase items slowly over time.
Lists of Bull Terrier Care Supplies and Costs
Dog Collars $20
ID Tag $5-$15
Dog Bed $50-$85
Dog Crate $55-$120
Urine Odor Removal Spray $10
Brush $15-$45
Shampoo $10-$20
Toothbrushing Supplies $10-$15
Toenail Clippers $15-$30
Training $150-$200
How Much Does a Bull Terrier Cost Per Month?
On top of paying for all the one-time expenses, you’ll also need to pay a few reoccurring costs. Obviously, your dog needs to eat. While food isn’t that expensive for these dogs, it will add up.
You’ll also need to budget for more expensive expenses, such as vet care. You may not be required to pay these every month, but it is easiest to budget for expenses monthly, so you can be ready when it is time to pay.
Luckily, the overall cost for Bull Terrier is quite low. They don’t require extensive grooming and usually have lower vet bills. These factors help keep things on the inexpensive side.
Health care is one of the most varied categories that you’ll need to keep track of. On top of paying for veterinary costs, you’ll also need to feed your dog high-quality food and get them groomed as necessary. For many dogs, we also recommend pet insurance, as this can help you avoid paying thousands for sudden medical expenses.
Since this category is so varied, it can add up rather quickly. Your dog’s food doesn’t cost that much itself, but when you add this expense to vet and grooming costs, it quickly becomes a substantial amount.
On average, the Bull Terrier weighs about 60 pounds. They consume a decent amount of food, but the cost typically isn’t anything too ridiculous. Puppies will cost closer to $25 a month, but the price will increase as they increase in size. By the time that the puppy is grown, you can expect to be paying closer to $37 a month.
This covers high-quality pet food. There are many different foods on the market, all of which have their own cost. However, we calculated based on the assumption that you’re purchasing food for around $1.40 a pound.
The Bull Terrier does not require extensive grooming. They have a short coat that does a good job of keeping itself clean. They will need to be brushed about once a week to remove fur, dust, and debris from their coat. Baths are only rarely needed.
Many owners can take care of their needs by themselves. However, some may decide to send them to a professional groomer occasionally. Each visit will likely cost between $30 to $60, depending on what you get done. How often you send your dog to the groomer will determine how much you’re paying a month.
Bull Terriers tend to be healthy dogs. They usually don’t develop many health problems and aren’t prone to genetic illnesses. However, you will still need to pay for preventative health care. Puppies will need their vaccinations, and adult dogs require yearly check-ups.
You also need to consider the price of heartworm prevention, which is necessary for your canine’s wellbeing. You’ll likely want flea and tick prevention as well, which we’ve included in this budget.
Vet costs tend to vary widely from location to location, which is why the range is so large.
Image Credit: Melanie Thomas, Pixabay
The cost of pet insurance depends on your geographical location and what pet insurance you settle on. In some cases, you may pay as little as $31. However, this likely won’t cover many illnesses and will include a high deductible. Accident-only insurance is the cheapest, but it won’t cover many of the reasons that you’ll need to take your dog to the vet.
That said, we do highly recommend pet insurance. Most people don’t have the thousands to pay for emergency services.
Bull Terriers are decently active. They need daily exercise and quite a few walks. We don’t necessarily recommend purchasing one of these dogs if you don’t have the time or stamina to walk them.
That said, it is possible to hire a dog walker if you don’t have time to do the actual walking yourself. This expense can add up quickly, though. If you pay for a $25 walk once a day, you’re looking at about $400 a month. That’s just about as much as you’ll be paying for your dog’s health care expenses, effectively doubling your budget.
Dog Walker $0-$400/month
This is a more energetic dog breed, so you can expect to regularly purchase toys. These canines will go through toys quite fast, even if their jaws aren’t necessarily as strong as some other breeds. It isn’t that they will necessarily break all their toys, but you can expect toys to get lost and filthy over time.
After your initial purchase of toys, you’ll need to re-purchase new toys every month. We recommend getting higher-quality toys because these will last longer and may end up saving you money in the long run.
You’ll need to purchase a wide variety of toys to keep your Bull Terrier happy. Your costs will likely decrease as they age. Puppies tend to play the most and are the hardest on toys, and senior dogs are less so.
Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Bull Terrier
How much you spend on your Bull Terrier every month varies considerably. Most of this variance comes from expenses that are only necessary for certain situations. For instance, you don’t have to hire a dog walker. If you don’t, you can plan on spending toward the lower end of the range. If you do, you may be spending as much as $400 extra a month.
The same can be said for similar costs, like grooming. You don’t need to take your dog to a groomer. But if you do, you can expect to pay a bit more each month.
Other costs are more difficult to budget for. Things like emergency vet bills and household damage caused by the pet may happen at any time or they may not happen at all. It is impossible to know what the future holds in these regards, which is exactly why we recommend having an emergency fund.
Before you even purchase your dog, you need to consider creating an emergency fund of some sort. This fund will help you in the event of an unexpected cost, like a sudden accident or the need for a new couch.
Some dogs may also need behavioral training. While we did factor in basic obedience training in a group setting, we did not include the cost for private lessons or extensive, specialized training. If you’re planning on moving beyond a basic level, you may need to take more advanced classes, which will cost more.
Owning a Bull Terrier on a Budget
Though these dogs are larger, it is possible to own them on a budget. They aren’t the cheapest dogs out there, but they aren’t close to being the most expensive either. They’re quite healthy, which means you likely won’t be spending much on vet bills.
The main expenses of this breed revolve around their activity level. You’ll be spending quite a bit on toys and perhaps even a dog walker. These expenses can add up quickly, so you shouldn’t overlook them. You can’t get away without regularly purchasing new dog toys either, as this can lead to your canine finding their own toys, like your shoes.
Image Credit: Georgiy Myakashiv, Shutterstock
Saving Money on Bull Terrier Care
There are many ways that you can save money on your dog’s care. The easiest way to do this is by reducing the number of services that you use. Walk your dog yourself instead of hiring a dog walker, and do your dog’s grooming instead of taking them to a professional. This is possible with this dog breed, but you will end up doing more work yourself.
You can also shop sales, especially when it comes to dog toys. Most of the time, on-sale options are last’s season’s toys. They still work great, and your dog won’t mind playing with a snowflake toy in July. You can also invest in a subscription box of toys, which is often cheaper than purchasing various toys separately.
Bull Terriers are about average when it comes to cost. A puppy from a breeder costs anywhere from $800 to $2,000. It depends on the breeder whom you purchase from and the puppy themselves. Dogs with champion bloodlines will cost more. We do not recommend trying to find a “budget” puppy, as this may end up costing you more in the long run.
On top of the price tag of the puppy, you’ll need to pay about $600 in supplies and other one-time costs. Most of these supplies need to be purchased when you adopt your puppy or sooner, so we recommend saving up this extra few hundred while saving for your puppy.
You’ll also need to spend anywhere from $141 to $743 a month. Most people will spend on the lower end of this range. However, if you spend money on services like dog walkers and professional groomers, you can expect to pay quite a bit more monthly.
Featured Image Credit: Alexandra Morrison Photo, Shutterstock
6 Best Dog Foods for Yorkies in 2021 - Reviews & Top Picks
23 Free DIY Dog House Plans You Can Build Today	Read more	