Have you ever asked yourself how much it would cost to own a Portuguese water dog? Well, this is the perfect chance to find out! The portie is not as popular as, let’s say, poodles, but it has the perfect traits to be an excellent life companion and a kind family dog.
This AKC-registered canine happens to be one of the most affectionate working dogs on the planet, and it has the perfect balance between an eagerness to please its owner and a character that will please its human company.
Based on the overall appearance of the dog, its character, and its traits, the cost of the Portuguese water dog is relatively high in comparison to other medium to large dog breeds. However, in the long run, this puppy’s ownership pays off, especially because of the fact that
Portuguese water dog puppies are worth the money spent on them.
This is the Portuguese fishermen dog, trained for the herd fish business, but at the same time, it is involved in dog rescue activities.
Initially bred in Algarve, the southern part of Portugal, the Portuguese water dog puppy has both the looks and the character!
Portuguese Water Dog Cost
The average price of the Portuguese water dog is around $2300. The lowest price is around $1500, and the highest price goes up to $3500. In rare cases, the price of this puppy can go up to $4000, but statistically, this is irrelative.
In the research of the U.S. dog market, you will find out that the Portuguese water dog categorizes among the most expensive dog breeds. But, take into consideration that the price varies based on the state. Also, each state has its own tax system, which adds to the cost.
The initial cost of the puppy is calculated as an average of the essentials that come along with the puppy.
| Initial price | |
|---|---|
| Dog price | $2300 |
| Vet checkup plus vaccination | $120 |
| Food and water bowls | $25 |
| Collar | $20 |
| Microchip | $45 |
| Leash | $10 |
| Chew toys | $60 |
| Dog bed | $50 |
| Poop bag and scooper | $75 |
| Grooming | $50 |
| Neutering or spaying | $300 |
| Deworming | $80 |
| Total | $3135 |
The puppy’s price varies from $1500 up to $3000, but we calculated the average of the two. It is most likely that the Portuguese water dog breed will cost you somewhere around $2300 on average.
Altogether, considering food, toys, poop bag, neutering, initial medical checks, and deworming – that would be around $3135.
Furthermore, let’s see what the annual cost of the Portuguese water dog puppy is!
| Annual costs | |
|---|---|
| Food | $230 |
| Treats | $240 |
| Crate | $50 |
| Toys | $120 |
| Grooming | $60 |
| Vet checkups | $250 (vaccine and deworming included) |
| License | $20 |
| Poop bags | $500 |
| Total | $1470 |
The annual cost represents the average of all the items on the list. Starting with food, your puppy will need quality food brands with sufficient ingredients that help maintain its overall health. This family pet needs treats, too, that are as expensive as the dog food itself.
Chew toys for the puppy are calculated twice per year, considering that the puppy might need new toys after six months. However, this is not essential, but preferred.
When it comes to grooming, there are several factors calculated within this item: dog shampoo, brushes, nail clippers, and a toothbrush. All of these are under the grooming needs of the portie, and are essential to the list.
A Short Introduction To The Portuguese Water Dog Puppy
The Portuguese water dog is the favorite among family members. Adorable in its appearance, the portie comes in two different variants: retriever clip, and lion clip.
The retriever clip represents the puppy’s coat being equally shortened from the muzzle to the tail. On the other hand, the lion clip resembles a lion look, where the muzzle and the tail hair is completely shaved, while the rest of the body is covered in long, curly hair.
The portie is mostly famous for being owned by the former U.S. president, Barack Obama.
These puppies are hypoallergenic, and their shedding level is low.
There are a plethora of portuguese water dog puppies for sale. Portuguese water dog breeders in the U.S. and Canada make the top of the list of reputable world breeders when it comes to this dog.
This dog is initially bred for fishermen and active families as the dog itself is active and loves being outdoors. It is a loving dog that adores kids, but at the same time, its socialization demands consistent daycare.
The portie is one of the best dog breeds when it comes to work. They are generally healthy, but they can face certain health issues, like progressive retinal atrophy, juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy, or hip dysplasia.
Its lifespan is around 12 years, which makes this medium-sized dog live a long and happy life. Living in a new home is usually a challenge at first, so make sure you give it enough time to adapt.
Puppy Price
This American Kennel Club-recognized canine is not a cheap dog. Its price varies somewhere between $1500 and $3000. Taking into consideration the most reputable breeders, and calculating their average price, we get that the portuguese water dog costs, on average, $2300.
However, we also must take into consideration that the initial price of the PWD is not only the dog price itself, and it cannot be calculated particularly. In addition to the $2300, we also added an extra $835 for supplies.
The supplies encompass dog food, groomer tools, toys (as an addition to dog training), play time, vet checks that are crucial for the overall dog health, and other dog needs, such as poop bags, a dog bed, a microchip, and a collar and leash.
Of course, the price varies on so many factors, among which the PWD is on top of the list. Portuguese water dog mixes have different prices that do not always correlate with the purebred puppy.
First-Year Costs
The price for puppy supplies in the first year is somewhere around $450. On top of that, we add another $600 for first-year vet exams that include vaccinations, deworming, and exams on common diseases, such as progressive retinal atrophy and hip dysplasia.
| Puppy supplies | $1180 |
| Vet exams | $450 |
| License | $20 |
| Total | $1650 |
|---|
Under puppy supplies, we have several things. The first is food and treats, which cost, on average, $470. Furthermore, we have grooming supplies that revolve around $60.
The poop supplies are also a big cost for the puppy, taking into consideration that poop bags on a yearly level cost around $500.
Aside from these essentials, the first-year puppy supplies encompass toys that are bought twice a year, and cost around $120, a leash which costs $10 on average, and a collar that costs around $20.
In addition to puppy supplies, the first-year vet checkups cost around $450.
This includes the first vaccine, deworming, vet appointments, and health tests. The yearly cost in the latter stages of its life drops significantly if we take into account that most of the stuff needed in the first year is not needed later.
All prices are calculated based on average, and are subject to change based on the state and taxes. We also took into consideration current prices on the market, and the standard deviation was calculated, too!
Vet Exams
When it comes to PWD puppies, vet exams are a regular procedure in the first year. The Portuguese water dog cost always encompasses vet procedures, if we take into account potential diseases that the puppy might face.
This watchdog will need several vet tests once it becomes your new puppy. Potential health problems of all Portuguese water dogs are hip dysplasia, juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy and progressive retinal atrophy.
The annual cost of standard vet exams for Portuguese water dogs is around $150. This includes the appointment, blood work tests, and vaccines. Blood work tests refer to detecting potential diseases of your dog, and they are a must with a regular vet appointment.
The first-year cost of vet checks is increased by $300 for spaying or neutering; however, this price is not categorized as a standard vet exam.
Puppy supplies
Puppy supplies represent the major part of the Portuguese water dog cost. Their prices revolve around $1180 on average, and this encompasses food, treats, grooming, toys, and poop supplies. These are all essential for your dog.
Food and treats are essential for their physical well being and growth. Although the average cost of these supplies is calculated, you always need to make sure your puppy gets quality food with enough macronutrients and other ingredients needed for avoiding severe health conditions.
These puppies love spending time grooming. There are various colors of this puppy, among which black and cream are the most common (dog colors 101). Grooming costs are calculated within the puppy supply essentials as the coat of this puppy is high maintenance and needs care.
Toys are needed for mental stimulation, and their price does not exceed $120 a year. Sometimes, the price is lower by half if the puppy is taught how to properly play with chew toys, but the deviation has to be calculated, considering the canines’ over-enthusiastic character in this regard.
License
All states in the U.S. require a dog license, which makes it an essential when it comes to the Portuguese water dog cost. The average cost of a license for this PWD puppy is around $20 a year.
This, however, may vary from state to state. The lowest price for the license is $10, while the highest is somewhere around $30.
The license is needed for inspection checks that are frequent, especially in public places where dogs are around people. ‘‘Why is my dog acting weird’’ might be a common concern in these situations, and the license gives you some sort of relief if the puppy attracts attention.
The license represents some sort of insurance that the owner has to have in order to prove ownership of the dog.
Otherwise, you might get a ticket and potentially lose the ownership of the dog, so the recommendation is to always get a license at the proper institution. The procedure is not at all complicated, and it makes your life with the puppy easier.
Collars
Dog collars are not considered as essential supplies in the Portuguese water dog cost. However, they are needed for several reasons.
The first is that they give your puppy a nice look and the overall appearance of the PWD puppy is improved.
Furthermore, some puppies need collars in public places due to potential aggressiveness that they might direct towards unknown people. Here, we usually talk about specially-designed collars for the muzzle that disable your puppy from opening its jaw.
Lastly, the best dog training collars will allow you to train your puppy from an early age. The most common training collars encompass vibration, beeping sounds, or flashing lights that signal wrong behavior.
These rare-breed dog collars are not expensive, and on average, they cost around $20.
However, there might be some high-tech collars on the market that simply do not qualify as an average cost.
They are just too expensive to buy, and your puppy will do just fine without them.
Leash
This is one of the least expensive additions to your puppy. The average cost of a leash is $10. Even though the leash itself is not that expensive, it belongs to puppy essentials, too.
The reason for that is clear and simple. Every dog needs a leash in public places. This does not only guarantee you a calm walk in the park, but it also guarantees other people’s safety.
There are some variants of leashes that exceed $20, $30, or even $50. This depends on the type of material and the quality, but the average cost of a leash will be preferable here.
Some people prefer a dog harness instead of a leash. This adds to the cost, but contributes almost zero benefit, so you might as well avoid this option.
The Portuguese water dogs are extremely intelligent and belong to those breeds that love being around humans. However, not all people have a high tolerance for unleashed puppies in public.
Conclusively, this cheap addition is a must-have in all public occasions.
Annual Costs
There are several things calculated in the annual Portuguese water dog cost. Food supplies, a crate, grooming supplies, and vet checkups are top priorities among all the items on the list.
Calculating the annual costs of your PWD puppy will help you organize your budget properly, and analyze what things you can improve on in the future.
We highly suggest making an annual cost chart, as well as a monthly cost chart. Visual representation of data is usually the best way to interpret numbers and understand the costs you are facing in puppy ownership.
There are some items on the list that you can avoid, or decrease the spending on, but you might as well always be consistent when it comes to vet checkups since the breed is not exactly among the healthiest dog breeds in the world.
Dog Food
Dog food is of top priority on the Portuguese water dog cost chart. The average cost of food for this dog on a yearly basis revolves around $130, which is not that much. The price is calculated as an average, taking into consideration that there are many dog food brands on the market.
The cheapest dog food on an annual basis is around $70 to $80. However, it is highly recommended to stay away from cheap foods as they are probably some of the worst dog food brands available.
A low price doesn’t always mean low quality. However, in this case, you might want to stay within the average cost as food is one of the most critical items on the list to experiment with.
The highest-priced dog food goes up to $200. The price is this high due to the famous dog brands that sell it. Usually, regular dog food will be just fine for your puppy, and it won’t know any difference when eating it.
Dog Treats
The average cost of dog treats on an annual basis is $240. This implies buying the treats within the standard price range, and not exceeding the dog food budget excessively. Usually, the tip for spending on dog treats is to calculate dog food costs with treats.
This way, you will achieve a balance between the two, and also organize the feeding chart of your puppy easier. However, you don’t want to overdo the diet and feed your dog more treats than needed. Otherwise, you would be asking yourself, ‘‘why won’t my dog eat his food’’?
Always keep the balance between regular meals and treats. Use treats only as positive reinforcement in the training process. Portuguese water dogs are eager to make their owners happy, and treats might help in the overall process.
Grooming
The grooming process has several facets when it comes to Portuguese water dogs. In the overall process of fashioning your puppy, we imply the following:
– brush
– nail clippers
– shampoo
– tooth brush
The annual price for these four is $60 on average.
The price of shampoo does not add much to the Portuguese water dog cost on an annual basis. There are perfectly good shampoos that are categorized among the best smelling dog shampoos, and they cost no more than $10.
The grooming process implies having a brush at all times. The average cost of a brush for PWD puppies is $20! You can find a perfectly usable brush for the long, curly coat of your puppy within this price range.
A toothbrush is required for teeth hygiene as this fish dog tends to have leftovers from food on its teeth. The average cost of a dog tooth-brush on a yearly basis is $10.
Ultimately, all large (and medium-sized puppies) need toenail clippers! Based on the quality, the price goes between $5 and $35. The average price for toenail clippers is $20.
Altogether, the grooming price on an annual basis does not exceed $60.
Vet Checks
Vet checks are categorized as standard puppy procedures. If you have a healthy puppy, then the annual visits to your vet can be within 1 and 2 visits.
The overall cost for vet checks on an annual basis is around $150. This includes scheduling standard vet appointments, blood tests, and heart tests.
If the spaying or neutering process is not done within the first year, you need to add an extra $300 to this price. However, this is not a mandatory procedure, but it is highly recommended, especially if the dog lives in the house. Otherwise, you would keep asking yourself, why does my dog hump the air, because this won’t be an unusual event in your home.
Additional Costs
When planning the Portuguese water dog cost chart, there are always some unpredicted costs that you simply can not oversee.
Items such as a dog passport, pet insurance, and dog carriers are categorized as additional items, and are not mandatory. However, in certain situations, you need them, so the cost is inevitable.
There are, however, some other additional items, like bike trailers for dogs that are not calculated within the additional costs. The reason is simple – their usage is very low, so the data would not be relevant.
Passport
A passport’s price range in the United States of America goes from $40 to $1300. The reason for such a disproportion in price cannot be found only in the fact that the passport cost is different for purebred and mixed dog breeds.
Yes, there are some deviations in the passport cost when it comes to different species. However, the crucial reasons are two – the vet you choose, and the place you go!
The first among them is the veterinarian you choose. Just like reputable breeders, there are veterinarians who charge a lot more than others. That’s why you will find veterinarians who are extremely expensive with regard to this issue, and some whose price is more reasonable.
Furthermore, the passport cost varies based on the destination you are traveling to. For instance, if you travel from the United States to Canada, then the passport cost will most likely be lower. However, if your travel destination is in Europe or Australia, the passport cost goes up, costing several hundred dollars more.
Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is another additional cost in a Portuguese water dog cost chart. The average cost of pet insurance in the United States is around $30 to $50.
However, based on the type of insurance you choose, the price can go from $10 all the way to several hundreds of dollars. The highest threshold usually does not exceed $150.
Pet insurance costs depend on several things – the insurance plan, the dog breed, the state and place where you live, and the type of insurance you choose.
Insurance for pets is usually paid on a monthly basis as a fee, and it covers potential injuries and health issues. If you pay extra for insurance, the coverage will most likely encompass a broader group of injuries and health problems.
Aside from relying only on pet insurance, you might want to be preventive! Always feed your PWD puppy with healthy dog food for urinary health, stomach health, and heart health. This way, you will protect your canine’s overall health, and decrease the possibility of potential diseases.
Dog Carrier
The cost of dog carriers vary on the U.S. market. The price is set based on the size of the dog carrier you choose. For Portuguese water dog puppies, you will need a large dog carrier, and the average cost of a large carrier in the U.S. is $120.
However, you can find a large carrier for only $80, but the quality is questionable. The highest price for Portuguese water dog carriers, or any other large breed, like spaniel water dogs, is around $150.
Smaller dog carriers can be used in the early stages of your puppy’s life. For instance, in the first six months of age, a PWD puppy will fit perfectly into a mini-sized carrier in which the average price revolves around $100.
Here, we talk about the carriers used mostly by miniature puppies, like mini doodle breeds. However, if you think forward, then in the long run, this is not the best option.
Factors Affecting The Portuguese Water Dog Cost
There are a plethora of factors affecting the overall Portuguese water dog cost. Among them, the most important are the breed of the dog – whether the PWD is purebred or crossbred with another breed, its bloodline, the breed’s popularity, training, its coat color, and its age.
Despite the fact that the PWD puppy’s price is not as high as the dogo argentino’s price, or the chow-chow’s price, it still has big variations in different states and under different circumstances.
Purebred Or Crossbred
The cost of purebred dogs is initially larger according to some unwritten rules. However, there are some mixed breeds, like labrador mixes or rottweiler mixes, whose cost is still high regardless of their crossbred prefix.
The fact that the Portuguese water dog is an AKC-registered purebred has a lot to do with the fact that this dog belongs to the club of the most expensive dogs in the world.
However, this determinant itself cannot be an overall explanation for such a large Portuguese water dog cost.
Breed Popularity
There are many breeds whose popularity has a positive correlation with its price. For instance, the rottweiler price is highly dependant on the breed’s wide representation in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Popularity makes dogs pricey.
On the other hand, if you look into the case of the Portuguese water dog cost, we will find the unusual and reversed truth. Portuguese water dogs, although not being among the most popular dog breeds in the world, are still expensive.
This has a lot to do with the PWD’s exclusivity and uniqueness. Also, there are other factors that impact its price, like its working-dog traits, its high intelligence, and its non-shedding coat.
This, however, does not mean that the breed is completely unpopular, especially if we take into consideration that the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America promotes this breed all over the States. This only means that the breed does not qualify among the most famous breeds in the world.
Training
The level of trainability positively correlates with dog intelligence, and this is one of the reasons why the Portuguese water dog cost is high.
The puppies that easily go through the training process because of their mental superiority tend to be more expensive. For instance, goldendoodle puppy training is a piece of cake in respect to other, less intelligent dogs.
That’s also the case with Portuguese puppies – their intelligence makes them superior in this regard, which puts them on top of the list when it comes to obedience training, potty training, and crate training.
Coat Color
There are some breeds whose price varies based on their coat color. One of the most popular examples is the charcoal lab, with a unique labrador retriever color.
The Portuguese water dog cost can also vary based on its coat color. Solid white PWD puppies might be a little bit more expensive than black or dual-colored puppies since this color is somewhat rarer with respect to others.
In a nutshell, all of the determinants mentioned above, when combined with this one, create a list of pros and cons, and add to the overall price of the portie puppy. However, none of these can independently determine the price as these factors are observed as a group.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are Portuguese Water Dogs Good Pets?
Yes. Portuguese water dogs are extremely good pets, and they are highly favorable for both indoor and outdoor life. These cute canines happen to be among the most intelligent dog breeds in the world, and the fact that they are also working dogs makes them even cuter.
Once they are socialized at an early age, PWDs are obedient, eager to please their family members, and very friendly. They adore kids, and act protective towards them. The standard Portuguese water dog puppy will be friendly to your friends, and also to unknown people!
2. How Rare Is A Portuguese Water Dog?
Portuguese water dogs are a moderately rare dog breed. They are not as popular as german shepherds, poodles, or labrador retrievers, but they have certain credibility in the United States.
The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America supports this statement as the club promotes the qualities and traits of this Portuguese canine.
The breed is mostly popular among fishermen and sportsmen as the breed itself was designed to be a working dog that helps along rivers and seas.
Conclusion
Portuguese water dog cost is moderately high with respect to other dog breeds. We can say that this breed is pricey, and the average puppy price is $2300.
However, there are some Portuguese water dog puppies that cost somewhere around $1500, but the price can go all the way up to $3000. There are numerous factors affecting the price, such as PWD breeders, state tax, dog colors, training, and popularity.
The Portuguese water dog belongs to the club of the most expensive dogs in the world, and there is a reason for that. They are intelligent working dogs that are obedient and highly socialized.
Read more: Long Haired German Shepherd VS. Short Haired: Which Is Better?