What Does A Doberman Cost?

Doberman are on the more expensive side. Or, at least, they can be. Puppies usually cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500. It depends largely on the quality of the puppy. Show dogs are likely to be on the higher end of this range. Anything under $1,000 should be regarded with some suspicion.

On top of adopting your Doberman, you will also need to pay for your dog’s upkeep. For the first year, you can expect to pay closer to $4,500 for your canine’s needs. This is largely due to the supplies you’ll need to purchase for your dog. As you might imagine, your canine will need larger items due to their bigger size. This can drive your costs up.

After the first year, you can expect to spend about $2,000 a year on your Doberman. Much of this will be spent on your dog’s food and medical needs. However, other costs will play a role as well.

How Much is a Doberman?

Doberman puppies vary quite a bit in price. Where you purchase these puppies from matters sustainably. On some rare occasions, you may find a Doberman that only costs a few hundred dollars. However, these dogs are likely inexpensive for a reason.

You won’t find a working dog from a qualified breeder for less than $1,000. Often, you can expect to pay even more for a show-quality puppy.

Of course, if you choose to forgo a breeder at all, you may spend even less. But there are many downsides of adopting a dog from someone who isn’t a breeder.

Getting a puppy from Craigslist

Doberman aren’t extremely popular, but you can occasionally find them on Craigslist and similar marketplaces. Typically, these dogs are not bred by breeders. Most of them are from accidental litters or backyard breeders. These breeders may mean well, but they don’t always know how to raise puppies appropriately.

Most of the time, the dogs bred by these breeders are not health tested, which can cause genetic conditions to be passed onto the puppies. Many puppies also don’t get the proper health care, including vaccinations. This can raise your starting vet costs.

Some puppies from Craigslist are bred by puppy mills. These places have many of the similar problems as backyard breeders. However, they usually focus on producing as many puppies as they can for as cheaply as possible. This usually results in them taking many different shortcuts with their canines. They are often kept in very small outdoor areas, and puppies are often removed from their mother too early.

Getting a puppy from a rescue

Doberman usually aren’t common enough to show up at an animal shelter. However, some breed-specific rescues may have a dog or two available for adoption. These are usually adults, though, not puppies. If you’re set on a puppy, your best bet is to purchase from a breeder.

While the history of these dogs is often unknown, most rescues do provide them with the appropriate vet care. Usually, the dog is vaccinated and treated for any underlying conditions. For this reason, they are typically healthy once you adopt them. Or, if they aren’t, you’ll at least know upfront about any problems that they have.

Getting a puppy from a breeder

This is probably your most expensive option by far. You can expect to pay between $1,000 to $2,500 for a puppy from a breeder. Those with better pedigrees will be towards the higher end of this range, while pet-quality dogs will cost less.

While these puppies are more expensive than most, there are many reasons for this. Breeders usually perform many different health tests to ensure that only the healthiest dogs are bred together. The puppies also receive the appropriate health care after they are born. For instance, most breeders take them to their first vet appointment and start them on their vaccinations.

All of these costs get roped into the cost of the puppy. While you may have to pay more upfront, you may save a bit of money later. These dogs are often less prone to health problems than other dogs since they were carefully bred.

Costs of health tests

One of the reasons that puppies from breeders are so expensive is because of the health testing they perform. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America recommends a variety of health tests.

Hip dysplasia testing is one of these recommended tests. This condition is caused by a malformation of the hip joint. Luckily, this condition can usually be caught using an x-ray. Hypothyroidism is likely inherited as well and can be tested for using a routine blood test. Usually, this test is performed regularly, as the condition may not develop until later.

The Doberman is also prone to von Willebrand’s disease. This bleeding condition is inherited and not sex-linked. There is a test for it that can detect carriers of this disease, which can prevent dogs from passing the trait onto their puppies. This trait is quite common in Doberman, but many of them are not severely affected.

Testing for progressive retinal atrophy is also recommended. This condition causes the retina to slowly decay, which can cause complete blindness eventually. It is not curable, but testing in breeding dogs can prevent it from being passed onto the next generation.

Annual costs of owning a Doberman

Just as you might expect, Doberman costs a bit of money to upkeep. These dogs are large, which means that everything is a bit more expensive. You’ll pay more to feed them and for higher dosages of medication as well. This can start out as a very small amount of money. However, it will add up over time, leading to a few extra hundred dollars a year.

This breed doesn’t cost much extra when compared to other large breeds, though.

Vet expenses

You can expect to pay somewhere between $500 and $800 in vet bills each year. Puppies typically won’t cost much more than adults. While they do require more vet care, adults require higher dosages of medication and may require extra tests as they get older. This makes the cost balance out.

Puppies need about three vet visits during their first year for the proper vaccinations and exams. Adults will only need one vet visit a year. However, they will require more care at this one visit. A puppy’s vet costs will be spread throughout the year, while you’ll pay much of the adult’s upfront.

These costs also include preventative medication for fleas, ticks, and heartworms. This can cost a few hundred a year, especially considering this dog’s larger size.

You may need to pay an extra $150 to $400 for spaying or neutering your dog. Some vets also recommend a gastropexy, which costs another $200 to $400 when done alongside sterilization. This procedure prevents bloat from happening later in your dog’s life, which is a condition these dogs are prone to.

These costs also do not include any health problems your dog ends up developing. These health problems can be very expensive potentially. For instance, dilated cardiomyopathy can cost thousands of dollars to treat. Pet insurance can lower these costs, but then you’ll need to budget monthly for the insurance premium.

Food and toy costs

Because of their larger size, these dogs will cost quite a bit to feed. Puppies usually cost around $400, while adults will cost around $550. This is largely because adults are simply larger and will eat more. While puppy food is more expensive than adult food in some cases, it usually still costs more to feed adult dogs.

These prices are assuming that you’re purchasing a high-quality dog food. While you can save money by purchasing a lower-quality dog food, this is generally not recommended. While some dogs do perfectly fine on a cheaper dog food, most dog foods are cheaper for a reason. It is best to purchase the highest quality food that you can reasonably afford.

These dogs tend to be quite active, which means that you will go through quite a few toys. Usually, you can expect to spend a few hundred dollars a year on toys. These dogs usually need the biggest and highest quality toys that you can find. These can be expensive due to the higher amount of material involved. On top of this, though, you can expect these dogs to destroy their toys regularly.

This means that you’ll have to continuously add in new toys, which can be expensive.

Training costs

In many cases, these dogs will benefit from professional training of some sort. Group training classes are recommended when the dog is a puppy. These will provide socialization and training, which is essential for your dog’s overall wellbeing. You can expect to spend about $100 to $200 on a series of group training classes. Your dog may need multiple series, so play on spending about $800 on training during the dog’s first year.

In some cases, Dobermans may require private lessons. This usually happens when they are not socialized as puppies, which makes them too fearful and aggressive towards other dogs to partake in group lessons. We highly recommend private lessons followed by group lessons in this case.

Private lessons will usually cost around $1,000 for 7-9 training sessions. This should be enough for most dogs to move onto group lessons. In total, this would bring your cost of training to about $1,200 if you’re trying to train a fearful adult dog.

Factors influencing the price

The cost of a Doberman varies widely. Some cost thousands of dollars, while others cost around $800. Much of this variance is based on a dog’s pedigree. Dogs with champions in their bloodline are usually more expensive. They will likely perform better in the show ring. However, this doesn’t necessarily matter if you’re just looking for a companion animal.

The amount of medical care the puppy also receives matters. As you might expect, breeders will charge more for their puppies if they’ve put more money into the dog’s medical care. If the puppies have already received their first vaccinations, you’ll likely pay more for them than a puppy that has not. But this also means you won’t have to pay for those vaccinations yourself, so you may end up actually saving money in the long run.

Some breeders will also provide their puppies with basic training. If so, you can pay extra for these puppies. Many Doberman puppies come housetrained already, which means that they will often cost less. This is simply because the breeder has had to put more time and energy into their puppies. You’re paying for their service.

While the traditional Doberman colors are black and tan, there are several less common color variations as well. If you want e.g. an isabella or pure black Doberman, be prepared to pay up to double the regular puppy price.

Price considerations

Be sure you can properly take care of a Doberman before deciding to adopt. While these dogs will likely cost from $1,000 to $2,000 for the average pet owner, you can expect to spend double that during the dog’s first year. You’ll need to pay for larger dog beds and crates, which often costs quite a bit of money.

Toys are a necessity with this breed and will likely cost you more than you’d expect. You may have to pay $150 upfront to purchase enough toys for a puppy, followed by several hundred dollars a year on new toys.

These dogs are not cheap. Their larger size and activity level drive up the price considerably. Compared to small dog breeds, these dogs cost considerable amounts of money to care for.

The bottom line

To purchase a Doberman puppy, you’re looking at spending from $1,000 to $2,500. Show dogs will fall at the upper end of this range, with pet-quality dogs at the lower end.

On top of the puppy’s price tag, you’ll also need to budget for the dog’s ongoing costs. This can be a few thousand dollars a year at least, assuming your dog remains healthy. Health problems can cost even more, as even a basic surgery can cost upwards of $2,000.

Be sure you’ve budget appropriately for this dog before you decide to adopt one.

Author: Kristin

Kristin was born in Tennessee and currently lives there with her husband and children. She is passionate about educating pet parents and helping them make the best possible decisions for their pets. She currently owns one dog, two cats, a lizard, and a variety of fish.