How much does a Weimaraner cost? Puppy price & annual expenses

These large “Grey Ghosts” are prized hunting dogs and family companions alike. They are known for their friendly and obedient nature, which makes them quite easy to get along with. They are very people-oriented animals, allowing them to get along easily in most households. They also tend to be quite energetic, so they do best in active families where they can spend plenty of time running around.

While these dogs are decently large at 55 to 90 pounds, they are quite inexpensive compared to other larger breeds. The average puppy costs about $700, with the usual range being somewhere between $500 and $1,200.

The annual costs for this dog are somewhat low as well, though their caloric needs will cost you quite a bit in food. For the first year, you can expect to pay about $3,600 in supplies. This includes many one-time things you’ll need to purchase, such as a crate and dog bed.

After that, you’ll likely need to spend less each year, as you’ll already have all of the basic supplies you’ll need. You can expect to pay about $1,700 a year for an adult Weimaraner.

How much is a Weimaraner?

Most Weimaraners typically cost less than other large dogs. The average puppy from a qualified breeder is only about $700. Even for a top-quality dog, you can expect to pay less than $1,700. However, these prices are assuming that you’re purchasing from a specialized breeder that specifically breeds Weimaraners.

There are other places to adopt this breed as well, though they are not always recommended. It is often possible to find these dogs available for much less than they typically are from breeders. Usually, you’ll pay for this later with higher vet and training bills, though.

The rare color of these dogs (that is only found on a handful of other breeds – such as in Border Collies) makes these dogs sought-after and, at times, pricey.

Getting a puppy from Craigslist

Craigslist often lists dozens of dogs for sale, many of which are puppies. These dogs can range from $100 to as much as $2,000. However, because anyone can sell on these marketplace websites, you never really know what you’re getting.

Many puppy mills advertise on Craigslist. These businesses focus on breeding as many puppies as possible for as low of a price as possible. In the end, this often means that they take a lot of shortcuts on the dog’s health. For instance, some may remove the puppies from the mother at a very young age to encourage her to go into heat again. This results in more puppies to sell but may leave the puppies improperly socialized and lacking in proper nutrition.

Puppy mills are illegal in many areas, as they often don’t get proper vet treatment for their animals. Most of the time, their dogs are kept in small and dirty pens, which usually doesn’t result in healthy puppies. However, they do still exist in some places, as it can be difficult to prove that a breeder counts as a “puppy mill.”

Besides puppy mills, regular pet owners usually advertise on Craigslist as well. They may have accidentally ended up with a litter of puppies, which they are now attempting to sell. Alternatively, some of them decide to try their hand at breeding their own pet dogs.

Unfortunately, more and more working dogs such as the Weimaraner or also the English Shepherd are bred by owners who are NOT registered breeders.

While these at-home breeders don’t always produce low-quality puppies, they do come with many major downsides. Most do not health test their dogs, which can result in puppies with genetic conditions. Many may not even know that you’re supposed to health test your dogs. Plus, those with accidental litters obviously didn’t have the opportunity to health test the parents beforehand.

They may also not know how to properly socialize the puppies, which can lead to less adaptable dogs with more behavioral problems. They may not get the puppies proper health care either, which usually means that you’ll end up with a higher vet bill during the puppy’s first year.

You may not actually save much by purchasing from these listings, either, considering how inexpensive these puppies often are from breeders.

Getting a puppy from a rescue

While these dogs aren’t exactly the most common canines around, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t show up at local animal shelters from time to time. Breed-specific rescues often have many of these dogs as well, though most of them are not puppies.

Usually, rescues only charge $100 to $300 for their dogs. Typically, puppies are more expensive than adults, as they require more vet care once they get to the rescue.

Usually, it can be difficult to tell where puppies came from before they ended up at the rescue. The puppies may have been the result of an accidental litter, or they may have even been strays. Sometimes, the rescue doesn’t even know where the puppies came from. They are typically not well taken care of before they end up at the rescue.

However, once the rescue has them, the puppies usually receive the proper vet care. Many receive their vaccinations and are treated for underlying illnesses before they are adopted out. You can usually ask to see the puppy’s records before you adopt, which allows you to know what you’re getting into before you take the plunge.

Getting a puppy from a breeder

If you’re looking to get the highest quality puppy available, then your best bet is to adopt from a breeder. Breeders often have more experience raising puppies, which means you end up with higher-quality puppies. Breeders usually know how to socialize and raise their dogs so that they are adaptable and friendly, making things easier for you after you bring your puppy home.

Many also provide more vet care for their puppies, which is one reason they are typically more expensive than other sources. Often, the puppies will receive their first vaccinations before they are adopted, as well as be treated for any underlying conditions they might have. Because these dogs see a vet before they are adopted, you can be decently sure that your puppy is healthy before you bring them home. Some breeders even get their puppies health tested for certain genetic problems.

Usually, breeders also provide their puppy with higher-quality food, as well, which can affect their development.

Most importantly, breeders health test their dogs before breeding. This means that the dogs are checked for certain genetic conditions that may not show symptoms until later in life. Because genetic conditions can be passed down to puppies, it is important to check for these conditions before breeding a dog. Otherwise, you may end up with unhealthy puppies that are more likely to end up with genetic problems when they are older, which will raise your vet bills substantially.

Of course, not all breeders raise their puppies the same or provide the same care. It is important that you ask your breeder about their particular routine. Ask about what health testing the parents underwent before breeding, as well as the health care that the puppies have received. You should check the parent’s CHIC number, which will show you the results of their health testing. If a dog doesn’t have a CHIC number, they have not undergone health testing.

If you are looking to get one of the rare long-haired Weimaraners, you definitely need to find a breeder – you are very unlikely to get a dog like this from Craigslist or through a rescue!

Cost of health tests

One of the biggest reasons that dogs from breeders are more expensive is that the breeding dogs have often undergone health testing. This costs quite a bit of money and often gets wrapped into the cost of the puppies. Dogs will often have to undergo several health tests throughout their life, as the signs of certain conditions may not be present until later.

Genetic Testing

Weimaraners are one of the few dogs that have genetic testing available for certain health conditions. This allows breeders to tell if the dog is a carrier of certain genetic problems. If two carriers are bred together, then their puppies have a chance of being affected. Therefore, if the dogs are properly tested, they should not produce any puppies with these testable conditions.

All Weimaraners should be genetically tested for hyperuricosuria, hypomyelination, and spinal dysraphism. Usually, tests cost about $110 per dog. It only has to be completed once since a dog’s DNA doesn’t change as they age.

Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is another condition that all breeding dogs should be tested for. Hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joints are not lined up properly, which leads to excess wear and tear. This can cause symptoms from minor pain to limping to lameness. It just depends on how affected the dog is. This disease does have a genetic component, but environmental factors and injuries can cause it as well.

There is no genetic test for hip dysplasia, so breeding dogs usually have their hips x-rayed to ensure that they are aligning properly. Dogs with obvious problems on the x-ray have hip dysplasia and may pass it onto their puppies – even if they have no symptoms yet.

A dog cannot be evaluated for hip dysplasia until they are two, as this is the age that their hips stop growing. The cost of x-rays is usually around $500 and can be done at a regular vet, though some may send the images off for an expert to look at if there is any confusion over the results. If the dog needs to be sedated, an extra $100 or so will be added to the bill.

Eye Certification

Like most dog breeds, it is recommended that all Weimaraners being bred undergo an eye exam. This must be done by a board-certified AVCO ophthalmologist, so it cannot simply be done by a dog’s normal vet.

The cost of this examination varies widely and depends on your area. In some cases, it is as cheap as $50, while it may be as much as $250 in other areas. Clinics at events are often the cheapest way to get this done.

Usually, the dog will not need to be sedated. In fact, sedation is not recommended. However, if the dog is not cooperating, sedation will add extra to this bill.

Autoimmune Thyroiditis

This is a mostly genetic condition that causes the immune system to attack the thyroid. The onset of this disease varies considerably, but most dogs will begin to show symptoms around 2 to 5 years. Autoantibodies are produced before symptoms begin to show, as the immune system needs time to break down the thyroid before the dog begins experiencing issues. Therefore, a blood test can confirm autoimmune thyroiditis 3 to 4 years at the latest.

For this reason, this condition is usually tested annually until the dog is four or five years old. After that, there is a good chance that they are simply not getting it.

Luckily, this test is not very expensive and works as a simple blood test. Usually, the vet takes a sample of the dog’s blood, prepares it, and then sends it to a laboratory. Testing usually costs around $50 to $150, depending on your geographical location.

Advanced Cardiac Testing

While this testing is not required, it is very recommended by the Weimaraner Club of America, which oversees most professional breeders. This procedure can rule out both congenital diseases and adult-onset diseases. While these can have environmental factors, genetics can often play a large role. However, affected dogs may never show symptoms until later in life. Therefore, testing is the only way to tell if a breeding-age dog has one of these heart problems.

An advanced cardiac exam involves a cardiologist performing an ECHO on the dog. Some dogs may have benign heart murmurs that do not affect their capability to breed. An ECHO can determine whether a heart murmur is benign or not. Usually, this costs around $400. It may need to be repeated multiple times throughout the dog’s life to catch any late-onset diseases.

Annual costs of owning a Weimaraner

On top of the cost of a puppy, you also need to consider the average yearly costs of owning a Weimaraner. Like most dogs, you should plan on paying the most during the first year. Puppies need more preventative vet care than adult dogs, as well as more supplies. Usually, this will cost you about $3,700 for the first year.

After that, your costs will fall by quite a bit. You can expect to pay about $1,700 for each year after that, with most of your costs going to training and food.

Vet Expenses

Vet expenses are a major part of your dog’s annual needs. Typically, a puppy will need at least three trips to the vet during its first year. Each visit can range from $50 to $150, depending on the care included in each visit. This leaves your total at somewhere between $200 to $450 for the whole year. This cost includes all required vaccinations (though not all suggested vaccinations) and the general examination fee.

If your dog gets sick, you will end up paying more. This is one reason why it is important to adopt your puppy from a qualified source.

You may want to spay or neuter your puppy as well, which is typically recommended by most breeders. This can cost between $150 to $400. Some clinics cost as little as $50 and are usually run by not-for-profit organizations. Check your area if you’re looking to save some money.

A gastropexy may also be performed, which prevents your canine from getting bloat later. This is a serious condition that requires emergency vet care and surgery. It can lead to death in only a few hours. Usually, this can cost anywhere from $200 to $500. It can be added to the spay/neuter surgery to lower the costs.

After the first year, you can expect to pay about $120 to $260 for an annual vet exam. This includes some basic blood tests, vaccinations, and a heartworm test.

Potential Health Problems

All of the above costs only include preventative care that every dog will need to receive. If your pet gets sick, you can expect to pay much more.

Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy treatment can cost anywhere from $250 to $1,500. The lower end includes dogs that simply need medication, while dogs that require hospitalization will be closer to the higher end. This is a completely preventable disease if dogs are DNA tested before they are bred.

Arthritis can cost anywhere from $50 to $400 a month – more if it is caused by hip dysplasia. This includes medication, supplements, therapy, and similar treatments. Surgery for hip dysplasia can cost as much as $3,000 per hip.

Food and toy expenses

These dogs are larger, so they will often require quite a bit of food. Puppies usually cost around $350 to feed for the year. The costs will go up as they get bigger, eventually reaching around $500 for adults. This assumes you’re purchasing high-quality food, which is what we typically recommend. Extremely inexpensive food may cost less, but it isn’t the best option for your pooch. You may end up paying more vet bills to treat diet-related illnesses.

Bulk-purchasing your food is often recommended to save some money. Plus, these dogs are plenty big enough to consume all of the food before it goes stale.

Toys will usually cost around $100 a year. These dogs are pretty active, and they can be hard on toys. Therefore, it is recommended that you purchase high-quality, durable toys. Otherwise, they may simply destroy the toys that you do purchase, which will end up costing you more money in the long run.

Training costs

While the Weimaraner is not an extremely difficult dog to train, it should be put in group classes starting at an early age. This helps socialize the dog, which is important to ensure that they are friendly and adaptable to new situations. If a puppy is not introduced to many different people at a young age, it can cause them to become fearful, which can lead to aggression. While these dogs are friendly, this socialization provided by puppy classes is very important.

Plus, these group classes will also get your dog started on basic obedience. These dogs love their people, so they will typically listen well to commands once they understand them. If they aren’t listening, it is likely because they don’t quite understand.

These group classes cost anywhere from $100 to $300 for five one-hour-long sessions. Some trainers may have multiple levels of training, which you may wish to progress. This will increase the costs.

Factors influencing the price

The biggest factors that go into the cost of a puppy include the breeder’s reputation and the dog’s pedigree. If a breeder has been breeding dogs for years, they will typically charge more. If a dog has a lot of champions in its bloodline, the breeder will typically increase the price as well.

Health screenings will increase the cost substantially, as these can get quite expensive. This is especially true if the puppy undergoes specific health screenings. Those who have already received their first vaccines will usually be more expensive, but this also means that you won’t have to pay for their first vaccinations.

Price considerations

Before you adopt any dog, you should ensure that you have budgeted for them appropriately. Weimaraners are not particularly expensive. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t cost substantial amounts of money.

You should ensure that you budget enough for a quality dog. Otherwise, you may end up spending extra later on vet costs and extra training. Puppies from breeders are more expensive for a reason.

On top of purchasing a puppy, you should keep the dog’s annual costs in mind. It is best to have enough set aside for the first-year expenses before the adoption, as you will have to pay quite a bit upfront for necessary supplies. Vet bills are also more expensive throughout the first year, which can add up quickly.

The bottom line

Weimaraner puppies only cost about $700. The cost varies greatly depending on the quality of the puppy, as well as what socialization, vet care, and health testing they’ve received. The healthiest, most well-trained puppies will be the most expensive.

However, you should plan on spending at least $3,600 for first-year expenses. This assumes your puppy is healthy, as any underlying health problems can greatly raise that cost. After that, you can expect the price to drop to $1,700. Again, this includes preventative vet care, but not serious emergencies and health problems.