Costs and Maintenance

What is the average costs of keeping a Border Collie?
You know what we are going to say - it varies. It depends on the size of the dog, its sex, environment and lifestyle.
There is no simple answer or rubber bullet that solves all.

The initial cost of a puppy or an adult dog or the donation to a rescue is the first consideration.
You takes your choice and pays your money. The puppy choice is the most expensive.

You can pay an online dealer £100 to £150 for a pup and pay the rest of your money to the vet that treats it. (*)
You can buy an unregistered pup from a farm for between £150 to £400 and take your chances.
You can pay between £300 to £750 for a pup  from a hobby breeder and hope the vet won't be needed.
You can pay between £600 to £1500 for a pup from a good breeder you have researched and checked.
Vet attention is less likely.

(*) Whatever course you decide to follow remember Lucy's Law which came into effect on 6th April 2020.
Now you can only buy a puppy from its breeder - no shops - no agents - no third parties. Direct from a breeder at the premises the dog was bred on and seen interacting with its mother. Common sense really but now its law.

Adult dogs can be obtained through free ads in papers or on websites. Some are free to good home and others are being sold. Buyer Beware.
Prices will vary according to what the vendor thinks they can get or how desperate they are to part with the dog.
Bear in mind that people selling or giving away adult dogs in these circumstances are generally conservative with the truth when they tell you what the dog is like. Also bear in mind that if you take one and it is not as described it is unlikely they will take it back.
You may also come across adverts offering adult dogs in vets or in pet shops. This is a better bet.
It is likely that the vet or pet shop will know the dog and owner so you may get some sensible feedback if you enquire with them first.

If you buy a registered pup the registration should be included in the price. Some breeders will offer the choice of buying registered or not. If you do not intend to breed for profit or show then registration is not important so don't bother with it but look out for these hidden extras.
Microchipping is obligatory these days and has to be done, by law, at 8 weeks of age. Puppies should remain with their mother until they are at least 8 weeks of age so any pup you are offered should be chipped before you take it home. If not ask why not.

Microchipping is not an 'optional extra' it is a legal requirement.
If a seller try's to sell you a pup that is not chipped and is 8 weeks of age or over they have broken the law and should be regarded with suspicion. If they sell you a pup under 8 weeks of age they are acting against the welfare interests of the pup and the dam so regard them with suspicion. If they quote a price it should always include microchipping they should not offer to do it if you pay an extra fee.

First vaccinations should also be included in the sale price of a puppy and a certificate supplied signed by a vet. Sometimes this is not the case as the first one is given at 'approximately' 8 weeks of age with a second one following two or four weeks later dependent on the type given.
Costs for puppy vaccinations varies and vets charge different rates but you should allow around £60 for the initial puppy series and around £30 each year for the boosters. Some vets offer a monthly payment scheme that covers all regular annual treatments and check ups.

You can always go to a rescue and offer a home to a homeless dog.
In terms of costs this is probably the most economical course unless you get a gem of a dog free to a good home. Rescue 'donations' vary.
Lets say it's £200. OK you could pick up a pup or an adult dog cheaper, but a rescue dog should be fully vaccinated, wormed, de-flea'd and spayed or neutered so £200 is a saving.
Deal with a registered charity. The money you pay is a donation and it goes back into the work of the charity. Charities are not owned they have their own identity. Money they receive belongs to them, not the people running them.
If you pay for a dog from a rescue that is not a charity it is not a donation, it is a fee. You are paying it to the people who own the business that is being run as a rescue so they can spend it any way they want.
You might as well have gone to a dog dealer. They get given unwanted dogs as well and they sell them on for a profit. Not a lot of difference.

Treatment for external parasites and internal parasites are a regular cost but many of these that your vet would supply are now available online without prescription. You can pay around £3 for a flea and tick treatment for the average Border Collie online. This needs repeating about every 8 weeks. If you buy in bulk you can save and it has a long shelf life.
Wormers cost around £1.50 per tablet online. One tablet treats 10 kg of dog so your average Border Collie will need two at approximately 8 to 12 week intervals depending on the type used. Would you believe that those that cover 12 weeks cost more than those that cover 8!

It is always best to get veterinary advice about flea and worm treatment initially. There are so many product's available and if oversubscribed some can be detrimental to a dogs health, but used properly they can save discomfort, misery and even lives.
Annual costs should be in the region of £36 if you purchase online but will cost more from a vet.

Its advisable to have your dog checked over at least twice a year. A general examination and health check can spot things that can be easily treated before they reach a stage of being difficult and expensive. Annual vaccinations charges should include a physical check up as one is required to make sure the dog is fit enough before a vaccine is given so another check up half way in between is the only 'extra'.
The routine second 'physical' each year should only cost around £30

Neutering or spaying.
We always say wait until a dog is cocking its leg and until 12 weeks after a bitch has had her first season before neutering or spaying. Let the hormones sort themselves out before doing anything to interfere with them.
Neutering a dog is always cheaper than a bitch and size also counts on a sliding scale. Price also varies from practice to practice.
It pays to keep your bitch slim - vets charge more for overweight dogs.
On average you should expect to pay around £150 for either procedure on an average sized Border Collie.

To insure is a good idea.
You may be able to afford the costs of a dogs general upkeep but if there is a serious illness or accident you could be looking at bills of thousands of pounds.
Insurance policy premiums will vary from company to company and the dogs age affects the price of cover. Most companies offer a choice of cover so you can pick a lower price policy with limited payouts all the way up to 'coverall' comprehensive cover but read the small print - carefully.

Existing conditions will always be excluded but check that the policy does not exclude accidents or illness resulting from an existing condition but not actually related to it.
Say your dog has an eye issue which you declare. It goes blind - you are not covered for that. Say it has an accident, a fall, and breaks a leg. Are you covered? Will the insurers say that the fall was a result of the blindness and refuse to pay out?
Insurance companies do not like paying out.

There will be some sort of excess on any claim so there will be some situations where it would be detrimental to make a claim as you would end up paying most of it and your premium would rise next year. Build some additional vet fees into your annual costs to cover these smaller incidents.
Check the small print - there is usually a lot.
Allow an average of £150 a year for insurance.

Food and treats
Tins, chubs, fresh moist, raw, kibble, complete extruded, scraps?
The price of dog food is so variable it is difficult to pin anything down so lets focus on the most popular method and assume the others are more expensive, which is usually the case.
Puppy food is more expensive than adult as is Junior. The first year will cost a little more than subsequent years.
Specialised adult diets can be expensive and some manufacturers are more expensive than others.
Lets assume your dog has no food allergies and is of average size and you are buying middle of the price range dog food from a reputable source in 15kg sacks. One of these should last the average Border Collie around a month, so 12 sacks a year at £20 per sack is £240 - up or down from this is your choice but ask your dog. We suggest feeding twice daily.

Treats should be fed sparingly.
Some biscuit at night is good. If a dog is boarded outside it's a help for it to have a little bit of extra carbs to burn off to keep itself warm.
We have a ritual at bedtime - every dog gets a biscuit when it goes to bed. It does not take long for the dog to get into this routine and you will find that when you let it out for it's last chance it will come in and go straight to its bed and wait expectantly.
This routine also give the dog a sense of security and if you are traveling with the dog and it is in a strange place the routine helps it feel at home.

Teeth problems are on the increase and the cost of dental treatment can be expensive. Insurance will not cover routine dental care.
There are products on the market to help keep a dogs teeth clean. One of these chews a week is the least, two is what is suggested.
These and a few biscuits are going to add £250 a year onto your dogs running costs but may save you that much in dental care.
You have probably had toothache and probably would not want your dogs to go through the same pain so look after the dogs teeth.

If you are buying a pup for the first time you will need some basic equipment.
If you follow our advice and get a house crate to act as a sleeping bed (£60) - a car crate (smaller) for travel (£40) - a decent dog bed as a day bed with lining for all three and a piece of Vetbed for each as well with one piece spare when one of the other needs washing (£75) - a range of suitable educational toys like Kong's and hard rubber balls, etc. (£30) - Stainless steel bowls for water (large) and food (smaller) (£6) - Grooming equipment (comb, brush, scissors) (£25) - allow a small contingency = £250.

Initial costs (excluding the price of the pup) for vet check and follow up vaccination, initial worm and flea treatment, basic equipment, neutering or spaying, first years insurance and some contingency and your looking at start up costs upward of £600.

So - summary of annuals costs for an average size Border Collie bought as a puppy - as a guide only - these costs will vary.
Annual Booster and bi annual health check.  £60
Internal and external parasite treatment.  £36 (online prices - double that if from vet)
Insurance  £150 to £500 per annum - depends on which insurance company and age of dog.
Miscellaneous for uninsured vet bills  £300 - some things are not covered and some have excess applied.
Food £240 to £600. Depends if special diet is required or you go for an upmarket brand.
Treats and Dental  £250. This is for regular dental chews and one visit to the vet a year for cleaning.
Allow a contingency - say 10%   £100  and your looking at an annual running cost starting around £1136 per annum - around £22 a week - that's a start.

Of course you could spend more than that and you probably will because your dog is worth it

If you are interested in adopting a Border Collie from us,
please phone 07707 485813 during office hours.
(2 pm to 5 pm Tuesdays to Thursdays)

Please do not write to us or email us about adoption - we want to speak to you before we start the process.