An English Mastiff puppy looks cute but many pet parents forget that it will soon grow into a massive-sized dog that can cost a great deal of money to train, feed, and raise.
A Mastiff is a large dog breed measuring around 30 inches at the withers and weighing about 150-200 lb (68-90 kilos!).
In this guide, we tell you all about a mastiff’s first-year cost, annual cost, lifetime cost as well as the cost of a Mastiff puppy.
First-Year Cost of Keeping a Mastiff
The first year with your Mastiff pup is likely to be more expensive than average. Between the cost of the pup, vaccination costs, training, and the initial supplies that your dog will need, the costs can really add up.
In the first year, a Mastiff puppy will cost, on average, between $5000 and $8000. This cost includes the puppy price, basic vaccinations, de-sexing surgery, deworming, flea-tick prevention, food, basic supplies, and training costs. The first-year cost without adding the puppy price is about $3,725
If you add special costs like grooming, insurance, pet boarding, and dog walking costs, then the total cost can increase by nearly $2000 more!
First-Year Veterinary Costs
One of the major expenses of raising your Mastiff is medical expenses. You’d spend between $170-$200 on vaccinations and around $45-$100 per routine veterinary checkup in the first year. You’d also spend around $50-$100 on deworming your Mastiff and $200 on external parasite prevention. Spaying and neutering could cost between $300-$600.
Expect to spend nearly $600-$1000 on medical expenses alone in the puppy’s first year.
Basic Supplies
Among the basic equipment and supplies, your Mastiff will need a crate, bed, toys, bowls, grooming supplies, leash, and collar.
The total cost for the basic equipment could lay between $300-$500 depending on the quality and quantity.
Training
Dog training is very important for this giant dog breed. Without training, your puppy will jump on visitors and show aggression at the slight. This is definitely not something you’d want.
Board-and-train with a professional trainer can cost between $500-$1250 per week while private training with an expert trainer can cost $120 per hour, on average.
Expect to pay anywhere between $200-$4000 for training your dog, depending on the kind of training you choose.
Annual Costs of Keeping a Mastiff
One of the major expenses to consider when calculating the average annual cost of keeping a mastiff is the cost of dog food.
Dog Food Costs
A healthy, average adult Mastiff will need around 135 lb. of dog food each month. If you opt to feed your dog a raw diet, then it costs, on average, around $950 to feed one adult Mastiff, each year. If, on the other hand, you choose to feed premium dog food or a prescription diet, then the cost can go up to $1500 a year.
Medical Costs (After the First Year)
Other annual costs include medical costs. Your adult Mastiff will need at least 2 routine veterinary checkups and some booster doses to prevent infections like influenza and parvovirus. Expect the medical bills to be around $1000 per year, but if your pet needs special medical procedures or surgery, then the cost can go up by thousands.
Pet health insurance is one way of saving on medical costs. Good plans can cover routine checkups and vaccinations and some plans also reimburse hospitalizations, accidents, prescription meds, and even alternative therapy costs. You’d pay between $200-$500 per year on medical insurance for your pet.
Our calculations show that the average annual cost of keeping this giant dog breed (after the first year) should be around $4,000.
If you add special costs like travel/boarding, emergency medical care, and dog walking, then add nearly $2000-$4000 more to this cost.
Lifetime Cost of Mastiff Ownership
The Mastiff lives, on average between 8-12 years. This brings the lifetime costs of raising one to $45,000.
Again, these do not include the emergency medical costs, dog walking costs, travel costs, and grooming costs.
How Much Does a Mastiff Puppy Cost?
When searching for a Mastiff puppy from a reputed breeder, you can expect the cost to be anywhere between $1500 and $2800. Sometimes, Mastiff puppies born to champion dogs and title winners might cost even more. In general, Mastiff pups with AKC papers cost more.
On sites like Craigslist and in some pet shops, you might find Mastiffs pups selling for as low as $100. However, these dogs aren’t healthy and could be a product of in-breeding or puppy mills.
You can always consider adopting a Mastiff from a dog shelter or animal rescue organization. Re-homing costs are a lot less than the cost of a purebred Mastiff puppy. You’d only spend around $250-$500 and some shelters even cover the initial vaccinations, deworming, and spaying/neutering of the rescued dogs.
