Want to save money on dog insurance? Get a Border terrier

If you don’t want to spend a fortune on dog insurance, then get a Border terrier. Insuring Borders costs around £214 annually according to a new study.  Some Borders have even been seen in the beating line. (Read more on terriers in the beating line here.)

Quite a few owners of well-trained gun dogs have a Border terrier tucked away somewhere

Owners of more conventional working dog breeds can expect to pay a bit more. Around £31 a month for lab, £23 for a springer spaniel and £22 for a cocker spaniel. Given a spaniel’s propensity to dive through brambles, push through hedges and generally leap about, having insurance to cover injuries in the field can be a sound financial decision.

Best avoided

But the dogs best avoided if you want to avoid a hefty insurance premium are the brachycephalic breeds such as pugs, English bulldogs and the fashionable French bulldog. An English bulldog and a French bulldog will cost the owners  £66 and £54 respectively to insure monthly (over £650 a year).

Table compiled by A Plan Insurance

Shooting UK spoke to vet Neil McIntosh who said: “Anything that normal dogs get brachycephalic dogs get worse. They have more skin problems, ear problems, respiratory problems and locomotion problems. About 30% of pugs have abnormal spines. However all dogs are flawed one way or another. Even labs get allergic skin diseases.

Always look at the mother of puppies to see how healthy she is

“The rule is always to see a puppy with the mother. This is more to assess the mother than the puppy. Have a good look at her. Can she walk properly? Is her skin ok? Is she scratching?” (Read more advice on how to choose a puppy.)

Is insurance necessary?

So should dog owners insure?  Neil adds: “Of course insurance depends on financial circumstances whether you do it or not. But if you can’t afford a very large bill then the principle is to get insured.” (Read more on gundog insurance here.)

The study was carried out by specialists at A Plan Insurance who analysed data to discover the average monthly cost for different dog breeds in the UK.