If you’re adopting an Otterhound from a dog rescue, it should cost you as little as $300. However, if you’re buying it from a reputable breeder, it can cost you around $1,500 to $2,500 or more.
If you’re planning to welcome an otterhound to your household, you must consider its initial costs and expenses before making up your mind!
In this guide, we’ll help you with that by breaking down the Otterhound price and average annual expenses into the simplest elements.
What is the Price of an Otterhound?
Adopting an Otterhound is typically the most affordable method to buy one. This way, it will only cost you the adoption fee to cover the costs of caring for the dog, which is around $300. On the other hand, buying the dog from a breeder can be expensive with an average price of $2,000.
If you’re lucky enough, you may find some reputable breeders that sell the dog for as low as $1,500.
Not only that, but some high-quality Otterhounds with desired traits can cost you up to $4,500.
Aside from established breeders, you may find home breeders and private sellers who might list the dog for as little as $500. However, the quality of their pups is not always guaranteed.
Key Factors That Affect the Price of the Otterhound
While the Otterhound is generally expensive, its price range is still quite vast. Here are some aspects and key factors that directly affect the price of the Otterhound:
Scarcity
One of the major factors that have an impact on the price of a dog is scarcity. The rarer the breed, the more difficult it is for a breeder who can offer it.
In the case of the Otterhound, scarcity is the most prominent reason behind its premium price tag.
The dog is not only one of the rarest dog species on the planet, but according to AKC, it’s more scarce than the giant panda!
Demand
In addition to the very limited supply of the Otterhound, its incredible qualities make it an attractive breed to a lot of people.
This ends up adding to the final price of the dog, especially from reputable breeders.
Pedigree
Speaking of reputable breeders, these establishments take very good care of their dogs and spend a lot of time perfecting the gene pool of their dogs.
This time-consuming process costs a lot of time, which is why show-quality and pedigree Otterhounds can easily surpass the $3,000 mark.
Location
Since a lot of money goes into caring for these large pooches, the place where you buy an Otterhound can greatly impact its price.
For instance, buying an Otterhound from large city breeders is usually more expensive due to costly utilities.
On the other hand, if you managed to find an Otterhound at a local breeder in a small town, it’ll probably cost a lot less.
Average Annual Cost of the Otterhound
The average annual cost of owning an Otterhound (adopted or purchased) ranges from $500 to $2,000 per year.
While these dogs are quite expensive to purchase, they’re also costly to maintain. Here’s a quick look at a breakdown of the average annual costs:
Initial Setup and Supplies
$200 to $600 as a one-time payment
This covers all the necessary items for keeping a dog in your house, including initial registration/paperwork, dog bed/crate, litter supplies, medical screening/vaccination, etc.
This one is mostly independent of the dog breed but it also depends on your budget.
Food
$240 to $540
As a relatively large breed, otterhounds need plenty of high-quality food to grow and sustain their growth.
You should consider feeding them up to 3.5 to 4 cups of dry food or equivalent daily. The quality of the food and specialized diets heavily affects the annual budget.
In addition to primary meals, the budget includes around $60 worth of treats and $30 for perishable and renewable food supplies like bowls and feeders.
Health/Vet Care
$180 to 720 per year
Otterhounds are relatively healthy for a large breed. However, they’re still prone to some health problems, especially hip dysplasia and epilepsy.
Luckily, these health issues can be early diagnosed and treated, making regular vet checks essential for Otterhounds.
Keep in mind that the budget doesn’t include any accidents or necessary procedures, which can cost around $1,200 to $15,000 for major diseases.
Insurance Costs
$240 to $600 per year
Pet insurance helps you cover the costs of some expensive health problems as well as necessary screening and tests.
The costs of pet insurance vary depending on the terms and rates of different providers, but it’s definitely worth the investment!
Grooming
-$30 to $75 per visit
Although the shaggy double haircoat is one of the Otterhound’s most iconic features, it requires a lot of time and effort to maintain.
As heavy shedders, you’ll need to brush the Otterhound’s coat once a day. If you have the time for it, grooming your dog yourself is a great way to save money. (You’ll need a $40 to $100 kit for that)
With that said, if you don’t have the time, you’ll leave the job to a professional groomer. A grooming session involves de-shedding and nail clipping with some groomers throwing in a special discount for teeth cleaning.
Toys
$50 to $120 per year.
Otterhounds react to a lot of things, including boredom and frustration, by chewing on things, such as carpets.
For that reason, it’s very important that you buy plenty of cheap chew toys to keep them occupied (quality doesn’t matter as otterhounds will destroy them anyway).
Training
$100 to $600 per year
One of the easiest ways to cut the costs of Otterhound training is by doing it yourself.
In that case, it’ll only cost you as much as the supplies, such as a leash, treats, etc. However, if you don’t have time, you’ll need to hire a skillful trainer.
This is because Otterhounds can be quite stubborn and need an experienced trainer to handle their unique temperament.
Dog Sitting
$20 to $40 a day
Otterhounds suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for some time. If you’re going to travel, you must hire a dog sitter to take care of your dog.
This one is constant for all dog breeds and depends more on the rates in your area.
Calvin is the co-founder and one of the main contributors to dogtemperament.com. He has been an avid dog lover all his life. He enjoys researching and sharing great ideas on how you can avoid common pitfalls of dog ownership and build the most loving and enjoyable relationship with your dog.
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