How Much Does an Australian Cattle Dog Cost? 2024 Price Guide

The loyal and intelligent Australian Cattle Dog is a great breed if you’re looking for an energetic companion that can keep up with a high-energy household. You might be wondering how much it’s going to cost to keep your new dog per month. Besides the cost of your new puppy, you’ll have to think about ongoing expenses.

All dogs will change your life, but the ultra-energetic Australian Cattle Dog needs plenty of investment in terms of both time and money. So, before you go ahead and reserve that adorable puppy, make sure you can meet their needs. We can’t tell you exactly how much time your new dog will need from you, but we can give you plenty of advice about how much money you should expect to spend on a monthly basis.

Australian Cattle Dog Price: One-Time Costs

If you’ve never been the proud pet parent of a dog, then there’s a great deal of initial equipment that you’ll need to invest in before you even get your puppy. If you’ve had dogs before, though, you can reuse some of the equipment. That said, the biggest one-time investment will likely be your puppy itself!

Free Australian Cattle Dogs

At first glance, the chance to get a free puppy might seem like a bit of a bargain, but in reality, that’s often not the case at all. Free puppies will often bAustralian Cattle Doge from an accidental litter, and it’s unlikely that either parent dog will have purebred paperwork or have had any health checks. If you’ve got your heart set on a purebred Australian Cattle Dog, then it’s unlikely that you’ll find one for free.

Australian Cattle Dog Adoption

$250+

Adopting a dog from a shelter is a great way to give a forever home to a dog in need. Australian Cattle Dogs have incredibly high energy levels, so they can be surrendered to a shelter if their previous owners can’t keep up with the huge amount of physical and mental stimulation that this breed needs.

It’s possible that shelters in your local area may have Australian Cattle Dogs of various ages looking for new homes. You’ll likely need to pay an adoption fee that will cover the shelter’s costs, including things like vaccinations, health checks, and microchips.

Australian Cattle Dog Breeders

$800-$5,000

Australian Cattle Dog puppies from award-winning working lines can cost as much as $5,000. Bear in mind that these puppies are hardwired to want to work, and they will need far more physical and mental stimulation than most other breeds. If you’re looking for a dog to work on your ranch, though, they’re an incredible choice! Australian Cattle Dog puppies from breeding lines focusing on suitability as pets may be a little less expensive, but they’ll still have plenty of energy and drive.

Whatever price puppy you’re looking at, make sure to ask the breeder if you can visit their facilities and meet both parent dogs. Backyard breeders or puppy mills will often be reluctant to allow potential buyers onto their property because their facilities may leave much to be desired.

A reputable breeder, on the other hand, will be only too happy to allow you to visit their facilities and answer any questions that you may have about the breed. They will be able to offer advice about how much exercise the breed needs and show you the results of any health tests that their dogs have had.

Australian Cattle Dog Price: Initial Setup and Supplies

$50-$300+

Your initial setup costs will depend on whether you already have supplies that you can reuse, if friends and family plan on buying gifts for your new pup, or if you have to buy everything from scratch yourself. You can save money by shopping around for the best prices, or you may decide that you want to buy the best of everything, no expense spared!

As a starting point, here’s what we recommend investing in for your new puppy.

List of Australian Cattle Dog Care Supplies and Costs

How Much Does an Australian Cattle Dog Cost Per Month?

$50-$300+ per month

After you’ve invested in the initial supplies and bought your new puppy, you can start looking at monthly costs. These will vary considerably, depending on factors like the cost and availability of vet care in your local region and if your puppy needs ongoing vet treatment for any conditions. The brands of dog food, flea treatments, and treats that you buy will also impact how much you end up spending.

Australian Cattle Dog Health Care Costs

$30-$250+ per month

Emergency vet care will dramatically increase your costs for any month where your dog falls ill or has an accident. Deciding to sign up for pet insurance while your dog is still young is a great idea, or you could set up a dedicated savings account and transfer a set amount each month to cover vet bills.

Australian Cattle Dog Food Costs

$40-$100 per month

The Australian Cattle Dog is a medium-sized breed and needs a high-quality food to fuel their energetic lifestyle! Whatever your budget, choose a brand that lists real meat as one of the first ingredients, and make sure it’s free from any fillers or artificial ingredients, like coloring and flavorings. Choose a food formulated for puppies for the first year, and then transition to an adult formula. If you’re not sure where to start, ask your vet for advice.

Australian Cattle Dog Grooming Costs

$0-$50 per month

The Australian Cattle Dog has a short, low-maintenance coat, so you shouldn’t need to spend anything on your dog’s monthly grooming routine unless you want to. They do shed seasonally, so you may decide to treat your pup to a grooming session to remove excess hair, but that’s only necessary once or twice a year at the most.

You will need to trim your dog’s nails, check their ears for infections, and brush their teeth. A tube of toothpaste should last around 2 months, and you may decide to buy a few dental treats to help keep plaque at bay.

Australian Cattle Dog Medications and Vet Visits

$0-$50+ per month

The Australian Cattle Dog is a hardy breed designed for working life. They rarely fall ill, so you can expect your puppy to stay quite healthy. There are a few health conditions that can sometimes affect the breed, however. We recommend asking your puppy’s breeder for more overall information about the general health of their dogs.

If your puppy does need regular vet visits, then your monthly costs will increase.

Australian Cattle Dog Pet Insurance Costs

$5-$50+ per month

If you're getting a new pet, you may want to consider pet insurance. Spot Pet Insurance offers customizable plans that you can adapt to your breed's specific needs. 

This isn’t an essential cost, but many dog owners choose to take out pet insurance to help cover the costs of vet’s bills if their dog does need ongoing treatment or has an accident. Only you can decide if you want to take out insurance, but it’s worth looking at a few different policies to see what they cover.

Australian Cattle Dog Environment Maintenance Costs

$20-$50+ per month

Keeping your home clean with a dog in the house won’t cost you much more than the price of a poop scoop and a few poop bags!

Australian Cattle Dog Entertainment Costs

$10-$60+ per month

There’s no need to spend excess money on monthly entertainment for your Australian Cattle Dog — most of them will be more than happy with long walks and plenty of playtime with their owners! If your dog has a habit of chewing through their toys, then you may find that you need to replace those on a fairly regular basis.

Taking out a subscription to a monthly box is a fun way to make sure your clever pup always has new toys to play with! You can choose from a wide range of brands, including those that offer mixed boxes of treats and toys or just one or the other, depending on what your dog prefers.

Total Monthly Cost of Owning an Australian Cattle Dog

$50-$300+ per month

The total monthly cost of owning an Australian Cattle Dog will depend on how much you want to spend on items like treats and toys and what brand of food that you buy. Vets’ bills will also increase your monthly costs, either if your dog needs ongoing medication or has an accident and needs emergency treatment.

Additional Costs to Factor In

Owning an Australian Cattle Dog On a Budget

The good news is that if you’ve got your heart set on owning an energetic Australian Cattle Dog, it’s totally possible to do so on a budget! Carefully select a brand of food that offers good nutrition but doesn’t cost too much, and focus on spending time outdoors with your dog rather than buying them expensive toys.

Using a subscription service for their food usually includes a discount, and signing up to newsletters from your favorite suppliers can often mean getting the occasional discount code to use on items that you’d be buying anyway.

Saving Money on Australian Cattle Dog Care

Decide what items you definitely need for your dog, and then concentrate on buying just these, rather than anything that isn’t essential, like a brand-new leather collar or the most fashionable dog bed.

Conclusion: Australian Cattle Dog Cost

Once you’ve invested in your initial supplies and bought your puppy, your monthly costs for keeping an Australian Cattle Dog can come in as low as $60 per month. This should cover their food and ongoing medication, like flea treatments and worming tablets.

Unexpected vet visits will be the main things that will increase your monthly costs, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead for how you might meet those. Your main priority when it comes to spending money on your dog should be finding the best-quality dog food that your budget can allow. It will keep your dog healthy, strong, and full of energy!

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Featured Image Credit: Madelein Wolfaardt, Shutterstock