How Much Does a Thai Bangkaew Dog Cost? 2024 Pricing Guide
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Thai Bangkaew dogs are quite rare in the United States. Often, you’ll need to have one imported or wait a long time for a puppy to become available. Some breeders do exist in America. However, these dogs are rarer than most other breeds out there.
With that said, their demand isn’t very big. Most people don’t know this breed exists and aren’t scrambling for them. Therefore, puppies aren’t as expensive as other dogs. Plus, they don’t cost more to care for than other dogs.
Below, we’ll look at some of the costs of this dog breed.
Bringing Home a New Thai Bangkaew: One-Time Costs
When you first bring home your Thai Bangkaew, you’ll have to pay for the puppy and all the necessary one-time purchases to care for the dog. You need many pieces of dog equipment for your puppy as soon as they walk in the door. All that equipment and the dog can have a hefty price tag.
Therefore, it’s important to plan accordingly and have plenty of money saved ahead of time.
Free
Finding a Thai Bangkaew for free simply doesn’t happen. These dogs are so rare that they don’t pop up for free often—if at all. Unless you get extremely lucky, you’ll have to pay for your dog. If you do find one of these dogs for free, be cautious. They may be stolen or not even Thai Bangkaews at all.
Adoption
- $50–$400
These dogs don’t show up very often in shelters, either. Unlike more popular breeds, they don’t commonly get abandoned, as there simply aren’t enough around them. You can find these dogs at some shelters occasionally, but don’t plan on it. Breed-specific rescues are more likely to have these dogs, though these rescues are rare.
Breeder
- $500–$2,000
The most expensive method of purchasing a Thai Bangkaew is to go through a breeder. However, this method is often the only one that can be counted on when dealing with this rare breed. Breeders are rare in the United States, so you’ll probably need to fly or drive to pick up your puppy. Plan accordingly.
Prices tend to vary a lot depending on the area. Because these dogs are rare, breeders usually don’t have any competition in the surrounding area. However, this also means they don’t have a basis for what to charge, so you may find prices varying across the country.
Initial Setup and Supplies
- $257–$512
Before you bring your puppy home, you’ll need several pieces of equipment. Much of your initial cost of the puppy will be the equipment you need. You’ll need a crate and bed for your puppy. We highly recommend crate training these canines, which tend to be excitable and active. These dogs aren’t too large, but you’ll still need to purchase a sizeable crate.
You’ll also need to invest in lots of toys. These dogs are active and intelligent. Therefore, they need toys to chase and toys to stimulate their mind. You’ll need to replace these regularly, especially when they are puppies.
Plus, there are other items you’ll need, like a food bowl and collar. However, these are often inexpensive (though many inexpensive items can add up).
List of Thai Bangkaew Care Supplies and Costs
| Food and Water Bowls | $10 |
| Dog Collars | $10 |
| Leash | $30 |
| ID Tag | $5–$15 |
| Dog Bed | $25–$110 |
| Dog Crate | $55–$120 |
| Stain Removal Spray | $10 |
| Toys | $60–$100 |
| Brush (x2) | $10–$40 |
| Shampoo | $10–$20 |
| Toothbrushing Supplies | $10–$15 |
| Toenail Clippers | $10 |
How Much Does a Thai Bangkaew Cost Per Month?
- $110–$712 per month
Thai Bangkaews can cost a lot of money to care for each month. They’re active, intelligent dogs that require plenty of stimulation. You’ll need to pay a bit to meet their exercise needs, especially if you work. If you can’t take your dog on multiple walks, you may need to hire a dog walker. Even those who can take their Bangkaews on the proper walks must invest in dog toys.
Luckily, these dogs are only medium-sized. Therefore, a lot of their toys are cheaper. Their food and vet bills tend to be cheaper too.
Health Care
- $53–$254 per month
These dogs tend to be fairly healthy, so they usually don’t have many vet bills. Accidents and illnesses can still occur, though, and you’ll need to budget for annual preventative care, like vaccinations and teeth cleanings. These dogs aren’t the smallest, so their medication doses may cost more. Luckily, vet care is often straightforward, as these dogs don’t have sensitivities to anesthesia or any medications.
Food
- $10–$45 per month
Thai Bangkaews aren’t very large, so their food costs are often lower than others. You may get away with only $10 a month, especially if you buy in bulk. If you purchase premium food, you may be paying upwards of $45 a month, depending on the food you purchase.
Puppies may be cheaper than adults, as they are smaller. However, puppy food can be more expensive than adult dog food. Therefore, you may not save that much when they are younger.
Prescription dog food is extremely expensive, though. Therefore, you can expect to pay much higher if you need to purchase prescription food.
Grooming
- $0–$30 per month
These dogs require regular brushing. However, they don’t necessarily require professional grooming. If you stay on top of their grooming needs, you shouldn’t need to get them groomed all that often. However, you may need to invest in a groomer if you don’t have the time or capacity to brush these dogs regularly.
These visits may cost around $50, as these dogs don’t require clipping, and they’re quite small. You won’t need one of these visits monthly, either. Therefore, you may only spend a few dozen dollars a month overall.
Medications and Vet Visits
- $20–$60 per month
Thai Bangkaews are quite healthy, so they don’t often require medication. They need vaccinations and vet visits, so you must pay something. Puppies and elderly dogs tend to have the most expensive bills. Puppies need regular vaccinations and several vet visits in their first year. These visits include a physical exam and vaccinations. If your dog needs something else, you can expect higher costs.
Adults without health conditions will require an annual visit and occasional boosters. However, if your dog does need treatment for an accident or illness, your cost can quickly rise.
Pet Insurance
- $10–$35 per month
We highly recommend getting pet insurance for your Thai Bangkaews. While you’ll still need to pay for your regular, preventative vet care, pet insurance can help you pay for the larger bills associated with unpredictable illnesses and accidents. Even though these dogs are healthy, they can get sick like any other dog. These illnesses can potentially come with thousands of dollars in vet bills. Pet insurance can cover some of these costs.
Plus, pet insurance for these dogs isn’t often very high. They’re healthy, medium-sized canines, which makes them low-risk for high vet bills. Therefore, pet insurance companies tend to cover them for less monthly costs.
Environmental Maintenance
- $0–$350 per month
Thai Bangkaews require a lot of exercise. You’ll need to take them on several walks throughout the day, though these walks don’t need to be very long. Therefore, you may need to hire a dog walker if you cannot come home to walk your dog throughout the day.
The cost of a dog walker varies widely. However, you’ll probably spend at least a hundred dollars a month to meet your dog’s exercise needs if you can’t take them on significant walks.
Luckily, this is probably the only environmental maintenance you’ll need to spend on your puppy.
Entertainment
- $20–$90
This breed can be hard on their toys, requiring frequent replacements. Because they are so intelligent, they often require quite a few different toys. For instance, you’ll need to invest in puzzle toys to keep their mind stimulated and several chew toys. They may break these toys with some regularity, so plan on refilling their toy box regularly.
Subscription boxes work great for these dogs. However, you’ll need to ensure that the box includes various toys. Having just chew toys isn’t a great option.
In this case, we recommend investing in better toys that will last longer. Cheap stuffed toys may be destroyed in only a few minutes. Durable rubber toys are almost always the better option.
Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Thai Bangkaew
- $110–$712 per month
Overall, these dogs aren’t super expensive to take care of. If you’re on a budget, they can be suitable canines. However, they require some necessary monthly costs, like food and toys. Luckily, they tend to be pretty inexpensive in many categories. They don’t have high vet bills (usually), and you can get pet insurance for pretty cheap. They’re medium-sized dogs, so their food and toys aren’t super expensive.
Additional Costs to Factor In
Most of the time, you’ll only need to cover the essentials we’ve listed above. However, you may need to purchase other gear or pay other bills on other occasions. If you go on vacation, you may need to pay for a pet sitter or boarding costs. These can be costly in many cases. Depending on where you live, this can cost anywhere from $20 to $50 a day.
Some areas may have licensing fees, though these often aren’t expensive.
Emergency vet bills can be high if you don’t have pet insurance (or if your pet insurance doesn’t cover your dog’s illness for one reason or another). Some vet bills can cost thousands of dollars and come out of nowhere. Therefore, we highly recommend having an emergency fund for surprise bills.
Similarly, we also recommend a budget for home damage. Your dog may ruin a rug or chair. Having some funds set aside to replace it can be very stress-relieving.
Owning a Thai Bangkaew on a Budget
You can own this dog breed on a budget. It’s completely possible to shop sales when it comes to many of the more expensive pieces of equipment, like the dog bed and crate. If you’re on a waiting list for a puppy, consider purchasing these items over multiple months to get the lowest price possible. You can do the same for toys and food (though to a lesser extent).
Don’t splurge on fancy toys or high-cost food if you’re trying to stay on a budget. Many “premium” dog foods aren’t much better than less-expensive options. Name-brand toys often aren’t much better quality than other options out there.
Saving Money on Thai Bangkaew Care
Keep your dog updated on preventative care to avoid unnecessary illnesses and accidents. It may seem like a good option to save money on annual vet visits by simply not going. However, this may worsen underlying health issues, which can cost you more money in the long run.
Getting your dog treatment right away is often the best option, as it prevents potential complications. Saving $50 on antibiotics isn’t worth the potential thousands you might pay when an infection sets in.
Summary
Thai Bangkaews are very inexpensive dogs. They don’t cost much to purchase—if you can find one. Despite being one of the rarer dogs, they don’t cost tons of money to adopt. Furthermore, they aren’t prone to many health problems and tend to be inexpensive to care for.
Despite this, you should budget enough to take care of their needs. Just because they aren’t expensive to care for doesn’t mean you can get away with spending nothing on them. An emergency fund is extremely helpful, especially if you don’t get pet insurance. Don’t forget to consider additional costs, such as boarding, that may pop up occasionally.
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Featured Image Credit: KPhrom, Shutterstock
