Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

How Much Does a Doberman Pinscher Cost? 2024 Price Guide

Nicole Cosgrove Profile Picture

By Nicole Cosgrove

Doberman Pinscher

Doberman Pinschers originated from Germany, and are generally considered people-oriented, loyal, sweet, friendly, and affectionate. The breed’s popularity soared in the 19th century, when the Germans started employing them as guard dogs.

Any dog that can be trained as a protector and a companion is in a class of its own. The way it comprehends voice commands and carries out orders is just…remarkable.  You don’t have to be a dog person to know this breed is fearless, discerning, and super intelligent.

If you’re interested in getting one, this is what it could cost you.

divider 10

Doberman Pinscher Price: One-Time Costs

The one-time costs are the initial investment of getting a Doberman that will depend on how you got the dog. If you got him for free—say from a friend, family member, or a neighbor—the costs are going to be substantially lower, as opposed to if you got him from a breeder or shelter.

And for the record, when we’re talking about breeders, we’re not referring to backyard breeders. We only deal with licensed, reputable, and professional breeders who know how to handle and treat dogs in a humane manner. Getting a Doberman from a backyard breeder will undoubtedly cost you more in the long run. Also, from a moral standpoint, we don’t find it palatable.

Doberman Pinscher Dog Breed Info
Image Credit: patstatic, Pixabay

Free Doberman Pinschers

Wherever your Doberman comes from, you have to ensure it sees a veterinarian before going home. That’s the first thing a responsible person would do. And that first visit will definitely set you back a few bucks. You could spend as little as $100 per month, but not more than $400. This will all depend on the health situation of the dog.

Sounds too costly for a free dog?

Well, if you already feel like $400 is too much, wait until you read about the maintenance costs. And by the way, we’ve not even talked about the young pups who have to be given preventive medications, and special treatments, on top of the routine vaccinations. They’re also supposed to pay the vet a visit at least once every week for the next four months, as those regular checkups are more important to them. Depending on the pup’s needs, each visit will cost you around $200 to $300. Multiply that by four and you get a total of $800-$1200 per month.

Doberman Pinscher Adoption

  • $300-$400

Adopting a Doberman Pinschers from a rescue or shelter isn’t as costly as buying one from a breeder. The fee that you end up paying often covers the expenses incurred while looking after the dog before adoption. No one actually profits from that money except the dogs that will be left behind, waiting for someone else to show up and adopt them too.

Adopting a Doberman will cost you anywhere from $300 to $400. And that’s pretty low in comparison to what people pay for breeds that are high maintenance.

The advantage of getting a dog from a shelter is the fact that you’ll always get them already vaccinated. There’s no need to make a vet detour before going home.

Doberman Pinscher
Image Credit: patstatic, Pixabay

Doberman Pinscher Breeders

  • $1,200-$2,500

Why is getting Doberman Pinschers from breeders so costly?

First off, breeding any type of pup is no mean feat. The initial costs and recurring expenses are ridiculously high, and that’s why the buyer has to bear the brunt of it all.

Bear in mind that the Doberman Pinschers is a sought-after breed. That’s to say, breeds that are always in demand usually fetch a premium. Think about the economics of supply and demand, and everything will add up.

From what we’ve heard, buying a Doberman Pinschers from a breeder in the US will cost you $1,200 to $2,500. If you ask us, we’d say that’s a great steal, considering a purebred Doberman Pinschers is hard to get.

Why else do you think shelters rarely have pedigree papers? It’s because they cannot prove that the dog you’re looking to adopt is purebred.

Doberman Pinscher Cost: Initial Setup & Supplies

  • $80-$155

These are must-have things that have to be present, if the dog is going to be part of the family. We normally like to refer to them as the basic everyday items that make a home, a home. They come first, and then the dog follows.

Divider 4

List of Doberman Pinschers Care Supplies and Costs

Food & Water Bowls $5-$10
Leash $10-$15
Dog Bed $30-$50
Toys $5
Odors & Stains Removal Spray $5-$10
Shampoo & Tooth-brushing Kit $10-$20
Dog Collars $10-$30
ID Tag with Phone Number $5-$15

How Much Does a Doberman Pinscher Cost Per Month?

  • $365-$665 per month

You’ll feel overwhelmed by the costs during the first month because you also have to take care of the one-off expenses, in addition to the recurring costs. But the good news is, if you can survive that month, the rest of the months are going to be smooth sailing.

Of course, you’ll still encounter some stormy seas along the way, but that’s nothing to worry about. The costs will never be as high as the one you catered to during your first month of dog ownership.

Doberman Pinscher
Image Credit: patstatic, Pixabay

Doberman Pinscher Health Care Costs

  • $330-$550 per month

The Doberman’s health care costs will vary and be influenced by a number of factors. Nonetheless, we think it’s still possible to paint a picture of what to expect. Expenses that go under the health care umbrella include grooming, food, preventive medication and vet visits, and more importantly, pet insurance.

Covering these costs won’t feel like a strain, if you plan beforehand. And that’s why budgeting is a vital process to pet owners. It’s the only way you’ll be able to ensure that no room’s left for error, and you’re never caught off-guard by any medical emergency.

Doberman Pinscher Food Costs

  • $30-$70 per month

If at all it wasn’t obvious from the jump, you should know the Doberman Pinscher is a big dog. In fact, the heaviest Doberman Pinschers ever recorded, weighed 100 pounds. So going by size alone, it’s fair to presume that they’re daily intake is more than the small or medium-sized dogs.

A Doberman Pup will consume around 25 pounds of dry food per month, while the large ones consume 35 pounds. This puts the feeding cost at $30-$40 for the pups and $30-$70 for the adult Doberman.

Treats are optional, but important if you want to effectively train your dog. Doberman pinschers respond well to positive reinforcement—The kind that’s all about rewarding every small achievement.

Also, are you going to give it a treat every day or every other day? You have to make up your mind because it’s an influential factor as well. As you would expect, every day treats will significantly increase the total costs of monthly food. “Significantly” being the operative word there.

Keep in mind, all these costs will be contingent on your brand of preference. That’s our way of saying, should you decide to opt out of premium grade dog food, the totals will drop by a considerable margin.

Doberman Pinscher Grooming Costs

  • $50-$60 per month

Grooming a Doberman Pinscher is quite easy. This is not just an assumption that we’re making, but a fact that’s been reiterated by different professional dog groomers around the country. You’re advised to take your Doberman to a professional at least 6 times per year. That equates to once every two months, if we’re not wrong. And every session usually costs $50 to $60.

What’s normally included in professional grooming? The usual. We’re talking about things like nail trimming, teeth and ear cleaning, combing, styling, an optional hair removal service, bathing and shampooing, etc.

Doberman Pinscher with tongue out
Image Credit: patstatic, Pixabay

Doberman Pinscher Medications & Vet Visits

  • $210-$320 per month

Parasites, fleas, heartworms, and ticks, are all detrimental to the Doberman’s health. But on the bright side, they are all preventable—Preventable through medications, supplements, and routine vet checks. Also, different breeds have different needs. So you shouldn’t be surprised when you find out that those of the Doberman are very different from those of other breeds.

We used to say vitamins aren’t necessary if a dog is on a good diet, but recently, we learned that some dog owners don’t even know which dietary components are important for sustainable growth and development. Therefore, you’ll need those vitamin supplements, omega 3s, glucosamine, and anything else that the vet recommends.

The monthly medication costs will be $10 to $20. Add that to the $200 to $300 vet visits and our totals come to $210 to $320 per month.

Doberman Pinscher Pet Insurance Costs

  • $40-$100 per month

Pet insurance is basically a safety net. If there’s a medical emergency that’s too costly to cover with the little money that you have in your pockets, you could dial up your pet insurer for help. Health care is a financial burden to everybody. Not just us humans.

Anyways, depending on what it covers, it will likely cost you anywhere from $40 to $100 per month.

If you are interested in getting health insurance for your new pet, Lemonade offers customizable insurance plans and responsive customer service.

Doberman Pinscher Environment Maintenance Costs

  • $35-$115 per month

You have to clean after your dog if you want to avoid health hazards. Did you know most of the diseases affecting dogs are parvovirus? A parvovirus is a virus that can be transmitted from one dog to the next one, when they get in contact with their feces. And even if you only own one dog, you still have to “scoop the poop,” since it also contains zoonotic organisms. The kind that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

The following are our replaceable monthly items, and their average costs:

Stains & Odors Removal Spray $5-$10
Pooper Scooper $5-$15
Poop Bags $20-$80
Miscellaneous Supplies $5-$10
Doberman Pinscher playing
Image Credit: Yama Zsuzsanna Márkus, Pixabay

Divider 3

Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Doberman’s Pinscher

Now that we’ve listed down the initial investment cost and the recurring monthly costs, it’s time to add them all up just to get a ballpark figure of what you need to have in your bank account before getting a Doberman Pinscher.

The total monthly cost of a free Doberman will be anywhere from $465-$1865 in the first month, an adopted dog will fetch anything from $665-$1065, and that from a breeder will cost you $1565-$3165.

Additional Costs to Factor in

These potential expenses will depend on your situation. You could pay for them if you want to, or not bother yourself if the budget is tight.

They include:
  • Ear Cropping: Should only be done by a specialist who has the requisite experience required to crop a Doberman’s ear. The price of such a service ranges from $200 to $700.
  • DNA Testing: Only important if you’re interested in learning about the genetic disorders that you ought to prepare for. The test will never be more than $500.
  • Day Care: Again, very important if you’re working a 9 to 5 job and live all by yourself. Dogs hate being left alone, and that’s why the ones that are often left in the house alone, suffer from separation anxiety. The day care costs are $20 to $50 dollars a day, equaling to $400 to $1000 per month. That’s if you work 5 days a week.
  • Training: Training has to be done during the first year, or your dog will drive you nuts. Nobody wants their dog to poop on top of their bed or anywhere in the house. Private in-home training will set you back $150-$250.

Owning a Doberman on a Budget

Dobermans don’t come cheap. You’ll find yourself spending a lot of money getting one, and even more money to take care of it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be frugal with your spending, especially in these times of economic uncertainty. We did some homework, and realized that it’s very much possible to care for a Doberman without bleeding yourself dry.

Doberman Pinscher in the field
Image Credit: patstatic, Pixabay

Saving Money on Doberman Care

Grooming Costs

Do you really need a professional groomer to help you groom a Doberman? Nope. All you need to do is to give him a warm bath, followed by a towel dry. And if his coat looks all shabby, just give him a gentle brush.

If carving out time is the problem, you could always take it to a local shelter that helps dog owners groom their dogs at a small fee. Their services might not be as great as that of a professional groomer, but they’ll be close enough.

Food Costs

Consistency is key when it comes to feeding a Doberman Pinschers. You have to be consistent with the portions that you serve the dog, and the quality of food.

To be clear, we’re not saying that you should starve it, or opt for brands that are known to produce terrible dog food. We want your dog to enjoy its meals and stay healthy, but you shouldn’t let him get used to extra meals or premium-grade food. Look for something that has incredible reviews and comes at a cheaper cost—Price doesn’t always equate to quality in this market.

Dental Care Costs

Your vet will probably kill us for telling you this, but we’ll say it anyway. There are so many DIY ways of cleaning a dog’s teeth without hurting it. Your vet will obviously be reluctant to share those hacks because that would mean they’ll have to be okay with losing more money. So go online and start learning those hacks from specialists who offer them at no cost.

A red Doberman standing
Image Credit: Mary Swift, Shutterstock

Shop During Promotions

Black Friday is not a concept that only applies to electrical equipment and household items. It also applies to stores that sell pet products. So when that day comes, take all the money that you’ve saved up, and go on a shopping spree.

Medical Expenses

Medical issues that tend to pop up out of the blues are the worst when you’re working with a shoestring budget. They can present quite a problem, and that’s why you need to first cover yourself on that end.

How do you do that? Easy! Just take out a pet health insurance that’s not all that expensive, and can cover unforeseen medical emergencies.

Talk To Your Vet

Don’t just talk, but have a heart-to-heart. Let them know that you’re struggling to maintain your Doberman’s lifestyle, so you’d appreciate any form of assistance. Even if it means getting into a financial aid program. If there’s no free spot available, ask for discounts. Or maybe even a deal that could help you save more. Hopefully, it’ll be enough to get you out of that financial rut.

Divider 5

Wrapping Up: Doberman Pinscher Price

We’re pretty sure this guide has covered everything there is to cover in relation to the one-time expenses and monthly costs that you’re likely to incur as a Doberman pinscher’s owner. Please take them seriously, as they’ll determine how comfortable the dog feels while living with you.

We always say a dog doesn’t have to be a financial burden to anyone. With the right type of planning, you can own any breed out there.

See Also: 10 Best Collars For Dobermans — Reviews & Top Picks


Featured Image Credit: DragoNika, Shutterstock

Related Articles

Further Reading

Vet Articles

Latest Vet Answers

The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database