Cocker Spaniel Prices in 2024: Purchase Cost, Vet Bills, and More!

Cocker spaniels are a beautiful dog breed that is known to be sweet, energetic, and gentle. Many people go with this dog breed because cocker spaniels are great for children and other animals. 

If you’re considering bringing one of these animals into your home, it’s important to know how much a cocker spaniel costs. Medical bills, food, toys, and even pet insurance can easily add up. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to spend when bringing home this breed. 

How Much Does a Cocker Spaniel Puppy Cost?

The first fee you’ll likely come across is the initial cost of the dog itself. Here are a few of the prices you may come across. 

Free

Believe it or not, you can get a dog for free. Though this isn’t common and you may not get helpful information regarding health status and the like, it can save you money upfront. People in a bind may need to rehome their pooch when moving or if they find the dog doesn’t fit their lifestyle. 

Adoption

The best way for the average person to obtain a cocker spaniel is through adoption. With so many pets waiting for new homes, this is a great way to give a helpless animal a second chance at life. 

Adopting a cocker spaniel can run you $50 to $400 on average. As we’ll get more into later, puppies are almost always more expensive than mature dogs. Most places you can adopt from will spay or neuter the pup and have given them updated vaccines. 

Breeder 

People who want a purebred dog will go to a breeder. For a cocker spaniel, this will cost you between $500 and $1,500. Breeders are more expensive for several reasons. For starters, they typically breed show-ready dogs that have to be to a certain standard. 

Please avoid backyard breeders and puppy mills. Not only are they unethical, but the animal may also have health and behavioral issues. A reputable breeder will often ask for a deposit for the puppy to hold your place as the potential new owner. 

Other Factors That Influence the Purchase Price of a Cocker Spaniel

Now that you know about the initial cost of obtaining a cocker spaniel, what other factors play a role in the price?

Age

As previously mentioned, age plays a major role in the price of a cocker spaniel. In reality, a puppy of any breed will be more expensive than an adult. Puppies not only have more initial medical visits and vaccines, but they also have their entire lives ahead of them! 

Families with kids will often choose a puppy to allow their children to grow with the dog. If you’re looking to save money, consider adopting a dog that’s a couple of years old or more. 

Appearance 

Cocker spaniels are truly beautiful dogs. They have wavy, flowing hair, and eyes that peer deep into your soul! They come in a variety of colors ranging from black to a gorgeous auburn red shade. 

If a breeder marks a cocker spaniel as “rare” based on their color, they’re just trying to make a quick buck. There are no rare colors of this breed, as they have a large variety of coat shades. 

Location

With any dog breed, location can play a part in the cost. Larger cities may have more dogs at adoption centers, but they also tend to have higher prices. The same is true from the breeder location. Breeders in small towns will likely have a more reasonable price compared to a major city. 

Breeder Reputation 

Speaking of, the breeder’s reputation can play a role in the price of a cocker spaniel. The more trusted the breeder, the higher the price the pooch may be. Some breeders register dogs with the American Kennel Club, which costs them money. 

Cost of Vaccination and Other Medical Expenses for Cocker Spaniels

There’s no denying that vaccine costs can add up. Here are all of the routine vet costs you can expect to pay for the life of your cocker spaniel. 

Standard Puppy Vaccines

Adult Cocker Spaniel Vaccines

Your wallet will be happy to know that adult dog vaccines are a lot less frequent than puppies. Here are the rough estimates for the core vaccines mature dogs need. 

Routine Veterinary Care

Whether it’s vaccines, check-ups, or preventive care, your dog should have routine appointments. You can expect this to come out to roughly $350 per year. Cocker spaniels live between 10 and 15 years. You should plan to spend around $5,000 on routine appointments over their lifetime. 

Emergency Veterinary Care

Certain medical conditions, such as hip dysplasia or ear infections, might affect cocker spaniels. It’s a good idea to set up an emergency fund or be ready for unforeseen expenses, which might total anywhere from $500 to $4,000.

Cost of Food and Supplies for Cocker Spaniels

Food

Though these dogs are relatively small, they have quite an appetite. The cost of food for your pooch is entirely up to you. You can buy low-quality kibble with poor ingredients for around $20 per month. 

There is also the option of high-quality dry food for your cocker spaniel. A better quality of food, vitamins, and minerals can make a huge difference in your pet’s health. These bags of kibble typically will cost you $50 per month.

Some dogs may require prescription food for health reasons. These are quite spendy, though pet insurance may help with the cost. Bags of prescription kibble will run you about $100 per month. 

The last option is to make your own dog food. This is the best way to know exactly what your dog is eating. You can add carrots, chicken, fish oil, and vitamins. There are a plethora of dog food recipes on the internet, though the prices can range greatly from one to another. 

Toys

Every dog needs to be physically and mentally stimulated! Cocker spaniels are smart dogs and love to play with their favorite humans! You shouldn’t have to pay for toys monthly, though some pet parents do enjoy toy subscription boxes. 

Plan to spend about $50 on toys for a cocker spaniel. These should last quite a while as this breed isn’t known for being aggressive with their toys. 

Grooming

With their long, flowing coats, grooming is a must for cocker spaniel owners. In the long term, it will be cheaper to get some of the tools and groom your pooch at home. For example, having a high-quality brush will cost about $15. 

It’s important to regularly brush their coat to prevent matting and tangles. Some pet owners will clip their dog’s nails themselves. These typically retail for $20 or less. Of course, there is the option of bringing your dog to the groomer. 

Once they establish a relationship with their groomer this can be a well-loved day at the spa! Groomers can wash their coats, give them a haircut, clip their nails, and give them a relaxing experience. 

This costs about $60 on average. 

Crate and Bedding

Although not necessary, you may want to get your cocker spaniel a bed. Dogs love their own space and having a bed they can crawl into can be a great way to improve their life! Dog beds are relatively inexpensive and are often a one-time cost. 

Expect to pay $30 for a bed big enough for a cocker spaniel.

You can buy a crate for at home if you’re crate training your dog. The crate must be large enough for your dog to move around and feel comfortable. You’ll also want room for their food, water, and a couple of toys. 

This averages about $75 for a sturdy crate. Another option is to use a dog carrier as a crate. This is something you can keep at home and use to transport them to the vet, dog park, and other locations!

Spend about $50 on a dog crate for a cocker spaniel. 

How Much Does It Cost to Insure a Cocker Spaniel?

Cocker spaniels are particularly susceptible to genetic health problems. Every stage of your cocker spaniel’s life, whether you recently welcomed home an adorable puppy or have an older cocker spaniel, presents unique health hazards.

Getting your beloved pet the medical care they require for common health problems with cocker spaniels should never come down to cost. Below are some of the prices associated with the top pet insurance companies in the country.

How Much Does It Cost to Train a Cocker Spaniel?

Whether you want to fix bad behavior or you want to teach your new puppy basic commands, training can be incredibly beneficial. There are several ways to go about it and as you may guess, the cost ranges quite a bit. 

Pet Store Dog Training

Many big-name pet stores provide 6-week professional dog training courses. You will pay $109 for the six-week curriculum of dog training at Petco. Nevertheless, Petco frequently offers deals where you may purchase the training course for about $80!

However, dog training at Petsmart is $120, albeit with a coupon, it can be as little as $105. All things considered, based on internet reviews, Petsmart dog training appears to be a more popular option than Petco’s dog training despite the latter’s slight cost advantage. 

As a result, it would be wise to pay an additional few dollars. 

Service Dog Training

Training your pet to become a service dog will probably cost you a substantial sum of money. These classes for therapy animals cost about $30, but you can typically buy these in bulk for a discount. On the other hand, training a security dog will set you back over $100 per hour! 

On the most costly end of the spectrum, training a hearing dog typically costs $1,000, though charities frequently provide them for free. Furthermore, the expense of training search and rescue dogs ranges from $2,500 to $5,000, making them much more pricey. 

Training Your Cocker Spaniel Yourself

The cheapest way to train your dog is to do it yourself. For this, you’ll need time, treats, and patience. While some people opt for punishment-based training, studies show that this can, in fact, make your dog scared of you and live in constant fear. 

At A-Z Animals, we suggest reward-based training. Research shows that it’s more effective and causes no harm to the animal. There are a plethora of training videos online that can make the process easier. 

Remember that this is going to take time and repetition. You can reward your dog with treats, a clicker sound, cuddles, and praises. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © everydoghasastory/Shutterstock.com