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

Though it isn’t ideal for novice dog owners, the Boerboel breed can be an incredibly rewarding companion. Before moving forward with adopting or purchasing one of these dogs, however, it’s best to assess the potential costs involved to determine if it’s the right breed for you personally. Below, we’ll take a look at many of the different items and services you’ll need to buy when taking in a Boerboel, from the price of the puppy itself to food, supplies, training, and more.

How Much Does a Boerboel Puppy Cost?

As with most breeds, the cost of a Boerboel puppy can vary significantly depending on a number of factors. Some of these factors include the dog’s coat color, pedigree, whether you’re adopting or outright buying the dog from a breeder, which breeder you choose and their location, and more. Generally, though, a Boerboel puppy will cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 or potentially even more for dogs with high-quality, healthy bloodlines and papers.

Next, let’s explore some of these factors in a little more detail below.

Other Factors That Influence the Price of a Boerboel Puppy

Though we touched on some of the most common factors that influence the price of a Boerboel puppy above, there are several others worth exploring before you look into purchasing or adopting one of these dogs.

• Breeder Reputation: High-quality, well-known and reputable breeders with healthy dogs that adhere to the breed standards will always charge more for their Boerboel puppies than puppy mills and lower quality, backyard breeders. 
• Papers/Registration Pedigrees: AKC registered dogs and pedigreed dogs with well-documented bloodlines generally cost more than dogs whose genetics aren’t as well-documented.
• Health Screenings/Vaccinations: Breeders that invest more into ensuring their puppies are healthy and vaccinated also typically factor the costs of these services into the price of their dogs.
• Gender: In some cases, breeders will charge more for male dogs over females. This is because males are more commonly used for future breeding purposes.
• Adoption Vs. Purchasing From a Breeder: Purebred dogs can be more difficult to find in shelters. However, if you’re lucky enough to find one, adoption costs are generally much lower than actually purchasing a puppy from a breeder.

Cost of Vaccinations and Other Medical Expenses For Boerboels

Within the first year of your Boerboel puppy’s life, there are several rounds of vaccinations you’ll need to get for them. 

The costs can vary depending on your location, but generally core (as well as several non-core but highly recommended for your dog’s health) vaccines cost anywhere from $15 to $60 per shot. More specifically, here’s what you can expect to pay for each type of vaccination for your Boerboel puppy:

• Distemper: Around $30 to $40
• Parvovirus: Around $30 to $40
• Adenovirus: Around $30 to $40
• Parainfluenza: Around $30 to $40
• Rabies: Around $20 to $30
• Bordetella: Around $25 to $35
• Influenza: Around $40 to $55; this vaccine tends to be one of the more expensive shots.
• Leptospirosis: Around $20 to $25
• Lyme Disease: Around $30 to $45

Keep in mind many of these shots need boosters that must be administered at multiple points in your dog’s life. Generally, this is when your puppy is around 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks of age. Many vets also charge exam fees that can vary significantly from place to place. 

Alternatively, some vets offer vaccine packages. These allow you to purchase your dog’s shots in advance as a sort of bulk package deal at a slightly discounted cost. Pet insurance, which we’ll cover in a bit more detail below, can also offset these fees, though you’ll be paying a monthly premium for the insurance.

However, if you adopt your Boerboel puppy from a shelter, it will likely have many of these vaccines already depending on their age. Be sure to ask the shelter staff about the puppy’s vaccinations and what you’ll need to follow up with in the future.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure a Boerboel?

It’s always a good idea to look into pet insurance plans if you’re bringing a Boerboel into your life. These plans charge monthly premiums and provide a certain amount of coverage per year for veterinary expenses. Plans can vary significantly in cost depending on your dog’s breed and size, where you live, and the provider itself.

All things considered, in 2024, pet insurance for a Boerboel dog generally costs around $40 to $60 per month or around $500 to $700 per year. As the Boerboel is a very large breed with its own set of potential health issues it’s predisposed to developing, you can expect to pay more than you would for a smaller breed. For one thing, medication costs tend to be higher for larger breeds. Additionally, large breeds are more prone to bone and heart issues that can be more costly to treat.

Cost of Food and Supplies For a Boerboel

The cost of feeding a Boerboel can vary significantly depending on the type of food you provide to them. Per month, you might expect to pay anywhere from $50 to as much as $200. If you’re buying breed-tailored, veterinary-recommended or specially-ordered and formulated food for your Boerboel, you can expect the price to be towards the higher end of the spectrum.

Several other expenses go into caring for a Boerboel, most notably:

• Grooming: Fortunately, the Boerboel has a short, fairly easy to maintain coat. Still, grooming costs can vary from $20 to over $100 per session. If you take care of this at home, though, the costs are much lower.
• Toys/Entertainment: As Boerboels are high-energy, active dogs, they need a lot of enrichment to keep them happy and mentally healthy. They’re also fairly tough chewers, so they can go through toys a lot faster than smaller breeds. This can vary significantly depending on the brand, amount, and type of toys you buy for your dog. You might spend anywhere from $50 to $150 per month just on keeping your dog entertained.
• Beds, Collars, Misc.: Large-breed dog beds, leashes, and collars also cost more then they would for smaller breeds, so keep this in mind. A single bed, for instance, can cost anywhere from $30 to over $100.

How Much Does it Cost to Train a Boerboel?

As with most other expenses listed here, training costs can vary significantly depending on where you live and where you go for these services. There’s also the option of training your dog at home on your own, but you’ll need to factor in the time spent on this task.

In general, however, the cost of dog training classes for a Boerboel can be anywhere from $40 to $150 per hour. Keep in mind it can take upwards of 6 to 12 weeks just to train your dog the basics!

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