Having any dog can start to become expensive and the price for maintenance can continue to steadily climb. However, Miniature Pinschers are often seen as dogs that are quite easy to maintain.
So, are Miniature Pinschers expensive to get and maintain? The average cost for a Miniature Pinscher is $600. Miniature Pinschers are low in maintenance and their required daily walks do not cost you anything. Pinschers require the same number of vaccines and medical shots as anything other dogs.
Miniature Pinschers are highly energetic and require long bouts of playtime. The expenses to maintain and help your Miniature Pinscher grow are relatively low considering the fact that they have a great attention span and are generally healthy.
Are Miniature Pinschers Expensive?
The initial cost of a dog can sometimes be a make or break decision. The average cost of a Miniature Pinscher is $600; however, their pricing can range from $500 to $6,000 depending on who their American Kennel Club (AKC) breeders are.
The Miniature Pinscher Club of America takes its duties seriously when it comes to breeding and selling Miniature Pinschers. When Pinschers are bred, the breeder must make note of and record all the liters and any possible disabilities of the pups.
So, when you are looking to purchase a Miniature Pinscher, it is best to purchase from a Professional Miniature Pinscher Breeder. When you purchase from a breeder, they have the required knowledge that you need to understand and care for your Pinscher. Breeders will even offer you the option of keeping in touch with them if you have any questions later in life about your furry friend.
There is another route that you can choose when purchasing a Miniature Pinscher and that is adoption. Most adoption fees for any pet are between $250 to $400.
Besides the initial cost to purchase a Miniature Pinscher, there is also the ongoing cost of proper maintenance to keep them going for a long time.
Things You Need for the Maintenance of a Miniature Pinscher
With every pet owner, there is a certain level of care that you have to oversee with your pet. Miniature Pinschers are no different and the cost to take care of them is no higher than any other dog breeds. Maintaining a Miniature Pinscher can include:
- Training Classes
- Pet Helper
- Doggy Daycare
- Dog Groomers
The Cost of Training Classes
When it comes to training your Miniature Pinscher, you may want to enroll them in a training school. This way you are able to have consistent help in training and you can even bring along those in your immediate household who will interact with the Pinscher daily.
It is highly recommended that your Miniature Pinscher is trained early. They are regarded as the “King of the Toys” for a reason. Miniature Pinschers are known to steamroll over other dogs, even the bigger breeds, and sometimes their owners.
As you look into training your Miniature Pinscher you will notice that it can start to become more expensive with each category:
- Training Classes: Cost on average between $30 and $120 per class session. This is a general class session for your dog to understand basic commands with you as their owner. Now, the group sessions are more inexpensive than private sessions.
- Obedience Training: If you wish for your Miniature Pinscher to overcome their biting habits or separation anxiety these sessions will cost you $200 to $600 each week. This training would be best for those who are dealing with Pinschers that need to overcome a certain problem.
- Boot Camp Kennel Training: At $500 to $1,250 each week, you have the choice of training each day with your Pinscher or leaving them with a trainer for several weeks. This allows the trainer to analyze your Pinscher and do enough exercises to relieve them of their disobedience issues.
- Service Dog Training: The average price for a service dog training is approx. $120 per hour. This includes your Pinscher being a therapy, guide, or hearing dog.
Having a Pet Helper
If you are a busy person and you are unable to walk you Miniature Pinscher during the day, this could turn out to be a major problem. Miniature Pinschers are energetic and need to be walked and played with throughout the day.
Another expense you may have to consider is enlisting the help of a dog walker. A dog walker may cost you anywhere from $10 to $20 per walk.
A pet sitter is a bit different from a dog walker. A pet sitter will be in your home and will help feed and walk your Pinscher whenever they need to do their business. If your pet requires any medications, the pet sitter will administer them. The rate for a pet sitter is around $20 to $40 a day. Now, there are some pet sitters who can charge $75 to $85 for an overnight fee if you will be away for 24-hours.
There are other services that a dog sitter will offer:
- Holiday Services
- Any Additional Pets
- 30-Minute Visits
Keep in mind that these services are determined by the location in which you live and the individual pet sitters themselves. If you live in a community like the suburbs, the average cost may be lower because of shorter travel times than someone who lives in the city with lots of traffic.
Doggy Daycare
Whether you have realized it or not, there is such thing as a doggy daycare. If you do not feel comfortable with a complete stranger entering and staying in your home for a period of time, this is a great option.
For one full day of care, it would cost you between $12 to $40. While this can start to become expensive, this helps your Pinscher interact with other dogs and develop better socialization skills. Also, someone is always watching your pet and you Pinscher will be walked and taken care of until you pick them up.
There are some daycares that will help to administer your Miniature Pinschers medicine if needed. However, there are other daycare that will wish not to apply any medicine as they have other dogs to look after and do not want to be responsible for any mishaps.
Dog Groomers
Miniature Pinschers have a short coat that can be quickly washed by the groomers. The price for grooming depends on where you take them. You can expect to pay around $30 to $100 with all the add-ons that will be available for your Pinscher. Grooming can include the following:
- Flea and Tick Treatments
- Teeth Cleaning
- Nail Grinding
- Specialty Baths
- Ear Hair Removal
- Coat Trims
When it is the in-between time from each grooming visit, you can help play a part in maintaining their fur coat. All you need is a bristle brush or a grooming mitt to brush them once or twice a week. Their hair sheds lightly, but only if you keep up with this regiment.
You also need dog soap just in case your Pinscher runs through any mud in the backyard. However, do not wash them daily or even every other day as this dries out their skin.
Now that you see how much the more important aspects of maintaining a Miniature Pinscher are, it is time to understand the expenses of the smaller details.
Small Items to Buy To Help Maintain Your Miniature Pinscher
To ensure your Miniature Pinscher has everything they need to keep them protected and well maintained, this list is more for the everyday life that they will lead.
A Miniature Pinscher will need the following items to succeed:
- Crates and Travel Crates
- Toys
- Leashes, Harnesses, and Collars
- Food and Treats
Crates and Travel Crates
Crates are a great sense of security for your Pinscher. If you are able to properly crate train them, your Pinscher will travel there on their own. Use treats as a way to make the crate seem more appealing. Over time they will see that the crate can be their place of refuge if they feel overwhelmed with guests or children.
Crates come in different sizes that range in price. A smaller crate may start at $30, while a larger crate can reach $150. Since the crates do not come with any soft surfaces, you may want to put down old sheets or invest in a dog bed that can be anywhere from $30 to $60.
If you happen to find yourself taking your Miniature Pinscher on a long drive, then you may want to put some money towards a travel crate. Travel crates can be between $20 to $150. However, the lower in price the travel crate is, the flimsier the material.
You want this crate to have handles so that you can carry your Miniature Pinscher easily. You also want your Pinscher to be comfortable. There are waterproof travel crates as well as durable travel crates. This can help if you and your Pinscher are hiking or taking a plane, as to lessen any bumps or blows.
Toys
Toys are fantastic because they help you and your Pinscher interact with one another. Even toys that are meant for bigger dogs can be used for a Miniature Pinscher. There are a variety of different toys that you can purchase for your Pinscher that include:
- Throwing Balls
- Treat Releasers
- Squeaky Toys
- Ropes
Leashes, Harnesses, and Collars
Because you are choosing a Miniature Pinscher, a retractable leash’s price point will be more in your favor. The smaller your pet is the less material that has to be used and the lower the price can be. Each leash has a size range and the more weight a dog has, the higher the price. Typically, leashes can start at $10 and travel anywhere near $50.
We’ve written a full review of the 13 best collars for your min pin that you can read right here. It includes our favorite the Puppia collar that’s soft on our boy Grover.
To attach a leash to your Pinscher, you either need a collar or a harness. Most dog owners have both, as a collar can stay on forever, but when you are walking your Pinscher it is best to use a harness. The reason being is because attaching a leash to a collar when the dog begins to tug on the leash will cause them to cough and harm their trachea.
However, if you leave the collar on and use a harness it is much better for them and you. The harness wraps around their chest and you still have control over them without hurting their throat.
A side note, since their hair is short and Miniature Pinschers are small, you may want to invest in some sweaters for them as they are sensitive to the cold.
Food and Treats
As you continue your research about Miniature Pinschers, you will notice a trend with their proper food intake. Miniature Pinscher puppies can start with 3 to 4 meals a day, with approx. ¼ cup of puppy dry food daily. After 6 months or so, you can begin to transition them onto an adult diet.
For an adult Miniature Pinscher, it is recommended that you feed them from either a half or a cup of dry food daily. This measurement should be divided into two meals. For example, if you choose to feed them a cup of dry food daily, then both meals should only contain half a cup of dry food.
Now, this measurement of food is just a guideline for you to follow, but if your Miniature Pinscher is a very active dog, it is suggested that you load their food bowl a bit more.
Because Miniature Pinschers are so vocal, you can teach them to use their bark a little less with the help of treats. Treats are great for positive reinforcement and sometimes it feels nice to hand over a treat on-off occasion.
What are the Veterinary Costs for a Miniature Pinscher?
For veterinary costs alone, other dog owners have reported on shelling out $800 a year. This cost is only for just one of their pets at a time. It is important to know that there are insurance plans that can help ease the burden of veterinary trips. The insurance comes in handy should any unexpected emergencies pop up with your Pinscher.
The vet that you use for your Miniature Pinscher will know which vaccines your dog needs. If you have a puppy, just like growing children and their pediatrician, your vet will have a strict schedule to keep for these vaccines.
Your Miniature Pinscher will need vaccines that fight against the following:
- Rabies (Needs to be updated every few years)
- Measles
- Parvovirus (especially for puppies)
- Parainfluenza
- Adenovirus
- Distemper
Now, all of the vaccines that their vet requires, need to be done before you take them to a training session or their first grooming. Most companies like PetSmart will require that you have their documents on-hand before any services can be rendered.
Heartworm disease is a disease that has many pet owners concerned. Heartworms are spread from a mosquito bite that the dog may have suffered from. Your Pinscher’s vet will discuss with you the treatments necessary to prevent heartworms from infecting their:
- Heart
- Lungs
- Other Major Organs
While heartworms are a terrible thing, there are more diseases that are specific to Miniature Pinschers that you should look out for.
Specific Diseases for Miniature Pinschers That May Require Care
Like all living things, Miniature Pinschers are not without their inherent diseases. Most dogs have a disease or two that they will eventually succumb to when they reach their senior years.
The cost for treatment will be dependent upon what your veterinary says is needed. It can be tough emotionally and financially when a family pet develops a disease. So, for preparation in case your Pinscher starts showing signs of disease, you will be well equipped to handle it:
- Epilepsy: With this disease, your Pinscher could start to become stiff and fall down out of nowhere. They may stop walking or become panicked and just start to run for no reason. This behavior comes from the seizures attacking their brain, but they can receive medication to help.
- Hypothyroidism: Comes from the thyroid gland. If they are not being fed a dog-like meal, but instead are being fed table food, this could make the disease worse. The reason being is that table food will usually have more salt mixed in than regular dog food.
- Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease: The only way for this disease to be corrected is with surgery. It mostly comes onto puppies of toy dog breeds and can cause mild to severe limping. The reason is that the blood is decreasing in the femur and the bone near the pelvis starts to thin out.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy: A disease that will occur in most senior dogs is the loss of sight. At night, your Miniature Pinscher may need help maneuvering your around the home, but during the day with enough sunlight, they should be fine. However, eventually, the sunlight will no longer help.
- Luxating Patella: It may be hard to spot this disease as many dogs with this problem are capable of still running and playing as normal. The patella on the knee will move in and out of place which may cause your dog to limp every now and again.