Dog breeds / Giant breeds

What a Boerboel really costs

The Boerboel's short coat is cheap to keep, but at up to 200 lb its food, medication and surgery bills are among the highest of any breed. OFA data shows a high rate of hip and elbow dysplasia, so joint surgery is a realistic risk. It is also a powerful guardian that needs professional training from puppyhood.

Size: Giant, 150–200 lb
Life expectancy: 9–11 years
Grooming: Low
Insurance risk: Above average
Puppy price: $1,500–$3,000
Food a day: About 2,980 calories

Where the money goes each year

A typical adult year for a Boerboel with mainstream food, home grooming, no insurance, in an average-cost area. That's $1,820 more than the median breed.

Illness and injury (average)$1,559
Food$1,544
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention$457
Checkups, vaccines and tests$330
Toys, beds and everyday supplies$330
Treats and chews$309
Dental cleanings$213
Grooming$53
License$20
Typical year$4,810

Most years land between $3,230 (budget food, home grooming, lower-cost area) and $7,000 (premium food, groomer, insurance, big city). Dogs over about 5 add about $180 a year for senior checkups.

The first year

Buying a puppy front-loads the bill: the price, gear, puppy shots and spay or neuter.

Bringing a puppy home

Breeder price$2,250
Crate, bed, leash, bowls and gear$900
Spay or neuter$760
Microchip$50
Puppy or basic obedience class$149
Upfront$4,110

Running costs in year one

Food$1,544
Treats and chews$309
Puppy vaccines and checkups$738
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention$457
Grooming$53
License$20
Illness and injury (average)$1,559
Year-one running costs$4,680

First-year total: $8,790. Adopting instead brings it to about $5,650.

Health costs to plan for

No insurer publishes Boerboel premiums; the tier reflects OFA hip (38.9%) and elbow (34.1%) failure rates among the worst of any breed, plus GDV, DCM and eyelid surgery risk, all priced for a 150–200 lb dog.

Condition	How it affects Boerboels	Typical treatment	Cost
Hip dysplasia	38.9% of 723 Boerboel hip X-rays sent to OFA were graded dysplastic, among the 15 worst-scoring breeds. Source	Total hip replacement, per hip (Lemonade); FHO runs about $1,200–$3,000 per hip and medical management less	$3,500–$15,000
Elbow dysplasia	34.1% of 706 Boerboel elbow evaluations sent to OFA were abnormal, among the 10 worst breeds for elbows. Source	Diagnosis and arthroscopic or open elbow surgery (Embrace's giant-breed estimate)	$1,500–$4,000
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat)	PetMD's vet-authored profile lists GDV as a risk for the deep-chested Boerboel; no breed-specific incidence figure was found. Source	Emergency GDV surgery with gastropexy and hospitalization	$2,000–$7,500
Dilated cardiomyopathy	PetMD says Boerboels have a genetic predisposition to DCM; 4.3% of 281 Boerboels in OFA's advanced cardiac registry were abnormal. Source	Average annual cardiomyopathy claim (echocardiograms and heart medication) for a comparable giant breed, the Great Dane, in Trupanion claim data	$1,900–$3,200
Entropion / ectropion	PetMD lists both eyelid defects as Boerboel predispositions; both are usually corrected surgically. Source	Eyelid surgery; Trupanion average entropion claims run $700–$1,100, with a $2,050 example ectropion surgery claim	$700–$2,100

The yearly estimate already includes an average allowance of $1,559 for illness and injury. A single surgery can cost several times that, which is the case for an emergency fund or insurance.

What drives the cost of a Boerboel

At 150–200 lb, a Boerboel eats more than nearly any other AKC breed. Food is likely to be the biggest monthly bill, ahead of insurance.
Hip and elbow surgery are priced partly by body weight, and OFA fails more than a third of tested Boerboels at each joint. Ask to see both parents' OFA numbers before you put down a deposit.
The American Boerboel Club calls this a large, dominant breed that needs committed training. Budget for puppy classes plus private sessions with a trainer experienced in guardian breeds.
Some landlords, HOAs and home insurers restrict mastiff-type guardian breeds. Check your homeowner's or renter's liability coverage before you bring one home.
Grooming is a weekly brush and nail trims at home; PetMD calls the coat low-maintenance. Put that money toward a heavy-duty crate and an orthopedic bed.

Breeder or rescue

Reputable breeder: $1,500–$3,000
Rescue or shelter: $150–$500
Lifetime, from a breeder: $52,800
Lifetime, adopted: $49,700

No US price survey was found. Paction gives CAD $1,900–$4,300 from reputable Canadian breeders, and the US range here is a judgment based on that figure, not a currency conversion. The American Boerboel Club's approved breeders must at least X-ray hips and elbows, and the club recommends heart, eye, knee and thyroid testing as well. No Boerboel rescue fee was found, so the adoption range is a general shelter figure.

Adopting vs buying: the full cost comparison

Similar-size breeds by yearly cost

Rottweiler$4,680 a year
Newfoundland$4,920 a year
Leonberger$4,940 a year
Bernese Mountain Dog$4,980 a year
Great Dane$5,020 a year
Dogue de Bordeaux$5,040 a year
Compare all breeds

Common questions

How much does a Boerboel puppy cost?

A Boerboel puppy from a reputable US breeder typically costs $1,500–$3,000. Adopting one through a rescue usually costs $150–$500.

How much does a Boerboel cost per year?

After the first year, a Boerboel costs about $4,810 a year, or $401 a month, for food, vet care, preventives, grooming, supplies and average illness costs. Depending on food, grooming, insurance and where you live, a typical year ranges from about $3,230 to $7,000.

How much does a Boerboel cost over its lifetime?

About $52,800 over a 10-year life when bought from a breeder, or $49,700 if adopted, in 2026 dollars.

Sources

Prices are averages from the sources above and the cost baselines on our methodology page, in 2026 US dollars. Your vet, groomer and city will differ. Updated October 14, 2026.