Large-dog owners pay 32% to 36% more for insurance than small-breed owners

Owners of large dogs pay an average of 32 to 36 percent more for dog insurance than owners of small breeds, a new analysis by Dutch comparison site Overstappen.nl shows.

The study of recently purchased policies found the premium gap between large and small dogs holds steady regardless of the dog’s age or the coverage level selected. The insured amount is the single biggest factor driving costs—higher coverage more than doubles premiums for both large and small dogs.

For insurance policies covering 2,000 to 5,000 euros, large-dog owners pay an average of 19.74 euros per month, compared with 13.43 euros for small-dog owners. At 10,000 euros or higher coverage, the averages rise to 47.52 euros for large dogs versus 30.25 for small dogs—an annual difference of 207.22 euros.

Increasing the insured amount to 10,000 euros or more boosts premiums by 120 to 140 percent across all cases examined. Age has a much smaller impact. Premiums for a 5-year-old dog are only 11 to 16 percent higher than for a 6-month-old puppy.

Differences between individual breeds are even more striking. A Newfoundland can cost up to 72.66 euros per month at high coverage levels, while a toy poodle starts at about 12.51 euros per month for lower coverage—an annual gap of 721.80 euros.

Insurance expert Nick Brendel said the findings reveal more significant differences than many owners might expect. He also noted that rising veterinary costs make comparing policies especially important.

“In a period in which veterinary costs are rising, pet owners are increasingly faced with unexpectedly high medical expenses,” he said. “Although dog insurance may seem expensive at first glance, the costs for treatments and procedures are often considerably higher in practice. That makes it all the more worthwhile to compare dog insurance thoroughly on coverage and premiums.”