Hunting Dog Owner: €1,000 Monthly Cost and Two Staff

Ten hunting dogs cost over €1,000 a month

Keeping ten hunting dogs is not a hobby; it is a staffed operation. A Spanish owner of European Dobermans, Portuguese Podencos, Nivernais Griffons, a Spanish Alano, and a Pekingese estimates monthly care costs at more than €1,000 and admits he has never calculated the exact bill. This includes paying two caretakers for daily maintenance. The story, which has persisted for nearly three years, has sparked mixed reactions ranging from jokes to legitimate concerns about expenses.

Ten dogs, two caretakers, and a 400-square-meter rooftop

The distribution is strategic. Two Dobermans guard the house day and night, making their walks part of their job. Two others are stationed on a 400-square-meter rooftop with an adjacent 200-square-meter terrace, which the owner deems sufficient for them to move freely. The Podencos, Griffons, and Alano have access to hundreds of hectares, while the Pekingese has its own litter box.

This raises a practical question: who cleans up? The owner claims he or the caretakers handle it. The Pekingese uses a litter box managed by the landlord; the rooftop Dobermans have another handled by a worker with a shovel. The pack hunting in the field has a fixed point they always return to. The economic logic is clear: if the cost of cleanup is zero for the owner, the burden shifts to the employee.

How much does it cost to maintain ten dogs a month?

The exact figure is unknown, which is the key point. The owner admits he has never calculated the expenses—admitting this is "very wrong" given his profession—but estimates more than €1,000 monthly when annual costs are prorated. The detailed breakdown has not yet been published.

With ten medium-to-large animals, two employees, and four dogs occupying built-up space across two properties, the expense shifts from a hobby to a cost structure that cannot be dismantled overnight.

The Spanish Alano, a breed once on the brink of extinction

The most unique dog in the group is not the most expensive to maintain but the hardest to acquire. The Spanish Alano was nearly extinguished by successive crossbreeding, which caused it to lose many of its characteristic traits. It is a dog of strong character and single loyalty: suitable for property guarding, big game hunting, and herding, it is difficult for it to accept a second owner if the first dies. In conquistador chronicles, the dog’s name always appears alongside its owner’s. This dog arrived weaning age, exchanged for a Griffon, and was raised for over a year. Prospective owners are advised to verify the lineage and ensure they are capable of being its owner.

Can dog ears be cropped?

The answer was definitive: no. It is considered mutilation and is not practiced, even under veterinary anesthesia. Spaying, however, poses no such issue and is performed without major obstacles. This nuance matters because it affects the traditional aesthetics of breeds like the Doberman, associated for decades with erect ears: the dog can keep its ears and still undergo surgery.

The hunting dog instinct: from hares to the neighbor's Yorkshire

Podencos and Greyhounds are known for being calm until small prey appears. In parks, they may mistake a tiny dog for a rabbit because instinct commands, and the result can be fatal. One owner witnessed a German Pointer attack his Yorkshire Terrier, perforating its lungs; the animal survived and remains. Indoors, however, pointer dogs usually disconnect if they have had their hours in the field. Pointers have a good nose for small game and are suitable for apartments if the owner provides a couple of daily hours of exercise. Some argue mixed breeds are smarter; the counterpoint is that their hunting instinct is so strong it explains both the obsession and the apparent disconnection.

Ten dogs and a counter-current defense

Most responses focused not on costs but on the person. Some requested photos, others joked about the number of plastic bags needed, some labeled the situation a disorder, and others recalled that animals do not choose their owners nor can they leave if they dislike their living conditions. These are disparate arguments. The owner’s defense relies on available space, two paid caretakers, and a domestic detail: the Pekingese, seemingly the most problematic, actually belongs to his mother.

With over €1,000 monthly, two salaries, and ten animals distributed between home, rooftop, and countryside, one would expect a detailed bill to emerge. No one has produced it. Until it exists, the number remains the owner’s estimate, not a fact. And the real figure, when it arrives, may shift more than one of today’s seemingly closed positions.