just spent way too much time researching dog breed costs and honestly the numbers are wild. so i was looking into getting a hound dog and trying to figure out how much do hound dogs cost overall, and it varies SO much depending on the breed.

like the cheaper hounds are pretty reasonable - redbone coonhounds run around 500-800 bucks to buy, and black and tan coonhounds are even less at 400-800. but then you've got breeds like harriers that go 1500-2500. what's crazy is the lifetime healthcare costs. some breeds barely cost anything to maintain while others can hit 7000+ over their lifetime.

beagles caught my attention because they're popular but their healthcare costs are brutal - like 7700 minimum just for stuff like ear infections and hip problems. dachshunds are similar, you're looking at 7300 just for back issues. even pugs are expensive on the medical side, around 9600 in healthcare costs.

the affordable hound dogs seem to be your best bet if you're budget conscious - treeing walkers and plott hounds are super cheap upfront (400-800) and don't have crazy medical bills. american foxhounds too, pretty reasonable overall.

i'm still deciding but seems like you really gotta factor in both the purchase price AND the lifetime medical stuff before committing. anyone else done this research? which breed did you end up going with?