Pet insurance often costs less for a young dog, since older dogs tend to need more care. What you pay each month depends on your puppy’s breed, where you live, and the choices you make when you set up the plan.
Below is what changes the price, what your puppy’s early vet visits can cost, and how to keep the monthly bill down. We’ll use Lemonade Pet as an example along the way.
Want a price for your puppy? Get a Lemonade Pet quote in as little as 90 seconds.
What dog insurance costs on average
An accident and illness plan, which pays for injuries and sickness but not checkups, cost an average of $836 a year in 2025, or about $70 a month. Plans that also cover checkups and shots averaged $1,414 a year. These numbers come from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, the trade group for pet insurers.
Example from Lemonade Pet: its accident and illness plans start around $10 a month. That’s the starting price, and your dog’s price depends on breed, age, and state.
What changes the price for your puppy
- Age: older dogs often need more care, so the price tends to go up as your dog gets older.
- Breed: some breeds are prone to costly problems, like hip dysplasia.
- Where you live: vet care costs more in some states, like California, than in others, like Tennessee.
- Your plan choices: the deductible (what you pay before the plan starts paying), the co-insurance (the percent of each bill the plan pays back), and the annual limit (the most the plan pays in a year).
- Add-ons: extras like checkups and shots cost more each month.
Example from Lemonade Pet: filing a claim never raises your price. Your price can still change as your dog gets older.
What your puppy’s early vet visits can cost
Puppy shots come in a series over the first few months. Here’s what each dose often costs:
- DHPP (the combo shot for distemper, parvo, and a few other diseases): $25 to $75, given 3 or 4 times
- Leptospirosis: $30 to $75, given twice
- Bordetella (kennel cough): $19 to $70, needed for most boarding and training classes
- Rabies: $40 to $100
A full checkup runs $100 to $300 before any tests. A spay or neuter can cost $250 to $2,000, depending on your dog’s size and age and where you live. These ranges come from Lemonade’s vet cost guides.
A basic accident and illness plan doesn’t pay for any of these. Some insurers sell a puppy package that does.
Example from Lemonade Pet: its puppy package is for dogs under 2 years old. It covers 2 wellness exams, up to 6 vaccines, wellness tests, spaying or neutering, a microchip, and flea, tick, or heartworm medicine. It’s offered in some states, not all.
Why your puppy’s age matters for coverage
Any health problem your dog shows signs of before coverage starts, or during the waiting period, counts as pre-existing. Pet insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions.
A puppy has had less time to show signs of a problem, so fewer things are likely to be left out.
Example from Lemonade Pet: illness coverage starts after 14 days, and bone and joint problems after 30 days.
How to lower the monthly price
- Pick a higher deductible.
- Pick a lower co-insurance, like 70% instead of 90%, so the plan pays back a smaller share of each bill.
- Pick a lower annual limit.
- Leave off add-ons.
Each of these lowers your monthly price. It also means you pay more yourself when your dog needs care.
Example from Lemonade Pet: you can save up to 5% by paying for the year up front, up to 10% for insuring more than one pet, and up to 10% for bundling with Lemonade renters, home, or car insurance. The discounts don’t apply to packages for checkups and shots.
What about puppy training?
Pet insurance doesn’t pay for puppy classes or sessions with a dog trainer. To see what training costs where you live, you can find a dog trainer near you and compare local prices.
Lemonade Pet plans start as low as $10 a month. Get a quote for your puppy in as little as 90 seconds.