If you are hoping to share your home with a canine companion and would like to own a dog with a difference, there are plenty to choose from. Newer, well-bred hybrid dogs can set you back quite a bit, but there are other pedigrees all of which are Kennel Club recognised which are really expensive as well, four of which are covered below.

Pharaoh Hound

Pharaoh Hounds are extremely handsome and elegant looking dogs with a rather unusual nickname which is "rabbit dog". Anyone wanting to own one of these lovely dogs would need to pay anything from £1500 to £2000 for a well-bred puppy. The good news is that pet insurance is not over the top because the breed is known to be healthy although they are prone to certain hereditary disorders which is why good breeding is so important.

The bad news is that Pharaoh Hounds are high energy dogs and as such are an ideal choice for people who lead active outdoor lives, but a poor choice for anyone who leads a more sedentary life. The other thing to bear in mind is that Pharaoh Hounds are better suited to people who are familiar with their very specific needs bearing in mind these lively, energetic dogs also boast very high prey drives.

Samoyed

The Samoyed is another gorgeous looking dog and a breed that always has a proud look about them. To own a Samoyed, you'd need to spend out anything from £800 to £1500 for a well-bred pedigree puppy. Insurance tends to be affordable though because the majority of Samoyeds tend to be healthy and therefore not prone to suffer from too many health disorders. With this said, they are predisposed to certain hereditary health issues which is why good breeding is essential because it reduces the risks of a dog developing any of them.

They are high energy and intelligent dogs so are best suited to people who like to spend as much time with their canine companions as they possibly can. The bad news is that Samoyeds are high maintenance on the grooming front thanks to their lush double coats that ideally need to be professionally groomed several times a year.

English Bulldog

To share a home with a gorgeous English Bulldog, you would need to splash out anything from £1000 to £4000 for a well-bred pedigree puppy bearing in mind that good breeding is all-important with these lovely national treasures. The reason being that Bulldogs are predisposed to suffering from quite a few hereditary and acquired health issues, so the better a dog is bred, the less chance there is of them suffering from any of them. With this said, pet insurance for the breed tends to be on the high side.

Highly intelligent and a pleasure to have around, English Bulldogs need to be given the right amount of exercise although they are not high energy dogs. Care has to be taken when exercising them because Bullies can overheat really quickly thanks to their very short noses. The good news is they are low maintenance on the grooming front thanks to their short, close-lying coats.

Lowchen

The Lowchen is also known as the "Little Lion Dog" thanks to their adorable looks that are reminiscent of lions. If you are hoping to share your home with one of these lovely dogs, you would need to go on a waiting list because so few well-bred puppies are registered with the Kennel Club every year. You would need to plash out anything upwards of £500 right up to £3000 for a well-bred puppy, but the good news is that pet insurance tends to be affordable thanks to the fact the breed is known to be one of the healthiest on the planet.

Ultra-intelligent and incredibly amenable, the Lowchen is a real crowd pleaser at shows and in the home. The bad news is that they are high maintenance on the grooming front because ideally their coats need to be professionally groomed more often than other breeds, more especially if you want your dog to have that "lion" look the breed is famous for.