CostByBreedA puppy policy is bought for the dog the puppy becomes. The point of enrolling early is not the puppy year, it is that nothing has gone wrong yet, so nothing is pre-existing.
The national average premium
| Coverage | National average |
|---|---|
| Accident and illness, average for a dog | $836 a year |
| The same average as a monthly figure | $836 divided by 12 is $69.67 a month |
| Accident only, average for a dog | $190 a year |
These are averages across every breed and age in the country, from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, State of the Industry Report, 2026 edition, reporting 2025 data. They are printed for scale. No source publishes an average premium for one breed, and this site does not present this figure as a price for any single dog.
Enrollment ages, from the documents
Embrace: Minimum enrollment age was not stated in the Embrace pages and policy checked. Embrace's own homepage says accident-only coverage is still offered for pets 15 years or older, which implies new accident and illness enrollment is not offered at that age. No other maximum was stated in the documents checked.
Fetch (Fetch by The Dodo): Pets can be enrolled from 6 weeks old, with no upper age limit and no breed restrictions, according to Fetch's own state and cat insurance pages.
Lemonade: Pets can be covered from 2 months old, according to Lemonade's vet-visit guide and waiting-period guide, which says you can buy a policy for a puppy or kitten from two months old. No maximum enrollment age was stated in the Lemonade pages checked.
Healthy Paws: Minimum age described in Healthy Paws own blog is 8 weeks, in the context of an 8-week-old puppy or kitten. No maximum enrollment age was stated in the Healthy Paws pages checked, except that hip dysplasia coverage requires enrollment before age 6. Reimbursement and deductible options available at enrollment can be more limited for older pets, but the specific age-based limits were not stated on the Healthy Paws pages checked.
Trupanion: Coverage can start at 8 weeks old, and pets can be enrolled at any time before their 14th birthday, according to Trupanion's age limits FAQ and kitten page. Once enrolled before 14, coverage continues for life.
Spot: Pets can be enrolled from 8 weeks old, with no upper age limit for new enrollments or coverage, according to Spot's own FAQ pages.
Pumpkin: All pets 8 weeks and up can enroll, with no upper age limit and no breed restrictions, and no reducing coverage as the pet ages, according to Pumpkin's puppy and comparison pages.
What puppy owners claim for
Swallowed objects, falls, and the first ear infections and skin flare ups. Two of those have pages here: ear infections and allergies. The accident pattern is why the accident only shape tempts new owners, and why full coverage from the start protects the adult dog instead.
Puppy gear is the one place the retail layer belongs: puppy supplies at Chewy (retail link, not insurance).