Are Norwich Terriers a healthy breed?

I was recently told by a fellow breeder that Norwich are a relatively healthy breed. Now I might agree with that statement ... but being a "numbers person", I wondered how the statement could be backed up with facts or figures. I have read scientific papers, some arguing that mixed breed dogs are healthier than purebred dogs, and other papers arguing the reverse. I finally realized that I knew where to find the information that I wanted. The actuaries at pet health insurance companies have this information. After all, insurance is nothing more than a bet. A pet owner bets that their dog will be sick and will need veterinary care; the insurance company bets that the dog will be healthy. And the insurance company is going to set premiums so that the company makes - or at least does not lose - money. So if the premium for the average dog is higher than for Norwich, then Norwich are a healthy breed.

So I sat down and queried the premiums for various breeds from the AKC Insurance web page. I just looked up the premium for the "Custom Plan with no upgrades" (a misnomer as it really is their basic plan). Keep in mind that the numbers are as of mid-2026, and probably change over time. The premium for a Norwich terrier puppy is $51.24 per month. I next looked up the premium for a puppy from the top ten dog breeds (by numerical size). Here it is

$83.27 French Bulldog
$62.25 Labrador
$65.79 Golden
$56.91 German Shepherd
$43.76 Dachshund
$49.18 Poodle
$42.23 Beagle
$90.70 Rottweiler
$53.81 German Shorthaired Pointer
$114.91 American Bulldog

So for all except Dachshunds, Poodles, and Beagles, the premiums are higher than the premium for a Norwich Terrier. So it makes sense to say that Norwich are healthier than most other purebred dogs. (Since the top 10 breeds make up over 90 percent of all purebred dogs.)

Next I compared the premium for Norwich terriers versus the premium for a Mixed Breed dog. (The AKC Insurance company will also insure mixed breed dogs.) The premium for a Mixed Breed dog is $45.73, lower than the premium for a Norwich at $51.24. So according to the insurance company, mixed breeds are healthier than Norwich terriers. Now one might argue that the average mixed breed owner probably does not purchase health insurance for their dog, and so the premium numbers may not be an accurate comparison of mixed breed versus Norwich terriers. It would be interesting to know how many mixed breed dogs are covered under AKC insurance ... and how many Norwich terriers. (The premium for designer dogs is the same as for mixed breed dogs.)

To try to get a more accurate comparison, I compared the premiums for dogs in the Terrier group. Here they are:

$73.31 American Staffordshire
$53.81 Airedale
$52.76 Miniature Schnauzer
$51.24 Norwich ***
$51.24 Westie
$51.24 Welsh
$51.24 Cairn
$49.18 Bedlington
$49.48 Lakeland
$43.62 Dandie
$43.62 Cesky
$43.62 Norfolk
$43.62 Rat
$43.62 Irish
$43.62 Wheaten
$43.62 Skye
$43.62 Wire Fox
$42.98 Australian
$43.62 American Hairless
$42.98 Border
$41.24 Scottish

Here Norwich do not look so good, as most terrier breeds have lower premiums than Norwich.

So if one is looking for a small terrier, from a purely financial consideration one should get a Border or a Scottie. According to the insurance company, they will be healthier and cost less money for veterinary expenses. Of course, there are a lot of considerations that go into choosing a breed, cost is often the least. But the premiums tell us that Norwich are not one of the healthier terriers.

I am sure that everyone knows of some example where a dog of one of these breeds cost their owner a lot of money in veterinary expenses. But remember, insurance data is "aggregate" data (taking a large number of dogs into account). And if you really believe that the numbers are wrong, then here is a business opportunity for you!

There are other pet insurance companies. If anyone does a similar analysis with other companies quotes and gets widely different numbers, please let me know.

9 Aug 2026