The most expensive dog breeds to insure

Man's best friend can also be a big financial headache. On the one side, you have the love and attention a dog can offer -- but on the other, there's the pampering, food, veterinary bills and insurance.

And the cost of insuring your canine companion is entirely dependent on its breed.

U.K.-based online insurance advisor Bought By Many has produced a list of the most- and least-expensive pedigree dog breeds to insure.

It analyzed a "ton of insurance costs" and found that, in general, larger dogs are more expensive to insure. Mixed-breed dogs and mongrels are cheaper to insure than pedigree dogs, it added.

"Dogs that tend to be more expensive to insure are dogs with a propensity to develop breed-specific medical conditions: insuring a Basset Hound starts from £14.27 ($21.47) per month, while the cost for a Bulldog starts at £23.11 ($34.80) per month," it said in a statement accompanying its findings.

Click ahead to see the five least-expensive dog breeds to insure, followed by the five most-expensive.

-- By CNBC's Matt Clinch

A small terrier with origins in the Victorian sport of fox hunting, Jack Russells generally have robust constitutions, according to the insurance advisor, making them cheap to insure. The breed received attention after U.S. sitcom Frasier added a Jack Russell called Eddie to its cast.

Basic monthly insurance for a dog of this breed can be as low as £8.25 ($12.40) a month, according to Bought By Many.

Another short dog that was bred to hunt foxes, insurance costs for the Border Terrior start at the same level as the Jack Russell but can increase to around £14.97 with some providers.

A terrier by name but now part of the toy group, "yorkies" are known for being heavily pampered by their owners. A hardy little dog that came from the north east of England, monthly insurance can cost as little as £9.19.

An "extrovert and full of infectious enthusiasm," according to the U.K.'s Kennel Club, the Shih Tzu's roots lie in Tibet. The breed might need a lot of pampering and attention, but insurance can range between £9.19 and £15.86 a month.

Taking its name from a Mexican state, there is still some debate about whether the breed comes from China or Mexico. It's officially the smallest breed of dog in the world and comes in a long- and smooth-haired version. Insurance costs are about the same amount as those of the Shih Tzu.

Official dog-breeding groups are unsure about whether this breed originally came from North America. Nonetheless, these dogs are are "robust and eager to please," accord to the Kennel Club, and make a suitable companion for children.

But it's the fifth most-expensive dog breed to insure, according to the insurance advisor, with prices starting at £29.54 a month -- and can reach up to £49.79.

A breed evolved from a cross between an Old English Mastiff and the Bulldog, the Bullmastiff is powerful and agile, regularly used as a guard dog, and is part of the working group of canines. Insurance can cost up to £51.91 month for a Bullmastiff.

A large herding dog with a calm and steady disposition, this breed can cost up to £56.10 in insurance fees a month, according to Bought By Many.

The Great Dane's size means that most don't live beyond 10 years old. An insurance policy for the German-bred dog can start at around £30 and extend to £56.10.

Otherwise known as a Bordeaux Mastiff or a French Mastiff, this breed found fame in the 1989 hit movie "Turner & Hooch". Powerful and muscular, the dog has a dominant manner and has been named the "most expensive dog to insure" by Bought By Many.

"The results show that in general larger dogs are more expensive to insure. Insurance for a Dogue de Bordeaux can cost as much as £78.85 per month for a long term insurance," the company said.

Time-limited polices can start at around £30 and stretch to £59.40, it added.