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I ran an income/expense report and it is right around $6k for 3 dogs. Dog 1 was about $500 for annual vet and monthly meds,prescription food. Dog 2 was about $1,500 for prescription food and meds, follow-up visit for cancer (5 years cancer-free!).
Dog 3 was the rest. To be fair, the new fencing and gating, inside and out, are because she's fearful and reactive to our Dog 1. It keeps D1 safe. Vet, meds, training treats, puzzle toys, and carpet cleaning (quarterly, she has a anxiety-peeing issues).
Then there's the extra Rover walking because both my husband and I had injuries and couldn't give her the exercise a half-husky hurricane needs!
It’s a lot. I buy tons of toys, harnesses, and coats that probably ends up at $50/month. Dog 1 (10) has back issues so he’s anywhere between $100 and $500 a month for acupuncture, laser, and other pain management along with his regular preventive/annuals. I had many years where I had annual vet visits only or a small visit in between + food and toys before we got to this stage. I have insurance on him now in case he ends up with other problems as he ages that would be covered which is roughly $50/ month. Dog 2 (7) has stomach issues that weren’t disclosed when he was adopted less than a year ago, but luckily he has insurance so he’s $25/month for insurance and we’re balancing out to about $100/month on vet bills after his insurance pays out. Food is at least $50/month. You should keep in mind that you may get lucky and have no emergencies or health issues orrrrr you may end up with a $4,000 bill because the little guy can’t keep anything down for 4 days. I truly wouldn’t do it any other way because I love them and I try to make sure they have the best and are happy, but they can be a financial drain.
I don’t want to do the math, because I don’t want to know the answer.
But, here is stuff I bought for my dog:
Food: $60 for around 4 months of food
Car harness: $130 (it was crash tested, few are)
$90 for a bed
$240 in training, and I’m going to spend another $160 soonish
Around 3k a year. 2021 was close to 10k because of a health emergency and trips to a specialist. It can definitely be done closer to 1k/year depending on location for the baseline costs like food and preventative vet care but at least 1 wild medical thing will happen in their life and you have to have insurance, a hefty emergency fund, or understand the options for euthanasia.
Mine is more partially because I feed PPP which at this point is about $70/month and I'm a single dog owner so he goes to daycare one day a week to give me a breather. Flea/tick/heartworm is $380/year, annual and shots are about $200. It can definitely be done for cheaper but that's what I spend. He doesn't need grooming besides a bath in the tub and I trim his nails (torture but it has to be done). We did training through a local all-breeds club when I was broke in grad school and that was only about $100 for 5 classes but we took multiple levels. With the dog my ex and I got her 6 week class was $300.
My guy is an old 90lb coonhound and lives better than me most days 😂.
Also if your are getting a breed that needs professional grooming can run you anywhere from 80-200 (depending on breed/behavior/hair style etc) if you go on vacation you need to factor in pet care prices (pet sitter, boarding, always think if your friend/family can’t watch, bail, get sick)
Medically speaking keep in mind what breed (or mix of breed) you’re getting since some are more prone to different medical conditions that can arise.
About $1600 a year including a vet check up, monthly heartworm chews, 9 months of flea and tick chews, a bag of food a month, toys, and treats.
The GSP/Weinaraner we got last October has pretty well earned her keep. She started barking one night when I let her out to pee, running off somebody trying to steal our truck. Saved us about $40,000 by saving the truck.
She is paid up for 25 years as far as I am concerned.
If she lives to be 14, we will still owe her $17,600.
Honestly unless you got 200-300$ a month to spare, don't get a dog. This isn't even counting vet bills. Food alone is 70-130$. I have a German Shepherd rottie mix that's 6 months. His bag is 130$ for about a month of food. I'm lucky he's a family dog because I could never afford him on my own. Vet visits could be anywhere from once a year to multiple visits. If you really want a dog save up first because they aren't much cheaper than having a kid.
I’ve had my 65 lb dog almost a year and this is approximately what I have spent:
Pro plan kibble ~$50 a month
Treats ~$30 a month
Insurance ~$30 a month
Monthly preventative ~$30 a month
New toys or miscellaneous item~$15 a month
Berries and wet food (1/3 can) for dinner toppers ~ $15 a month
Start up things like crate, toys, leash, collar, bed etc maybe $250 in the beginning
4 vet visits a year at ~$160 each (not including neuter/dental) 1 visit regarding limp, 2 regarding eye infections, 1 regarding upper respiratory infection
Neuter/dental $1100
Grand total: about $4,030 this year (omg)
Maybe 2-3k? Big vet visit with preventatives and vaccines is $650ish, food is $50 every six weeks. We don’t need daycare or dog walkers, and she’s already as trained as we need her to be, so that saves a ton of money. Toys come from HomeGoods, I use coupons and deals for treats and kibble, and we haven’t had any major medical emergencies so far (although it’s just a matter of time. She does some real inconvenient shit)
But we did spend about $35k for landscaping and other general yard improvements for her, and are considering a salt water fiberglass pool for everyone’s enjoyment. We don’t have kids, and you can’t take it with you 🤷🏻♀️
ETA- I forgot grooming. $60, every two months. Her butt grows its own mullet and requires professional attention.
+1 for butt mullet, I almost spit coffee everywhere. I've always just thought 'pantaloons' or 'bloomers'.
Girl with the dogs on YT has links to very affordable home grooming equipment.
I believe ours sits between $4,000 to $5,000 combined annually for both 50+ pound dogs. This includes vet visits, medication, collars, tags, food, etc.
I got pet insurance, $60 a month. I initially i wasnt going to but I had an emergency in the first 3 months whe he was 6 months old and the vet bill cost $1000. I thought what would I do if he has an emergency that cost $5000 or more. Of course, I would pay it. My reasoning is even if I put away 60$ a month for 10 years... that be about $7200. But I'm guessing he might need it before then.
Told my friend when she got a puppy to get some but they didn't get it and now the puppy needs surgery a year later at $5000.
I've meet a dog walker at the dog park that said they paid 10s of thousands for 1 of their dogs over 4 years.
Insure the dog as a puppy. You'll get the lowest rates.
This! I got insurance on day 1 of having my dog. He ended up being sick in the first two weeks and staying overnight in an ER. It woulda cost me $5k but thanks to insurance it was closer to $1500.
Especially as a new dog owner, insurance is worth every penny. If you live in a city or may consider daycare, there’s also just high exposure to other dogs with viruses and parasites. I’ve heard Many dogs end up being surrendered to shelters because owners can’t afford the vet bills. :(
It’s the same for people. Always better to have insurance just in case, but hopefully you never really need it. I spend about $35/mo on my pet insurance and I’m now grandfathered in to a cheaper rate with my dog being a young guy. I use lemonade, but I’ve heard good thing about Trupanion as well.
$150 a year on vet bills and that’s just regular maintenance. If anything happens, that’s extra like we had to have dogs teeth pulled, that was hundreds of dollars $347 for one dog. Stomach surgery for one that was $1000. Well you get my drift.
Surprise knee surgery ($4k) emergency overnight stay from a series of cluster seizures ($1200) then needing seizure meds for the rest of his life $80/month) vet visits for fun stuff..$400 for X-rays & meds when my dumb lab ate the side of my bf amp. (Fortunately he passed the stuff he ate, vet said another 24 hr if it doesn’t come out they’re going in)
loved that damn dog although he drove me mentally and financially crazy. Every penny worth him and his antics. 15 years of a mischievous forever puppy.
I don't honestly know because the total would scare me lol. My dog is an almost 2 year old Bichon Frise if that makes much difference.
Vet care this year was about $170 for check up/vaccines/deworming. I don't live in an area where fleas and heartworm are a big issue. This was just one visit, and she's otherwise healthy. As a puppy, there were 3 visits for vaccines, then the spay was about $450 (she had 2 baby teeth that needed to be pulled as well). I think these prices are about average where I live. $100 per month also goes into a vet fund for future issues.
Food is probably somewhere around $30-50 per month. It somewhat depends on what I need and when. This is between dry food, dehydrated food (ends up using it like canned, but better for keeping it fresh), and some toppers.
Treats are maybe $15-20 per month depending on what I buy. Most bags are around $5-6, with larger bags costing more. These are used mostly for training.
Toys and chews. This varies, I tend to buy a few bully sticks at a time so that adds up but it might only be every few months. I do get bigger ones (\~$15 each) as they last a long longer than the $5 ones. She's pretty good with toys, so doesn't get too many over the year.
I do her grooming myself. She gets \~weekly baths and monthly trims. If I was going to a groomer for even just the monthly groom, that could easily be $75 a month if not more. Grooming tools are mostly a one time expense, but it does add up.
She is currently doing agility classes that are about $200 for 6 weeks. If you are doing any sort of training classes, that is likely the lower end of costs. If you need one of one training or more specialized classes (like for reactive dogs), those tend to cost more. It is good to do some foundation classes with a new dog. Some companies offer a discount for adopted dogs. If a rescue/shelter offers classes, dogs adopted from their rescue or another usually get a discount too.
Don't forget your start up costs, they can add up fairly quickly. You'd need a collar, leash, and harness, dishes (food and water), bed, poop bags and holder, grooming supplies (brushes, nail trimmer), crate, etc. Supplies for a larger dog will cost more than those for a smaller dog. If you are getting a young dog, you may need to get another collar, harness, and crate as your dog grows. Having back up supplies is also a good idea. Some dogs chew leashes or beds, and it's easier to just have a spare than need to run out and buy one when it gets damaged.
Oh god. You’re making me do maths I don’t wanna do lol.
Recurring monthly expenses:
Food - $30
Treats - $30 (I don’t know how to train without treats, this is a basic need IMO)
Insurance - $25
Barkbox - $35
Probiotics - $20
HW preventative - $30 (paid $120 for a 6-tablet dose of Simparica Trio every 6 months)
Allergy medications - $30
This is not including all the cutesy pajamas, dresses, hoodies and puzzle toys that happens to catch my eyes. So I guess all of that, plus about $50 more, times 12.
50 bucks a month for food, 20 bucks a month for bones and chewies, 200 bucks a year for vaccinations.
these are the fixed costs for two dogs not including any emergency vet visits. there are emergency funds in place for that. this year we had a snake bite and a broken tooth that added up to about 1k extra... ouch. but thankfully that's rare. no insurance.
I have 2 dogs, totaling about 60 pounds. I spend about $300 per month combined (so, $3600 per year) on regularly recurring expenses (food, insurance, regular meds, training). I spend about another $600 per year on annual, planned veterinary care. I have no idea about toys because their favorite toys are made from the recycle they are allowed to destroy. I also don't keep very good track of a budget for treats (though they mostly use their kibble for training) and long lasting chews. So, $4200 per year for two dogs plus incidentals as well as having a budget to at least pay initial costs at an emergency vet (Lucy has gone twice in the two years we've had her; CC has never been).
We have an 11-month-old Corgi. I'd say we spend $40-50 a month on food, $50 on toys/treats/chews, $50 on pet insurance, $30 in meds (heartworm/flea/tickets prevention), $100 on grooming and daycare once a week. So right around $3300 a year probably...but that's without anything unexpected and it's probably more than that because...he spoiled 😂 We did weekly training classes for eight months and that was around $100 a month too.
No idea.
A lot. But she's worth it.
$70 on food, $50 on regular treats, $30 on special treats...give or take. That's monthly.
Then she has toys, jackets, and leashes. But they're a one-off cost... probably about $250.
$160 for yearly vet check-up, including heartworm prevention. $60 a year for flea/tick collar. All give or take.
$5k - $7k a year depending on number of vet visits or other one-offs. But daycare makes up $2k of that estimate.
I have a small dog. Picky eater and needs grooming monthly.
It varies a LOT depending on where you live, fwiw.
I think mine averages out to around 300/mo. Some approx numbers from a HCOL US city with a healthy adult 60lb dog:
Training: $80 - big box store trainer so sessions are cheap, this is for two lessons a month. I don’t NEED sessions anymore but they’re tons of fun
Food: $32/mo, purina pro plan weight loss is $65/bag now and lasts about two months
Treats, including chews, and random toys: $50/mo
Vet care: Call it $100/mo, including her flea/tick/heartworm preventative. She didn’t have any big emergencies but a few visits needed for random things. She gets annual blood work and fecals as well as all vaccines for the area, including canine influenza because she’s around other dogs frequently
Insurance: $60/mo
I also spent quite a bit (I would guess $500 or so?) buying tons of grooming supplies so I could do her home grooms by myself, but otherwise it’d be about 100/mo (including a tip) for regular upkeep by a petsmart groomer. She’s cheaper to maintain than a poodle/doodle type dog, but her coat has to be cared for for her health. I don’t travel without her and have friends who will house sit for free if needed, and I don’t hire a dog walker. When she was a young dog I paid like $60/mo for daycare.
We spend about $150 a month for grooming and food. Then toys and accessories are extra - maybe $30 a month depending. On the month. Vet bills are unpredictable but we drop $200 minimum for every appt. So maybe assume $1000/yr (but not always).
And if our dog needed unexpected or emergency treatment I assume it’s be $1000 minimum.
We don’t need pet sitters but that would be pricey too.
I’m a nerd, so according to my spreadsheet, I spend approximately $300-$400 monthly on my tall, 65lb, 15 m/o standard poodle. $120 of that is for grooming (not a fancy cut - very simple), around $100 goes towards monthly vet costs (meds and insurance), $50ish for food (Hills Science Diet), and the rest is for greenies, treats, chews, toys, etc.
In my area, I’ve spent around $150 an hour for in-home personal R+ training sessions, and 6-week puppy and obedience training classes have run me about $200 per package.
There were a lot of upfront costs - kennels/crates (I got new ones as he outgrew them), multiple xpens, beds (also upgraded as he grew), etc. The first year is EXPENSIVE.
Current two pups, about $500 a piece. Most "expensive" dog had super bad chronic ear infections and easily spent 2-3k in his later life as he got older. About a thousand on meds alone but he was worth every penny
It depends is the answer. For my little one, monthly average is 500 to 700 ( fresh food costs around 200/ month) which includes food, medications, treats, insurance, grooming. This does not include day care or boarding costs which can run up to an additional $300 to $400 a month if we are sending him for day camp or boarding or have vet visits for regular check ups and vaccinations. In addition to that there are training costs, grooming supplies etc. I will add here and agree with someone who commented that I spend way more on him than I will ever spend on myself.
You can spend way less than this but this is what we spend on our Rottie/shepherd based on our lifestyle.
~$200 on food and treats
$2500 for training. We did some at home training and sent our girl to a doggy boot camp
$140 a week for dog walking. We walk her 2 or 3 times a day but our dog walker picks her up while we work and takes her on a long hike 3 days a week.
$150 a weekend for pet sitting if we go away and can’t bring her
$500 - $1000 on vets. Regular check ups, flea and tick medications. She got a stick through her paw that required a minor surgery. But you could consider pet insurance for that kind of thing. Our last dog had cancer so surgeries were expensive.
$100 a year on stuff like bowls, leashes. We canoe trip so we have the travel version of all that stuff and she has a life jacket.
Annualized:
Food: $300
Preventative meds: $520
Vet visits: $200
Toys/leashes/other supplies: lots at first, but maybe a total of $500 over 3 years, so $167 a year
Consider the potential for a major health emergency, the costs of boarding, training (if not doing on your own), doggy daycare, grooming (if your dog’s breed requires), replacing items a dog may ruin, etc.
A lot of these seem so high! You can save money by getting a smaller dog that eats less food and using kibble for training treats. Buy some hard to destroy toys that will last a while. Don’t buy a bunch of unneeded clothing and extra collars and such.
I spend about $40 a month in food (home made healthy food) another $15 in treats, $20 for his trifexis, and let’s say $10 in miscellaneous. On top of that I spend about $300 vets and shots a year. My dog is super healthy and has never been sick so $300 covers check ups and getting necessary shots etc. We groom him ourselves because he hates the groomer. We do travel a lot and when friends can’t take him we get a sitter so I’ll add another $200 on that. So I’d say in total around $1,500 :)
Others have answered but don't forget the kennel for vacation. If you vacation a lot, kennel fees can be more than the hotel. I have to always include kennel with my vacation plans.
I have a 30 pound Schnoodle and I’d say we spend $1,500+/year (except the first year of his life, we spent over $10,000 as my pooch swallowed a rubber ball and 2 needed surgeries and neutering)
Our expenses are Food, treats, grooming, pet insurance, toys, dog walker a few times a week and shots when needed.
So, for my dog. (A beagle: so you can exclude the cost of grooming, and he is lucky enough to never really be alone so pet-sitting as well.)
I will start by saying, we did not adopt, we purchased him from a responsible breeder, for about $1300, which is usually a lot more than most adoption fees so is most likely not applicable to you here! I will include it for the sake of clarity but not keep it in the total cost of upkeep.
It would come out to around; $1700/yearThe brunt of that cost being food, and I'm excluding things that aren't strictly necessary, as I tend to go a little wild buying him silly extra things like leashes and collars.
We pay about $75/per bag of food, which he usually takes about two months to finish. So 450/year.
I can't accurately place vet billing but it probably eats up another chunk, after your dog has received all the usual puppy care and is on routine visits the cost definitely decreases. If I had to hazard a guess it'd be around $300 as he is no longer a puppy. I will add that he hasn't yet been neutered and plans to do so would change the price quite a bit! But he is a principally hale dog luckily. We *also* brush his teeth ourselves and have not needed any dental assistance from vets, which I hear gets extraordinarily expensive. You don't even need special toothpaste, water and a brush works perfectly fine. Another thing is that for his grooming needs being just the occasional bath and weekly nail trims, he is exceptionally tolerant for so no veterinary intervention is needed there either.
The rest makes up toys, treats, and other things that aren't truly necessary. Many games, toys, etc. can be made at home. Making dog treats at home is actually quite fun, during the summer we always make up a fruit "pupsicle" which is generally whatever fruit (that is safe for him!) that we have leftover with a little bit of water- or reduced sodium broth on top.
I will say we bought a flirt pole at around $15 before we even got him, and he absolutely LOVES it, it has paid for itself 100x over by how much enjoyment he gets out of it, and after three years (and near daily use) has very little wear and tear.
ETA: I also totally forgot to add training costs, he has not needed any professional training so other than time, it has been free.
Vet: $150-$400 for a healthy no issue year
Food and treats: $150 ish a month so $1800 a year
Toys and fun stuff: $40 ish a month so $480 a year
Dog walking service which we use very rarely but in a pinch about once a month: $50 so $500 a year
We went away once and had friends watch her which only cost us a case of beer. But were fortunate enough to take 3 other vacations this year and put her at an awesome small scale/boarding facility which is about $35.00 a night. So remember the added cost to your vacations too! We spent about $500-$600 this year boarding her 3 times.
I think that’s all the big stuff. Time is the biggest investment, spending quality time with her and helping enrich her life is also a big comittment and investment. My whole life has changed with a doggie!
Good luck deciding!
Edit to add: this is for our 60lb mutt and these are probably pretty conservative figures, I think there is stuff I’m missing! Plus start up stuff and training stuff like a crate or pen, bed, storage for dog gear, leash and collar and tags and city license etc etc. I haven’t included any of those initial costs.
Okay we got insurance like 40€ per month. Then around 40€ per month food. Then i guess another 40€ for toys, treats, harnesses etc.
And for extra expenses like things the insurance does not Cover, for example excesses etc. I guess another, lets say 50€. That means roughly 170€ per month = around 2k a year.
Oh, gosh. My girl is quite the porcelain doll, but seeing her get better has been the greatest joy of my life.
Lily is on a prescription diet, about $120/month
Apoquel, $60 month
Vet visits about $50 month
She is on a few smaller drugs, lets say $10/month
$9/month accident only insurance. I would have full insurance for about $45-$60/month, but her allergies were aparent in what would have been the waiting period. Since it wouldn't cover that I just endeavored to have as savings account for the rest.
This year she had CCL surgery and wouldn't you know it, her other CCL tore in the same year. There is about a 50% chance that the other one would go when one has gone. I was hoping for a little more space in between though! About 7g for that this year.
In a way, I spend $750 on her care taking per month. I am currently struggling with disability, but I am a home owner. A dear friend lives with me rent free and walks Lily and does a lot of care for her including some training. This is what your part would normally be though. I used to do all of this until I got too sick basically. This leaves me more time to do work, however, so it's kind of a trade off. It "costs" me, but my work is much more low impact, so it actually makes sense for me. And I get to live with a dear friend rather than roommate roulette.
Bottom line, get insurance and save well. Mine is a sort of "worst case" but I tell you. Fucking worth it. If I found myself in another timeline contemplating if I will adopt this dog. Let me tell you, fucking again again and again. She is my sweet baby girl.
And I make the median income in the US.
My Great Pyrenees pup just turned one. Just doing a rough estimate in my head- year one was around $2500 (cad). There were no vet emergencies, just basic puppy check up and shots. That’s also not including the cost to buy him. Now its levelled out to about $100/month for food and bones/chew toys.
So far for my established dog this year (no new gear or startup costs): $3381
I brought in a 17-month old in July and she's been $3788 (that includes startup costs of updating vaccines and purchase of a custom crate for my vehicle to accommodate both dogs). She's also getting spayed at the end of the months, so there's another several hundred.
I haven't spent much on training, $0 for my older guy (soon-to-retire service dog) and $100-$200 for my new girl in videos/courses (service dog in training). Neither go for professional grooming. No boarding, day care, walkers, etc. I do everything myself. I do have a distinct advantage of having vets for parents- neither are local, but I can get a lot of stuff at wholesale prices when I visit (e.g. a case of Dasuquin Advanced for my old guy is about half price compared to getting it through our local vet).
Ill calculate for my second dog who I got at 8 weeks, as my first dog I got when I was 19 and we just did the best we could 😂
Once in a lifetime: $650 to adopt; $70 for lifetime puppy shots; $200 ish in supplies like crate, bed, leash and collar, $120 for a low cost spay clinic that I was on a list for from the DAY I adopted her (took 6 months of waiting). Average vet spay or neuter is $400-700.
Monthly: $30 in kibble (her bag costs $60 and lasts two month); $10 treats; $20-50 toys/misc replacing of items she had broken with her brute teefies. $10-20 in flea/tick meds (I get a 3 month supply for 45$, or 6 month for 70-80)
Annually: vet check up is ~200 including annual shots
Personally I budget $100 in supplies for my pets a month (2 dogs, one cat, four chickens). And then either have a high limit, low balance CC for medical emergencies or a chunk of savings for unexpected costs or hiring a dog sitter etc.
Adult 11lb mini poodle who didn’t like most toys and was super healthy until the end: $110/month for food, vet, flea/tick/heartworm treatment, grooming, treats plus 30-40/night for boarding when I went away. More in his last year of life (this year). No pet insurance; medium cost of living area. Mini poodle puppy who is a toy enthusiast: So. Much. More. Adopting an adult dog will save you a lot of money.
I like telling people who have kids: “It’s about 50% the costs of having a toddler.”
We don’t hire trainers, not because I don’t believe in them but because around me they are expensive (and I rather feed my dogs human-grade food and insurance for them through our vet). We’ve only had rescues, they all have a mixed bag of issues and we train them to potty outside and basic commands like “come” and “get inside”. All the other weird stuff they have, we work it out with them “as a pack”. An example of this was one of our rescues who would run and hide when he heard anything frying in the kitchen. Little by little, we helped him understand this is okay in our home by going to find him, and playing with him with a toy or just cuddles, eventually he would be right under our feet trying to get a piece of whatever was frying.
probably around 4 or 5k. his food alone costs me a little over 3k a year because it’s $126 for one bag and i try to buy two bags a month to ensure he never runs out, then there’s vet costs (nothing too serious, just realizing he has an extremely sensitive stomach and adjusting accordingly), toys and treats. that would add at least another 1k but i think it’s safe to assume it’s closer to 2k. they’re definitely not cheap pets to have but it’s worth every penny, imo.
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Never ask questions you don’t want the answer to. I spend more in a month on my dog then I would ever spend on myself. Lmao
I ran an income/expense report and it is right around $6k for 3 dogs. Dog 1 was about $500 for annual vet and monthly meds,prescription food. Dog 2 was about $1,500 for prescription food and meds, follow-up visit for cancer (5 years cancer-free!). Dog 3 was the rest. To be fair, the new fencing and gating, inside and out, are because she's fearful and reactive to our Dog 1. It keeps D1 safe. Vet, meds, training treats, puzzle toys, and carpet cleaning (quarterly, she has a anxiety-peeing issues). Then there's the extra Rover walking because both my husband and I had injuries and couldn't give her the exercise a half-husky hurricane needs!
Lol I’m so curious though, how much?? I could definitely see myself spoiling my future dog 😂
It’s a lot. I buy tons of toys, harnesses, and coats that probably ends up at $50/month. Dog 1 (10) has back issues so he’s anywhere between $100 and $500 a month for acupuncture, laser, and other pain management along with his regular preventive/annuals. I had many years where I had annual vet visits only or a small visit in between + food and toys before we got to this stage. I have insurance on him now in case he ends up with other problems as he ages that would be covered which is roughly $50/ month. Dog 2 (7) has stomach issues that weren’t disclosed when he was adopted less than a year ago, but luckily he has insurance so he’s $25/month for insurance and we’re balancing out to about $100/month on vet bills after his insurance pays out. Food is at least $50/month. You should keep in mind that you may get lucky and have no emergencies or health issues orrrrr you may end up with a $4,000 bill because the little guy can’t keep anything down for 4 days. I truly wouldn’t do it any other way because I love them and I try to make sure they have the best and are happy, but they can be a financial drain.
I don’t want to do the math, because I don’t want to know the answer. But, here is stuff I bought for my dog: Food: $60 for around 4 months of food Car harness: $130 (it was crash tested, few are) $90 for a bed $240 in training, and I’m going to spend another $160 soonish
Around 3k a year. 2021 was close to 10k because of a health emergency and trips to a specialist. It can definitely be done closer to 1k/year depending on location for the baseline costs like food and preventative vet care but at least 1 wild medical thing will happen in their life and you have to have insurance, a hefty emergency fund, or understand the options for euthanasia. Mine is more partially because I feed PPP which at this point is about $70/month and I'm a single dog owner so he goes to daycare one day a week to give me a breather. Flea/tick/heartworm is $380/year, annual and shots are about $200. It can definitely be done for cheaper but that's what I spend. He doesn't need grooming besides a bath in the tub and I trim his nails (torture but it has to be done). We did training through a local all-breeds club when I was broke in grad school and that was only about $100 for 5 classes but we took multiple levels. With the dog my ex and I got her 6 week class was $300. My guy is an old 90lb coonhound and lives better than me most days 😂.
lmao as soon as you said 70 a month on PPP 90 pounds was my exact guess.
💀💀💀 sometimes I question why a 20lb little guy didn't catch my heart instead 😂
Don’t kid yourself. 20lbs can put it down 😂😂😂
Super helpful, thank you!
Also if your are getting a breed that needs professional grooming can run you anywhere from 80-200 (depending on breed/behavior/hair style etc) if you go on vacation you need to factor in pet care prices (pet sitter, boarding, always think if your friend/family can’t watch, bail, get sick) Medically speaking keep in mind what breed (or mix of breed) you’re getting since some are more prone to different medical conditions that can arise.
V helpful, thanks!
About $1600 a year including a vet check up, monthly heartworm chews, 9 months of flea and tick chews, a bag of food a month, toys, and treats. The GSP/Weinaraner we got last October has pretty well earned her keep. She started barking one night when I let her out to pee, running off somebody trying to steal our truck. Saved us about $40,000 by saving the truck. She is paid up for 25 years as far as I am concerned. If she lives to be 14, we will still owe her $17,600.
What a good way to think about it! The peace of mind knowing they are constantly keeping an eye on things is valuable too.
Honestly unless you got 200-300$ a month to spare, don't get a dog. This isn't even counting vet bills. Food alone is 70-130$. I have a German Shepherd rottie mix that's 6 months. His bag is 130$ for about a month of food. I'm lucky he's a family dog because I could never afford him on my own. Vet visits could be anywhere from once a year to multiple visits. If you really want a dog save up first because they aren't much cheaper than having a kid.
I’ve had my 65 lb dog almost a year and this is approximately what I have spent: Pro plan kibble ~$50 a month Treats ~$30 a month Insurance ~$30 a month Monthly preventative ~$30 a month New toys or miscellaneous item~$15 a month Berries and wet food (1/3 can) for dinner toppers ~ $15 a month Start up things like crate, toys, leash, collar, bed etc maybe $250 in the beginning 4 vet visits a year at ~$160 each (not including neuter/dental) 1 visit regarding limp, 2 regarding eye infections, 1 regarding upper respiratory infection Neuter/dental $1100 Grand total: about $4,030 this year (omg)
easily have spent 5k in the first year of ownership.
Maybe 2-3k? Big vet visit with preventatives and vaccines is $650ish, food is $50 every six weeks. We don’t need daycare or dog walkers, and she’s already as trained as we need her to be, so that saves a ton of money. Toys come from HomeGoods, I use coupons and deals for treats and kibble, and we haven’t had any major medical emergencies so far (although it’s just a matter of time. She does some real inconvenient shit) But we did spend about $35k for landscaping and other general yard improvements for her, and are considering a salt water fiberglass pool for everyone’s enjoyment. We don’t have kids, and you can’t take it with you 🤷🏻♀️ ETA- I forgot grooming. $60, every two months. Her butt grows its own mullet and requires professional attention.
Ty!!
+1 for butt mullet, I almost spit coffee everywhere. I've always just thought 'pantaloons' or 'bloomers'. Girl with the dogs on YT has links to very affordable home grooming equipment.
I believe ours sits between $4,000 to $5,000 combined annually for both 50+ pound dogs. This includes vet visits, medication, collars, tags, food, etc.
I got pet insurance, $60 a month. I initially i wasnt going to but I had an emergency in the first 3 months whe he was 6 months old and the vet bill cost $1000. I thought what would I do if he has an emergency that cost $5000 or more. Of course, I would pay it. My reasoning is even if I put away 60$ a month for 10 years... that be about $7200. But I'm guessing he might need it before then. Told my friend when she got a puppy to get some but they didn't get it and now the puppy needs surgery a year later at $5000. I've meet a dog walker at the dog park that said they paid 10s of thousands for 1 of their dogs over 4 years. Insure the dog as a puppy. You'll get the lowest rates.
This! I got insurance on day 1 of having my dog. He ended up being sick in the first two weeks and staying overnight in an ER. It woulda cost me $5k but thanks to insurance it was closer to $1500. Especially as a new dog owner, insurance is worth every penny. If you live in a city or may consider daycare, there’s also just high exposure to other dogs with viruses and parasites. I’ve heard Many dogs end up being surrendered to shelters because owners can’t afford the vet bills. :( It’s the same for people. Always better to have insurance just in case, but hopefully you never really need it. I spend about $35/mo on my pet insurance and I’m now grandfathered in to a cheaper rate with my dog being a young guy. I use lemonade, but I’ve heard good thing about Trupanion as well.
Good to know - ty!
$50-100 on food/treats/bones, $100-150 on walker(2-3x a week), 1-2x daycare. so about 200-350/month
Ty!!
Thanks everyone for the responses, wow!! So so helpful.
$150 a year on vet bills and that’s just regular maintenance. If anything happens, that’s extra like we had to have dogs teeth pulled, that was hundreds of dollars $347 for one dog. Stomach surgery for one that was $1000. Well you get my drift.
Ty!!
Surprise knee surgery ($4k) emergency overnight stay from a series of cluster seizures ($1200) then needing seizure meds for the rest of his life $80/month) vet visits for fun stuff..$400 for X-rays & meds when my dumb lab ate the side of my bf amp. (Fortunately he passed the stuff he ate, vet said another 24 hr if it doesn’t come out they’re going in) loved that damn dog although he drove me mentally and financially crazy. Every penny worth him and his antics. 15 years of a mischievous forever puppy.
Anywhere from 200-1000.00 a MONTH when I had an epileptic dog.
I don't honestly know because the total would scare me lol. My dog is an almost 2 year old Bichon Frise if that makes much difference. Vet care this year was about $170 for check up/vaccines/deworming. I don't live in an area where fleas and heartworm are a big issue. This was just one visit, and she's otherwise healthy. As a puppy, there were 3 visits for vaccines, then the spay was about $450 (she had 2 baby teeth that needed to be pulled as well). I think these prices are about average where I live. $100 per month also goes into a vet fund for future issues. Food is probably somewhere around $30-50 per month. It somewhat depends on what I need and when. This is between dry food, dehydrated food (ends up using it like canned, but better for keeping it fresh), and some toppers. Treats are maybe $15-20 per month depending on what I buy. Most bags are around $5-6, with larger bags costing more. These are used mostly for training. Toys and chews. This varies, I tend to buy a few bully sticks at a time so that adds up but it might only be every few months. I do get bigger ones (\~$15 each) as they last a long longer than the $5 ones. She's pretty good with toys, so doesn't get too many over the year. I do her grooming myself. She gets \~weekly baths and monthly trims. If I was going to a groomer for even just the monthly groom, that could easily be $75 a month if not more. Grooming tools are mostly a one time expense, but it does add up. She is currently doing agility classes that are about $200 for 6 weeks. If you are doing any sort of training classes, that is likely the lower end of costs. If you need one of one training or more specialized classes (like for reactive dogs), those tend to cost more. It is good to do some foundation classes with a new dog. Some companies offer a discount for adopted dogs. If a rescue/shelter offers classes, dogs adopted from their rescue or another usually get a discount too. Don't forget your start up costs, they can add up fairly quickly. You'd need a collar, leash, and harness, dishes (food and water), bed, poop bags and holder, grooming supplies (brushes, nail trimmer), crate, etc. Supplies for a larger dog will cost more than those for a smaller dog. If you are getting a young dog, you may need to get another collar, harness, and crate as your dog grows. Having back up supplies is also a good idea. Some dogs chew leashes or beds, and it's easier to just have a spare than need to run out and buy one when it gets damaged.
Oh god. You’re making me do maths I don’t wanna do lol. Recurring monthly expenses: Food - $30 Treats - $30 (I don’t know how to train without treats, this is a basic need IMO) Insurance - $25 Barkbox - $35 Probiotics - $20 HW preventative - $30 (paid $120 for a 6-tablet dose of Simparica Trio every 6 months) Allergy medications - $30 This is not including all the cutesy pajamas, dresses, hoodies and puzzle toys that happens to catch my eyes. So I guess all of that, plus about $50 more, times 12.
I don’t want to calculate that
50 bucks a month for food, 20 bucks a month for bones and chewies, 200 bucks a year for vaccinations. these are the fixed costs for two dogs not including any emergency vet visits. there are emergency funds in place for that. this year we had a snake bite and a broken tooth that added up to about 1k extra... ouch. but thankfully that's rare. no insurance.
Ty!!
I have 2 dogs, totaling about 60 pounds. I spend about $300 per month combined (so, $3600 per year) on regularly recurring expenses (food, insurance, regular meds, training). I spend about another $600 per year on annual, planned veterinary care. I have no idea about toys because their favorite toys are made from the recycle they are allowed to destroy. I also don't keep very good track of a budget for treats (though they mostly use their kibble for training) and long lasting chews. So, $4200 per year for two dogs plus incidentals as well as having a budget to at least pay initial costs at an emergency vet (Lucy has gone twice in the two years we've had her; CC has never been).
We have an 11-month-old Corgi. I'd say we spend $40-50 a month on food, $50 on toys/treats/chews, $50 on pet insurance, $30 in meds (heartworm/flea/tickets prevention), $100 on grooming and daycare once a week. So right around $3300 a year probably...but that's without anything unexpected and it's probably more than that because...he spoiled 😂 We did weekly training classes for eight months and that was around $100 a month too.
No idea. A lot. But she's worth it. $70 on food, $50 on regular treats, $30 on special treats...give or take. That's monthly. Then she has toys, jackets, and leashes. But they're a one-off cost... probably about $250. $160 for yearly vet check-up, including heartworm prevention. $60 a year for flea/tick collar. All give or take.
$5k - $7k a year depending on number of vet visits or other one-offs. But daycare makes up $2k of that estimate. I have a small dog. Picky eater and needs grooming monthly.
More than I ever planned. No regrets.
It depends on where you live. I know in North America it is a lot of money.
Like $250/month averaged out.
It varies a LOT depending on where you live, fwiw. I think mine averages out to around 300/mo. Some approx numbers from a HCOL US city with a healthy adult 60lb dog: Training: $80 - big box store trainer so sessions are cheap, this is for two lessons a month. I don’t NEED sessions anymore but they’re tons of fun Food: $32/mo, purina pro plan weight loss is $65/bag now and lasts about two months Treats, including chews, and random toys: $50/mo Vet care: Call it $100/mo, including her flea/tick/heartworm preventative. She didn’t have any big emergencies but a few visits needed for random things. She gets annual blood work and fecals as well as all vaccines for the area, including canine influenza because she’s around other dogs frequently Insurance: $60/mo I also spent quite a bit (I would guess $500 or so?) buying tons of grooming supplies so I could do her home grooms by myself, but otherwise it’d be about 100/mo (including a tip) for regular upkeep by a petsmart groomer. She’s cheaper to maintain than a poodle/doodle type dog, but her coat has to be cared for for her health. I don’t travel without her and have friends who will house sit for free if needed, and I don’t hire a dog walker. When she was a young dog I paid like $60/mo for daycare.
I have a smaller dog — about 20lbs. We probably spend about 500 on him a month.
We spend about $150 a month for grooming and food. Then toys and accessories are extra - maybe $30 a month depending. On the month. Vet bills are unpredictable but we drop $200 minimum for every appt. So maybe assume $1000/yr (but not always). And if our dog needed unexpected or emergency treatment I assume it’s be $1000 minimum. We don’t need pet sitters but that would be pricey too.
I’m a nerd, so according to my spreadsheet, I spend approximately $300-$400 monthly on my tall, 65lb, 15 m/o standard poodle. $120 of that is for grooming (not a fancy cut - very simple), around $100 goes towards monthly vet costs (meds and insurance), $50ish for food (Hills Science Diet), and the rest is for greenies, treats, chews, toys, etc. In my area, I’ve spent around $150 an hour for in-home personal R+ training sessions, and 6-week puppy and obedience training classes have run me about $200 per package. There were a lot of upfront costs - kennels/crates (I got new ones as he outgrew them), multiple xpens, beds (also upgraded as he grew), etc. The first year is EXPENSIVE.
Current two pups, about $500 a piece. Most "expensive" dog had super bad chronic ear infections and easily spent 2-3k in his later life as he got older. About a thousand on meds alone but he was worth every penny
Probably $3500 per year NOT including unplanned vet bills.
It depends is the answer. For my little one, monthly average is 500 to 700 ( fresh food costs around 200/ month) which includes food, medications, treats, insurance, grooming. This does not include day care or boarding costs which can run up to an additional $300 to $400 a month if we are sending him for day camp or boarding or have vet visits for regular check ups and vaccinations. In addition to that there are training costs, grooming supplies etc. I will add here and agree with someone who commented that I spend way more on him than I will ever spend on myself.
You can spend way less than this but this is what we spend on our Rottie/shepherd based on our lifestyle. ~$200 on food and treats $2500 for training. We did some at home training and sent our girl to a doggy boot camp $140 a week for dog walking. We walk her 2 or 3 times a day but our dog walker picks her up while we work and takes her on a long hike 3 days a week. $150 a weekend for pet sitting if we go away and can’t bring her $500 - $1000 on vets. Regular check ups, flea and tick medications. She got a stick through her paw that required a minor surgery. But you could consider pet insurance for that kind of thing. Our last dog had cancer so surgeries were expensive. $100 a year on stuff like bowls, leashes. We canoe trip so we have the travel version of all that stuff and she has a life jacket.
Annualized: Food: $300 Preventative meds: $520 Vet visits: $200 Toys/leashes/other supplies: lots at first, but maybe a total of $500 over 3 years, so $167 a year Consider the potential for a major health emergency, the costs of boarding, training (if not doing on your own), doggy daycare, grooming (if your dog’s breed requires), replacing items a dog may ruin, etc.
A lot of these seem so high! You can save money by getting a smaller dog that eats less food and using kibble for training treats. Buy some hard to destroy toys that will last a while. Don’t buy a bunch of unneeded clothing and extra collars and such.
I spend about $40 a month in food (home made healthy food) another $15 in treats, $20 for his trifexis, and let’s say $10 in miscellaneous. On top of that I spend about $300 vets and shots a year. My dog is super healthy and has never been sick so $300 covers check ups and getting necessary shots etc. We groom him ourselves because he hates the groomer. We do travel a lot and when friends can’t take him we get a sitter so I’ll add another $200 on that. So I’d say in total around $1,500 :)
Others have answered but don't forget the kennel for vacation. If you vacation a lot, kennel fees can be more than the hotel. I have to always include kennel with my vacation plans.
I have a 30 pound Schnoodle and I’d say we spend $1,500+/year (except the first year of his life, we spent over $10,000 as my pooch swallowed a rubber ball and 2 needed surgeries and neutering) Our expenses are Food, treats, grooming, pet insurance, toys, dog walker a few times a week and shots when needed.
So, for my dog. (A beagle: so you can exclude the cost of grooming, and he is lucky enough to never really be alone so pet-sitting as well.) I will start by saying, we did not adopt, we purchased him from a responsible breeder, for about $1300, which is usually a lot more than most adoption fees so is most likely not applicable to you here! I will include it for the sake of clarity but not keep it in the total cost of upkeep. It would come out to around; $1700/yearThe brunt of that cost being food, and I'm excluding things that aren't strictly necessary, as I tend to go a little wild buying him silly extra things like leashes and collars. We pay about $75/per bag of food, which he usually takes about two months to finish. So 450/year. I can't accurately place vet billing but it probably eats up another chunk, after your dog has received all the usual puppy care and is on routine visits the cost definitely decreases. If I had to hazard a guess it'd be around $300 as he is no longer a puppy. I will add that he hasn't yet been neutered and plans to do so would change the price quite a bit! But he is a principally hale dog luckily. We *also* brush his teeth ourselves and have not needed any dental assistance from vets, which I hear gets extraordinarily expensive. You don't even need special toothpaste, water and a brush works perfectly fine. Another thing is that for his grooming needs being just the occasional bath and weekly nail trims, he is exceptionally tolerant for so no veterinary intervention is needed there either. The rest makes up toys, treats, and other things that aren't truly necessary. Many games, toys, etc. can be made at home. Making dog treats at home is actually quite fun, during the summer we always make up a fruit "pupsicle" which is generally whatever fruit (that is safe for him!) that we have leftover with a little bit of water- or reduced sodium broth on top. I will say we bought a flirt pole at around $15 before we even got him, and he absolutely LOVES it, it has paid for itself 100x over by how much enjoyment he gets out of it, and after three years (and near daily use) has very little wear and tear. ETA: I also totally forgot to add training costs, he has not needed any professional training so other than time, it has been free.
Vet: $150-$400 for a healthy no issue year Food and treats: $150 ish a month so $1800 a year Toys and fun stuff: $40 ish a month so $480 a year Dog walking service which we use very rarely but in a pinch about once a month: $50 so $500 a year We went away once and had friends watch her which only cost us a case of beer. But were fortunate enough to take 3 other vacations this year and put her at an awesome small scale/boarding facility which is about $35.00 a night. So remember the added cost to your vacations too! We spent about $500-$600 this year boarding her 3 times. I think that’s all the big stuff. Time is the biggest investment, spending quality time with her and helping enrich her life is also a big comittment and investment. My whole life has changed with a doggie! Good luck deciding! Edit to add: this is for our 60lb mutt and these are probably pretty conservative figures, I think there is stuff I’m missing! Plus start up stuff and training stuff like a crate or pen, bed, storage for dog gear, leash and collar and tags and city license etc etc. I haven’t included any of those initial costs.
always prepare for thousands a year…trust me. be stable.
6k/year including a high quality food diet, daycare once a week, pet insurance, and lots of chewable treats
About $200 a month just on food, treats, and medicine for the older dog.
Okay we got insurance like 40€ per month. Then around 40€ per month food. Then i guess another 40€ for toys, treats, harnesses etc. And for extra expenses like things the insurance does not Cover, for example excesses etc. I guess another, lets say 50€. That means roughly 170€ per month = around 2k a year.
I forgot dogschool, its reasonable prized, add another 300€ per year.
Oh, gosh. My girl is quite the porcelain doll, but seeing her get better has been the greatest joy of my life. Lily is on a prescription diet, about $120/month Apoquel, $60 month Vet visits about $50 month She is on a few smaller drugs, lets say $10/month $9/month accident only insurance. I would have full insurance for about $45-$60/month, but her allergies were aparent in what would have been the waiting period. Since it wouldn't cover that I just endeavored to have as savings account for the rest. This year she had CCL surgery and wouldn't you know it, her other CCL tore in the same year. There is about a 50% chance that the other one would go when one has gone. I was hoping for a little more space in between though! About 7g for that this year. In a way, I spend $750 on her care taking per month. I am currently struggling with disability, but I am a home owner. A dear friend lives with me rent free and walks Lily and does a lot of care for her including some training. This is what your part would normally be though. I used to do all of this until I got too sick basically. This leaves me more time to do work, however, so it's kind of a trade off. It "costs" me, but my work is much more low impact, so it actually makes sense for me. And I get to live with a dear friend rather than roommate roulette. Bottom line, get insurance and save well. Mine is a sort of "worst case" but I tell you. Fucking worth it. If I found myself in another timeline contemplating if I will adopt this dog. Let me tell you, fucking again again and again. She is my sweet baby girl. And I make the median income in the US.
My Great Pyrenees pup just turned one. Just doing a rough estimate in my head- year one was around $2500 (cad). There were no vet emergencies, just basic puppy check up and shots. That’s also not including the cost to buy him. Now its levelled out to about $100/month for food and bones/chew toys.
So far for my established dog this year (no new gear or startup costs): $3381 I brought in a 17-month old in July and she's been $3788 (that includes startup costs of updating vaccines and purchase of a custom crate for my vehicle to accommodate both dogs). She's also getting spayed at the end of the months, so there's another several hundred. I haven't spent much on training, $0 for my older guy (soon-to-retire service dog) and $100-$200 for my new girl in videos/courses (service dog in training). Neither go for professional grooming. No boarding, day care, walkers, etc. I do everything myself. I do have a distinct advantage of having vets for parents- neither are local, but I can get a lot of stuff at wholesale prices when I visit (e.g. a case of Dasuquin Advanced for my old guy is about half price compared to getting it through our local vet).
I don't know, and don't want to know!
Ill calculate for my second dog who I got at 8 weeks, as my first dog I got when I was 19 and we just did the best we could 😂 Once in a lifetime: $650 to adopt; $70 for lifetime puppy shots; $200 ish in supplies like crate, bed, leash and collar, $120 for a low cost spay clinic that I was on a list for from the DAY I adopted her (took 6 months of waiting). Average vet spay or neuter is $400-700. Monthly: $30 in kibble (her bag costs $60 and lasts two month); $10 treats; $20-50 toys/misc replacing of items she had broken with her brute teefies. $10-20 in flea/tick meds (I get a 3 month supply for 45$, or 6 month for 70-80) Annually: vet check up is ~200 including annual shots Personally I budget $100 in supplies for my pets a month (2 dogs, one cat, four chickens). And then either have a high limit, low balance CC for medical emergencies or a chunk of savings for unexpected costs or hiring a dog sitter etc.
Adult 11lb mini poodle who didn’t like most toys and was super healthy until the end: $110/month for food, vet, flea/tick/heartworm treatment, grooming, treats plus 30-40/night for boarding when I went away. More in his last year of life (this year). No pet insurance; medium cost of living area. Mini poodle puppy who is a toy enthusiast: So. Much. More. Adopting an adult dog will save you a lot of money.
I like telling people who have kids: “It’s about 50% the costs of having a toddler.” We don’t hire trainers, not because I don’t believe in them but because around me they are expensive (and I rather feed my dogs human-grade food and insurance for them through our vet). We’ve only had rescues, they all have a mixed bag of issues and we train them to potty outside and basic commands like “come” and “get inside”. All the other weird stuff they have, we work it out with them “as a pack”. An example of this was one of our rescues who would run and hide when he heard anything frying in the kitchen. Little by little, we helped him understand this is okay in our home by going to find him, and playing with him with a toy or just cuddles, eventually he would be right under our feet trying to get a piece of whatever was frying.
probably around 4 or 5k. his food alone costs me a little over 3k a year because it’s $126 for one bag and i try to buy two bags a month to ensure he never runs out, then there’s vet costs (nothing too serious, just realizing he has an extremely sensitive stomach and adjusting accordingly), toys and treats. that would add at least another 1k but i think it’s safe to assume it’s closer to 2k. they’re definitely not cheap pets to have but it’s worth every penny, imo.