Also, just wondering, what dog food does everyone recommend. I find it all very confusing.

How much will a dog cost for the first year and beyond?

1. Dog. we got ours at the humane society for 130.00 (200.00 savings)
2. Spay / Neutering ~ there is a local program where the costs are shared 3 ways with the city, vet, and owner if it is a humane society pet, so we only paid 60.00 (290.00 savings)
3. Dog crate for medium sized dog ~ we don’t ever crate our dog. He wanders around the upstairs all day, and when we travel he rides in the back seat of our car. we did buy a baby gate to keep him out of the basement though for about 30.00 (30.00 savings)
4. Food dishes ~ We used what we had (20.00 savings)
5. Chew toys & leash ~ $30 This is about accurate for us
6. Portable Rug Cleaner (Bissel Green Machine) ~ We did not purchase anything like this. we scrub the carpet if there are ever accidents, but it has only happened a couple of times, and one bottle of cleaner and a brush have done the job 15.00 for those items (75.00 savings)
7. Dog training books ~ $0 Thanks to the local library!
8. Dog obedience school ~ We did not take our dog to obedience school. He is well behaved, and learned well from us (250.00 savings)
9. Food ~ I think we spend about 400.00 or so on food in a year (150.00 additional)
10. Vaccinations and vet bills ~ $200 / yr on average
11. City dog licensing ~ $30 / yr
12. Boarding ~ $0 (We made an arrangement with someone else. We’d watch their dog when they go on holidays and they would watch ours.)
13. Grooming ~ $20 / yr for a brush and shampoo. We’re only considering dogs that don’t need haircuts.

It cost us about $715.00 less in the first year than you are budgeting.

Before any country bumpkins that live in hickville and have large backyards start in, living in an urban area and having both the husband and wife work for 10 hours a day, a dog walker is an absolute necessity. A dog cannot make it 10 hours a day without peeing, so its either a dog walker or a pee pad, and the latter is not a good idea as it encourages the dog to go to bathroom inside the house.

I pay my dog walker $10 a day, so it runs like $220 a month or so.

I may be wrong, but I doubt it. It’s a good racket.

I had to break down my yearly pet expenses as an exercise on business budgeting (while in school). My sum was $1500 a year. I planned for one emergency visit during the year. If I didn’t use the entire amount, all the better.

We chose a dog that would fit in with our lifestyle – we were not able to do the two miles a day that many dogs need to get rid of their energy! We got a Yorkshire Terrier, a healthy and long lived breed that belie their small and delicate look. We are on our second Yorkie and love them. They are cheap to feed even the quality stuffand although require haircuts that means they don’t spread hair around the house. A brush doesn’t have to be expensive, ours is a supermarket job.

Insurance is an expense, but gives a freedom from the worry of sudden bills – or decisions about having the dog euthanased. He has a sleeping/travelling box – is this the equivalent of a crate? All the kit was either ‘thrifted’ or has lasted. This one had a new collar, a nice fabricy black number that was cheap, but uses the same lead as the first. He doesn’t eat much and loves a few leftovers and raw carrots.

He’s sitting on my knee now, helping me type, lovely!

Chew toys & other toys – my English Cocker Spaniel puppy (just a bit smaller than a Springer Spaniel) goes through lots of chew toys. She’s a heavy chewer for a small to medium sized dog. She’s 7 mos old and we’ve never lost a shoe or had anything else damaged. I recommend “bully sticks” – you can order them from websites cheaper than buying in a pet store. Also balls, stuffed toys, Kongs etc. to retrieve and play with. Keeping the puppy busy will prevent behavior problems. Don’t buy too much until you see what your dog likes. Budget more for this.

Obedience classes – I’m trained & shown dogs for obedience competition & taught obedience classes, so I’ve done some training on my own with this puppy, but I will still be taking her to obedience classes. They are worth the money. It is not impossible to train a dog on your own, but unless you’re experienced you will learn a lot from the classes and its an investment in enjoying the long-term companionship of a well-trained dog.

Crates – every dog should have one! They help with housebreaking, keep the dog (and the house) safe when you’re away, make it easier to travel with your pet. We’ve had to evacuate with our dog & cat and it is much easier to deal with if the dog is accustomed to a crate. I would NEVER leave a dog alone in a hotel room, no matter how well trained. If a maid opens your door the dog can escape – I know people who’ve had this happen. If crate trained when young, the dog will regard the crate as a den, and will like it.

Grooming – definitely want to do this yourself. You may need more than budgeted for shampoo & grooming equipment. Keep in mind that short-haired dogs shed much more than long haired ones, so do some research on the breed before deciding. The time you save on grooming will be spent vacuuming and cleaning your furniture & clothes.

You might want to get a dog bed for use in the family room/LR especially if you don’t want the dog on furniture. We let our puppy get on the sofa with us in the evening, but she has a bed and a mat to sleep on during the day while we’re working (we work at home). It gives her a place she’s familiar with when we say “go lay down” and she does.

Dog breed (or mix of breeds) – Do some research on what you’re getting. Dog behavior is greatly influenced by breed – tendency to bark excessively, activity level, tolerance of children, etc. Breeds were developed for specific functions and their behavior in the home will reflect those functions. If you want a specific breed you can find those at a humane society (sometimes) or through specific breed rescue organizations. Take your time in finding the right match for your family.

Good luck! Hope you find a dog that will give you many years of enjoyment and companionship as ours have.

That said, start off with as much money saved in a pet emergency fund as you can. You never know when you’ll need it, and the fund will take care of expenses that pet insurance may not cover. Buy the absolute best food you can afford – which goes a long way in preventing food allergies. And then add an additional 20% to all your estimates. Go into pet ownership with your eyes wide open, but do go into it. The love of a companion pet is priceless!

Good luck!

I hope this helps you out.

Yes, the dogs from the shelter here in town come with all their shots, a spay/neuter coupon, etc. But, I got my dog for free from craigslist and even with catching up her shots and her spay I’m spending less than I would’ve at the shelter.

The other costs look pretty good though. As always, you can spend as much or as little as you want depending on what quality stuff you buy. I’d say look on craigslist or similar for used dog crates, etc since sometimes the dogs outgrow them.

Tthe $350 to adopt looks extremely high. We got ours for $100 from the local shelter. The spaying was free with that also – around here (MO) most shelters automatically spay or neuter before adopting out their pets.