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Enjoying family time with a dog is a wonderful feeling for every pet owner. We all crave the unique brand of true companionship that can really only be satisfied by the company of a loyal dog.
We’ve seen this proven over the last couple of years. When the coronavirus shook the world and left many of us working from home, cooped-up workers began buying and adopting house pets in such massive volumes that it sparked a new name for this generation of dogs: “Covid puppies.”
While the companionship of a dog can be a great comfort, reduce stress, and relieve anxiety, many of us forget to consider the financial reality of owning a pet dog. We manage to trick ourselves by looking at the up-front cost, like the purchase price or adoption fee of the animal itself. But a lot more goes into owning a dog than the cost of your new friend themselves.
If you are planning to welcome a loyal partner into your life, keep in mind the real expenses of owning a dog, and be sure to plan accordingly. In this article, we go over the major expenses to owning a dog, what makes them an important investment, and how you can cut costs while still doing right by your prospective pet.
Food and Treats
What it costs:
When we talk about the cost of owning a dog, the primary expense lies in dog food and treats. According to surveys, the annual expenses of dog food are on average around $200, while pet owners will spend $75 on dog treats.
But investing in a quality food, which we at Lugaru K9 Training highly recommend, can run the cost much higher. Quality kibble, raw and homemade food, and commercial fresh food are significantly healthier for your dog than your generic grocery store kibble, and in our opinion should be the bare minimum in dog care.
How much quality pet food will actually cost you annually will depend drastically on your food of choice and your dog’s size/dietary needs, but for reference, I feed my own three small dogs a healthy homemade diet on about $100/month, or about $33 per dog. This means that each dog eats about $400 yearly for a quality food that they love.
How to cut costs:
Choosing a quality food doesn’t always have to mean making homemade food from whole ingredients like I do. Picking a quality kibble can be as simple as reading the label, and luckily Khayl has put together a helpful guide for dog owners who are still learning how to pick the right ingredients.
And, we’ll let you in on a little pet industry secret: dog treats are a scam. Or, sometimes they are.
At Lugaru K9 Training, we tend use the dog’s daily food for training, which keeps dogs eating an appropriate amount daily and spares us from having to buy $20 bags of treats that will be gone in a week. And yes, we promise, it works for training.
If you want to buy some treats every once in a while, that is certainly your prerogative, and there is nothing inherently wrong with the occasional splurge. I do that, myself, with my favorite treats from Raw Paws Pet Food. But when it comes to pet care, dog training, and good husbandry, commercial dog treats are, in essence, unnecessary.
Dog Walking
What it costs:
Regular walking is very important for the good health of your furry friend. If you don’t take your dog on a regular walk, this can cause boredom, frustration, and even depression. Walks are also important to provide regular exercise, and failing to provide that physical activity can negatively impact your dog’s physical health. As a result, dogs who don’t have access to regular structured outings for mental stimulation and exercise will develop behavior issues.
Make sure you take your dog for a walk for at least 30 minutes daily to encourage socialization in your dog, and understand that some breeds may need much more exercise than that 30 minutes.
If you are someone who is very busy and have difficulty finding the time, or if you aren’t fit enough physically to be up to the task, this need in your dog can mean that hiring a dog walker can be very helpful. On dog walker apps like Wag and Rover, dog walkers can be found for as little as around $15 for 30 minutes’ walk daily, but a very good dog walker can run a bit more; back when I used to walk dogs for a living, my rate was $20 for each 30 minutes.
How to cut costs:
Having a regular exercise outlet for your dog is non-negotiable in pet care, but there are ways to do so on a bit more of a budget.
If you have a treadmill in your home, it’s worth considering doing some treadmill conditioning with your dog, especially if you have or are looking to get a dog with high exercise needs.
You can also work into the habit of walking your dog yourself, whether that means starting slow for your fitness level or just tearing yourself away from your bed 30 minutes earlier than usual. Walking your dog regularly yourself is also a wonderful bonding activity and can just as easily double as a training session.
If you’re reluctant to pay for dog walking daily, you can always see if your household can commit to a walking schedule to split the workload, or if a relative or neighbor would be interested in dropping in on your dog for a lower cost.
Dog Training
What is costs:
Would we even be trainers if we didn’t stress the importance of investing in dog training? Training your dog is very important if you want to be able to take your dog anywhere and ensure you both get to live your best life. Basic dog training classes, like those at big box pet stores, tend to cost around $200 every year, but in general we recommend that dog owners pass on those types of classes and find a balanced trainer who can give you and your concerns more individual attention. You can look for an in-home trainer in your area, or find a trainer like ourselves here at Lugaru K9 Training, who can help you with online dog training classes no matter where you live.
Getting a professional to work hands-on with you or provide great results with a board-and-train is an investment, but a worthwhile one. A board-and-train program of a few weeks can run between $2000-$4000, while in-home lessons vary on the trainer but is usually around $100 per lesson for an hour or more with a quality trainer.
How to cut costs:
Some tricks and behaviors can be tackled at home, especially in the digital age with a sea of resources available online. That said, the online space around dog training is so saturated and opinionated that it can be difficult to separate good advice from the bad. Always remember that results speak so much more than words.
While the best results always come with the guiding hand of a professional with years of experience, basic obedience and especially learning the basic skills is generally comprehensive enough to do at home. In this way, you can save money that otherwise would be spent on a professional trainer.
Toys, gear, and accessories
What it costs:
Monthly expenditures of owning a dog include the costs of toys and accessories. The final cost in this area depends a lot on the individual dog (and how destructive they tend to be with toys) and personal preference of the dog owner.
According to a survey, around $60 is spent on dog toys and accessories every year for each dog, but in reality, this is an area where many small costs tend to add up throughout the year.
Dog accessories like jackets and boots can be needed in cold weather. You need, at least, a leash and collar for your dog to walk them and carry their tags. Grooming aids like nail clippers and dog shampoo are needed for the regular maintenance of your dog. We always recommend crate training, and it’s a good idea to have a mat or bed to practice the place command during the day.
How to cut costs:
Dog toys can be purchased on-sale, or on an extreme budget they can even be made at home out of various materials. One inexpensive toy we’ve seen dogs love over and over again is fabric stuffed into a hollow ball; this costs next to nothing to make, dogs adore pulling fabric out, and it’s reusable and lasts a long time.
A lot of other pet products can be purchased secondhand, like crates and clothes. From what I’ve seen, crates, leashes, leash tools, dog clothes, and pet beds are very common at thrift stores, and it’s worth taking a look to find ways to cut costs on these often-necessary expenses.
Grooming
What it costs
Owning a dog comes with grooming costs as well. There are various dog breeds with fluffy, long, or otherwise demanding hair that require monthly grooming. Dog owners usually spend around $200 yearly on professional grooming. Grooming services include bathing, trimming, and cutting the fur. Clipping your dog’s nails and overall cleaning will keep them attractive and healthy.
How to cut costs:
If you want to save the grooming cost, it is good to bathe your dog at home and do other necessary cleanings and maintenance like trimming their nails. However, if you’re set on a dog with a high-maintenance coat or special skin needs, there is a degree of non-negotiable-ness of professional grooming services.
Pet Sitting
What it costs:
Inevitably, you sometimes have to travel out of town or need a night out without your dog. During these times, when otherwise your dog would be left alone for a prolonged period of time, this requires a pet sitter. You can hire a professional pet sitter for roughly $40 per night for a single dog, though rates will vary based on the sitter. Under this umbrella, it’s also good to keep in mind costs for daycare, drop-in visits, and extended stays when necessary.
How to cut costs:
This is one of those areas in which cutting costs can be very detrimental. Outside hoping that a relative or roommate will look after your dog, hiring a cheap professional usually reflects the quality of care for that professional. This isn’t an area to try to save costs, especially if you plan on being out of town and getting back to your dog would be difficult should an emergency occur.
Health and Veterinary Care
What it costs:
Maintaining and managing your dog’s health is an incredibly important part of dog ownership. Between keeping your dog up to date on their vaccinations (especially rabies and distemper, which are required by law in most states), having them spayed or neutered, getting regular wellness checks, dental care when needed, and the inevitable injury or weird-thing-that-really-should-get-checked-out, it can add up over the course of a year. This is a broad category with a lot of variables, but to put into perspective, an annual wellness check alone for one dog can run $50-$100.
How to cut costs:
Preventing disease before it starts is your best bet in saving yourself hundreds or thousands in veterinary fees. Making sure your dog is eating a quality food, crating when not under direct supervision, and keeping your dog physically active are all measures you can take to keep your dog in good health and out of harm’s way.
Having a reliable pet insurance with good ratings and reviews is another way you can protect yourself in case of a medical emergency. That said, even with insurance it is a good idea to have a savings specifically for emergency veterinary care, as there are some things that insurance won’t cover, and it’s good to have accessible money to put down up-front before reimbursement occurs.
I wanted to put this list together to put into perspective just how much really goes in to owning a dog, as I think a lot of the estimates online are misleadingly low. Do you think I missed anything? What are some things that you were surprised to find were so expensive as a first-time dog owner? Let us know in the comments, and we might include them in a follow-up post!
