What Is the Yearly Cost of Owning a Dog?

If you sit down and write down how much you may spend on a dog, you may be astounded. Between veterinary bills, food and basic accessories, yo can spend easliy $1,000 or more yearly. Add in the costs of boarding, training and grooming. Figure to pay more for care as the dog ages. Certain behaviors can add cost, and so can buying premium foods. The bottom line for a year of Bowser care can make you yelp.

  1. Initial Investment

    • Adopting a dog may cost between $50 and $300, which often includes the cost of the spay or neuter, the microchip and a rabies shot. If you seek out a purebred dog, prices will vary by breed. Some are only hundreds, and some can exceed $2,000.

    Food

    • You can feed your new dog raw dog food, canned or dry dog food. Depending on what type of food you offer and what brand, cost will vary. A low-quality food with excess grains and fillers will be cheaper than higher quality food made with few to no fillers and high meat proteins. On average, a food bill may average $150 to $500 a year. The food bill will definitely vary according to the size of the dog -- a small dog may average about $150; a medium-size to large dog about $350, and an extra-large dog about $500 a year.

    Routine Veterinary Care

    • If you bring home a young puppy, you'll have puppy shots and boosters to pay for. After the first year, you should plan on annual health checkups, vaccinations, fecal tests and blood work. Annual vet care will average between $100 to $300 a year if the dog's generally healthy.

    Basic Healthcare and Preventitive

    • Between flea, tick and heartworm prevention, you may spend between $200 to $700 a year. The total will vary on the size of your dog, the product, and your point of purchase.

    Grooming

    • Short-haired dogs will need occasional baths and nail trims, and long-haired dogs will likely need regular grooming and trims. Even if you purchase the materials and groom your dog at home, you may spend about $50 a year on shampoo, clippers and shears. If you take your dog to a groomer, you may pay $40 to $60 per visit --.possibly less for a small, easy-care dog and definitely more for a particularly ornate larger dog. Depending on how often you need to take your dog, grooming may cost as little as a couple hundred dollars a year, or $500 or more.

    Boarding

    • If you plan on going on vacation, you will need to pay for a kennel or a pet sitter. The costs will vary between $100 to $300, depending on how big your dog is and how long you need to board him. On average, it may be about $40 a day.

    Accessories

    • You'll need a dog leash, collar and crate, but if you bring home a puppy, you'll need to purchase multiple collars as the puppy grows. Depending on how an adult dog treats his collar, leash, dog bed, food bowls and toys, you may have to purchase more than one of each throughout his adult life. You can purchase dental chews, supplements, training supplies and other basic accessories on a regular basis throughout the life span of your dog. You may spend between $50 and $300 a year after your initial outlay of basic durable goods.