It’s almost been a year since my little pup came into my life, and while it’s been one of the best years ever, it hasn’t necessarily been cheap. If you’ve ever been curious exactly how much it costs to buy and take care of a dog, then keep on reading!
Initial Costs
Due to severe allergies, some size/breed restrictions due to living in a 3rd-floor apartment, and some ridiculous requirements from rescues, the boyfriend and I decided to purchase a pure-bred miniature schnauzer from a local breeder. After thoroughly researching our breeder (and her doing the same to us), we filled out an application, put down the deposit, and waited to find out when a little pupperoncini would be coming our way.
- Deposit: $200
- Due on pick up: $1200
- Non-refundable pet deposit at our apartment: $350
- Lifelong dog license: $10
- Total for our little Otto: $1760
Since we were first-time puppy owners, we also needed some supplies for our little boy.
- Crate: $30
- Leash w/ collar: $15
- Placemat/bowls: $7
- Food: $25 (for a bag that lasted ~4 months)
- Puppy vitamin (required by breeder): $18/month
- Toys: $20
- Total for initial supply costs: $105
Veterinary Costs for Year 1
After the purchase price for a pure-bred dog, the next biggest expense is veterinary costs. Puppies have a number of vaccinations they need to get, along with the cost for any spay/neuter, microchip, and prescription costs.
We opted to get all of the offered vaccines since they were recommended for our area. We also got Otto microchipped and neutered. Additionally, we give our dog a prescription flea/tick/mosquitoes medicine and a heartworm medication. While our dog is healthy and perfect at the moment, we did purchase a pet insurance plan to give us some peace of mind.
- Check-up appointments: $395 (4 check-ups, 2 puppy lab tests, and 1 illness check)
- Vaccination appointments: $272 (ALL the available puppy shots with required boosters)
- Neutering surgery: $443 (with all related costs)
- Microchip (includes registration fee): $61.35
- Total for year 1 veterinary costs: $1,171.35
Training Classes
Having a well-trained dog was really important to us, especially since we live in an apartment. While there were certainly more expensive options out there, we opted to take Otto to our local Petco for training since we liked the training philosophy and the price.
While you could obviously save some money and train your dog yourself, we really wanted some professional help with socializing our puppy and helping with his penchant for growling for attention at the beginning. The added bonus of being trained along with your dog is also helpful!
- Puppy Level 1: $109
- Puppy Level 2: $55 (with a coupon offered at Petco)
- Canine Good Citizen: $119 (includes cost of exam & filing with the AKC)
- Total for training costs: $283
Otto’s Monthly Budget
Now that our little man is almost a year old, we’ve been able to estimate our expenses a bit more and have created sinking funds for things that don’t happen every month (like going to the vet or buying prescriptions/food). Heading in to year two, we won’t have nearly as many expenses, such as neutering or the quarterly vet check-ups.
Each month, we dedicate $200 to Otto’s total costs out of our joint budget. The breakdown looks like this:
- Pet Rent: $25/mo
- Pet Insurance: $45/mo
- Vitamin: $18/mo
- Grooming (every 6 weeks): $64 per trip
- Vet Sinking Fund: $28/mo
- Supplies Sinking Fund (includes food, prescriptions, supplies, & toys): $20/mo
- Total pet costs per month: $200
Our dog cost my boyfriend and I around $3,319.35 in his first year. Split between the two of us, that’s about $1,660 per person. While that number is pretty high, it actually doesn’t feel that bad for keeping a pure-bred puppy happy and healthy in his first year, but I’m definitely looking forward to spending a lot less in the years to come. Otto has been an amazing addition to our family, and I honestly can’t believe we get to keep him…looking at these costs, I can say that I would’ve been willing to pay more for this little puppy given how much love he’s brought to our lives.
-ECD
Phew, that’s quite the hit! Even getting our dog from a rescue, my ex-husband and I paid $200. At least she came spayed, which was a bonus.
We also loaded up on supplies, which cost around $200. Then we put her on the Banfield (the vet inside PetSmart) plan, since the cost of vaccines and a yearly tooth cleaning is about the same as the cost of the plan. So any additional visits were essentially freebies.
Luckily, she had short hair so she didn’t require grooming, but we did need to get her nails done every 6-8 weeks.
I’m jealous that you were able to get a lifelong license for $10. It’s $17/year here in Phoenix. No lifelong option available.
Anyway, she was worth every penny, even if my ex-husband has her now (she was always really his dog).
Yeah adding all of this up was painful but also somehow less than I expected? Your vet plan sounds like a dream.
I was surprised by the license too! The county I grew up in (adjacent to current county) does annual licenses so only paying once was fun.