Let’s Talk Expenses

We’ve already covered the options of responsibly getting a dog. Now, what should I know about the costs? The first step is paying for the dog.

 If you are adopting each rescue/organization has an adoption fee. If you are getting a dog from a breeder, well they will be expensive. These prices might vary from place to place, so be sure to ask. For us in Israel, the adoption fee is around $200- $250 in general. but again it varies from place to place. Step two is buying what you need to welcome your dog. This can vary in price mostly because of the age and size of the dog, but this are the general basics: food, food and water bowls, crate, bed, toys, poop bags, collar, leash, pet insurance, hopefully, you already have a trainer in mind and name tag especially when you just bring it home. If you brought home a dog with a long/silky/curly/wool coat we highly recommend you look into a good groomer as well, since these coats usually need a lot of maintenance.

Other things we recommend you buy even if it’s later: Muzzle, clippers/Dremel if you’re willing to learn how to do your dog’s nails, brush/comb, towel, blankets, long leash, car cover, training collars/leashes/harness depending on what your trainer recommends for you and a vacuum (this is mostly for you).

There are other things that might be useful, like traveling water bowl, glow in the dark collar, beautiful dog collars/bandanas, more toys, if you got really into training a treat pouch, etc.

Monthly expenses will vary from month to month but a constant is always food. Make sure you choose your food wisely, we made a previous post on how to read through kibble labels. Someone who has a Chihuahua spends a lot less than we do with Tomy the 40+ kilo Anatolian Shepherd Dog. A dog that small (Chihuahua) eats a lot less, beds, toys, and collars are a lot smaller, which usually means cheaper as well. Some of the expenses should be the same, like training sessions and insurance. How much you spend also depends on the dog’s breed, an owner of a Poodle spends a lot more on grooming than we ever will because of their fur maintenance.

If you want to know how much it is to own a dog, ask friends who have a similar or same breed dog of what you want. Research the rescues and breeders, look in Amazon for the price of toys and crates and snacks. I will be honest with you, you will spend more than you think! You will probably want to spoil your pup with more toys than you expected, or it destroyed the first blanket or unexpected situations. We recommend having some money saved on the side for all of these situations.