Last year I decided I really wanted to invite a dog (four-legged) into my life. My son no longer lives in my house and I thought it would be really nice to have a companion. I hadn’t lived alone in thirty five years and although I am fine being in my own company, I just thought a pet would add a lot to my life.
Because I am a responsible person, I went on a quest to figure out what would be a good kind of dog for me and what resources (financial and otherwise) I would need to get a dog. To say that slowed things down a bit is an understatement! I had no idea how much is necessary to be a responsible dog owner.
I have been allergic to cats most of my adult life, but didn’t know I could be horribly allergic to a dog until I visited my son in his new home and discovered I was terribly allergic to his girlfriend’s little peanut of a dog. I was amazed that anything that small could make me that miserable. A two hour visit took 6 hours to recover.
So even though I knew I would need at least a part poodle or other less allergenic dog, I started to realize I might have to go with a purebred or less-allergic mix. And even then, there are no guarantees. My heart had been set on a cavapoo, a King Charles Spaniel and poodle mix. But these, and most less allergenic dogs cost money. Since money was a bit tight at the time, I started saving, and planning.
The Cost of a New Dog
The shocker was that the real cost of owning a dog is not the cost to get it, but the day-to-day cost of caring for a dog.
USA Today suggested in 2016 that the first year costs for dogs varied from about $1300 for small dogs up to $1843 for larger ones. The first year costs include one time expenses as well as equipment and needs for the pet. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2016/08/24/how-much-costs-own-dog-per-year/88449800/)
Ongoing costs, the article suggest run from$580 to $875. Larger dogs eat more and since that’s big cost, they cost at the higher end. All this assumes the dog does not have any serious health issues, which can increase the costs substantially.
Now that is not the first article I read, but it is the lowest estimate I have seen. More estimates I saw placed the first-year cost closer to $3000. Scared the daylights out of me.
Basically, if we stopped to think how much raising a child costs and that were the only consideration, none of us would have children. I recall saying to my husband before we had our son, “Do you want to have money or children?”, because there is a big tradeoff. Same goes with pets. But I am glad we chose to have my son and I still want to have a dog.
Having said that, I also want to be able to take care of my pet; to feed it, get it the health care and grooming it needs, and to have it living in a nice, safe and fun environment. That takes money which I don’t yet have.
In the Meantime
So, in the meantime, I know how much money I will need and what things I want to have in place for my pet. I am taking the time to research dog breeds and look for the right place to get my new friend. I want to be sure that they are OK with me checking out the allergy issue and will take back the pet if I am too sensitive. If I go with a breeder, I want a good one. While I get the money together, I am researching and collecting the things my pet will need.
A little planning will make it better for both of us.
What was the biggest surprise cost you had with a pet?
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