Back in the May Net Worth update, I announced the newest edition to the Money Wizard family – The Money Pup.
Born in Alabama, The Money Pup found his way to Minnesota after his previous owner left him to starve in favor of her latest boyfriend.
We met him at a local rescue, and the adorable 1 year-old mutt stole our hearts the moment we first saw that scraggly face. We took a leap of faith and brought him home.
Since then, he’s been about the coolest dog ever. He’s been easy to train, sweet, and extremely chill.
I mean, he even wags his tail slowly, and he’s usually found lounging by my side all day while I sit on the computer typing up blog posts. Although occasionally, he gets really, really excited to chomp on one of his bones.
He also loves saying hi to people, especially kids, by running up to them, tail slowly wagging, and leaning his body towards them in a not-so-subtle request for pets. He’s also a great excuse to check out the local dog park a couple times a week, which might just be the happiest place on earth.
Plus he’s been a breeze to train, and like a true money wizard, he already knows plenty of Harry Potter spells… I mean tricks.
Of course, I wouldn’t be a very good money blogger if I didn’t immediately turn this intimate life event into a public experiment for the internet. So from day one, I set out to track every single cent spent on the adorable little guy.
Here are the results:
How much does it cost to adopt a dog? 6 months later:
Uh, wow. That’s a lot of money. Let’s take a closer look.
Adoption Fee – $350
Consider me clueless, but I was actually surprised it costs money to adopt a dog.
No good deed goes unpunished, but hey, somebody’s gotta keep those nonprofits afloat.
Vet Costs – $379.86
This bill could have been a lot worse. Since he was an adult dog from a reputable adoption agency, he already came with the major vaccines (usually $155) and already neutered ($200-300).
Even still, a new dog comes with a pricey vet visit and a couple follow ups:
Medicine – $45.53
Our guy has some allergies, so we went for the massive bulk 1,000 count bottle of doggie anti-histamines.
Oh, and don’t laugh at those tooth brush costs. It’s a worthy investment to avoid dental procedures, which run between $350-1,000! Plus, the American Animal Hospital Association says regular tooth brushing can add up to five years to your dogs life!
Food – $85.98
I was pretty surprised to see food was actually one of the cheapest costs of dog ownership. We buy his food in bulk at Costco, which is highly rated and waaaay cheaper than the small bags of “premium” food from the pet store.
He’s about done with the second bag now, so I expect this cost to run about $150-200 each year.
Supplies – $217.27
Definitely surprised by this one. That said, we didn’t have any doggie supplies, so as you can see we had to stock up on everything from collars to brushes. A couple of notes here:
Kennels: Craigslist is the place to look for dog kennels. We found one in great shape for $20. We did spring for a second new one ($36), out of convenience for a generous family member who offered to watch him whenever we travel.
It pays to be prepared. As you can see, we spent $25 on a fancy harness before realizing we prefer the basic $6 leash from Walmart. We also emergency purchased an $8 dog collar, since we forgot to place our order for the personalized one from Amazon. (Apparently, dog tags come off for a lot of lost dogs, so we sprung for this awesome custom engraved collar.)
Costco comes through again with a dog bed for at least one-half the price of the pet stores. According to The Money Pup, it’s incredibly comfy:
In an unexpected testimonial, my human friend Dave also agrees. He once spent a New Year’s Eve passed out on a similar Costco dog bed, with no complaints the next morning.
The surprise best buy? These $15 dog car seat covers:
I totally misjudged them as a waste of money for consumer suckers. But that version is even cheaper than the amazon generic brand, and they really do fend off muddy paws and dog hair like a champ. Plus, they can snap on/off in no time, in case you need to replace a dog for a human on a moment’s notice.
Treats – $100.45
Wow, another surprisingly expensive category. Lady Money Wizard even bakes her own dog treats to save money on the store bought brands. Definitely going to need to bake some more of those…
Those dental chews are also crazy expensive, although supposedly really good for dog’s teeth. Note to self – follow up with the vet about just how good those things really are.
The surprise winner though? That $1.97 hoof. He loves that thing more than all of the expensive treats combined, and it lasts longer than any of his toys.
Toys – $99.62
Yep, we definitely got carried away here.
I always suspected dog toys were mostly marketing nonsense, and so far that’s been the case.
Of all those expensive toys, he’s either completely not interested in them, or he destroys them in minutes. Even when they’re marketed as “extra durable.”
His favorite, and most durable toys so far? Some free stuffed animals won at the Minnesota State Fair.
Miscellaneous – $46.99
We had to know he was going to destroy something. I’m just glad he chose the cheaper shoes.
With that out of the way, now we’re getting to the really important stuff. Like this Hairy Pawter dog bandanna, or this essential dog hat:
So, exactly how much does it cost to adopt a dog? 6 months later
I always knew owning a pet was expensive, and when we got this guy I was prepared for some serious costs. That said, seeing $1,300 spent over just 6 months is pretty amazing.
Now, one look at the toy spending category and you’ll realize I wasn’t exactly as frugal in pet spending as other areas of my life, but we did go about getting a dog in about the cheapest way possible.
We adopted from a shelter, rather than buying an expensive breed. We were lucky that he didn’t have any health issues, aside from a $10 bottle of allergy pills. And we found some cheap, healthy food that he loves.
The key takeaway here? Dogs are expensive! And while their love and devotion can be priceless, don’t forget to make sure you’re prepared financially before bringing one of these adorable critters into your life.
If you enjoyed this post, can you do me a favor?
According to experts, the cost of pet ownership is one of the 5 most common reasons dogs are given up to shelters every year. If you think my first-hand account would help potential pet owners plan for the costs, help spread the word by sharing this post.
The three million dogs in shelters will thank you!
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Pretty remarkable to averaging just over $200 per month for an adopted dog with no health issues. Even though your cost per month should decrease pretty steadily now that a lot of your upfront costs are out of the way.
Thanks for tracking this in case we ever decide we could use some extra company.
Right?? I was prepared for it to be expensive, and STILL I was shocked by the final number.
You think that’s bad… wait until your dog reaches ‘end of life’. That’s when the real vet costs happen.
We used to have a dog, and most of the time he was a pretty frugal guy… but when the medical issues started, the vet bills started getting really large.
I don’t think people often think about the cost of pets *through the entire lifetime*. When medical problems start, most of us are already very emotionally attached. It’s hard to say no to a medical procedure that has a chance of saving your best friend’s life.
Re:”The key takeaway here? Dogs are expensive! And while their love and devotion can be priceless, don’t forget to make sure you’re prepared financially before bringing one of these adorable critters into your life.”
So are kids i.e. expensive 🙂 I like your conclusion i.e being prepared financially and mentally. It is very easy to get rid of a dog just because there are no strict rules.
My wife and I have a rescue too!!
Adoption agencies consistently lists “cost of ownership” as a one of the most common reasons people give up their pets. That heartbreaking fact is the biggest reason I wanted to publish this piece.
Good read. I got my first dog, Peter, on a whim and boy did I learn how expensive a Vet can be. This level of transparency can help a lot of people looking into bringing a fury four legged buddy into their lives.
Thanks! I’m really hoping this one gets shared around, because it’s a huge responsibility. There’s not really a return policy on these guys.
First off congrats on the dog! I also pretty meticulously track my expense categories and sometimes when I tell someone, I spent (say) “$1,300 on a dog in 6 months” they’re reaction we’ll be “That’s insane! We don’t spend a lot on our pets!” But I’ve slowly started to realize that is because most people don’t know what they are spending! It’s not like they have some secret magic trick for spending $10 a year on pets, they just don’t track it! Ignorance is bliss!
Secondly, that extra kennel you have so a family member watch your dog, that’s going to save you a FORTUNE! Someone once told me “A dog is the most expensive in its first and last years.” So basically once you get to those middle years, it’s not going to cost you this much…unless you board your dog. The last time we boarding our dog (with daycare) it was $293 for 7 days!!*
*He’s really high energy, so the boarding place allows him to play during the day and be kenneled at night, which is more expensive than just boarding.
Haha, great point. Definitely some under-estimation going on…
And yeah, boarding is crazy expensive!
Have you looked into Rover? It’s like Airbnb for dog sitters. I pet sat on there for a few months before we adopted, and it’s pretty cool. Me (and most other sitters) only charged $25-35 a night, and the dogs have a great time because they’re hanging out, getting walks, etc.
This should be required reading for anyone interested in getting a pet. My cats cost me about $100 a month on average, so not all that different from the long-term cost of your dog.
Thanks, I’m hoping to spread the word!
For your next year of heartworm and flea prevention meds, do some searching at online pet pharmacies for a better price. You do have to get a prescription from your vet and mail them in but that is completely worth the few dollars per dose you can save buying online.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out.
Yep we buy all our meds online. We llike the Sentinel brand for our dogs! We’ve averaged $43/month for years 3-6 of owning our two dogs. The first year or two were definitely the most expensive! I’m assuming the last years (hopefully far far away) will also be pricey.
It’s always good to see real life numbers for real life expenses. Thank you for sharing!
I’ll admit, frugality is not something I practice regularly when it comes to my cats’ expenses. However, they are honestly a great source of happiness and comfort for me, and their expenses are still cheaper than therapy (probably) so it all works out in the end. I have learned to buy very few toys, though. Cats are particularly keen on ignoring anything you want them to play with.
Haha, so true about cats ignoring their toys…
Good timing with this post, I’m getting my pup next weekend.
I have been prepping/saving since April so I think I’m prepared, but then again I haven’t been to the vet yet….
Currently, I have $1k saved in a separate savings account with automatic deposits 2x per month. Hopefully, that will keep me afloat for the first year at least.
Looking forward to writing a similar post in 6 months – thanks for the toys/treats ideas!
Congrats on the soon-to-be-dog! Sounds like you’re prepared to be a responsible pet owner.
Yup! Sounds about right. Especially if your doggy has anxiety problems like mine!! Sweet post and cool site money wizard!!
Thanks Javi!
I love this article. A fun mix of data and info with fun and uplifting pictures of your pup. Thank you! I could probably stand to track the expenses associated with my cats…
Thanks so much Rachel.
It’s a pretty wild exercise, and I highly recommend it. I’d have put the 6 month dog cost at no more than $900. It’s crazy to see the little expenses add up.
You should probably add in about $1000 per year for vet expenses. At some point your dog will eat a poisonous plant or develop some other health problem. Now that our dog is “old” we blow about $400 at the vet every couple of months. We also pay for a dog walker to come during the day while we’re at work for $14 per 30 min walk. Wait til you decide to go on vacation without your dog. They ain’t cheap!
Hi There, I’m enjoying your blog and saw this post. I have two dogs and give them heartworm and flea/tick meds. I have done some research and found that when it gets cold out for an extended period of time (I live in the Boston area) you may not need to give your dog the heartworm or flea/tick. Heartworm is spread by mosquitos and they don’t live in winter. Same for fleas and ticks. This year I stopped giving these meds to my dogs in December and started up again in April. It was just three months off, but if they can’t get infected then why give the medicine? Since you live in a Very cold climate you may be able to go for a longer period of time. Judge for yourself and read up on it, but you may be able to cut those two expenses in half if you decide it makes sense.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out!