Everybody adores the furry animals, especially dogs, and don’t bother much about the potential and significant costs of pet ownership before they decide to add a furry member to their family. The newly added member to the family, not only seeks love and affection from its parents, but also expects to live a healthy and happy life along with them.

In order to balance your annual monetary budget, it becomes a primary task for you to think logically and realistically, thus, focusing on the money expends towards caring for your dog over its lifetime.

Honestly, owning a dog is a big investment and to reap fruitful results, one must map out the budget adequately, thereby, running the mandatory life components of savings and payouts in parallel. One can make use of a dog ownership calculator which will help you calculate the numbers and provide you a rough estimate of the costs to incur before you bring a four-legged companion home.

So now, let this listicle guide you to examine the different factors influencing the costs associated with pet ownership. Take a rundown:

# Initial Investments

Most Expensive Dog Breeds

Initial expenses that you would encounter while owning a dog would be its acquisition cost that is synonymous with the purchase price or adoption charges. The price ratio varies in case of buying a dog as per the breed, an uncommon dog breed will be made available to you at a great price while the other common species would be easy available that too at an affordable cost.

Pure-breed dogs can cost an owner a price of $500 and can go up to $2000 while a mixed breed dog comes at a reasonable cost.

Adoption is a good deed and if you wish to help a dog in need, then prefer getting your furry fab from a dog shelter house or a rescue group. Your good deed pays you off well where the incurred cost to buy a pet can cost as little as $50 to $200, therefore making you a dog parent of a healthy and well-tamed dog.

[Prefer Reading: “Meet the 7 new dog breeds Introduced by the AKC.”]

# Food Expenses

This category will occupy the maximum portion of your annual pet budget as dog food involve the most expensive as well as the most affordable edible items that you can feed your four-legged friend with.

If we look at the monthly cost of typical dog food, it would be around $20 -$60 and would reach $250-$700 in the whole year. One must not assume these figures to be fixed, as food expenses vary and depend on the size and energy level of your dog.

The quality of food also plays a significant role as if the feed is not healthy and lacks the necessary nutrients and fibers, then your pet might crave more food in order to maintain its diet. And, if you look for special foods like vet therapeutic diets, it would be an add-on to the food budget and may cost over $100 a month.

# Medical Incurs

Veterinary care is something that can’t be neglected and undoubtedly, is the most expensive aspect of owning a pet. If we calculate the average visits to the vet it would be not less than $200-$400 yearly where even smaller outlays quickly add up.

The dental care of dogs is not at all incomparable to that of humans as it runs almost the same, and could range from $300 to $800 per year.

Some additional vitamins required for its health would usually be around $100 and preventative medication (also a necessity) for heartworms, ticks, and fleas carry a charge of $20 each for a month. With time as your dog grows older, it would develop health issues that would further require you to purchase pet insurance for your dog. You can count this as another medical expense, which later proves its actual worth without putting you in a regret.

[Prefer Reading: “How to get your dog sit still for Dental Care.”]

# Grooming Costs

This category of monetary expenses can charge you as minor as $20-$30 a month or can be as high as $500 a year. Your dog’s grooming is merely based upon the hair coat it possesses.

Short hair dogs and those who have smooth hair coats require a little more than the normal grooming. On the flip, dogs that have heavy and constant fur growth, would ask you to spare time for their routine visits to the groomer.

There are some pet grooming aspects that can be handled on one’s own, say, brushing their hair, cleaning their teeth, trimming their nails, all these can be performed at home (often). Resultingly, this can save your valuable bucks and eliminate the unnecessary chargeable fees.

[Prefer Reading: “Why does my vet charge $200 for Dental Cleaning while my Groomer does it for $15?”]

# Training Fees

Training for the dogs is an optional cost because you may either choose to pay for your dog’s training or train them yourself. Well, the good news is that if you have ever had a dog before then you may train it on your own unless it is a difficult breed.

But, if you have never owned a dog before then spending a few bucks on your little munchkin’s training is worth the cost.

Not only does training helps to reduce the behavioral issues in dogs but also reduce the chances of cost in the future; for instance, the cost of medical treatment/lawsuit in case your dog bites someone.

# Equipment Costs

Equipment cost varies from person to person. In case if you want to fence in your backyard for the safety of your dog, then it calls for at least a $1000 of expense.

But, if your dog is going to stay indoors, then you may only need to spend on his essentials including water and food bowls, toys, etc.

Thus, the equipment cost entirely depends on an individual’s preferences and circumstances.

# Pet Sitters or Boarding Charges

Hiring pet sitters for their monitoring or availing the transportation facilities for your dog’s travel is something you would look for either twice or thrice a year.

You would seek help from a pet service provider in case you need to leave your dog all alone in an emergency or if your dog’s travel, along with you is not feasible. Right?

Also, pet services have provisions for the commutation of your dog for various purposes say, vet visits, traveling to the airport, and even boarding the flight. Considering all these advantages, one can expect to spare an amount of $100 or more if the owner wishes to make use of these facilities.

[Being a dog owner, if you decide to travel with your pet, then certainly, expect your travel expenditures to witness a hike.]

# Miscellaneous Costs

We all know that the future is unpredictable. Emergencies and the unexpected occurs without giving a pre-notice. As we humans get prepared for any unforeseen situation by saving money or by getting insured, likewise your furry fab might face sudden and unexpected circumstances.

Chronic illness, natural disasters, unplanned expenses, emergencies, can amount to hundreds of dollars, thus, shaking your entire budget for the year. For instance, an urgent visit to the hospital can initiate from an amount of $500 and, surprisingly, can go beyond $2000.

[In a severe or major case of your dog’s medical situation, the daily charge of stay in ICU starts from $200 (a day) and up.]

An effective way to deal with these prompt scenarios is to add an extra saving to your normal financial preserves which can help you get out of the problematic hiccups in a smooth way. You can also get access to the health care credit cards and see what works best for you.

Dog lovers can only become good dog parents where they never look for choices to spend the money on their beloved and adorable pups and dogs. However, it becomes crucial for a pet parent to pay close heed to the monthly and annual expenses they have to invest over their dog for its well being, in order to lead a happy and healthy life altogether.