The cost of owning a dog is significant. For those of us spending all our savings on horses, dogs might seem like small fry, but what seem like minimal weekly costs soon mount up. You can pick up a dog for a couple of hundred pounds from a rescue centre, or pay thousands for a well-bred pedigree, but they all cost money to feed, insure, vaccinate, visit the vet – and spoil, because who doesn’t find themselves splashing out on abundant toys and treats at the pet shop?
Don’t forget that every time you go on holiday, you need to add on a few hundred for dog boarding. Or the dog-walkers you have to pay to come in so that you can keep the day job doing to afford the good life for said pooch. We only want the best for them!
Cost of owning a dog
We’ll leave out the initial purchase price as this varies so much according to breed, provenance, and age. Whether you pay the earth, or get hold of a dog for nothing – for example, you inherit or have bred it – the running costs throughout the animal’s life are the bottom line.
Veterinary charity PDSA estimates that the minimum cost for keeping a dog for its lifetime ranges from £5,200 to £15,700, dependent on breed, size and likely lifespan.
Is your dog eating you out of house and home?
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Regular costs of owning a dog
Dog food: there is so much choice in this market, whether you’re choosing to feed wet, dry, cold-pressed,raw, or even insect-based. Perhaps your dog has a special diet, or an intolerance or a sensitivity. These foods will typically be more expensive.
Annual vet-check: all dogs should have an annual MOT from your vet, and if you are managing certain conditions, it will be more frequent.
Vaccinations: after the initial rounds of puppy vaccinations, most of the jabs are annual, to protect dogs from major canine infectious diseases. Although these are not a legal requirement, they are mandatory at most boarding kennels – and who wants their dog to go down with a nasty, potentially fatal bug? A few diseases, such as rabies (overseas travel) are non-essential and are only every three years.
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Parasite control: fleas, ticks and worms are a perennial problem for dogs, and if you have a scavenger it’s double trouble. Depending on your pet’s lifestyle and whether you live in an area where, say, lungworm is present, your vet will recommend how frequently to treat and which medicine to use, but it’s likely to vary from once a month to every three months.
Insurance: sadly, however careful we are, dogs get hurt and sick, and it’s expensive. Shop around to find good value that suits your needs.
Training treats: not everyone serves up treats on a regular basis, but it’s unlikely that you’ll withhold all treats entirely. Some people make their own, which is the healthy option and might be cheaper, but the ingredients still cost money.
Dental hygiene: we should be brushing our dog’s teeth once a day ideally (although only 2% of owners do). One of the best dog toothbrushes and dog toothpastes should be on your shopping list.
A dog bed is a one-off purchase that should last a few years, particularly if you leave growing room
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One-off or infrequent purchases
Dog beds: you can spend as much or as little as you want on a dog bed, depending on your dog’s size, needs and your budget. Hopefully, you won’t need to buy these too frequently. If you have a dog that loves to gnaw through everything in sight, make sure you get one of the best dog beds for chewers.
Dog crate: a useful item both in the home or the car, especially for puppies who need downtime and basic training. Best to get one that will fit them once they grow up, as it’s a handy haven for adult dogs, too, and when you don’t want them having the run of the house. Here are our guides to the best dog crates and best soft travel crates.
Leads and/or harness: there’s a range of training leads and harnesses on the market, from the best anti-pull harnesses to slip leads, from basic to super-smart. Decide on your method of training, and stick with it. For the harness, you’re likely to have to buy a new one once the pup grows up.
Whistle: the best training whistles mean you don’t have to scream! And to train your dog the sound he needs to listen out for.
Collars: you can go to town on this one. Whether you like the Argentine gaucho-style, a broad greyhound collar or a bit of bling, there’s abundant choice at a range of price points. Just make sure you have one, whatever your vibe, as they are a legal requirement in public.
Identification tag: it’s illegal to have your dog in a public place without an identification tag (and collar), with the name, address and postcode of the owner.
Dog brushes: a good dog brush and regular grooming routine could save you a fortune at the grooming parlour. Learn how to groom your dog, clip his nails and brush his teeth and you could save money in the long run.
Toys, chews andpuzzle games: investing in a few of the best chew toys and best puzzle games for dogs isn’t absolutely essential, but it will ward off destructive tendencies by giving your pooch appropriate mental stimulation. Better he gets his teeth into a chew than your Jimmy Choos.
Some dogs have expensive grooming requirements
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Optional costs of owning a dog
Dog walker: every dog walker varies on their fee, but it’s roughly £10-15 per hour. Doggy daycare is around £30-40.
Boarding kennel: kennels vary from super deluxe five-star hotels to the more rough-and-ready, basic provision. Expect to pay accordingly. Another option is home-boarding, but it tends to be similarly priced and you have less assurance of the professionalism of the carer. It’s always a bit of a downer coughing up at the end of an already-expensive holiday!
Grooming: depending on the breed, grooming and clipping can be very pricey. Do as much as you can at home to save cash, especially if you invest in some of the best dog clippers, but those breeds with long or very curly coats are likely to need specialist attention.
Dog coat: many working breeds would be ashamed to be dressed up in a coat, whatever the weather, but depending on your climate and the type of dog, it may be essential. Whippets, greyhounds and others with thin skin may well need the extra insulation, while for the toy breeds a smart coat is both cosy and a fashion accessory.
Professional training: puppy classes are highly advised, and for many dog owners some formal dog training in the early stages is recommended. Costs vary according to whether it’s a class, private, residential and the reputation of the trainer.
Doggy playpen: the best dog playpens giving the security of a crate, but really an extra luxury if you have the space. These are also useful for the garden if it’s not securely fenced and your dog’s recall is in the training phase.
The final total?
There is no end to the amount of canine paraphernalia you can accumulate. From paddling pools to GPS pet trackers and pet cameras, from automatic feeders to ball launchers, if your budget permits, you can treat your dog like a king. But remember, that what he wants most of all, is your love, attention and care.
It’s impossible to put an exact figure on the cost of keeping a dog but it’s important to have some sort of expected budget. And because dogs are dogs and always throw up unexpected bills, it is important to have sufficient funds to cover any emergencies that may arise.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
