Costs to consider before getting a dog.
As mother to a 6 year old Frenchie who scratched his eye and got an ear infection in the same month (au revoir $1300!), I thought it would be timely to compile a list of on-going costs to consider before choosing and bringing home your fur baby.
Food. I know it is obvious that your puppy will need to eat, however may want to consider that your dog may end up being a picky eater or needing a special diet. Our Frenchie is on raw food as this works best for him. Since he is a small dog this is not a large cost (about $30 per week) but for a larger breed dog this would be closer to around $120 per week!
Insurance. Depending on your financial situation you may want to purchase pet insurance to cover any unexpected medical costs. In NZ, most premiums will be age and breed dependent and personally, we have found that costs of insurance have increased dramatically. (Example: in year 1 the premium was around $500 per year. I just checked and based on his current age and breed costs have increased to $3500 per year). We have since made the decision to self insure, meaning that we have a large emergency fund to cover any vet bills equal to the maximum annual amount that the insurance policy we were looking at would have covered ($15,000).
Vet bills and medication. Even with insurance most policies do not cover vaccines and you may have other costs which are either excluded by your policy or ones that come under the insurance excess. Also take into consideration that you may have to pay the cost upfront before being reimbursed by insurance at a later date. Obviously it will depend on the type of surgery and what country you are in but in NZ, it is not uncommon for this to be upwards of $10,000. At a minimum you will also need to provide flea and worming treatment which is around $30 per month in NZ.
Grooming - we personally bathe our pooch at home and he doesn’t require ‘haircuts’ however if you have a dog that doesn’t shed then you may end up needing to take them to a professional groomer on the regular. Costs vary depending on the size and type of breed and what services you are after but it is not uncommon for this to cost upwards of $100 per visit so make sure you research the cost and frequency that your dog breed may need.
Day care/dog walker/trainer. For those of us that can’t stand the thought of our pooch being home alone whilst we are at work or fur parents that want to ensure their puppy is socialized at an early age, this is a cost that can quickly add up. For reference costs are around $30-$45 per day in Auckland.
Overnight stays for when you are on holiday. Costs are around $50-$70 per day in our area and it is not unusual for some to cost around $100 per day so this can also add up if you are away for a few weeks or a month.
Dog door and fencing. Our house didn’t have adequate fencing and our dog is a bit of a Houdini so we ended up re-fencing our front patio and installing a fence at the back. We also needed to replace the door with toughened safety glass that the doggy door was installed into.
Miscellaneous. Just like children there are a lot of optional extra costs that can be spent (my dog’s shampoo costs more than mine). The bed we bought him ended up being dry clean only at $40 a pop (I clearly wasn’t paying proper attention and was only thinking of how pretty it was rather than if it was going to be practical!). He has a curated wardrobe of outfits even though he can get by au naturel. Toys are around $25-$35 each and yes he does realize when they are ‘old’ and expects us to get him new ones. All I am alluding to is that if you are anything like me you are going to want to spoil them and end up buying some extra items.
Council registration & microchipping - up to $189 a year in Auckland right now (there are different discounts for different situations). Microchipping as a one off cost (usually under $100 and free from certain councils).
Puppy costs - if you are getting your dog as a puppy there are a few extra start up costs such as a crate, puppy playpen during potty training, pee pads and puppy school. Also you will most likely need new collars and or harnesses as they change in size.
Destruction of the home and things in general. For us this included the legs of our coffee table, remote control and some throw pillows so we got off light. I know of others who have had rugs, carpet, couches and walls ripped up by their puppies and dogs.
Obviously a dog is not just about cost and not purely a financial decision. I hope the above will either help you plan for your new pack member or re-evaluate if this is a commitment that you are ready for. For us the joy that Winnie brings into our life is ultimately priceless.
