cost of owning a dog

[sticksdaman]

looking to get a family dog.
pretty much a dog for my mom she really wants one but we are trying to convince my dad why we should get one
so what are the average costs yearly of owning a dog like vet fees shots etc etc

plus any additional benefits of having a dog

[Jscotty]

First of all, the main reason why your dad does not want to get a dog is because he knows that he will be the one taking care of it. Like on cold and windy rainy nights when the dog needs to go out, certainly your mom isn't going to get out of her warm bed to take the dog for a walk. And if you aren't in bed asleep yourself or off doing something else when this occurs, then guess what? Your dad will be the one who has to take care of the dog.

Secondly, as it relates to costs, there are a lot of variables based on the size and breed of the dog to whether or not he will be an inside or outside dog and then its also a matter of whether this dog has AKC papers or if he is just some flea-bitten mutt from the shelter.

[LINUS]

You get what you give in a dog. It doesn't matter the source of the dog, so ignore that comment from the above poster. There are TONS of purebred rescue organizations, to you can name the breed that best fits your parents then find the best fitting dog.

A back yard with a secure fence and a pet door take care of all the worries your dad might have. Owning a dog is as simple as you engineer it, and there's so much info on the web on training, it's impossible to go wrong anymore.

If you get serious about good food & supplements, look into real natural food & powder supplements over supposed 'quality' foods lilke Eukanuba -- they and a ton of the same catagory foods are overpriced crap. Like buying expensive Top Ramen noodles, totally pointless.

[sticksdaman]

thanks for the info linus

and jscotty THATS exactly waht my dad said in his exact words which is kinda scary but thanks for the heads up

i mean if we do end up getting a dog it'll probably be a shelter dog i mean whey buy one when there a prefectly fine ones waiting for someone to adopt and love them

[LINUS]

purebreed rescue dogs are the same sort of deal, so don't undersell yourself into thinking you can't get good genetics for reasonable adoption fees - you'll pay those same fees for a shelter dog, sort of a way they make sure strays don't end up "practice bait" for dogs being trained to be fierce.

Every guy's main complaint is the "walking the dog in the rain" thing - like I said, fence the yard & install a pet door. Problem totally solved. Dogs aren't rocket science, tell dad to put up a fence & he'll never have to walk Fido.

[SandyEggoE30Girl]

Lets say you adopt a dog from a shelter..............

The adoption fees vary quite a bit from shelter to shelter, but you will always pay more for a puppy versus an adult dog, and if you adopt a senior dog (usually 5 recommendyears to 9 years old) it will be less than an adult that is 1-4 years.
I work with a rescue group here in SOCAL, and our fees for animal adoption is 200 for an adult dog, and 250-300 for a puppy.

When you get an animal from a shelter,(or our rescue group) it will have had all it's shots, been spayed or neutered, and have a micro chip installed. Then you will need to pay for the animals license and again that varies from city to city, state to state.
But here in San Diego a three year dog license for an animal that has been fixed is 38 dollars.

OK so you have your dog.

Vet visits are usually around 45-60 dollars per visit, and you will want to take your dog to a vet to have it checked out.
We always recommend getting your animal on a heart worm treatment, and the test for that is about 65 dollars. Once they find out that your pets heat is in good shape start it on a monthly heart worm treatment like Sentinel. Sentinel also helps combat fleas, ticks, and other parasites. (medicine is about 70.00 for a six month supply. TOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR PET ON THE MEDICINE. AND NOT LET A MONTH LAPSE. OTHERWISE YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER BLOOD TEST DONE, BEFORE STARTING BACK UP ON THE HEART WORM MEDICINE.

You will also want to give you new best friend flea treatment every 3-5 weeks using either Advantage, or my favorite Frontline. Here in SD where the fleas are really bad, we have to give our animals in the spring and summer a treatment every 3 weeks. DO NOT EVER USE HEARTZ, OR ANY OF THAT SUPERMARKET CRAP! It is actually really dangerous shit!)
But a three month supply of Frontline varies from 38.00 for small dogs, to 48.00 for large dogs.
Taking care of fleas on dogs, and cats are really important too.
The fleas carry tape worms, and if you animal digests a flea it can develop worms (flukes) in its digestive tract. Then you will need to take Snoopy to the vet and have them do a fecal float (testing shit) and have them give the poor thing medicine to kill the worms. That test and medicine is around 75.00, so take care of the flea treatments.
OH! By the way..................... All dogs at some point get tape worms. It just happens.

Then you need to think about training too. Obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your dog, and for you. That varies as well but a six week class (one to two days a week) is usually 100-300 dollars.

Then you have food for Fido, and obviously that will vary depending on the size of the dog.
Leashes, collars, doggie beds, grooming (nails cut every so often, hair cuts if needed) toys for them to keep amused.

A lot of the time when I do home checks before we adopt one of our dogs out, if the owner can not afford the adoption fee, I let them know basically, they can not afford the animals up keep.

But all that being said............................. HOW DO YOU PUT A PRICE ON THE LOVE THEY GIVE YOU IN RETURN?
Dogs are the bestest thing in the world!

Even better than an E30!

THERE! I said it! :p

Here is a link to our site too.

http://www.hope4animals.org

[SandyEggoE30Girl]

Every guy's main complaint is the "walking the dog in the rain" thing - like I said, fence the yard & install a pet door. Problem totally solved. Dogs aren't rocket science, tell dad to put up a fence & he'll never have to walk Fido.

Dogs NEED their walks. Dogs that live in condos with no yard are usually better exercised than animals that just go out the doggie door to the back yard.

I have my little Ali,


But I am looking for a Siberian Husky (RESCUE) right now to live in our condo here in OB.

[LINUS]

Dogs NEED their walks. Dogs that live in condos with no yard are usually better exercised than animals that just go out the doggie door to the back yard.

I have my little Ali,


But I am looking for a Siberian Husky (RESCUE) right now to live in our condo here in OB.

I agree entirely that dogs need excercise. And a walk isn't excercise to me, but after reading what you wrote you obviously are well informed. I just don't put pooping on the same activity level as excercise, but that's only because aside from marking territory, it's money that my dog would rather have a home court/yard poop than on a walk, which works for me since I'd hate having to be one of the poop - carriers I see rounding my block all the time.

For me, it's the good ol' slobber ball and a tennis raquet for 20+ mins twice a day as excercise. I just like that since he's a only mutt I can free feed and he can do what he wants when he wants, but you are completely right that this shouldn't be confused with "excersise", just because he can go lay in the sun when he wants, because we all know that's not doing his cardio any good.

I guess I take my own program for granted, and if I don't type something - then yeah, call me on it. Good catch on your part, because I believe we see eye to eye on this.

Atta girl for working in a shelter, I seriously couldn't without going postal. More power to you for keeping your sanity.

BTW, those are some eyes on your dog. Cutie.

[Jscotty]

But all that being said............................. HOW DO YOU PUT A PRICE ON THE LOVE THEY GIVE YOU IN RETURN?
Dogs are the bestest thing in the world!

Its easy- If you make only $4.82 an hour and you have to choose between paying rent and buying dog food, Fido gets evicted.

But one thing that you have to consider is how busy your family is and whether or not you can collectively care for the dog. Being that you probably want the dog more than anyone else you really have to evaluate whether or not you can dedicate the amount of time it takes to have a dog. Some breeds that don't mind total solitude while there are many others who are dying for social attention. And if you have the type of family that is always on the go, having a dog is probably not a good idea. However, if you have a fairly regular routine and have a lifestyle that is somewhat predictable, then having a dog could very well be a good thing.

Some years ago I bought a pair of female AKC registered doberman puppies for the investment aspect of having a dog but the whole time that I had them, I can say that they have improved the quality of my life. I enjoyed having them for the short time that I did.

[SandyEggoE30Girl]

Thanks Linus!
Ali is the perfect little dog. She is defiantly not a drop-kicker for yapping all the time.
I think she knows just how good she has it, and is very thankful for it by being so quiet. Ali was rescued from one of the Tiajuana Pounds (The Perrera). The poor thing had a pretty bad life before the rescue group I now volunteer with, rescued her from being put down.

You know the poop walk first thing in the morning, and the one in the evening is really important to dogs. Yes they need other exercise too, but it is those walks that they should have to expel their waste, and then once you get home feed them. That is ingrained in to a canines in the wild.
They would do their business, then hunt for food, and eat back with the pack.
Basically you are doing the same thing at your home. Poop.......... find the prey, help mommy or daddy flirt with another bitch or dog, go in for the kill (phone number?), and go home and eat!

Ahhhh it's a dogs life!

[sticksdaman]

so basically like 500
thanks for all the help reaaally appreciate it

[thectrlguy]

What kind of dog are you thinking of getting? I love my dogs, they are the best. However, they require a lot of exercise, we typically walk or run for 1.5 hours per day.

But damn, I just love those two furry bastards.....

Here's a couple photo's of my buddy Cruise...

[golfdmb18]

Adoption should definately be the first thing you look in to. There are many great dogs out there. Our local SPCA shelter has adoption fees ranging from 70-100$. If you go through a private rescue organization expect to pay 200-300$. There is the daily feeding which really isn't THAT expensive in a years time.

The most expensive thing will be vet costs. It all depends on what your local vet charges for visits, medication, etc. Expects to pay 50-100$ just to have a vet examine your dog. All in all its what everyone else said....its how much you want to put into your dog: whether you buy the 7.00 dog food or the 15.00 dog food. I love animals and especially love dogs.

[brandondan1]

Dogs are worse than kids lol. I have 3 of my own and the cost of food and shots is a lot. You'll have extra fun if your dog is afraid of thunder. Have fun staying up at night while ur dog is shuddering on you while drooling over your just washed sheets. don't think closing the door on them will solve the problem as they will only begin to scratch on your door constantly. Also, potty training is a blast... cleaning turds off the floor..=/. The amount of fun you'll have and love you'll receive can greatly outweigh this though.

Just make sure ur a fking Nazi when they're young. You'll have a lot of trouble if you try to train them later.

[golfdmb18]

Just make sure ur a fking Nazi when they're young. You'll have a lot of trouble if you try to train them later.

agree 100000% with this. They're just like kids...if you don't discipline them young then when they get old and are wild they won't listen:)