Can You Afford The Costs That Come With A Dog?

Are you thinking about getting your first dog? There’s a lot to consider here. One of the key things that you must think about is whether or not this is a practical choice. For instance, you should always think about the cost. Getting a dog is going to put you under a little bit of financial pressure. Even if you think you have considered all the costs, you’re probably missing out on a few of the crucial ones. So, let’s get started and make sure that you understand the points that you should be aware of here. 

Food 

You might assume that food won’t cost you a lot of money. But be careful because this will often depend on the type of dog that you choose. Some dogs are always going to be a lot more expensive in terms of how much they eat. Usually, larger dogs will cost more overall and you’ll find that you are constantly ordering more bags of food. It’s also worth noting that some dogs have specific diet requirements. Food that fits into these requirements are going to be a little more expensive than the normal packets that you can grab at the superstore. 

Vet Bills

Every owner hopes that their pet will remain healthy for their entire life. But even if this is the case, then that doesn’t mean that you can avoid vet bills completely. Your dog is always going to need an annual check at least to make sure their health is on the right track. You’re usually looking at a couple of hundred every few months to make sure that your pup is receiving the right treatment that they need to stay healthy. You need to make sure that you are finding a practice that you can trust with resources like Lynbrook Vet. 

Insurance 

A rolling cost that you will need to pay monthly is the insurance for your pup. There’s something to keep in mind about insurance. It starts off low and the premium increases as your pup gets older. The reason for this is that it’s more likely something will go wrong with their health as they get older. Various dog breeds are likely to develop health issues connected with their age. To deal with this, you should make sure that you carefully read your insurance policy and find out exactly what it covers. 

Care

It’s likely that you can’t stay with your pup all the time. As such, you are also going to need to factor in the cost of care. This could mean paying for a dog walker or potentially dog boarding services if you are going away without your dog. You might be tempted to take your dog with you. However, be careful with this idea. Dogs are not designed for long flights and will likely get stressed. As well as this, it’s unlikely that the new climate is going to fully agree with them. 

Toys 

This isn’t a major cost but it’s still going to add to your expenses. Don’t forget, dogs can also be quite destructive. They likely will go through quite a few toys in a year and this is certainly true for larger breeds. Dogs also become more destructive if they aren’t properly entertained. That’s why you need to make sure that you do think about factoring this into your budget. If you don’t buy your pup toys then they are likely going to find something else to play with. This brings us to the final cost. 

Destruction 

It’s highly likely that a young dog is going to destroy at least a few of the expensive items that you own. This will usually be an accident however when a dog is teething, they’ll chew anything they can get their teeth around. This includes leads for expensive pieces of technology, the legs of a chair or table and of course, the carpet. This is why it’s important that you do get your dog the right amount of toys to chew. If you don’t, then you’re going to be looking at a hefty bill in terms of repairs and replacements around your home. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key costs that come with owning a dog which will impact your finances. By adding these all up, you can successfully determine whether a dog is going to fit into your budget. If you can’t afford the cost of a dog, there’s a lot of other pets to consider that are a little cheaper. It might be worth choosing one of these instead.