How Much Does It Cost To Own a Dog?

Wondering how much it costs to own a dog?

If you’re reading this, maybe you’re thinking about getting a dog, or maybe you already have one (or several). Maybe you’re reading this to see if your spending matches up with others, like mine.

I used to have four dogs, and now I have three, so I’m quite familiar with how much dogs can cost. Costs really added up, and some years were worse than others (especially when they got old), so it’s important to find ways to save money when you can.

In this article, we’re going over things like:

• Costs of getting a dog
• Ongoing necessary costs to keep your dog healthy
• Insurance options and whether it’s worth it
• If it’s cheaper to adopt a dog
• Dog expenses people forget about 

And more! 

Recommended reading: How We Make $12,000 A Year Dog Sitting From Home

How Much Does It Cost To Own a Dog?

Below are 16 costs to know about before getting a dog.

1. Adoption fee or breeder cost

I’m most familiar with the cost of adoption fees since I’ve never bought a dog from a breeder, but I know people who have. There’s quite a bit of controversy on this topic, and I’m not here to debate – only to break down the costs I’ve seen firsthand.

After adopting a few dogs at different shelters throughout the U.S., I’ve noticed rates usually fall between $50 and $300, with that rate including things like microchipping, vaccines, and spay/neuter services. Adoption centers often have special deals going on, especially when the shelters are overcrowded, so sometimes that cost goes down to $0. Our local shelter also covers the first vet visit, which is super nice. 

Breeder rates vary widely, depending on the breed and whether the dog is purebred. I’ve seen rates go as high as $5,000, and many times, you still need to get the dog’s vaccines and spaying/neutering done as well.

My dog’s adoption fees were always around $150 to $200. 

2. First vet visit

For your dog’s first vet visit, expect to pay between $75 and $350.

This fee depends on what your dog needs, which might be a full exam, core vaccines, fecal test, and deworming (if the dog is a puppy).

First vet visits usually cost more than normal because you’re taking care of all the initial preventive care, not just a basic exam. 

3. Spay or neuter

If you get your dog from a dog shelter, it’s pretty much guaranteed your dog will already be spayed or neutered, as shelters try to decrease the homeless dog population.

However, if you bought your dog from a breeder and need a spay and neuter, expect to pay between $200 and $900. This price range depends on how big your dog is and whether your dog is a male or female (females are more expensive because it’s an abdominal surgery).

4. Basic dog supplies

Basic dog supplies include things like collars, leashes, ID tags, food and water bowls, crates, toys, dog beds, grooming supplies, training treats, and waste bags.

Most new owners can expect to pay around $150+ to get the basics set up before bringing the dog home. 

You can get an idea of what basic dog supplies cost on Amazon here.

5. Training

Training your dog is highly recommended, and the sooner you start, the better. Training can vary widely depending on whether it’s a class like puppy basics, private training sessions, or board and train programs.

Introductory puppy basic classes usually cost $100 to $300. Private training sessions usually start at $75 per session. Board and train programs that last 1-3 weeks are from $1,000 to $3,000+.

We had someone drive to our house for dog training, and we got a special deal. The animal shelter was partnering with a dog trainer (another bonus of adopting!). 

6. Food 

Food is one of the most expensive ongoing costs you’ll have with dog ownership, and this cost will go up or down depending on your dog’s size and what kind of dog food they’re getting.

Depending on your dog’s size, you can expect to pay:

• Small dog: $25 to $60 per month
• Medium dog: $40 to $90 per month
• Large dog: $70 to $150+ per month

That cost goes up if you feed your dog a higher-end diet like raw food, fresh food, premium kibble, or a prescription diet. One of my dogs is on a prescription diet to prevent urinary stones, and a large 20-pound bag costs about $120 and lasts us about 4 months. We buy everything from Chewy, and I highly recommend them! When our dog died, they sent us a bouquet and a very sweet card, which was very thoughtful to receive.

7. Treats and chews

Treats can range in price, but this is about what you are looking at, depending on your dog’s size, activity level, and if they are being trained:

• Basic treats: $5 to $20 per month
• Regular training + treats: $10 to $40 per month
• Heavy training or frequent rewarding: $30 to $75 per month

8. Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention

Depending on where you live, it is highly recommended to have your dog on flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.

We used to live in Texas, and it felt required for our dogs to be on this. It can get expensive, but it is so worth it to prevent serious things from happening. This cost really added up since we had multiple dogs back when we lived in Texas. 

Typical monthly cost:

• Flea + tick prevention: $10 to $30 per month
• Heartworm prevention: $5 to $15 per month
• Combo medications (all-in-one chews): $15 to $60 per month – this is what we would get

9. Pet insurance

Pet insurance might feel optional, but I don’t think it is at all. Crazy things can happen to our animals, and that can be really expensive.

When we got our first dog, we realized how important pet insurance was, and now all of our dogs have it. We use Healthy Paws for pet insurance and really like them. They give you a discount for having multiple dogs on pet insurance, and they reimburse you almost immediately. 

Here is a typical monthly cost:

• Young, small dogs: $20 to $40 per month
• Average adult dogs: $30 to $70 per month
• Large dogs or seniors: $60 to $120+ per month

10. Annual vet visit

Annual vet visits are important as they cover things like basic wellness exams, core vaccines, heartworm tests, and fecal tests.

If your dog is older, the vet might recommend blood work, which ranges from $100 to $300.

11. Grooming

If you have a long-haired, curly-haired, or double-coated breed, you’ll likely need to take your dog in for regular grooming.

Prices vary depending on the size of your dog, with these prices being a general average for each size:

• Small dogs: $45 to $75
• Medium dogs: $60 to $85
• Large dogs: $70 to $120+
• XL/heavy coats: $100 to $150+

If you live in a major city, I’ve seen these prices double. Also, if you go a long time without a groom and your dog needs a lot of work, you’ll likely pay much more than the prices above. 

12. Boarding, pet sitting, or dog daycare

If you travel a lot, you need to factor in costs for boarding and pet sitting.

If you’re away at work for over 10 hours and have no one to let your dog out, you’ll need to use a dog daycare. These prices range quite a bit depending on where you live and how long you’ll be gone. We’ve had our dogs boarded, which we would never do again; it was way too stressful for them, but it may work for you.

Dog boarding ranges from $50 to $150 a night. We highly prefer having someone come to our house, which ends up costing the same. We pay a family member $100 a day to stay at our house while we are gone.  

13. Dental care

One of the most common costs you’ll have to keep in mind is dental care. Dental care is important for pets for many reasons, including preventing painful dental disease (dogs can’t tell you their teeth hurt), preventing unwanted dental bacteria from entering their bloodstream and causing diseases, and helping them eat comfortably.

Our dogs’ dental cleanings range from $400 to $1000+, with the higher end being for multiple extractions and extra testing to make sure they are fit for a dental cleaning (since we have senior dogs). 

These are some general prices for dental cleanings:

• Basic cleaning: $200 to $400
• Standard cleaning with X-rays: $400 to $800
• Simple extraction: $40-ish per tooth
• Complex extraction (molars, broken roots): $100 to $300 per tooth
• Multiple extractions: total can reach $600 to $1,200+
• Pre-anesthesia blood work: $50 to $150
• Medications (pain relief, antibiotics): $20 to $60

14. Emergency vet bills

We’ve been to the emergency vet quite a few times, so we are familiar with the array of costs that can come up depending on what happens to your dog. This is why I recommend pet insurance, because you never know what’s going to happen. 

Here is an average of the most common emergency treatments and how expensive they can be. 

• Wound care or laceration repair: $200 to $1,000+ (happened to our dog)
• Toxic ingestion treatment: $250 to $800 but can exceed $2,000 (happened to our dog)
• GI obstruction surgery: $2,000 to $6,000+ (happened to our dog)
• Broken bone repair: $1,500 to $5,000+

As a side note, we only go to VEG ER for Pets, which has locations all over the U.S. They treat your dog (and you) like royalty there, and we even got to sleep in a room (with a bed, sheets, and everything) with our dog overnight. 

15. Medications

Besides the tick, flea, and heartworm prevention meds we talked about earlier, dogs may also need allergy meds, pain meds, antibiotics, chronic condition meds, arthritis meds, anxiety meds, gastrointestinal meds, eye and ear meds, and the list goes on.

Pet insurance (depending on the plan you choose) can also help out with these things. These costs can really add up, especially if your dog, like mine, is on a monthly dose of, say, an arthritis injection.

We pay about $70 a month to help alleviate arthritis issues, but luckily, our pet insurance covers it. 

16. Home damage

Last but not least, your dog may do some home damage.

My husband was visiting his parents the day they were moving out of their house, and he brought his dog. While they were out doing errands, the dog stayed in a bedroom. Unfortunately, they returned to find the dog had ripped up all of the carpet, which was the first time he had ever done anything like that. My husband had to fix it that day and spent a lot of money doing so.

Other home damage costs that may come up include:

• Furniture replacement or repair from being chewed up
• Scratched floors
• Carpet cleaning and odor removal

Also, if you rent, landlords typically charge a monthly or annual pet fee.

Ways To Save Money on Dog Ownership

Below is a list of ways to save money on dog ownership!

• Adopt from a shelter or rescue 
• Learn basic grooming at home 
• Buy supplies on sale and use coupons
• Keep up with preventive care – preventive care may help avoid bigger bills later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the costs of owning a dog.

Is owning a dog worth the cost?

In my opinion, YES with a big BUT. The companionship and emotional support from a dog is unlike anything else in the world. This is where the BUT comes in – owning a dog and keeping them healthy and happy has costs that add up, and some months can get really expensive. And as they age, the expense only grows. 

If you have the time, energy, and finances to care for a dog properly, it is 100% worth it to get a dog. If the finances sound scary to you, it’s better to wait until you’re in a more stable place because dogs deserve consistent, dependable care. 

How much does owning a dog cost per month?

This is a hard question to answer and really depends on the dog, the dog’s age/weight, or if the dog had an emergency and ate rocks (this is from personal experience).  

Here is a breakdown of the average monthly costs of owning a dog:

• Food: $25 to $100+
• Routine vet care: $40 (averaged out)
• Flea, tick, heartworm prevention: $30 (averaged out)
• Pet insurance: $60 to $100+
• Grooming: $0 to $100+ (It depends on whether you do it yourself or go regularly to a groomer; some dogs require grooming to prevent matting, which can become uncomfortable or even painful if left untreated.)
• Toys, treats, and enrichment: $10 to $50

Estimated total: $165 to $420+ per month

What is the most expensive part of owning a dog?

The most expensive part of owning a dog is usually emergency care. A single emergency visit can go into the thousands, with rare cases going into the tens of thousands. Our most expensive bill was in the $5,000 range, and this was before our pet insurance started, which was a sad experience for us, but it’s also the reality of owning a dog. 

Besides emergency costs, ongoing monthly bills that get expensive include food (especially if your dog is on a prescription diet like ours) and pet insurance, if your dog is insured (and keep in mind, the older they get, the more pet insurance costs). 

Is it cheaper to adopt a dog?

Adopting a dog is almost always cheaper upfront than buying from a breeder, especially because you’re buying a dog who has already been vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and microchipped. 

How much should I save before getting a dog?

Before getting a dog, you should aim to save around $1000 to $3000 in case anything unexpected happens in the first year of dog ownership. This will give you peace of mind in case anything happens, and you won’t be left stressed trying to find help for your dog. 

What dog expenses do people forget about?

The dog expenses people usually forget about include things like:

• Emergency vet visits
• Diagnostics like X-rays, blood work, and ultrasound
• Dental cleanings
• Chronic meds
• Training classes
• Dog walking, day care, and boarding when traveling
• Nail trimming and ear cleaning
• Pet deposits or monthly pet rent to a landlord

How Much Does It Cost To Own a Dog – Summary

I hope this post was helpful for you in finding out how much it costs to own a dog.

After owning several dogs for the past decade, I’ve seen how months can go by with very little spending on my pups, and other months come up where I’m really happy we have pet insurance and an emergency fund. 

Are you thinking about getting a dog?

Recommended reading: 

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• How I Earned Up to $4,000 Per Month Baking Dog Treats (With Zero Baking Experience!)
• How I Travel Full-Time By RV And Boat With My 2 Dogs
• How This Couple Does Van Life with A Baby (and a dog!)
• Becoming an RV Family – How We Travel Full-Time With 4 Kids and 2 Dogs