# Potential future large dog owner... Costs per year?



## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

I know I earlier said that I might never own a dog but I like to research everything and never close doors to new possibilities. I used to have a husky/German shepherd mix back when I used to live in Kamchatka, this was a very rural area without veterinarians.. She was a wonderful girl but died in a bear attack when she was 7.
Forward a few years and I'm curious about AVERAGE yearly costs of owning a large dog in a North American city (shots, other potential vet bills, food..etc). Back home dogs were feeding themselves by hunting rabbits, squirrels..etc so I'm completely out of touch when it comes to owning a dog in a city. I would most probably adopt from a shelter or get a puppy from a Russian friend, she has a German/Husky pair. Will do a lot of research either way. TIA


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Assuming your new best friend is healthy, I would guess about 1500 US a year give or take. Allowing $300 for the vet and 1200 for food, license, incidentals. More if you don't want to do your own grooming.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Good luck and I hope you decide to get the dog.

I couldn't tell you what our costs are for our dogs. They are part of our family and we don't think about them that way. They need to eat, they need shelter, they need medical maintenance and they need some activities and exercise.

The only thing our eldest (Millie the border collie) has cost me is a worn out right arm from throwing countless of tennis balls!

View attachment 6368
View attachment 6367


----------



## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Start with $20/month for flea/tick/heartworm pills. Yearly vet visit can be $200-400. City vet visits are often twice what a country vet would charge.

Spoting & working breed dogs don't do well on crappy kibble. As they age they will start having joint problems. So its pay now or later with the kibble. My rottweilers get a mix of raw meat & 4Health kibble. The 4Health is $35 for 35lb bag.


----------



## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

about as much as raising a teenage boy?!?!


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

jro1 said:


> about as much as raising a teenage boy?!?!


Hey JRO1
Good to see you, ya crazy Canuck! Hope you been well.
Dogs are cheaper than teenagers. Car Insurance alone makes a teenage boy un feasible. Dogs listen better.


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Dogs are way cheaper than teens , listen better and are not embarrassed to be seen with you. Hell, they will even show you.. gasp!.. affection in public. No matter how bad a day you had they are happy to see you and can't wait to greet you at the door as opposed to being bored.

The definition of true love.... lock you dog in one car trunk and your wife in another. Come back after 4 or 5 hours and see who is happy to see you.


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Great Post Camel923! Thought I was gonna have to call 911 for a difibulator and a bottle of oxygen so I could catch my breath from the laughter. But Its so true! A dog is a true friend who knows your faults and doesn't give a damn.


----------



## kevincali (Nov 15, 2012)

My large German shepherd and my Husky mix cost about $50 a month to feed. I feed my dogs healthy, and exercise them. Only vet visit is for shots for licensing once every three years (about $100). 

So $600-$700 a year. Way cheaper than kids


----------



## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

I'm happy to hear your considering a puppy from the pound. But I am curious, why do you want a large dog if you live in the city?


----------



## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

We have two Great Danes which are actually quite small for the breed. He is almost 8 and she 6. They eat almost exactly 80lbs of diamond brand large breed dog food a month which runs us $69 incl taxes plus some gas to go pick up 3x a year. He needs medication for a hip that ails him which runs $180 per six months at pet meds dot com. Annual shots, visit to the dr so they can up sell ( we don't buy ) tests for this and that rin about a $100 yr each....so $1400 a year min? That's for two.


----------



## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Oh forgot dog biscuits and tweets from Costco....another $25 a month easy.


----------



## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

If you take good care of your dog, feed a quality diet and don't skimp on vet visits and preventatives like heart worm pills you'd likely be spending around 1K/year for a healthy dog, give or take. My largest dog, a 90# Doberman eats four cups a day to maintain a healthy weight. I wholeheartedly encourage dog ownership for a multitude of reasons. Good luck making the right decision!


----------



## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I've three rotties over 100lbs & one is 90lbs. An old female that is 70lbs & have to take to the vet monthly & get her meds which are keeping her out of pain. I don't even want to know what it costs me for all of them a month. All are rescues.


----------



## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

We have two dogs; a large one (Stonewall Jackson) and a small one (Southern Belle). The large one is about 100 pounds; the small one about 60. I have no idea what the total cost is to keep them. But our vet offers a thing that is basically a health insurance policy for dogs. It costs me about $25 per month (each) and includes all of their shots and normal vet visits, plus free vet visits for trivial things. (The little dog has bad allergies. So she is constantly in the vet getting her meds readjusted for the season - all included.) We do still have to pay for any medications or procedures outside of what the plan covers, but I think we get a discount on those too.

If you do take the plunge (and I STRONGLY suggest you do), check with your local vets to see if they offer something similar. It is well worth it.


----------



## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

At least you wouldn't have to worry about a bear killing this one.


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Havent had a dog in a while but after reading some of these post, now I know why I like keeping a boa constrictor. Only one vet visit that cost about 50 bucks if you practice good husbandry. One Rat every 7-10 days. No shed hair all over the place. I don't have to take it for walks. It plays when I "have" time to play. No fleas or ticks to worry about. Don't have to worry about it making the neighbors mad at 2 in the morning barking. My Brazilian Rainbow Boa doesn't get very big either making it quite manageable even when its in a pissy mood and doesn't take up a lot of space. Talk about low maintenance...doesn't get much better than that!


----------



## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

BagLady said:


> I'm happy to hear your considering a puppy from the pound. But I am curious, why do you want a large dog if you live in the city?


Because little dogs are for display only. If you bought the mini-14, would you put it behind glass and keep it for show only? No, it's not exceptionally good looking, it only works half the time, and your friends all talk about it behind your back.

That's why you get the M1A Socom 16.


----------



## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Thanks so much for taking the time to share all the great advice, I may ask more questions in the future. Why large dog? I'm a woman, small dogs are sweet and may effectively disconnect the testicles of a potential attacker but size matters to hopefully prevent someone from attacking me in the first place.


----------



## hardcore (Jan 13, 2013)

yall got me thinking about the up keep on my dog...20 bucks a month for his flea and heart worm meds..... we got him fixed..100 bucks..... he ate rat bait once...250 bucks...he got locked up for biting 500 bucks... when I eat steak so does he. man he sure costs, but I love him...lol

and I forgot the puppy training classes and the advanced puppy classes and the adult doggie classes. it was money well spent, it gave the wife confidence to handle my boy.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

The Cost of Owning a Dog - How much does it cost &#8230;: 




I like huskys. I just came across this it lists prices on average for an owner.


----------



## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

We don't worry much about the cost. The companionship and added security features are well worth it. 
She & the kids love playing with each other and she doesn't let mommy out of her sight if possible.
She's a good alert system and acts like she will eat you alive until you get inside and we tell her it's ok.
Didn't train her that way, she just is.


----------



## TxBorderCop (Nov 19, 2012)

I have (actually my son has, since she sleeps with him) a Chocolate Lab female (Jo) who acts exactly the same!!! Matter of fact if the boy misbehaves (or she thinks he is misbehaving, and at 14 it is fairly often) she, ahem, nuts him. My wife finds it absolutely hilarious. She tells the Boy, he doesn't have a dog, but a wife!!!!

We also have a Yellow Lab male - Mojo weighs in at a stocky 90 pounds of solid muscle. He eats 3 cups of food a day (quality food requires less to maintain healthy weight) while Jo (who is barely 50 pounds) eats about two cups of kibble a day. I use Blue Diamond, which is not inexpensive. I also mix in a raw egg into each of their meals 3 times a week. Really helps with the shedding.

All told, their meds cost maybe 100 bucks a year. We do the once a month heartworm preventative. The boy brushes them two to three times a week. They swim as often as I can get them to the Columbia, which is about a mile from the house. That helps a lot with Labs.


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

jro1 said:


> about as much as raising a teenage boy?!?!


But is better behaved!
I foster Golden Retrievers. Food from Costco runs under $30 per month for a 70 pound dog. Vet could go $200-$400 for a healthy dog in the city or less if in the country as has been stated already. But you will have to give the time to train, exercise and entertain the dog. Oh yah, you will have to pick up the "land mines".


----------



## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

So many beautiful dogs in this thread


----------



## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

TxBorderCop, love your signature, one of my favourite Star Trek moments. I learned English thanks to Picard.


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Your right Boss Dog, its hard to put a price on Companionship, loyalty and the Joy you get from a good dog, small or big. Even when you factor in the cost of daily upkeep they probably are still cheaper than an alarm system and a lot more of a deterent to a thief or other Do No Gooder. Don't know what my large for the breed Male Boxer cost me when I had him, but your right he was well worth what ever the cost was! I swear that dog was Scooby Doo's evil twin and just about as entertaining too!


----------



## Renec (Dec 21, 2012)

my Scout


----------



## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

My 4 y/o and "his" (or so he thinks) puppy sister. The other two have no patience for her so they're off to quieter parts of the home


----------



## TxBorderCop (Nov 19, 2012)

I looked at getting a Dobie - but the fact that my homeowners insurance would go up 30% was the deciding factor. I am like, you're kidding me right? Nope, they are one of the few who will actually still insure a home with a Dobie - even though they have fewer bites than a Jack Russell Terrier. Weirdos.

Looking for a Chesapeake Bay Retriever for me. My last one, Koko, I was blessed with for 16 years, 8 months and 14 days before she went to the Rainbow Bridge. Her ashes are in an urn on my entertainment center, it's in my will that her ashes are to be buried with me. It's been five years and I still miss her.


----------



## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

I couldn't tell you the last time I heard of a doberman attacking. Maybe I live a sheltered life, or maybe they happen, but if the media hears anything but their beloved "Pit Bull" they just ignore it.

We have a pit (sharpei cross, fighting dogs from two continents come together for your viewing pleasure). Come in my yard when I'm not here, I dare ya. Double wrinkly dog dare you. If I am here however, she'll probably lick you to death until you throw her ball. She knows her boundaries. She's gotten out before, and she doesn't protect other peoples yards, just ours.


----------



## TxBorderCop (Nov 19, 2012)

dannydefense said:


> I couldn't tell you the last time I heard of a doberman attacking. Maybe I live a sheltered life, or maybe they happen, but if the media hears anything but their beloved "Pit Bull" they just ignore it.
> 
> We have a pit (sharpei cross, fighting dogs from two continents come together for your viewing pleasure). Come in my yard when I'm not here, I dare ya. Double wrinkly dog dare you. If I am here however, she'll probably lick you to death until you throw her ball. She knows her boundaries. She's gotten out before, and she doesn't protect other peoples yards, just ours.


Me either. My friend Mischa had one, Dolph about 13 years ago. Loved my son to death. That was HIS baby, spooned around him and let him crawl all over him. Then my son snuggled in and they both went to sleep. I was laughing so hard I damn near cried. That's one of the reasons I wanted to get one.

I've never had issues with Pits. Its the bloodline and the people who raise them. A full blooded AKC registered Pit is a great dog. A Michael Vick thug wanna be bred dog, I would steer anyone away from.


----------



## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

TxBorderCop said:


> I looked at getting a Dobie - but the fact that my homeowners insurance would go up 30% was the deciding factor. I am like, you're kidding me right? Nope, they are one of the few who will actually still insure a home with a Dobie - even though they have fewer bites than a Jack Russell Terrier. Weirdos.
> 
> Looking for a Chesapeake Bay Retriever for me. My last one, Koko, I was blessed with for 16 years, 8 months and 14 days before she went to the Rainbow Bridge. Her ashes are in an urn on my entertainment center, it's in my will that her ashes are to be buried with me. It's been five years and I still miss her.


Shhhh .... I won't tell if you won't


----------



## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

Does anyone watch Sons of Anarchy? Tig?


----------

