Owning a dog brings companionship and joy, but it also comes with long-term financial responsibilities. Over a dog’s lifetime, costs can add up significantly depending on size, breed, and care needs. Understanding these expenses ahead of time can help you plan your budget and avoid surprises while ensuring your dog receives proper care.
What Is the Average Lifetime Cost of Owning a Dog?
The total cost of owning a dog varies widely, but many owners underestimate the long-term financial commitment. Some estimates place lifetime costs for dogs between about $15,000 and $15,800, depending on size and life expectancy. Other estimates, which include a broader range of expenses, suggest the total could reach anywhere from around $17,650 to more than $90,000.
This variation depends on factors such as your dog’s size, health, and lifestyle, as well as how much you spend on things like grooming, training, and services.
How Do Costs Vary by Dog Size?
Most sources calculate the cost of dog ownership by the size of the dog. According to an article in “Money,” the lifetime costs are as follows:
- Small dog: $15,051 (average life expectancy of 15 years)
- Medium dog: $15,782 (average life expectancy of 13 years)
- Large dog: $14,480 (average life expectancy of 10 years)
“Forbes” put the costs of dog ownership at quite a bit higher. Including all possible expenses, they estimate the lifetime cost of a dog to be anywhere from $17,650 a year to a staggering $93,520, depending on size, breed, and services required.
Where Is the Money Going?
Health
Routine vet visits, once or twice a year, including wellness checkups, vaccines, lab tests, and dental care could cost between $700-$1,500 a year, depending on your dog and where you live. This doesn’t include emergencies or medications your vet may prescribe.
Grooming
This depends a great deal on the breed. A Basenji, for example, almost keeps himself clean and requires very little in the way of grooming. A Maltese, on the other hand, may require expensive, professional grooming. Grooming your dog at home can run as low as a one-time $25 brush purchase to as much as $1,400 per year for frequent professional grooming.
Food
Whether you feed supermarket dry food or a raw food diet, costs can run from about $120 per year to as much as $900 per year.
Toys and Treats
For some dogs, an old tennis ball and a sock are the best toys in the world. But most pet owners don’t stop there. In fact, as of 2016, dog owners were spending between $35-$250 per year just on toys and treats.
Then there’s licensing, collars, leashes, crates, training, supplements, dog walkers, and emergency vet fees, which Forbes took into account when coming up with its heart-stopping numbers.
Who Spends the Most?
Move over, Baby Boomers. Millennials have more pets than you do. In fact, 57 percent of millennial households own a pet and the generation is 77 percent more likely than other generations to get a pet before they marry or have children. Millennials even tie the purchase of a home to their pets. One-third of millennials, which is the largest group of home buyers, buy a new home to have more space or a better yard for their dog. This age group also spends more on their dogs, with purchases of pet care items, toys, treats, and vet visits.
From that expensive toy you couldn’t resist to dog park licenses, a dog-sitter, limited-ingredient diets and all of the ordinary expenses, the cost of dog ownership adds up. Be prepared to forego a few treats for yourself, and sock some money away to cover any eventualities that come along with owning a dog. After all, you not only love and care for your canine BFF, you’re also responsible for him every day of his life.