How much is that doggie in the window? That all depends on the breed, health, size and grooming schedule. Don’t forget about the flee & tick prevention and the heartworm prevention. It’s Spring already and the ticks are out in full force. One of mine had 2 ticks already!!
I have 5 dogs. The first dog we purchased from a breeder and the other 4 are rescue dogs.



To satisfy my curiosity I added up all the receipts I saved throughout the 9 years that I have had just one of my dogs, Marcus. Marcus, had a grand total of $6,000 over 9 years, which didn’t include food, toys, crates, sweaters, dog sitting (on occasion) or training. That was just the basic care of vet bills, dog licenses, flee & tick meds, and grooming. If you add the food, toys, etc, I would estimate that would add another $600. Grand total just over $770 a year. Keep in mind, and thank the lord, he is HEALTHY along with my other 4 dogs and a rescue cat. I then multiplied that by the 9 years =’s $6,930. Add in the other 4 dogs for a grand total of over $20,000 in 9 years. Not too bad. I know some people with only 1 or 2 dogs that spent thousands and thousands of dollars on them due an illness or accident.
From the research I did, the average cost of owning a dog is around $1,000 a year. The first year could be as high as $1,200. Cost of owning a pet
Other expenses to consider are fencing and gates. I have a least 5 gates in my house to keep the dogs out of rooms they should be in. I love the Regalo gates. They are sturdy, reliable and good looking Gates
Lastly, do not forget about the invisible fence or a real fence. The fence I purchased and had installed came from GMH Fence company. http://gmhfence.com/ They did an amazing job installing it. I decided to get a chain link fence with the vinyl coating to prevent rust. My dogs are small so I purchased the 4 foot to save some money. If I had to do it again, I’d get the 6 foot fence. From my recollection the fence was around $1,200. It covers about 600 feet of my yard.
It’s so important to have a fence as it help to deep predators away from your dog. It won’t stop them but it does help. How much is that doggie in the window?