Can you afford a dog ?

Buying the dog itself is the beginning. Very few puppies can be acquired for nothing, which is good. It follows that a person who cannot afford to buy a dog will most likely not be able to care for one adequately throughout its entire life.

Almost everyone will want to sell the litter they have reared, even if only to try to recoup the cost of feeding the puppies to weaning. The cost of good pedigree puppies varies from country to country. In the United Kingdom, the average price asked for a well-bred puppy of most breeds is between $550 and $850. In the United States asking prices are usually somewhat higher, from about $1,000 upwards. Australian prices are similar to those in the United Kingdom. Imported puppies in any country may cost a great deal more.

Then, of course, you may spend as much as you wish on toys, beds, collars, leads, bowls, clothing and other equipment. If you need some inspiration in that department, check out: Great Dog Stuff!

A substantial part of the cost of keeping a dog may be the cost of veterinary treatment. The initial examination by the veterinarian will be around $60 in the United States, plus the puppy's primary inoculations, which might bring the total up to around $100 or more, depending on what is included and what the puppy has already received from the breeder. Then the dog will need updates on its shots every so many months, plus perhaps monthly heart worm prevention medication, costing around $12-15 per month.

Microchipping is just about essential these days, if you were to lose your dog and retain any hope of finding it again. The tiny microchip is injected under the skin of the dog, between the shoulder blades. Do-it-yourself kits for microchipping can be obtained online at various pet supply websites for around $30, but these necessitate you to have some experience with giving injections. Your veterinarian would most likely provide the service for around $55, plus the office visit. Often, veterinarians will perform the microchipping at the time of spaying or neutering, if you have that done.

If you wish your dog to be neutered or spayed, which we highly recommend, then you will have to factor in that cost. In the United States, the cost of neutering a dog is around $200 and the cost of spaying is around $250. These estimates are assuming you go through your veterinarian. However, there are many cost-saving spay and neuter clinics, which offer excellent, experienced care. Usually, by asking at any of the larger pet supply stores, such as PetSmart or PetCo, you can obtain information on the clinics nearest you. The prices vary, but on average it could save you 50-75%.

Veterinarians are capable of sophisticated treatments of illness or injury, but they have no subsidy for the costs. If your dog ever needs complicated or prolonged veterinary treatment the cost may be high. There are several pet insurance companies catering for veterinary treatments; each company has its own approach, and you would be well advised to study what each company offers before deciding which policy to buy.

The premium grade policies offer sums for the death of your dog, and for rewards to be offered if the dog is lost. They may include kenneling fees in case of your own illness, even holiday cancellation costs. The level of veterinary fees covered is variable on most offerings, and it may be worth discussing this with your veterinarian. Additions to the policy can be expensive. Some companies will offer a basic veterinary fee insurance as an alterative to the premium policies.

Most insurers offer an affordable puppy policy, sometimes with an incentive to transfer to the adult scheme when it expires. Many breeders will offer puppy insurance to buyers, either as part of or as an an extra cost to the purchase price of the puppy.

Feeding costs vary greatly. In theory, the smaller the dog, the less expensive to feed, but this is frequently offset by choosing more specialized, and therefore expensive, foods for the very small pet. It is possible to feed a 30-pound dog a healthy diet for about $6.00 a week.

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