The Cost of Owning a Dog: Annual and Lifetime Costs

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The cost of dog ownership can be broken down into a few categories, including new pet expenses, annual expenses and additional or miscellaneous costs. Most pet owners consider their pets family members. However, although pet owners agree their pet’s companionship and love are worth the costs of care, they aren’t always prepared for unexpected expenses.

A better understanding of dog ownership costs can help prospective pet parents better budget for typical expenses and plan for unexpected costs. Pet insurance, pet credit cards and pet-specific savings accounts can help to better manage a pet’s lifelong care.

First-year dog expenses include the one-time costs associated with adopting or purchasing a new puppy, start-up supplies like food dishes and a leash and your dog’s annual veterinary care. Depending on your new dog’s breed, size and age and whether you purchase from a breeder or adopt from a shelter, these expenses could range from $1,565 to $6,925.

Assuming good health, smaller dogs cost less to acquire than large ones, and purebred, purchased dogs are more expensive than mixed breed, adopted dogs. A young puppy also generally costs more than an older puppy or adult dog because they have added veterinary expenses. Pet health insurance or a pet savings account are included in these figures since you should budget for potential health conditions throughout your dog’s lifetime.

Typical First-Year Dog Expenses

The chart below outlines common costs you can expect during your first year of dog ownership.

Note: The above data reflects estimated care costs that we sourced from Petco and Tufts University. Keep in mind that actual pricing may vary depending on your location and your dog’s age and breed. 

Puppy Supplies and Food

Puppy supplies and food make up about one-third of total first-year expenses, ranging from $587 to $2,135 — a wide range because puppy size and breed greatly impact supply costs. A small dog will need smaller-sized supplies, make smaller accidents and eat less than a larger dog. Products also range in quality and design, from basic to luxury, and your style choices determine how much each item will cost.

Your puppy’s personality and trainability will also impact costs. Dogs who like to chew will go through more toys than others and may destroy bedding or other items, and some puppies will have more accidents.

Average first-year puppy food and supply costs include:

• Food and treats: $200 to $900
• Food and water bowls: $12 to $80
• Collars, leashes and other safety supplies: $20 to $110
• Dog beds: $20 to $150
• Crate: $100 to $200
• Potty supplies (pee pads and poop bags): $50 to $200
• Cleaning supplies: $75 to $125
• Toys: $100 to $300
• Grooming supplies (e.g., brushes, shampoo and nail clippers): $10 to $70

Breeder and Adoption Fees

Your new dog will almost always come with a purchase price or adoption fee that ranges from $50 to $2,000. Purebred or “designer” breed mixes from a puppy breeder typically cost around $1,000 to $2,000. Since most puppies are around 8 weeks old when purchased, this range does not include initial veterinary costs, such as vaccines, deworming and spay or neuter surgery.

Adopting from a shelter is considerably less costly, coming in as low as $50. Puppy adoption fees are usually higher than an adult or senior dog, and include most vaccines and veterinary care received prior to adoption. Rescued dogs are typically spayed or neutered before adoption, which is included in the adoption fee or provided at a discount shortly afterward.

Puppy Vaccinations and Veterinary Visits

Puppies need more health care, including multiple vet visits, during their first six months. Puppies are vaccinated in a two- to four-dose series, given several weeks apart, and need a physical examination before each vaccine to ensure proper growth and development.

Each individual puppy will need various vaccinations, depending on their expected lifestyle. Your puppy’s vaccination schedule may include:

• Distemper, parvovirus and parainfluenza: Series of three- to four-doses
• Rabies: Single dose
• Leptospirosis: Series of two doses
• Bordetella: Single dose or series of two doses
• Bivalent influenza: Series of two doses

Each vaccine costs around $20 to $40, and each veterinary visit can cost between $50 and $75. Puppies also require deworming and monthly preventive medications for fleas, ticks and heartworms, which can range from $120 to $440, depending on the products chosen and the dog’s size.

Altogether, puppy veterinary visits, vaccinations and parasite control will cost $470 to $890 in the first year. Some veterinary hospitals may bundle these costs into a wellness plan that can be paid in monthly installments, which will usually save you money compared to purchasing each item individually. You can also opt for additional procedures such as microchipping, which will cost extra.

Spaying and Neutering

The cost to spay or neuter your furry friend depends on when and where the surgery is performed. On average, total spay or neuter costs can range from $200 to $700. The price of surgery at a private veterinary clinic for a dog purchased from a breeder will be at the high end of that range. If you adopt a dog, surgery will likely be provided by the shelter or rescue group and included in any adoption fees. If not there are insurance plans for neutering that you can consider purchasing.

Dog spays for females require cutting into the abdomen to remove the reproductive organs. Dog neuters performed on males involve only a small incision on the body’s outside, which means they are less invasive, faster and less expensive than spays.

While spaying and neutering are commonplace surgeries, they still require a highly skilled veterinary team. A basic spay or neuter procedure requires general anesthesia, IV fluids and post-operative pain control, and many people opt for pre-anesthetic blood work, which costs extra, to ensure their dog’s health.

After the first year, your dog’s maintenance expenses will likely decrease but may go back up as your dog ages and develops medical conditions.

According to our survey of more than 1,000 dog owners, most spent an average of $40 to $290 per month on their dogs — or an average of $480 to $3,470 annually. But this number will vary depending on your dog’s individual needs, size, pet insurance plan’s costs, and health status.

The following chart shows the average annual costs of dog ownership based on common pet needs.

Note: The above data reflects estimated care costs that we sourced from Rover and Petco. Keep in mind that actual pricing may vary depending on your location and your dog’s age and breed. 

Routine Veterinary Visits

Your adult dog should visit the veterinarian once or twice per year for routine care, including a physical examination, vaccine boosters, and intestinal parasite and heartworm testing. The total annual costs for basic vet care may range from $80 to $250 per year, but can be more if your dog needs annual blood or urine tests or develops any medical conditions like diabetes or cataracts.

Some dog vaccinations are administered once every three years, while others are repeated annually. If your pet needs all their vaccinations in a single year, assuming an average vaccine cost of $30 to $40, this could be an additional $200, bringing your annual total to $280 to $450. Vaccination protocols are individualized and active, social dogs will need more vaccines than dogs who stay home most of the time.

Pet Food and Supplies

Adult dogs require more complex nutritional needs than puppies and some dogs need more expensive, specialty foods as they age, while others do fine on regular kibble. Generally, dry food is the least expensive, followed by canned food, fresh food and raw or specialty diets.

The Tufts University nutrition service found that pet food costs range from $200 to $7,000 per year, depending on the chosen food or a dog’s specific needs. However, a Rover survey found that average pet food costs ranged from a more moderate $210 to $2,340 per year.

Ongoing supplies for adult dogs, which most commonly include treats, poop bags and toys, can cost anywhere from $150 to $830.

Flea, Tick and Heartworm Prevention

Parasite prevention is key to maintaining your dog’s health because these pests can transmit serious or deadly diseases to you or your pet. Parasite preventives are typically given as a monthly oral or topical medication, one for fleas and ticks and another for heartworm.

The size of your dog impacts the cost of parasite preventive treatments — large dogs cost more than small dogs. Depending on the medication and your dog’s size, annual parasite prevention may total $120 to $440. You can lessen this cost by opting into pet insurance plan that covers flea and tick preventative options.

Not every dog parent will incur additional expenses like grooming, veterinary X-rays or dental care each year, but you should budget for the possibility. You cannot predict what will happen to your dog. Your dog may not need any of these services or could require them all in any given year.

Assuming your dog needs four grooming sessions per year, one dental cleaning, one sick or emergency vet visit, one week of boarding or pet sitting, and a year of average insurance premiums, you’re looking at an additional $1,330 to $2,380. Other services, such as dog walking or more extensive veterinary care, will significantly increase this number.

Note: The above data reflects estimated care costs that we sourced from Rover. Keep in mind that actual pricing may vary depending on your location and your dog’s age and breed. 

Pet Sitting and Boarding

Your dog will require care from a pet sitter or a boarding facility if you have to leave home for an extended period of time. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend or family member to watch your pet, you may save on these expenses, but sometimes dog owners need outside help.

Pet sitters will typically come to your home to care for your pet a few times a day or stay with your pet 24/7 or overnight. Boarding your dog in a larger kennel facility is typically less expensive than a pet sitter, but your dog may have less one-on-one time with staff members and some pets become stressed outside of their homes.

If you take two, one-week vacations per year, you could spend the following on pet care services:

• In-home pet care day visits: $560

• In-home overnight or 24/7 care: $1,400

• Dog boarding: $560

Dog Walking

Doggy daycare and dog walking services are good options if you work long hours and need someone to take your pet outside during the day. Dog walkers are people who you pay to come to your home and walk your dog at set times. This option is ideal if your pet needs controlled exercise or would not enjoy the company of other dogs at doggy daycare. Doggy daycare is a supervised play group with multiple dogs that provides daily exercise and social interactions.

Regular dog walking or doggy daycare will cost about $20 per visit. If you need this help three days per week, year-round, it adds up to $3,120 annually.

Pet Training

All puppies should receive basic obedience training during their first year. Some dogs will need additional specialized training or may develop behavior problems that require in-home consultations and private sessions to resolve.

Private dog training sessions could cost $40 to $250 each, depending on the problem. Basic puppy manners or easily resolved issues, such as jumping or counter-surfing, will likely require only one visit. But more serious problems, such as stranger aggression or separation anxiety, may require more sessions.

Grooming

Grooming is another category where costs vary widely, depending on your dog’s breed and hair type. Short-coated dogs may require occasional trips to the groomer for professional bathing or de-shedding, but you can typically do this at home. Breeds with longer coats will need regular haircuts every six to 12 weeks, depending on your desired look.

The top dog breeds that require frequent grooming include poodles and poodle mixes, Bichons and Old English sheepdogs. Your dog may also require a specific grooming routine based on its fur. For example, some terrier breeds need a special technique called “stripping,” which a groomer does by hand and costs more than regular haircuts. Each grooming session can cost anywhere from $20 to $150, which amounts to $20 to $1,200 per year.

Emergency Illness and Accident Veterinary Visits

The average dog owner spends $150 to $1,200 each time they visit the veterinarian with a sick or injured pet. Pets who suffer serious trauma, such as getting hit by a car, or serious illness that requires hospitalization, such as pancreatitis, could cost several thousand dollars per incident.

As pets age, they are more likely to incur higher vet bills, but young pets can also develop serious diseases or experience an accident. Purebred dogs tend to have more medical problems than mixed breeds, but this is a generalization and not a hard and fast rule.

Pet Insurance Premiums

Pet insurance is the best protection against unexpected and ongoing veterinary medical expenses. If your pet needs emergency veterinary care, surgery or treatment for a serious medical condition such as cancer, pet insurance can help avoid the need to make a tough choice based on finances.

Insurance premiums for an adult dog average $360 to $720 annually. Pet insurance costs are typically lower for young, healthy pets and may rise as pets age. Most pet insurance policies don’t cover preexisting conditions, so purchasing insurance before your pet develops ongoing medical problems is important.

While pet insurance costs vary depending on factors like your location and dog’s coverage needs, some companies offer more affordable insurance plans for pet owners on a budget.

The average annual cost of owning a dog varies by state and is based on factors like your local cost of living, goods and services. The table below breaks down each state’s average pet care costs, including food, veterinary checkups, vaccines, spay or neuter surgery and pet insurance premiums.

Note: The above data reflects estimated care costs that we sourced from Pettable. Keep in mind that actual pricing may vary depending on your exact location and your dog’s age and breed.

Your dog’s breed can impact care costs both as a puppy and over time. Dogs that are the most expensive to own and maintain include large breeds that require more food and breeds prone to genetic or other health problems. The most expensive dog breeds include:

• English and French bulldogs
• Saint Bernard
• Shar-pei
• Cocker spaniel
• Bernese mountain dog

The following popular breeds may or may not develop medical issues, and generally cost around or above average:

• Labrador retriever
• Golden retriever
• Boxer
• Rottweiler
• Pug

Breeds known to be generally healthy and robust include:

• Chihuahua
• Pomeranian
• Husky
• Australian labradoodle
• Mixed breeds

Before purchasing or adopting a furry friend, you should think carefully about your finances to ensure you can provide a dog with everything they need. Consider the following questions when making your decision:

• Does my budget allow for up to $300 per month in dog care expenses?
• If my dog has an emergency, will I go into debt? How can I prepare for unexpected expenses?
• What are the health, grooming and exercise requirements of the dog breed I want?
• Will I be upset if I purchase a purebred puppy who needs surgery or lifetime care for a genetic condition?

Dogs are expensive to own and require a lifelong financial and emotional commitment, but they offer a great deal in return. Dogs love unconditionally, provide companionship, give you purpose and can make you healthier — they can lower your blood pressure and encourage exercise.

Pet ownership has many inherent rewards, and most pet owners find their dog worth the financial investment. If you think you are ready to add a dog to your family, use this guide to decide whether you can afford one, and to prepare for possible unexpected expenses to ensure your dog has a long, happy and healthy life.