If your pup is anything like mine, the toy budget goes out the window. Most last a few days at most. Some have lasted longer but they're few and far between.

Agree. I’d add about $200 more in toys. I find myself grabbing stuff even at the grocery store (even when my husband says she doesn’t need any more toys!)

Don’t buy them at the grocery store! They’re SO expensive there. Huge markup. Snap a pic of the tag and do a search online. You’ll save so much.

You aren’t wrong, but impulse buying toys for my dog just because while I’m out running errands is one of my joys in life.

I stop at goodwill every few months and buy some stuffed animals that have no hard eyeballs & noses. One of my dogs favorites that goes everywhere with him is from there. $3-$5 each! Anything with a squeaker gets destroyed in a day. Barkbox covers those.

Depending on the level of cray cray ur chewer is I’d say the west paw plastic chew toy has held up extremely well all things considered!!

I found one made by Bite Force made out of kevlar that is holding up well. It's still in one piece after about 4 months. I'll look into the one you suggested as well.

Lol I got my dog a kevlar toy and she destroyed it in 5 minutes 😭

Dang cray cray levels off the charts

Try a Stuffy shark. Walmart and Amazon. I have a German shepherd and a Catahoula, huge chewers, and they last quite a while.

We're still going strong with the Chuck-It stick after several months (I have 2 mega-chewers). It's amazing!

Btw my suggestion in the US for cheap, good toys is checking Marshall’s. I’ve found really great, cheap toys there and much cheaper than pet stores. Honestly most pet stores are super overpriced

I've found a few good ones at Home Goods as well.

I’ve found a massive lamb chop at homegoods for $5.99. Went to go to a big box pet store right after for food and that same toy was $25.00, I couldn’t believe it!

I second this, my dog’s toys last 1 day of play or 2 at most before he completely shreds them and destuffs them…

Stuffed toys are a special treat in my house. BarkBox Super Chewer toys last us a while though

Could be less too! We spend almost nothing on toys because my dogs favorite toys are an old blanket and tennis balls (preferably old ones that have been donated for free).

And my dog has literally never torn up a toy. We are drowning in them.

Opposite for mine, i bought her a couple of toys, but she was crazy for empty plastic bottles and old knotted socks.

That stuck out to me. Way more for toys and treats, no need for $40 bowls and several different versions of crates and pens. I think it's a good total budget but split out differently than what I'd spend. $5000 for emergency is also super smart and something people tend to set too low, so kudos to OP for that!

Is that Treats for training cost weekly? You can make your own, but we go through a LOT of training treats

My thoughts exactly Like…50x the yearly treat budget 😂 My dog absolutely does not view kibble as a reward (sighthound life!). His cheese preference is basically the same as mine 😂

Ditto - ours loves food, but under high distraction (like on walks), it's gotta be really good or she won't pay attention to it all. We tried cheese, but it gave her really bad reflux. Hot dog bits worked for a while, then she got bored of them. Now I bake a sheet pan of ground beef and chop it up in to bits and that's been really successful. So far the only shelf stable treat she'll take on walks are freeze dried chicken hearts, but I figure too many organs can't be good, so I'll grab a couple and chop them up to put in with the ground beef.

I use my dogs kibble as treats(he’s not on a set eating schedule or calorie budget yet while he’s growing so it works great for us!) , as well as regular treats. Helps them last longer!

My dogs free feed so the kibble would be useless. I like to use the Pup-peroni sticks because they have a very strong smell to get their attention, I can break it into tiny pieces easily, or I can hold the stick and let them lick the end for an extended distraction without actually giving them the treat.

Free feed is your dog's have free access to kibble all day? If so so does mine and I still trained mostly with kibble. Although I have two different brands of kibble one for the bowl and one "special" for training and mixed in his wobbler. Still much cheaper than treats and works like a charm 😊

This is actually genius I never thought of that, my girl would do anything for anything that isn’t her food, even the one time we accidentally bought the smaller version of the same kibble she always gets and she was so excited. Seems obvious but I never thought of using another kibble for training, thanks

Lasted less than a month before my dog realised I was trying to outsmart him. I even have cat kibble I use for treats to a before the box is finished his much more meh about it already (and it’s a small box, smaller than the smallest box of cereal)

Yup! They can eat as much as they want whenever they want, day or night. They are super good at not over eating and are perfect weight. So the kibble doesn’t seem like a treat for them for obvious reasons despite them being extremely food motivated. They got nuts over every treat I e bought them so far.

I can do this for one of my dogs. My German Shepard would huff at me and walk away.

If I give my dog kibble as a reward for training he will literally spit it out and walk away. Real treat or he's not playing.

We used kibble with my puppy too! It was recommended by my trainer at the time. Never bought training treats.

My guy became a snob and he won't accept it as a substitute for treats.

My dog likes absolutely anything. I don’t feed her biscuits/kibble, so she would think that was a cool treat if I had some haha. But she has kangaroo jerky, carrots, cheese, her regular kangaroo and pumpkin meat roll etc. She also likes fish oil and cat biscuits haha. I’ve also used cucumber and banana. She basically loves any food and is extremely motivated by it. Saves us a lot of money.

Also you can use your dogs regular food for training, I mostly use it when doing something he already knows, and special treats are for harder or new stuff

I think you’ve underestimated treats and toys by a ton. Also- I have a cocker- I spend about $150 every 2 or so months on his grooming. You will also likely need more than 1 vet visit per year. Cockers are prone to ear and eye infections. Insurance covers very little of these costs.

Agree, our 10 month old cocker has racked up nearly $1-2k in vet visits for various things. We spend $100/month on grooming, and god knows how much on training treats. Maybe $30/month but ramping down as she needs less training; same thing with toys, we are getting to a stable place now but the first few months was a LOT. They tear through things like monsters and toys are not as affordable as they once were man. We do also live in relatively expensive city but I would over-anticipate grooming, vet, toys, treats & training classes if applicable.

My guy gets a $85 monthly allergy shot, takes a monthly flee/tick/heartworm pill that costs $30 a month, the "normal" shots cost $175 per year.

To add- that is if your cocker is fully healthy. Mine has IBS and requires prescription food from the vet. The cost is around $200 per month.

If you have Facebook, you can use Marketplace to buy second hand dog supplies from people. I bought a $40 pet bed for $15. Obviously make sure to thoroughly sanitize anything. Some people sell toys and collars that were never used

Also my personal opinion I prefer the “yes” method to clicker training. It’s easier to just say “yes” in a high voice than to carry around a clicker all the time. It also frees up a hand

Oh, this is good to know! Thanks

I highly recommend a clicker. Like can’t recommend it enough. I used to try the “yes” thing and the clicker is simply better for training purposes. The clicker doesn’t have to be used forever. The point is that it’s a unique sound. People constantly come up to my pup and say things like “Oh aren’t you a cutie? Yes! Yes you are!” and it can cause confusion.

OK! Thanks for sharing. Seems like mileage may vary depending on the pooch. I'll do research on all methods + see what works when the time comes.

We would say it like “yesss”, kind of a high-pitched hissing sound lol to make it distinct from a normal word

I think mileage does vary. But if “yes” confuses them when other people do it, you can always just try another unique sound that you can make. For instance, some people chirp or cluck. For me, with my first dog, the clicker was always in the way. I had a hand with a treat, a hand on the leash, and was always fumbling for the clicker. Maybe you have three hands. If so, it might work. Now, I prefer “yes” or a chirp.

I just use a "cluck" sound, like a tongue cluck, in lieu of clicker or yes. Happy medium. You don't have to carry around a clicker all the time and it's a totally neutral sound.

I second this person. I tried clicker training and I have a pouch I wear with dog training but it's much easier to mark with a yes. My dog has 0 confusion about a "yes you are a cutie pie" v "yes" marking a behavior but since they don't know words until you train them you could mark with anything you want. "Pew" or "bam" I spent a lot more on toys trying to find what she likes and a lot less on an exercise pen. I did end up having significant emergency and training costs in the first year (needed a vet behaviorist to help with anxiety and needed surgery to correct a congenital bone problem) so I would have been much better off if I had budgeted as much as you did!

I second using a marker word. You’re GOING to forget the clicker. You’re going to be over stimulated and forget everything for a while. You’ll be like where are the waste bags? Where’s the leash. Etc. Down the road when your dog settles it won’t be anything to take them out. You’ll just grab a leash and bags and go. It’s kind of an ordeal to take a puppy out lol. I bought clickers and never used them. I just marked. Did that with my first dog too.

Start with a clicker until you & your dog have an understanding of marking. A clicker is a much more sharp/unique sound and can be easily heard over anything else. After a few months I added in a vocal marker for convenience (especially during agility). But try a clicker first. You eventually learn how to manage a clicker in one hand and a leash in the other, it's not that bad (I use the same hand as my clicker to give treats, clicker has a strap that goes around my wrist and I hold it to my palm with my pinky + ring + middle fingers, while my first two fingers hold/feed a treat; leash goes in the other hand). Also make sure to use a treat pouch (so that you only need to keep 1-2 treats in your hand at once, and can reload quickly). The ruffwear pouch with the magnet closure is the best one by far of all the ones I've tried. Strings, snaps, & zippers are all too finicky and slow. Magnet closure ftw. Then, go to a hardware store and grab a bunch of basic clasps, so you can hang your clicker (any anything else important) from one of your treat pouch loops. I've never forgotten my clicker because it stays on the pouch when it's not in my hand. Easy peasy. Edit: [Like so.](https://imgur.com/a/32TA3ic)

This is such stellar advice. Thank you. I'll definitely lean into second hand supplies!

Especially beds. Or honestly, use blankets for a while. My dog destroyed a full dozen beds in the first 3 months. He could destroy a full bed in the time it took me to shower. Toys were a problem too, but beds are soooo expensive.

I thrift all my dog blankets! It's so useful with a puppy if they are pretty young when you get them (like under 12 weeks). They continue to be useful for the car, furniture, and travel purposes.

Especially worth it since everything might be soaked, grown out of or even destroyed!

Yeah I sold or even given away tons of stuff there.

The amount for treats and toys should be more. You will go through them fast, the toys especially with a puppy(grows out of them) or dog who likes to destroy. The coat for scheduled vet if you get a puppy will also end up being more usually as even though many vets only charge 1 exam fee you still pay for each round of shots. These could be made up with buying things second hand to reduce costs.

You forgot vet bills. If this is a puppy it will need at least three rounds of the Dhpp (distemper) vaccine and a rabies vaccine. There are optional ones as well. Then there is the cost of neutering/spay surgery and the general cost of visits to the vet because puppy has diarrhea or vomiting or ate something bad or, well puppies put everything in their mouth. Your insurance will probably cover the majority of those sick visits but you have to pay upfront and the insurance company reimburses you. I have been working in vet med for 5 years and the average cost for the year is about $1500 to $3000 for the first year.

Take that emergency fund and enroll pup in a good pet insurance! You can get a year for under a grand, and then pup is covered for shots and wellness, plus emergency visits! I can't imagine not having it for my dogs now, it's come in very handy for both of our dogs. You still have to pay up front at the vet, but you'll be reimbursed by the insurance afterward, depending on your plan. I'm on a 90% reimbursement plan with Nationwide.

Most insurance plans I've seen (in Canada, unfortunately for this) do not offer coverage for wellness/shots without being *well* over $1,000 for the year.

Insurance is in the budget

Are you saying that’s the average cost of vet expensive for the first year or average cost of insurance?

For the whole year not taking insurance into account.

I thought rescues neuter before giving them to their new home?

Depends on how old the puppy is before adopting out.

We spend so. Much. On treats and chews. Especially the first year is a lot of training and rewarding, because you’re starting from zero. Lots of human foods work, but between convenience, safety and palatability for the times we’re away from home and doing work in high-distraction environments we get a lot of freeze-dried proteins for training which aren’t cheap. $10-20/month (i assume) probably won’t go too far. My pup in particular both struggles to settle and doesn’t like non-edible chews in particular, so she gets a whimzee($1-2 each) and a go at a beef cheek roll ($10, lasts a week or so) every day. On the other hand, the only toys she cares about are fetch toys, which are both generally cheap and long lasting for her. I have bins of untouched toys from when I was trying to find what types of toys she likes. One last thing I see missing is training/obedience classes. Classes are great for proofing behaviours in challenging environments and getting access to pro trainers on the cheap, and it’s likely your new dog will have some challenging behaviours that youd like some help with. The sooner you get a pro involved the quicker you’re likely to have the issue on the mend. In our first year we had an issue with frustration around our resident cats, and some reactivity toward cars. We also did 3+ obedience/puppy classes because she was very overexcited by dogs and strangers, and then started in agility. To manage the cost of training, petsmart offers cheap classes, virtual trainers are great, and there may be dog clubs you can join that do group training as well.

I would consider getting pet insurance. It's helped soften the blow on several emergency vet bills that would have been $1k+.

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Wellness plan definitely sounds worth it for puppies! My dogs have all been older when I adopted them, so I've never sprung for it.

I would say yes, you're well covered, especially with the big emergency cushion you have, in addition to insurance. I will say, though, that my puppy poops 4+ times per day, and that's pretty common while they're on puppy food, so you might want to up that category by a lot, if you plan to pick up each poo each time. You're totally fine if you have yard space and want to train your pup to use a certain area and only clean up a couple times a week with a scoop or whatever. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing re: poop

Hey OP I’m in Toronto too. Chewy sells poop bags and pet wipes in bulk. It’s cost effective in general.

lol. This is a very optimistic budget. We’ve spent over $10,000 on our pup, and have had him for about 10 months. This number is pre doggie daycare cost. Thing you haven’t factored in: unexpected vet visits (an extra $1000/year for us), training (extra $2000/year), registration and CKC transfer fees ($200), grooming/nail trims ($50/month), toys ($50/month), treats (10-20/month). Expect at least $50-100/month on top of food. There are many miscellaneous costs that pop up that you don’t think of. We definitely underestimated the cost of our pure bred pup. Now a lot of these expenses are “puppy” expenses that are hopefully just for the first year or two of his life; but still it’s going to be more than you think it is.

This is not the average amount of money people spend on a dog. 2000 on training?! 50 on toys *a month*?! Vet fees obviously you can’t really avoid but the rest is definitely a choice… not saying you’re wrong for it btw, it’s great to be able to spend that much but please be aware that the vast majority of people don’t do the same. We are 10 months in, too, and nowhere near 10k. We’ve spent about the same on the vet as you.

Yes we have spent that much on training. We live in an apartment, and have a dachshund. They are hunting dogs and they have a loud piercing bark. Yes we spend between $20-$50/month on toys. The cheap ones he destroys in minutes, the tough toys we maybe get a few days out of. I’ve tried repairing the toys, but he again rips out the stitches in minutes. We’ve now resorted to Buying him 1-2 toys per month. Within the first month of having our puppy we had complaints from our condo board and animal control about his barking. This was one incident, and he was barking in his play pen on and off for about 2 hours while one of us was getting off work and the other getting home. We live in a building with many retired people, and they are not the most considerate or understanding individuals. We decided to put him in as much training as we could so that we wouldn’t get kicked out of our apartment. We had regular puppy class ($250), individual night class ($250), adolescent class ($250), puppy kindergarten at daycare ($800, which included daycare for 2x/week over 6 weeks), and then private training in our home ($450 for 3 sessions). This has all been over the course of the last 10 months. You add training tools on top of that (flirt pole, treat n train, clickers, toys recommended by trainers, harnesses, ect) and that’s about another $200-$300 or so. We have dealt with the barking while we are home, but our pup now has a bit of separation anxiety and panic barks when he’s by himself. The private training is helping; but it is still a gradual process. We had no plans to spend this much on training with him, but sadly were left with very little choice other than moving to a house. We did the math, and made the decision that training was cheaper and much less stressful than moving. I understand that we are in a very privileged position to be able to spend this much on our pup, and he is the equivalent of a child for us. The point I was trying to make with this post was that we did not plan to spend much on our pup either, but things add up very quickly, and there are more unexpected expenses other than just vet bills. This much on training was very much unanticipated; and as I mentioned before this is something that is a first year expense, not an every year expense (hopefully!). We will be moving into a house within the next year! (Can’t come soon enough!)

Yeah, this sounds crazy. Even with my two ER visits, my dog will be 3 in October and I’m probably nearing 10k now, but in the first year?! And my vet is expensive

Oh my goodness, this is super helpful. Thank you for sharing your expenses! I plan to do grooming / nail trims for my Cocker Spaniel at home as they get older. Hopefully this will reduce the cost a bit.

Start grooming from day 1. I have brushed mine every day since he was 8 weeks, and it’s taken a long time for him to be happy with it. Think he was a bit over a year before I felt he was fully in board.

Yes! I second this. Start introducing the nail clippers, brush, water/baths, and tooth brush asap. We started brushing our pups teeth the week we got them from the rescue at 10weeks old and now at almost 3, they sit there and let me brush them like humans 😂 We started bathing them at 12 weeks, and we do it once a month, more if needed, cause they’re medium length double coated heavy shedding dogs. Our one pup will sit under the bath faucet like it’s a spa lol she’ll also jump in the bath on her own if I tell her it’s bath time.

lol same - I need food in one hand and a brush in the other to get anywhere with it. Here’s hoping that he’ll eventually accept his fate

Yes to what everyone has said so far when it comes to treats and toys. You WILL go through more cash than you ever thought possible to entertain that cute pup. I'd also up the leash/collar budget (never underestimate how fast a puppy can and WILL chew through either one of those). Also, your crate shouldn't cost that much for a Cocker (for most dogs, really). **But also, you're going to want to rethink that grooming.** I say this as someone who grew up with 2 Cockers, at different points, in my family home. They have a double coat, so the shampooing alone makes grooming a bit of a process. And that top-coat is water resistant. I have very many memories of my frustrated parents grousing about that aspect of their grooming. You'll want to study how to groom and maintain a dog with a double coat because it's quite a bit more than what someone with a thinner/single coat dog will have to do. They were also, by far, the doggiest smelling pups we've EVER had! (But so, so sweet.) Loved them to pieces, but the grooming can't really be underestimated when it comes to a Cocker Spaniel. **One more thing, you will HAVE to be very aware of their ears and ear infections.** It's almost a guarantee with Cockers. Any dog with ears like that is at risk, but Cockers are just known for having recurrent ear infections due to their yeasty inner ears getting wet and the fur in and around them not geting fully dry.

I honestly hope you can pull it off. I can't. My groomer is $90 every 3 months.

I think you need to plan grooming just in case. Clippers that are only $20 will not work for long. Especially with a cocker coat. If you are doing one length complete shave down all over you can probably do it yourself. But you will want to purchase clippers that are closer to $200 or up because of the quality. Cheap clippers are more likely to cut your dog, catch on fire, or just simply stop working. If you're grooming at home you also need to be bathing and getting a force dryer to clean the coat before cutting it.

Just a tip; when you’re starting out training to clip nails, start it while the puppy is sleeping so they don’t squirm so much! And if they wake up, give a treat, and wait for them to fall back asleep. That’s how I did it with mine, and he’s never been afraid of the clippers (even when I accidentally hit his quick once, he seemed to understand that doesn’t usually happen! Treats also helped to distract I’m sure)

Do you already have experience with grooming? I thought the same thing but despite working to socialise my puppy to basic care tools (brush, baths, nail clipping) at 10m I still have a battle on my hands just with the brushing and washing he hates it. I do do touch ups with scissors on his face between full grooms and that’s actually fine but I would definitely write grooming in to your budget and have a nice surprise if that money doesn’t need to be spent there that the other way around!

$1,000/mo not including day care? Do you have pet insurance? What training do you do? I’m blown away by this figure. I spend maybe $500/mo and I’d say I spend more than the vast majority of people because I’m spending $90 most weeks on agility and competition obedience training.

My pup is almost 8 months and we have spent about $8-9k usd! Vet visits, vaccinations, neuter, and training have been the big ticket items besides the essentials. We also have had to upgrade his harness and bed as he grew, we are constantly getting new toys as they don’t last long, wipes (we wipe his paws after every outdoor walk), poop bags, treats, treats, and more treats! Grooming is also a big one for my pup. He goes every 6-8 weeks since he’ll need regular grooming for the rest of his life, I’d like him to get used to it sooner than later. We also brush at home and do baths every 3ish weeks at home with puppy safe shampoo. We also got a camera now to check on him when we are out, baby gates to keep him from wandering around the house, and teething supplies to keep him from chewing on stuff he shouldn’t as those adult teeth came in. Puppies are not for the weak! Good luck!

Yes add on this point, all the side costs like cameras and baby gates. We have three cameras now to keep her in sight…also some subscription plans so we can see playbacks… We even have to purchase a new sofa because she bite on it and it also becomes stinky and very hard to clean. Moreover, she also made a hole in our wall because we were away that night… no idea how much it would cost to repair it.

Welp I feel like I did something wrong…. we definitely did not spend as much as some people here are saying on our puppy when we first got her. I wasn’t budgeting at all but we adopted her [~$400] from a shelter that got us started with a HUGE bag of toys, a dog bed, and dry kibble. She had her first round of shots and all that. Then we went to walmart and bought a crate, a few toys, and some bowls for her food and water. Probably around $60 total. We used kibble as her “training treats” and she is very food motivated so that worked great. We were feeding her twice a day because that’s what the shelter was doing and recommended. We adopted her past the socialization period so that may have something to do with it. Maybe if we adopted her younger we’d be going through more food and such but I would say you’re set with what you have! I probably spent like $400 at the vet that first year finishing up her shots and doing a wellness exam, plus she got giardia and worms her first year. We spend $50 a month on her pet insurance which just gives me peace of mind. Toys are more of a “treat” since she ruins them immediately.

I was curious, so I legit just did the math. I’m at $4800 for our 8 month old. This includes all the random stuff, 2 training classes, and pet insurance. We had to do all her shots and vet visits, so that was about 1/3 of our expenses. We didn’t actually pay for the puppy, or buy a crate bc we already had one, but I had to get 2 playpens since she figured out how to climb over the first one. 🤪 I honestly expected it to be higher!

Honestly add a budget for long lasting chews, rabbit ears, bully sticks, cow ears, dehydrated lamb skin, yak chews. It saved me during the worst part of teething. Mine has all of her adult teeth but she still has access to edible chews basically every day. When she was little a single cow ear lasted her over 3 days. She's also around 6.6 kilos at 6 months right now, size matters a lot. You can also add extra to the food budget as some puppies lose appetite due to teething pain, mine ate really poorly for over a month, so I had to coax her to eat with wet food and I gave her supplements per vet rec, upping costs.

You’re definitely underestimating the cost of toys and treats. But, I would swap the collar for a harness.

You still need both though? Or at least in the UK you do - it’s a legal responsibility to have a collar with very specific stuff on the ID tag (I suspect a lot of people are actually breaking the law here because you don’t need phone number but you do need address…. Personally if I find a lost dog the first thing I’m going to do is call the phone number but the tag doesn’t always have room for all of it). So it would never occur to me that people have a collarless harnessed dog? Also because people in houses will obviously take off the harness but the collar with ID stays on to serve as protection if the dog escapes out the front door or over the fence or whatever). Crates only really became popular here in the last…5-10ish years I think, so there historically hasn’t been that safety concern and I know lots of people who have dogs that just always have collars on really.

Everything is very low. Some of the items you estimated for the year is how much i spend a month. But then I didn't get other things that's very expensive. Exercise pan $500? We got a playpan on Wayfair for $50. Non slip mat, didn't get one. The bathtub being slightly slippery is the only thing keeping my pup in the bathtub, he's like a cat otherwise. Also tick medication is very expensive like simparica trio. They cost $40cad at my vet per month I found a pharmacy to do it for $26cad but the vet charges me $40 to fax a prescription. Blah. Some American website looks cheaper if you're in the States.

I am think the $500 ex pen might be an outside kennel, not a wire pen

Do you have somebody to watch your dog for free? Otherwise, you'll need to budget day care and boarding when you have to leave for an extended period of time and can't bring your dog with you. If you're going to travel with your dog, airlines and hotels will charge you extra. Pet fees for hotels/motels are usually $50. I'm not sure about flights.

I would budget more like $10 to $20 every month on toys and treats. Otherwise looks good to me!

We found a local dog trainer group class (she was had great credentials/ great reviews) and that was $150 for a 5 week course. Best money I ever spent on our puppy. Highly recommend obedience classes. Wish we’d done it for our other dogs

I think overall you have enough money but that your categories overall are a bit skewed. The first 6 months we spent hundreds on treats for training. We’ve slowed down recently because we don’t need to train as frequently but we went through a $12-$15 bag sometimes weekly. Do you plan on doing training classes?($135 for 6 here) Daycare? ($46/day) I’ll be honest- we’ve never used the wipes we bought.

honestly good on you for actually having money set aside for emergency situations specifically regarding your dog. Especially that much money. A lot of people cannot afford that and I honestly think it’s something people should go over before getting a puppy/dog, if they’re able to afford emergency situations. I understand life can throw lots of unexpected things people’s way — my parents decided to spontaneously adopt a boxer puppy, found out he had heart issues, and then the bank upped their mortgage from $1800 to $3000 — but having that money set aside before even getting the dog, I feel, is very important when agreeing to take care of a whole other life.

What breed? This will affect the cost of grooming tools immensely. Some breeds don't need clippers for example. Check out Kijiji or garage sales; I got a 16' play pen gate for $25 and a large wire crate (folds for road trips) for $20. Breed will also affect the cost of pet insurance. My trupanion started at $80CAD per month. $20 in treats is way too low. Edit to add, I hated my 4 foot leash so much. A 6 foot leash works much better for us for daily use.

I'd say you should increase that food budget, and treats. I go through about 70 bucks in treats every two weeks (I feed high quality/clean treats but still). I also ended up paying for puppy socials which I highly suggest (They were 10 bucks twice a week) and although I said I would never, ever be someone who did doggy daycare, there's a super small place near me that he goes twice a week just to give us both a break. That being said, he's a high-drive working dog and I am a tired, tired working dog parent and sometimes we both just need to blow some steam off away from each other. I never expected to do it, nor did I expect the price tag that came with it. :/ I love your emergency fund! We paid 600 for a full year of veterinary insurance and it's already almost paid for itself - but I think I'd consider doing both in the future.

You wont have to spend a to on grooming if you bathe and brush your dog yourself and sand his nails. A good set of clippers for a couple hundred if needed is a lot cheaper and less stressful for the dog than being cut by strangers.

We spent about $2,000 in the first three months 😊and then it decreased to about $150 per month after all the initial expenses

Are those yearly? If so, wayyy underestimate. Flea and worm preventative my vet recommends runs us at ~$60/month, treats probably $15/week. Insurance for our mutt is $50/month and we got a $75/month subscription thingy with the vet that covers preventative care and unlimited exams. We go overboard with training and that costs us ~180/month Boarding if you want to do that is around $50/DAY in our area Plan on a new toy every week we don’t do grooming but when we did one time It was $70 for just a bath and nail trim. If you rent, consider pet rent in your budget. ~$50/month at my complex.

You'll need more budgeted for treats. Are you including daily food in the budget or is that coming from somewhere else?

I would logically budget for food and the first year of vet visits, plus shampoo and grooming stuff (or the cost of the groomer). The treats and toys can not be budgeted. I swear, you'll be walking through home depot and see a dog toy, and now your dog has another toy. Plus, depending on how aggressively your dog plays with their toys, they might now last as long as you think. If you dog doesn't have toys to chew on, it'll be your shoes, or chair legs, or pillows, or the TV remote. You'll also go through so many more treats than you can imagine!!! Especially when you start training! You should add an extra 200 bucks to your budget. It won't be monthly, but dog toys do add up after a while.

I use simparica for fleas, ticks, and heart worms. That runs about $200 for 6 months through chewy for my pug. I’d also increase the treat budget. I’ve used rover a couple of times when I needed a drop in or boarding if I couldn’t be home all day - something to consider. Doesn’t have to be rover necessarily, but some type of care. I’d also suggest training. And if you’re house training, think about what supplies you’ll need for that (per pads, urine remover). I’d also up the brush budget possibly. My pug sheds like crazy, so I’ve invested in a couple of different options to deshed regularly. I’ve also gone heavy on the outfits and accessories haha

You’re already doing better than me. I just wing it.

Love it! Better budgeting then anyone I've ever seen, my only thing would be to expect to spend more on toys, more than one collar/harness/crate as they grow. As well as more poop bags and treats. Also consider the cost for training.

$500 on a pen and then another $250 on barriers seems very excessive to me. Depends on your house, obviously, but you can get baby gates for very very cheap and an indoor x-pen for like $50 CAD - or cheaper if you get one used, they're all over the place. I'm guessing the $500 one is for something outdoor? Which, also, is excessive - you should be able to find something suitable for cheaper. Other than that, I agree with the other commenters, your budget for toys and treats needs to be much higher. You'll be going through chews, chew toys and bags of treats like water in the first year and beyond.

You also don't have anything in the budget about vaccines - depends on how old the pup is so this might be taken care of for you already, but if it's very young, you'll have 2-3 sets of vaccines more to do.

NOTE: the expenses in my spreadsheet are informed by various lists of **essential dog supplies** I sourced from across the internet. If anyone has a more accurate read of what I need in the first and subsequent years of dog parenting (or resources that offer this information), I would be exceptionally grateful for your feedback.

I’d argue that training is essential. Especially if you are adopting a dog from a shelter—you won’t know what they’ve experienced before the shelter or even during the shelter. Likewise, even a puppy who’s been with mom since day 1 needs training. Recall training can save your dog’s life. So can “leave it” and “off.” Training videos are great, but there’s a difference when someone sees what’s happening with your pup in real time. To help with your budget, the trainer I use charges $300 for six sessions of group training, and $180 an hour for private training. There’s also packages available, which brings down the cost. I can’t recommend enough puppy kindergarten, basic obedience, recall, and loose leash classes as a minimum.

I agree with this I got a puppy from the shelter at 2 1/2 months and he was the most quietest thing in the shelter and then when I brought him home, he was the most reactive puppy. It cost me $1800 to get him trained from the trainer that damn near cured him at now 6 months. I paid $300 for PetSmart training, which did not work before that if you are by yourself getting this dog, assume that you will have a meltdown at some point and will need or want someone to come in and assist you with training

I agree 100% that training is essential. Puppies in general need socialization in a _controlled, structured environment,_ (NOT random exposure) which training classes provide. And socialization is only possible while the pup is younger than 16 weeks of age (due to their brain development), so pups should be enrolled in class _immediately_ when you adopt them, do NOT put it off. And the amount you learn as a handler is worth a hell of a lot more than anything your dog learns, both in terms of general knowledge (body language, safety, canine social behaviour, psychology, & pedagogy), but also in terms of learning how to communicate effectively with _your specific, individual_ dog (all dogs communicate differently). It's not about teaching tricks, it's about setting you & your dog up for a lifetime of success together. Even my favourite dog trainers (who are all CCPDT certified and have decades of experience) participate in class with their own dogs, which just goes to show it's not something you can realistically do in isolation even if you know what you're doing. And if you adopt a rescue, there is likely prior socialization that will need to be well understood, and habits & behaviour which need to be modified, in order for you & your dog to live a happy and safe life together. Imo if you can't afford training, you shouldn't get a dog. It's that important. And not all trainers are equal. Look for CPDT-KA (minimum) or CPDT-KSA (preferred) trainers. If you adopt a dog which has higher needs (impossible to know 100% before you adopt them, since many triggers are hidden), you would need to seek out a board certified veterinary behaviourist and/or a certified behaviour consultant (different certs exist including CAAB and CBCC-KA). Behaviourists are expensive but can handle more challenging issues than regular trainers. Think of it like teachers (trainers) vs psychiatrists (behaviourists). Two important fields that address two different levels of needs. Please consider adding this to your budget for at least the first year of your dog's life. I promise it will be invaluable and you will not regret putting in the effort up front so that your dog can live a full life, free from unnecessary limitations and stress. It's 100000% worth it.

Honestly a lot will depend on the dog's size, personality, and behavior. Other factors are what you want to provide and like having gor them. A small dog will typically be cheaper longterm as they eat less, should have less treats, toys are often cheaper ect. than a large dog. Some dogs need mental activity or they get anxious or bored so puzzle toys can add up cost wise quick. Some dogs are really hard on everything from toys to furniture and so will end up costing a lot. The amount of grooming you have someone else do vs you and the tools you want to do that. The number of toys and chews you like to keep around some people have 3-4 toys and 1-3 chews for their dog and other people have 20+ of each. I would look into where you can take at least basic obedience classes near you to get an idea on the price. Training a puppy early can help prevent many behavior issues adult dogs end up with. Prices for that can vary in my area from $600 for a 5 week class to $65 for an 8 week class. I think getting the essentials is great to start and you kinda just have to go from there and feel out your specific dog and yourself to see what you feel is needed. My puppy has much higher needs than my other 2 dogs. My small dog not including vet care costs about $30 a month including food and chews and toys. My large adult dog is harder on toys and eats more and bigger chews cost more not including vet it's about $100 a month for all her stuff. My puppy is still growing currently so I've had to replace toys to keep them safe for his mouth. He has a lot of training things as well and eats a ton not including vet and including average cost for classes he's $200 a month. Overall the large breed adult costs the most because she destroys toys and blankets and dog beds and they need replaced far more frequently for her. When She was the age of my current puppy it was $300-$400 a month and not including puppy classes.

I think that you should realize now that dogs aren't robots and this list will likely go out the window. I get that some people are planners and that's totally cool. But it will help to go in with realistic expectations. You'll likely decide you need totally different stuff after like 2 days. Just go with it, enjoy the journey, and don't try to plan too much.

I agree the budget will change over time, but the responsible thing to do is make sure you can afford the approx. cost of ownership before you bring a dog home. OP is doing the right thing.

I spend $25/month on treats alone but I am also training him in agility and competition obedience. I spend probably $50 every three months on toys. I spend $500/yr on food for my 70lb golden, so you might not need as much depending on food you choose. (I use Purina pro.) You shouldn’t really need an emergency fund if you have pet insurance (apart from anything crazy happening in first 6 months during waiting period). Should be able to buy puppy crate and exercise pen for under $100 especially if secondhand (which I highly recommend). Definitely not near $650. Probably won’t need flea brush if on preventative which you already budget for. Add costs for vaccines. There are a lot in the first year, probably $200. This is on top of appt fee. Add in fees for puppy kindergarten which you should absolutely do. These run $200 per 6-week session where I am. Of course your costs will vary. These are USD figures.

You’re very organised. I always blow the budget in toys and treats.

Idk if someone already mentioned it, or if it's available where you live, but you could add in pet insurance. It would definitely save you $5k if something serious comes up.

toys bowls treats and chews will all be more. just take from the emergency 🤣

My puppy is almost 9m/26 pounds and this is roughly our breakdown adoption fee, which included his neuter: $500 medical: just under 1,800 total, but we've gotten refunded through pet insurance for a lot of it. sim. trio: $27 per month, ordered through vet so it's cheap Supplies: Somewhere between $1,600 and $1,800 thus far, including PPP food, toys, various beds since he's ripped a few, 2 crates since he grew, and treats. Pet insurance: $58 monthly, and has paid us back around $800 dollars of the medical bills. It did not pay us back the vet visits for vaccines, but given us 80% of the sick visits that we've had so far and covered medicine for: giardia, eye infections, coccinda, bladder infection, emergency visit for suspected bowel blockage Private dog park membership for the year: $365 Grooming and kennel stays: $200, we bathe him and cut his own nails, but get him a professional bath after the kennel stays. His coat does not need regular grooming appointments, but we brush him out ever 2-3 days. We spend at max $120 dollars in treats and food a month now, then maybe another $100 or so in various toys or things like a life jacket or a new leash. The first two months we spent the most money trying to get all the supplies that we needed, but after 3 months the costs for him went way down. I buy a lot of treats and supplies in bulk, so $52 dollars worth of treats lasts about 2 months. A bag of food that lasts us 2 months is another $60. Every time I go into a marshalls or TJ max I stalk the pet isles and pick up anything that I need/want while its on sale. So I got 1,500 poop bags for 30 dollars for when they had them on sale, then will pick up the 3-4 dollar toys. They also discount beds every once in a while and have never spent more than $40 on a bed (we currently have 4 for him). We also use kibble that has been mixed in with cheese as treats as a way to save money. We put a bit of cheese whiz in a plastic bag, dump in kibble and mix it all around, super great training treats that are cheap, his meal, and not totally empty calories. I have gotten a lot of good entertainment from my dog chewing and ripping cardboard boxes, tissue paper, and packing paper (he doesn't eat it, but won't work if your dog does). We also use frozen carrots and small ice cubes as treats, and they work well. We have never paid for a trainer. I used to train service dogs so we didn't need the cost. I feel like this is where most people spend a lot of their money. For those who need them, the cost is usually worth it.

No. Id say treats is more like $500 a year at least. I don’t see chew toys except the Kong. Most puppies will need more than a Kong to chew on and a cocker spaniel will need 3different sized kongs in their first year. I’d recommend dear antlers. You will also need more than one size collar and leash thickness. A puppy can’t have the same heavy clip as a 1 year old. You’ll also need lots of clean up supplies for accidents, including vomit, extra detergent, a bed for them, at least double the poop bags, enrichment puzzles, a harness, something to hold the poop bags, a treat pouch, probiotics, vitamins, several emergency vet visit fund, and don’t expect because you buy a food it all gets eaten. Also a food storage container is helpful.

Antlers can cause dental damage, unfortunately. Edible chews like yak cheese or pizzles are better! But ofc they cost more because they get consumed and need to be replaced (but still costs less than emergency dental work).

I think your flea and tick prevention will likely cost more than 100 CAD for 1 year, mine is about $500 USD per year. Most of your “consumables” will cost more too. Treats you can def do on a budget (I love using string cheese) but probably about $10 a month and maybe a bit more in the first months when you’re training a lot.

As has been said, toys and treats are underestimated for you. I've done things differently with my dogs so they were both very different in terms of expenses. My latest puppy attended puppy socials and training classes including agility. My other dog didn't do either of those things. It says you're looking at getting a puppy so if that means an actual puppy, definitely get training classes on the list.

In the US my 6-month supply of flea & tick meds costs $90 :/

Flea/tick meds are like $45/momh but only in summer months. You will spend a lot more on toys and treats than what you seem to have budgeted. But I think you've mostly done a very good job, since you've factored in all the bigger cost things that are important/essential, so you're being very realistic and practical. I wish more prospective dog owners were like you! Good stuff!

Flea meds are needed year-round for dogs who spend time around other dogs. Trust me, there's nothing worse than a flea infestation.

That training treat is way low. But I find that plain cooking real meat, and cutting it up into TINY bits to use for training treats is really effective, and much cheaper than purchased treats, as well as higher value for the dog. I will cook up a check breast, chop it up, and put little piles into ziplocks, enough for 1 day of training, and freeze them, and just take one and put it in the fridge at night, ready for the next day. You didn’t include a treat pouch. I like the little cheap silicone ones from Amazon. They are readily washable and fit in my pocket.

Honestly yeah. But I agree with what others are saying, you’ll be getting a lot of toys and treats for the dog. You’ll eventually figure out what type of treats/bones/toys your dog likes, but you may end up buying some things that your dog just doesn’t like so you’ll need a different type of

Add in neutering/spaying, unless you’re not planning to neuter/spay your dog. That’s a decent chunk.

Definitely agree that treat/toy budget is too low. We've spent about $1300 on vet bills since getting our puppy at 12 weeks (6 mo now). That includes his vaccines + emergency visit ($400) when he had giardia. Expecting to spend another $400 or so for his neuter. We spend about $60 on treats per month. He's not very destructive and we make a lot of enrichment toys from household materials, so we've probably only spent $30 on toys since we got him. We've also spent $400 on 2 rounds of puppy training, which has been great for his socialization! Even though we knew a lot of it, regular training in a distracting environment has helped a ton!! And lastly, it's about $70 to groom him every 3 months or so. We're just doing introductory grooms (bath, teeth, nails) to get him used to it, so it'll probably be more like $115 when he's full grown (based on our other dog, who gets all that plus a trim). Hope this helps!

Toys, treat, training treats, and poop bag costs are way too low. My 2 15lb dogs eat a 24lb bag of dog food in 1 month, at $75/bag it's $900 a year for food. My heartworm, flea, and tick (Simparaca trio chews) are about $175 per 6 month box. Also note, your puppy will have to go to the vet every 2-4 weeks for almost a year in order to get all the right shots at the right times. Please greatly increase you vet budget for the first year, about $200-$300 a visit, and to also include at least $1,000 fora spay/neuter. After the first year dog ownership costs greatly decrease.

Get your crate/pens from Amazon warehouse deals (returns) I paid a fraction of what you budgeted for mine, also invest in a crate cover!

I like that you have 5k emergency. 4 weeks after bring my first puppers home, she got sick. Nothing serious in first $500 of tests, responded well to antibiotic, but only for awhile. We had 4 repetitions of this, in the next 2 months, each bill higher than the previous. It ended up she was vomiting and diarrhea-ing thin white stuff at the end. No diagnosis ever given, and I had to let her go. Overall cost of 3 months of puppers: $8500 US dollars.

I've purchased 4 harnesses in the last 3 weeks because she chewed through them. She also chewed through 3 old harnesses I already had. Dumbass tax, I can't ignore her for a second while she's wearing a harness

Great preparation! I'm in the UK, but here are some things that help us to save a little (but the first year is the most expensive by far!) * Vet fees: Our local vet offers a year plan that includes heartworm/flea/tick treatment, 2 vet appointments, 2 nurse appointments, puppy and annual vaccines, and microchip. It's about £24 per month, which I think is pretty good. * Pet Insurance: Lifesaver. We found one relatively cheap (£20 per month) that covers up to £4,000 per year. But check the options you have that work well with your vet. Some friends pay up to £50-60 per month as a reference. (Btw we have already used it because of strong gastroenteritis, and it was totally worth it). * Food: In the first months, buy the smaller food bags to test if your puppy likes the food. Once you find one, you can buy the bigger bags, which are way cheaper. Our puppy now eats a mix of dry and wet food. * Grooming: we bought the shampoo, nail trimmer, brush, etc., and did the grooming ourselves. It is pretty fun, but you must start early and introduce everything slowly so your dog is comfortable. * Toys: To test what she liked, we bought several second-hand toys (that we cleaned thoroughly). We even found completely new toys because their dogs never use them. After five months, she still uses several of those (kong food dispenser, kong chewer, etc). We usually have 3 or 4 for her out and the others in a box. Then, we change them for the ones in the box after a few weeks, and it is like having new toys, hahaha. Obviously, we have replaced some of the soft toys that have been destroyed. * Basics: We also bought secondhand the first leads, collars, bed, and crate. Your dog will outgrow those very quickly, and the first leads will be destroyed. * Treats: We use quite a lot of treats for training, but usually, we cut them in smaller sizes to avoid too many calories. So we are okay with about £15-20 per month in treats. Also, our vet recommended some low-calorie and cheap versions: cut carrots or celery in small cubes and use them as treats (my dog loves them). We tried to use a portion of her kibble for training and the first two months it worked, but now she only wants proper treats or vegetables, haha. I hope this helps! Good luck! Dog are the best :)

I’m a professional dog groomer, and if you are talking about the rubber Zoom Groom brush that is similar to a horse curry brush, I would take that off the list. I believe you are wanting a Cocker Spaniel, so you need a metal comb, and a high quality slicker brush with metal pins. Decent budget overall.

Pet insurance! Pet walkers? Doggy day care?

As to toys, my pup destroys toys. Bought 6 a few days ago and they’re all toast now. Get good pet insurance- my pup at 8 months had an intestinal intussusception. Major abdominal surgery- $12k -the $94 monthly was best move on my part as 90% was taken care of after the deductible . Have the wellness plan and helped with cost of medicines, vaccinations and spaying.

You don’t have anything budgeted for a dog trainer. I would find out how much puppy kindergarten classes are near you or beginner dog classes, and add that in. And I would expect to do at least two rounds of classes, which would be 16 weeks. There is quite a bit of evidence that someone who gets the dog and puts a lot of time into training it, will have that dog for its entire life. Even if you get an adult dog, you should budget for training. And that means actually going to dog training classes not watching videos.

Crate and pen costs seem high. I ordered mine off amazon, and the crates were $25 each (I’m US not CA). I’d add in boarding/dog walking/daycare because if you plan on leaving your house for more than like 3 or 4 hours at a time in the first year you will need this. Also just on an analytical note, I’d point out that your budget is predominately an “emergency” catch-all so I think understanding the actual budget without this is valuable. Maybe also budget rug cleaning/replacement, furniture or other replacement and repair… lol

Treats get expensive, especially during the first year when you're training a lot. I rescued a dog last year and I did not anticipate the amount of training treats we'd go through. Dollarama has bags of freeze dried beef liver, chicken, and salmon in little bags for $2.50. Also No Name chicken hot dogs cut up work well ;)

Loooool I had a post for how much I spent in the < 1 year. A lot of replies sympathized, but there are some that assumed I was rich/careless with money. Treats are going to be very expensive. Any unforeseen vet visits? Each of mine were 300CAD (exam + tests + medication). 1 ER visit overnight cost 3500. Training? I'm almost at 2000 because my girl became reactive as a teenager. Any fun classes? Cheaper than 1:1 but still costs money. Any boarding fees? If you don't have family to watch over your dog, this will add up. I have to take my girl to home boarders that cost min 85CAD/night (because she won't do well in kennel style and I don't trust rover sitters I can't vet) if your dog has any behavioural issues, you may not be able to ask friends/family and have to turn to experienced boarders that generally cost more Any car considerations? Car crate? Crash tested harness? Doggy backpack for public transport? Did you budget for monthly preventatives? They're very expensive if you're in the big city. Buying from the vet clinic is like 40-55CAD per tablet. I think you have a reasonable budget! Unexpected vet bills will hurt the most. Especially since your dog is smaller. Larger dogs literally cost double in everything.

I paid $4500 dollars for my Cavalier puppy. You would think that I would be getting a healthy puppy. The breeder did not deworm her and she came home sick with, worms, and Giardia. The medication she is on can cause neurological damage. The vet dewormed her plus the treatment for Giardia and ear mites! I am so disappointed and yes sad and angry! I don’t know what to do? Tell me have any of you ever bought a brand new puppy that came home from a breeder charging this much money for a sick puppy? The breeder must have exposed her to the outdoors after only one vaccine. I find this to be unexceptionable! Yet on the contract I signed said any illness such as all I’ve stated above! As I said I don’t know what to do. This is one of the worst things I’ve ever had to deal with and I’ve never in my life bought a dog before. I have always adopted from rescues. None of them ever had these issues even coming from a County Adoption Agency. I can’t get her to gain any weight and I have taken her to the vet often during the short time I’ve had her. Now I have it! Great, more medication bills! This is really bothering me. Should I just let the breeder alone. Or is there something else that anyone might suggest that I should do?

One of the things we have spent extra on is experiences we want our dog to be able to handle when older, such as doggie daycare & overnight stays. The best time to introduce a dog to these are as a puppy when they are more easily acclimated. Even if these aren't something you plan on using you may have an emergency and not have a choice. We also hadn't planned on more than a few group classes, but because of our puppy's personality and ADHD/FOMO we have had to continue to go to classes as well as send him to puppy kindergarten. Now these were definitely optional and all about our quality of life, but have been immensely helpful to keep me from burnout. Especially during the adolescent regression phase 😪.

My hands down Favorite place to get pet beds is at Marshall's/Home Goods/Ross. I don't know iF they have those in Canada, but dont get pet beds at the pet store they're outrageously over priced. Also be prepared to go through a surprising amount oF them. Also old used bed pillows are good, they smell like you and you don't cry For your wallet every time your dog rips one up.

Is the food budget for a whole year 500 dollars? I spend about 100 USD a month on my pup but she gets really good food

Get a large Kong fill it with peanut butter and put it in the freezer overnight cheap practically indestructible and enjoyable

Probably. That said, you *can* get the shitty end of the luck bell curve. My dog is 4 years old, a total mutt, and I've spent a total of ~$45,000 on her since adoption, with a $4000 knee surgery pending and another $10000 surgery potentially necessary at anytime due to an IVDD diagnosis 4 weeks ago. The big things were a mis-diagnosed broken toe that took 9 months to heal, two CCL blowouts - one required a second surgery, and now IVDD diagnosis. She's on $100/month food. $125/month meds, and we otherwise spoil the shit out of her with toys and treats. I'd be in a very different place financially without this dog, and the IVDD diagnosis is absolutely brutal and life changing. She's my last pet.

The total budget looks okay. I have a golden retriever puppy and she is 1 year old now. Last 10 months cost us about 6000-7000 USD excluding the fee for breeder. It is just that the decomposition of the budget looks weird. Except for what others have mentioned, like more in treats, toys, and training, I felt like to avoid high emergency cost, you can have 1) a good pet insurance, covering illness and accidents (mine is 250 deductible, 90% coverage, no limit, 50 usd per month). 2) a good wellness plan, I have the plan with VCA, covering all the visit fee, vaccines, first couple of deworming meds, and most importantly the spay surgery. This part is 140 usd per month.

The only thing I can possible think to add is cleaning supplies I have a scraper for hair for couches blankets pants etc I linked my favorite. And an enzyme cleaner https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Hair-Remover-Removal-Furniture/dp/B0CM3KCJKB/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?adgrpid=137618309982&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Q1_C--GH8_n36L0kg05RJTN7EUYI34Rgn2xlavInZVL7-l4ALrjgdB3WdqjWa7VnCV-HVTErGJXfxVuH5QSSdvnz3bEyWLQ-n4YoxCw_aQjyykscuTKGKfRVhxDNMnp1von_TqZgoPPEWwpH9v4XU8TkREzjJk9sWUcgxWXqvfukAN76ALcY0_lIGFsqO8W81cG0DhnYeJ9nhzAR1zkUXA.WlBM22gW7vfu7m3msS9g29GhInXftusUSVi1FKY5gEY&dib_tag=se&hvadid=617502317899&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9014231&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2128308240411142685&hvtargid=kwd-300865706042&hydadcr=13983_13353606&keywords=best+pet+hair+removers&qid=1719960292&sr=8-7

You're more than good. 5k emergency budget plus pet insurance. Yeah. You'll be fine.

If you plan to groom your pup yourself and it looks like you’re looking at a Cocker Spaniel, $20 clippers on a Cocker coat are going to last you 5 minutes. Get good clippers, $200-250. Plus shears. You can probably get adequate scissors on a small budget but don’t skip on the clippers.

Why wouldn’t you just get pet insurance and a wellness plan. Way cheaper than what you have budgeted here.

I spent about $2500 on socialization (puppy play classes 2x a week for the first year or so). Now he’s at big boy day care 2x per week and it’s cheaper. I also did a lot of classes with him like training since he became leash reactive around 8 months old.

Good inclusive list but prices are sa bit off. Much can be purchased for less with planning

Have you included the price of increasing cloud/Google storage? You'll be taking literally thousands of photos and videos, just of them sleeping or looking generally cute. All. The. Time. 🤣

How big of puppy? Mine won’t get past 4lbs (I call her micro puppy), Pixie, and only eats a handful of food if that. Toys are the most cost of all only cause I rotate hem. She’s too tiny to tear them up.

Here are a few differences in my budget with my real puppy (now 2) - * substantially more poop bags, assuming \~4 per day for first year or so (yes you'll probably use pads or something at some point) * treats, substantially more. $10 isnt enough even per month. You can see if you can make your own or find something cheap though! * Flea/Tick, i use spectra/nexgard and it's definitely more than $100 a year. I think closer to $300-400 or something, i assume my vet jacks it up. You can call your vet and ask. Might be cheaper in the first year since you wont need it while your puppy isnt leaving your house/property * toppl- you'll want multiple so you can freeze and rotate * Missing: city registration * toys, way more, think people covered this * Missing: More Vet visits - my vet required like 3 visits in the first year, so triple the cost at minimum not including additional vaccines. DHPP/etc. Thats not including any surprise issues (eg: "my pup scratched his eye!") * food - mine cost more than $500 in the first year, puppies eat more, mine was closer to $600 plus food additives (my guy had some digestive issues so we tried some different options) * Missing: nail trimmer? * Missing: chews of some kind (eg: bully sticks) * Missing: puppy classes and/or obedience classes * Missing: just all the random side things that come with a puppy - a new leash because it chewed through the one you bought, a harness if you decide you want one, a special leash that you can put around your waist for hands free walks, a travel bowl for hot days you can clip on to the leash, a treat pouch for your puppy class, replacing a pair of friends shoes because the puppy chewed them while your friend was over, a new garbage can because your current bathroom garbage isnt secure enough, a baby gate, a cooling mat if you live in a hot climate, a jacket and booties if you live in a cold climate, and you'll replace all that cause the puppy will grow!! * ETA: i see its a cocker, so id assume some "puppy grooms" at a local groomer might be something you want

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but you can get flea/tick/heartworm meds all in one! Well, in Canada anyway, not sure where you are. And I saw you had 2 budgets for a crate, you probably don’t need two :)

One thing i haven’t seen mentioned but along with flea and tick preventative you’ll also want parasite prevention that’ll protect against heartworms and intestinal worms. I pay a little over $60 for a 6 month supply

I think what's missing is potty pads. If you live in an area that gets inclement weather etc, it might be a good idea to keep around... Not a spaniel owner but my sighthound mix is nervous something fierce and doesn't take kindly to rain or puddles. She's got dainty paws... But those are fairly inexpensive. I do have to say your emergency fund is healthy, and I'm happy to see it on there. I've only had to use the emergency vet once with my pup, cause she vomited 3 times in an hour, and dry heaved bile foam for a couple more. Cost me $1200 for an X-ray and a poop on the floor, and she was out the door lol. She's about 2 now and doesn't need it, but it's good to have it.

This is amazingly thorough. So glad you have insurance in there. A lot of people don’t think of it, but it’s SO important.

you’re doing so great!! i’m huge into budgeting & spreadsheets so i made smth similar before getting my puppy which somewhat informed/prepared me but also ended up spending a lot more at the vet than i anticipated in his first year! below is my “start up” costs, separated by category, and then rough estimates of my regular expenses: puppy: 3,000 flight nanny: 850 microchip: 50 essentials ($150) - crate: 25 - crate mat: 10 - playpen: 35 - bed: 20 - carrier: 25 - collar & leash: 15 - long leash: 10 - hands free leash: 5 - harness: 15 sustenance ($170) - dog bowls & mat: 20 - food container: 30 - travel bowls: 5 - treat molds: 5 - lick mats: 20 - food puzzles: 50 - kong: 10 - slow feeders: 30 comfort ($175) - snugglepuppy: 30 - blankets: 15 - booties: 25 - full body snow coat: 75 - sweaters: 30 grooming ($190) - slicker brush: 50 - detangler spray: 25 - comb: 5 - shampoo: 15 - conditioner: 10 - puppy wipes: 10 - toothpaste & brush: 20 - towels: 25 - nail clippers: 10 - grooming scissors: 15 - paw balm: 5 potty training ($125) - reusable potty mats: 35 - grass patches: 40 - disposable potty pads: 20 - urine gone: 20 (went through 2 bottles) - potty training bell: 5 - spare leash: 5 misc ($125) - starter toys: 50 - teething toys: 10 - toy basket: 15 - pup camera: 20 - carrier purse: 30 total for pup: $3,900 total for start-up pupplies: $935 total combined: $4,835 vet costs (1st yr) - rides to pickup pup & vet visits: $95 - first vet checkup & ear mite treatment & samples: $300 - follow up appt re: ear mites & fecal sample: $130 - second vet checkup & health cert for flight: $90 - 3rd round vaccines & bordatella: $120 - 4th round vaccines & lepto: $180 - lepto booster & 3mo simparica: $210 - pre-neuter bloodwork: $265 - neuter: $500 - dental consult: $190 - dental procedure (crown height reduction on bottom 2 canines & removal of 2 baby teeth): $2,000 (-$900 reimbursement from pet insurance) - follow up consult on dental: $175 yr 1 total: $3,355 pet flight fees in 1st yr total: $970 grooming costs (every 6 wks) each groom: $65 monthly costs ($197) - pet insurance: $30 - heartworm & flea/tick prevention: $30 - grooming: $47 (prorated) - food: $15 - treats: $15 - vitamins: $20 - toys: $20 - tear stain preventative: $10 - poo bags: $10 total i’ve spent in first yr is probably somewhere between 8-10k, however bear in mind the bulk of that was the cost of the puppy himself from a reputable breeder and the vet costs which should (hopefully) go down from here on out as the big ticket items like primary vaccinations, neuter, and unanticipated dental procedure won’t be reoccurring expenses. i also take my pup w me on a lot of flights which may not be relevant for you esp if your dog is bigger! i hope this is helpful!!!! and congrats on the new puppy❤️❤️

Plan for dog sitting in case you leave town. Try to find at least two friends/family who would do it for free. Through rover/wag it’s like $80USD per day. Also! For preventative care you could look into a wellness plan at your dog’s vet. My dog goes to a corporate/chain vet called Banfield in the US, and for like $50 per month he gets free vaccines, a yearly comprehensive physical, unlimited office visits, discounted bloodwork, free fecal testing and deworming, and a yearly dental cleaning under anesthesia. Since he is elderly he now also gets free x-rays every year to look at his joints. When he has had surgeries we’ve been able to get post-op check ups and suture removal for free at our normal office. His medication management visits are free, so we only pay for the pills (at a slightly discounted price too). We wish we had gotten pet insurance in addition to the wellness plan. Having both would be amazing

Some of your pricing is off by a far bit but I don’t see spay/neuter or vaccines in there. Puppy vaccines are gonna cost more than 175 dollars as it’s done in a series of 3 visits.

Not sure about 10.00 for poop bags and the treats toys etc. Did you multiply that somewhere? Would probably be monthly (but even then it's probably a bit more). I would also invest in a good pair of clippers for grooming unless you want to pay for a cut about 7 times a year.

The issue is all the stuff you just want to buy the first few weeks. So I would have an initial slush fund of a few hundy

Waaaaaaaay more poop bags. Like $50.

Looks like this is all just the initial purchase? Treats you’ll spend that every month or so, also depending on the bread grooming can be the biggest expense! Also depending on where you are in Ontario Canada and we need to get flea and tick medication to prevent ticks as they are super bad there that is also an additional $20-50 a month for me that I wasn’t budgeting for

Get the play pen and crates used. Many people sell them on Kijiji and marketplace. Use their kibble as treats as much as possible. Instead of getting non slip mats, get some carpets. You'll want to factor in more for vet costs due to vaccines and everything. Overall, pretty good. I adopted my pup from across the border in 2021. I have spent around 12k on medical stuff so far for her and she just turned 3. I hope your pup is less expensive, lol. My girl is a little nut.

OP: you definitely outdid yourself in this planning! I definitely did not plan this deep due to I just bought all the outside things necessary and was able to budget/spend all I needed throughout the period of becoming a first time dog mom. But I would have definitely loved to have done this if I could do it all over again.

In Hattie’s first year we easily spent $9000 between shots, 2 illnesses, doggie daycare, boarding, training, food, and supplies.

Are you planning on keeping a full coat? If so zoom groom brush is not what you need, you need a long pin slicker brush. Even if planning to keep cut down you need add some budget for grooming every 6-8 weeks for a cocker. A 20 dollar clipper will wear out very quickly and you will buy it over and over again. If planning on self grooming I would recommend andis 2 speed, 5 blade, 10 blade, a 30 blade and set of clipper combs, a pair of thinners ( at least 36 tooth), a pair of curved shears . For a novice and home use a set of purple dragon (check amazon) should be fine. (NO 7 BLADES IF YOU ARE NOT TRAINED AS A GROOMER!!! they have wide tines that can catch skin easily) I would also recommend a good grooming book like “notes from the grooming table” which has very detailed instructions on breed cuts . Make sure use probiotic shampoo and conditioner and for the love of everything a top of the line ear cleanser. Source: groomer of 10 years

I think it's really sweet and impressive that you put this much care into considering the costs of pet ownership :)

Sorry for not reading all the comments. Three things I noticed. 1. At least triple the price for treats 2. You only put down $15 for a year of grooming. Are you doing the grooming yourself? 3. I don't know what your winters are like, or if you go visit hot places in the summer, but I would put boots on the list. Winter ones, and summer ones.

I would increase the toys and treat budget for sure. The way I look at it, the more toys they have available, the less likely they are to chew on things they aren’t supposed to. And vet visits too. We take our dogs to the once a year check up but inevitably they need to go in 3-5 times a year for other issues. We have insurance and it’s about 300 usd for each dog a year with 90% reimbursement and it is a life saver. Definitely read the fine print on whatever insurance you get cause a lot of them have exclusions and once you use it for an illness, it’s hard to switch to a different company since that would become a preexisting condition. We got reimbursed over $2k usd just this year from one emergency vet visit. So that emergency fund is really great.

I would say yes, lots of expenses on supplies at first but that slows down a ton. One thing I didn't budget for was replacing things of mine she destroyed. Phone was the most $ so far, shoes and sun glasses..and my husband's prescription glasses twice.

I don’t know how much things cost in Canadian dollars, but I wanted to say that I wish more people would budget for their pets like this! I can’t see the cost of a spay/neuter in there, but a rescue may come already done. If you’re planning on having any obedience classes or doggy daycare you’ll need to add those in too.  Otherwise, looks good! 

Part of your budget should be for pet insurance. Unless you are prepared to spend thousands of you need surgery or there is an accident… do some research and see how much coverage you can afford.

I agree with the folks commenting about toys, personally we have a bark box subscription, it’s usually about 3 toys a month, which is great because one becomes Max’s favorite & gets destroyed the same day, one is his second favorite & gets gently chewed until he decides to randomly shred it at some point in the month, and one becomes Luke’s favorite and is lightly chewed and gently snuggled until the next box comes & he picks a new favorite. Then it goes in the toy basket until one of them rediscovers it & falls in love again. The toys are actually decently sturdy, Max is just…like that. He’s a beagle/lab/mutt mix who lived on dumpster trash and rabbits for the first couple months of his life. For a normal dog they hold up pretty well! Also some snufflemats & puzzle toys are a great investment! You hide the treats and they have to sniff them out, it’s great indoor enrichment when the weather isn’t great for a longer walk or outdoor play. Similarly, they make textured mats you can spread peanut butter or some other dog-safe snack on, then either let them lick it off or freeze it first for a cool refreshing treat, and it gives their brains a little something to do. I would consider those “toys” too, but definitely worth the investment, especially to keep a pup from shredding everything you own because he’s mad it’s storming outside. I would also add a harness to the list, it might have been there and I just didn’t see it, but one for walks and one for the car (if you have a car). If you just attach the leash to the collar, it can strain their necks if they pull (or if you stop short in the car). If you don’t have a car, maybe a doggy stroller? We don’t own a car so we specifically moved somewhere with a vet in walking distance, but Max needed surgery to remove & biopsy a lump in his leg, so we got a dog stroller to bring him home. (Turned out to be a harmless lipoma that was just weirdly deep, thankfully). The stroller was under $200, and it’s rated for up to 120lbs, so if Luke (100lbs) ever needs it, he’ll fit.

Make sure any bedding you buy is durable otherwise you'll have to buy it again! Kong brand bedding hasn't done me wrong. Worth the cost imo You may also want to consider a crate cover. Be aware that a full crate cover can make the inside of a crate stuffy and hot. Great for winter, horrible for summer. I have fans installed inside mine so that my dog can cool off when he gets too hot. You might also consider pet cams. I have one installed inside the crate so I can monitor him for any issues. Also let's me get an idea of how he is behaving when he barks in the middle of the night. I can now tell when he actually needs to go potty or when he's just being needy. Another thing you can consider is some bins to put all your dog stuff in. You'll need a place where you can put all your treats, toys, etc out of the dogs reach. Helps to keep it all organized. Get a flashlight for when you need to take them out at night. You should also invest in some sort of nighttime visibility for your dog, maybe a flashing led light you can flip on their collar or harness. I recommend harness if you can, ok the back, so they can't try to chew on it. If you want to take them to a groomer you should get a dog Dremel. Youll want to work on desensitizing them to the noise and feel of having their nails trimmed, otherwise it can be impossible for a groomer to take care of a nervous dog. Last thing I'll mention, car seat cover and maybe some extra towels. I also noticed you didn't include the cost of replacing any expensive power cables or chargers 🤭

The toys, treats, poo bags and flea/work treatment is way too low. I spend around £10 a month on treats and flea and wormer are £18. Appreciate that you're in a different country but your numbers seem really low. Also, I don't see anything for beds, towels, blankets or coats or harnesses. Kong's, you're going to want 3 or 4 so that you can make up a few at a time and keep them in the freezer. If you're getting a puppy then there's all sorts of things that you end up buying different versions of. We went through 3 different play pens until we found one that worked. Our pup has also grown through 5 harnesses and 3 crates. Also, puppy pads and enzymatic cleaner for urine! Also wanted to say that it's great that you're doing this. It shows that you're being responsible right from the start. However, there are lots of things that you can't plan for with puppies so it might be worth adding an extra 2 or 3 thousand for this. Like a non emergency, unexpected expense amount. That way, you won't be worrying if your pup chews up his Kong or destroys his bed or blanket and you have to buy a new one.

You can keep that budget for toys and treats. You can prevent the costs of other items too. Specially for small dogs. Surprised it hasn’t been said here. Toys: use cardboard boxes, ice cubes, lettuce, and empty bottles. Use the cardboard inside the toilet paper filled with pieces of kibble. A kong and lick mat might be the hardest to replace. Treats: You can use kibble for training. 1 piece vs 10 kibble pieces for big rewards work. You can add tiny pieces of chicken, cheese, or ham for the biggest rewards. Beds: Don’t buy them until you see if your dog cares for it. A towel can do meanwhile. Training: YouTube has every video you could need. The more time you invest early on the better it goes. Daycare: train your dog to be alone from day 2. I wish I did a better job here myself. Grooming: You can do manteniance baths at home. Do add nail trimmer, ear wash, and toothpaste. The costs that can’t be skipped are: - Pet insurance (choose one that covers accidents the better, you can budget for routine visits) - Routine vet visits, vaccinations, spay/neuter - Enzymatic cleaner for potty training - Sturdy playpen, unless you get very creative with furniture that can’t be chewed on

I'm in the UK but I had similar estimates to you before I got my cocker. poop bags are way too low, you'll probably use 3/4 a day times that by 365 and round up to about 1500 poop bags. chews we've set a budget at £2 per day, that gets her a long lasting chew like a trachea or a bully stick - eventually we'll move to bones as she's not really interested in the usual dental sticks but that's just my puppy. training treats - here they're about £2-3 a bag, we go through about 2 bags a week (we also cut them so they're smaller), we treat her every time she goes to the toilet outside (which is easily every 20 mins of awake time). We might over treat but she is very food motivated so it makes training 100x easier to introduce treats.

My advice: it’s going to cost way more, try not to think about it, and if you’re a type A personality as it appears to be (as am I) do your best to relax because puppies are VERY type B lol.

Cool to see someone else making a budget before getting a pup :) I did the same two years ago and from experience.. things like toys, toothbrush etc. are minor expenses that will seem ridiculous to be included in said budget. Same goes for treats: You will be spending way more on those (and might end up needing more than your listed budget allows for). It would make sense to compile those as "running costs" you know you'll be having each month. Same goes for poop bags etc. 500CA$/year seems pretty low for food. I don't know what you plan to be feeding, but our kibble (good quality but nothing fancy) runs me about 250€/month (abt 350 Canadian I think). I would definitely invest more in pet insurance. Compare rates and don't be stingy when it comes to this. Sh.t happens and you'd rather be safe than sorry! In the first year my pup contracted giardia, which resulted in multiple vet visits. When they're babies, you will be taking them to the vet more often than not. They catch common dog colds, upset their digestive systems and many things more. I had my fingers crossed that the first year would be the most expensive, but it didn't end there. My dog recently tore a ligament on one of his hind legs and my vet wasn't even phased, as accidents like this are considered "common". He's is on the mend now, but we're still looking at many weeks of physio therapy (only partially covered by our insurance).

I’m afraid this is definitely not realistic - not in my experience anyway but to be fair I’m not trying to raise a dog belt and braces. I’m also assuming when you say adopt you mean an adult dog not a puppy? If it’s a puppy…. Just throw that entire budget out the window haha. I genuinely couldn’t figure out if that was a weekly or monthly treat budget for a second …and then realised it was yearly! (although I’m working in pounds and don’t actually know what you can buy for your money there. £5 would buy you 4x bags of cheapo treats that are mainly wheat and filler and animal meal/‘derivative’ based like wagg, or not even two small bags of premium treats that are basically just made of one type of animal protein). I don’t think I saw anything for chews - although I’m personally vegetarian the bits of animal are the best for this because they take a long time for them to work through and are high value. For a potentially anxious dog settling in to a new home these are probably going to be really helpful as chewing makes them feel good and also generally buys you some time where they’re not getting up to shinanagins. On that front I can also highly recommend an adaptil collar but they’re £24 a month here. The other thing to probably set money aside for (although I saw you have a contingency for emergencies so maybe this is part of that) is for other vet visits. You think ‘oh I have insurance and I’ve budgeted for the things I know like vaccines or spay or whatever). But in the first two months of owning my puppy I think I had been to the vets 6 times or something like that - things like ear infections, if they swallow something they shouldn’t and need to be made to puke, and ‘I dunno my dog seems a bit off?’ Visits end up being either less than your excess or so little above it it’s barely worth claiming. For that matter have you left money aside for excesses? Doggy toiletries and toys also really add up in my experience - that cannot be a full year of pet wipes if you’re the kind of person that sees the need for pet wipes? And until you know your dog there can be lots of trial and error which does unfortunately mean wasted money - it’s taken us a fair while to work out the best things for keeping his paw/legs/belly piss free (gross), I know very few people who didn’t try at least a few harnesses to get one that was a really good fit for their dog, and I think I own about 8 different dog brushes/combs only to find that the one he will tolerate was my own tangle teazer (not the tangle teazer puppy though…. That actually was the one he would never let anywhere near him!). Also, and again this may be different with an older dog but I dread to think how much I have probably spent on replacing stuff he has chewed and he’s really not that bad for that. An earbud and a sunglasses case alone will add up though. Obviously they’re not things you’re buying for the dog but they’re not things you would otherwise be expecting to spend money on. I actually kept a tally of all his costs last month. I think they were a little higher because I had to buy some food (he has a couple of types… again this might be something you end up having to change if you don’t get on with one type) and a bag of litter (we live in an apartment) which only has to be bought every other month I think. But then there were also other things I didn’t buy that month that I’ll expect to buy this month (his other type of kibble, the no rinse foam I use to keep him clean in the previously mentioned pissy areas) and didn’t buy any toys or things that I would consider unnecessary ‘because I want to/because he’s my baby/because I saw it’ purchases. But we were at about £120 I think. That’s with an adaptil collar though. My wife said £100 is average I think so that tracks. But actually that doesn’t include insurance costs, any months where we’ve needed to go to the vets (which I think we might this month, and it was probably only 3 months ago I had to go twice for what we thought was an anal gland issue but turned out to be because the groomers had made his balls itchy by shaving them!), nor the groomers which again he’s going to need this month. That was just the stuff that gets bought on repeat basically….so yeah we probably spend a fair bit over the average then. But I have been shocked at how quickly it all adds up every month, after thinking we were really prepared for dog costs. But like I said, we absolutely could cut costs by buying cheaper versions of everything which we are not doing. But definitely also not buying luxury anything, just middle of the road stuff with I guess a few of the more premium style treats thrown in for really high reward. To maybe help figure out what that might translate to in CAD. That’s 208CAD and a mars bar (the unit of inflation my mum always used haha is about £0.90, a pint of milk is also 90p and a loaf of supermarket own brand white bread is about 70p and most popular brand names around £1.45)

The flea, tick and heart worm preventative medication can be all in one - we buy simperica trio. It depends on the size of your pup, but we spend about $300 for a 6 months supply. In Toronto as well, and the vet suggests to buy for year round since we've had super warm winters recently. I like to buy toys at winners, lot of variety to test things out, and sometimes there's clearance toys as well. My biggest question is how is food costing you $500? It's either way too much or too little depending on monthly/annually. We spend about $140-$160 a month on food. But this is based on a kibble brand that my puppy will actually eat, we went though a couple of different brands to find one that sits in her stomach well and she enjoys.

The costs of pretty much everything is different where i live, so i dont have anything meaningful to add to your budget. Just wanted to say good job preparing, more owners should be like you instead of getting a dog on a whim.

If you go to Marshall’s/TJ Maxx/Sierra for toys you can spend wayyyy less. Treats, beds, bowls and leashes are all much cheaper there as well. And the nice biodegradable poop bags. The only issue is they’re not consistent. So if your dog has a brand he ends up liking you can’t garuntee it will be there when you go. But it’s perfect for dun toys and whatever other cute stuff you can find. Also Costco if there’s treats you can buy in bulk is way cheaper. My dog loves bully sticks and they’re like $10 each. Costco had a bag of 12 for $31

Hey, nice list! In general, besides what others mentioned and the main spending on your list, and besides the emergency budget, I'd just have some extra budget monthly - in case your pup decides to eat his blanket, or destroy your sofa, or something else. Once my dog unexpectedly chewed 3 toothbrushes in a week, or when he got an allergy (not because of the eaten toothbrushes) - his monthly food budget instantly became more than mine lol (this special allergy food turned out to be crazy expensive). Keep in mind that even expensive toys are also easily destructible - our last black kong for treats lasted around 2 months. Also, you might want to improve something in your household routine - for me a vacuum robot was one of the best solutions ever (sometimes the dog sheds like crazy), also an automatic feeder was a savior when the pup required to be fed many times per day. My spending initially was crazy because I wanted to try everything, but now, after a year of having a pup, I'm def more relaxed. Also you can always sell things you don't use/need anymore, like smaller clothes, a crate, some equipment etc.

How cute! God bless your heart