Cost of keeping a dog??

[Dizzle]

OH and I are getting our first puppy in March, a few people have commented that we’re going to be ‘broke’ and ‘crazy poor’ after doing so..? Really?!

Can someone outline the costs of owning a border terrier each month?

Vacs- £30? X2 initially then annually.
Castration- £150, one off cost
Food- £50 a month
Insurance- £10 a month
Worming & Fleas- £15 a month
Replacement items, odds and ends- £20 a month
Puppy training classes- £60 for the 8 week course

Surely not more than £100 a month, right? Or am I missing something (please note the people that have mentioned cost, neither of them own a dog or any other such pet!)

 

[Spudlet]

£50 a MONTH on food? How big is this terrier, and what are you planning on feeding it?!

I spend about £25 every 2 - 3 months, for a 16kg dog fed on Skinners Duck / Salmon and Rice. Insurance costs me £12 pcm. Vacs cost about £60 every year, flea and worming stuff I can't remember (I was getting it on a deal with my last vets, haven't bought any for a while), odds and sods depends - I can spend virtually nothing for months then need a few bits and bobs all at once, but eBay is your friend. There's no way I spend £100 a month on him!

Where it can add up is care while you go on holiday, pet sitters or good kennels cost money. But that's not a regular cost, and tbh I generally take him with me anyway.

 

[s4sugar]

Halve the worming & de-flea-ing & the food.
Add in grooming tools ie a stripping knife.
Add in kennelling - you may think you won't but I have a dog here whose owners are in a hotel after a water pipe burst bringing down their ceilings. Home insurance should cover this but they are paying week by week. Unless you have a crate you may need to kennel if you have tradesmen in.

£50 a month once adult should cover all the basics.

 

[Naryafluffy]

£50 a MONTH on food? How big is this terrier, and what are you planning on feeding it?!

That's what I was thinking, I spend that a month on a big bag of burns for the ridgeback, but given that he is marginally bigger than a border terrier you would expect to pay that for his food.
I tend to find I spend the most on stuff that they don't need, like a matching lead, collar and tag, then have to get a different colour for summer etc if I stopped spending my money on crap that the dogs and horses don't need I would be rich!!!

 

[Twizzel]

Our pup's (sprocker) first vaccinations were £50 for the 2 jabs, microchip (she was already chipped though) and next worm treatment. She's on Burns mini bites we bought the biggest bag they do which was £45 and I reckon that will last her till she's 6+ months. Insurance about £10 a month, puppy classes I found were £35 for 6 wks. We were given a crate, her bed is a crate mattress which was £20 ish then she has towels and an old dressing gown to make it a bit more cosy (a lot easier to clean too). Wormer about £15 a month.

 

[Dizzle]

if I stopped spending my money on crap that the dogs and horses don't need I would be rich!!!

I know that feeling! I’ve already bought a crate, puppy collar, lead, bowls, little fleece blankets for bed, brush etc, quite a few toys

Stripping I don’t need to think about until he’s about 6 months right?

So £50 a month is a good base budget then? Cool

 

[BigRed]

I don't think dogs are the expensive to look after, unless they are big, and then the food bill can be high. If you have the space to store it, always buy a big bag of food, as it is much cheaper that way.

The real expense with dogs, comes in the vet bill department. I tend to have a high excess on my insurance to keep the premium low, but I have been unlucky this year and had 3 instances of 2 dogs and 1 cat needing treatment that did not quite hit the excess, which means I shelled out a few hundred pounds...

 

[s4sugar]

I know that feeling! I’ve already bought a crate, puppy collar, lead, bowls, little fleece blankets for bed, brush etc, quite a few toys

Stripping I don’t need to think about until he’s about 6 months right?

So £50 a month is a good base budget then? Cool

First strip is between 8 & 12 weeks and then you can either roll the coat as in do a bit each day or let it blow & strip twice a year - usually a combination of the two works best but get someone to show you how to strip. After neutering the coat may change and you could have to rake or thin the coat.
Most dog brushes on sale are useless. A soft slicker would be the only one to use although just a comb will suffice.

If you live near an Ikea they do fleece blankets for about £1.40 that are about three times the size of the "pet" ones and are the same material.
A kong, or two, is a good investment.