Cost of keeping a dog
Money is a sensitive topic, but it is extremely important for those who have already decided to buy a dog. Many people are not even aware of what costs they will incur. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine a uniform monthly cost of keeping a dog, as everything depends on which breed you choose, whether it will be a dog from large or smaller breeds. The biggest costs come when the dog unfortunately starts to get ill. The larger the breed, the more money you spend, and that is because the doses of medicines are larger and their quantity is adjusted to the dog's weight. None of us assumes that we will have a sick dog, but we should keep this in mind!
Dog nutrition
Fixed monthly costs will be allocated to food. Depending on which feeding method you choose and whether it will be a German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, Yorkshire Terrier or Dachshund, costs will vary. There is a very wide range of dry foods on the market at very different prices and with different compositions. For good dry food, which in its composition does not contain cereals and has a higher percentage of meat (not bone meal or animal-derived products), you unfortunately have to pay, but what wouldn't you do for your pet. The price for a 12 kg bag ranges from 140 PLN to even 350 PLN and more. An alternative to dry food can be a BARF diet, an increasingly popular type of feeding among pet owners. If you decide on this method of nutrition, you should be prepared to spend from 100 PLN to 300 PLN per month. Everything depends on what dog you have and where you buy the meat. Whether it's a local butcher shop where meat prices are higher than in hypermarkets. A very good and inexpensive solution is the so-called group purchases, organised on social media platforms.
Do not forget about additional supplements, which you need to buy if necessary. The prices of these products vary greatly and depend mainly on which manufacturer you choose. As for supplements such as joint-strengthening ones, prices start from 45 PLN to 200 PLN. It can be a syrup or powder that we add to food. Another supplement eagerly purchased by owners are products rich in Omega fatty acids. Their prices also vary and start from 20 PLN to 170 PLN.
Accessories
The next expense is the purchase of various accessories such as collars, leads, harnesses, several toys, and a bed, without which our dog cannot manage. The prices of individual products depend primarily on the material they are made from, their size and the manufacturer. Leather collars will usually be more expensive than those made from fabric. If we have a small breed, for a leather collar we can pay from 10 PLN to 30 PLN. In the case of large breeds, for which the collar must be wider, the price will be higher, from 35 PLN to 80 PLN. Similarly, when it comes to leads and lines, what length, what material they are made from and what breed we will be walking on it. For a Yorkshire Terrier it will be different than for a Saint Bernard, etc. In this case we must allocate an amount from 25 PLN to even 250 PLN if it is an extendable lead.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations - when collecting a puppy from a breeder, it is usually already after the first vaccination against viral diseases and wormed once. Therefore, the future owner of the little one must have it vaccinated twice more plus vaccination against rabies and worming. As for prices, they depend on the veterinary clinic.
- Vaccination against viral diseases costs around 40 PLN - 60 PLN
- Vaccination against rabies costs around 50 PLN
- Worming depending on the dog's weight costs around 5 PLN to 30 PLN
Training
When taking a dog into your home, you should take it to a basic obedience course or individual training, and this also costs.
The cost of group basic training is around 400 PLN to 800 PLN. Usually this is 10 - 12 meetings, once or twice a week
Individual training per hour should cost from 70 PLN to 100 PLN
Increasingly, owners take their puppies to so-called puppy classes. This is a place where a young dog learns to communicate with other dogs, learns basic commands, learns to walk on a lead. At such classes, the puppy meets and becomes familiar with various objects, people, veterinary examinations and grooming procedures. Groups are small, usually from 4 to 6 dogs.
The cost of such puppy classes is from 400 PLN to 600 PLN.
Regardless of which breed you choose, it is worth attending one of the training sessions and learning the basics and how to work with your dog.
When facing behavioural problems, you should consult a behaviourist. Professional behavioural advice costs 180 PLN - 250 PLN
Grooming
The next cost will be related to grooming. There are breeds such as Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Maltese, which require visits to grooming salons. Although not only these breeds can be found in such dog beauty salons, with Bernese Mountain Dogs or German Shepherds, especially long-haired ones, it is worth visiting such a salon.
There are also other costs related to dog grooming, which depend on the clinic where we will have them done (indicative price list) and on the breed of dog we choose.
- Basic blood tests cost around 25 PLN - 35 PLN, for extended blood count we will pay from 100 PLN to 150 PLN
- Faecal examination (package) for all dog parasites costs around 120 PLN
- Teeth cleaning from 80 PLN - 120 PLN
- Tartar removal from 50 PLN to 150 PLN
- Ear cleaning from 10 PLN to 40 PLN
- Grooming services depending on the breed cost from 50 PLN to 200 PLN
- Dog kennels cost from 40 PLN - 70 PLN per night (depending on the breed)
- Tick treatments: collar from 50 PLN - 100 PLN, tablets 35 PLN - 60 PLN, drops approx. 100 PLN, natural products (herbs) cost from 30 PLN - 50 PLN
To all these expenses it is worth adding the costs of damaged equipment such as carpets, walls, chairs or tables.
However, it is worth thinking 100 times about the decision to buy a dog and being sure that you will cope with all the responsibilities.
