How much does a dog cost? (Basic equipment & running costs)
- from Claudia Weise
- Updated: 30 January, 2023
Not sure how much a dog will cost you? In this article you will learn what costs are hidden behind a dog in the long run. You will get a comprehensive overview of one-time costs, regular and irregular costs.
What are the one-time costs?
Of course, the acquisition causes the largest block of costs. The acquisition costs consist of the purchase price for a puppy from the breeder or a protection fee for dogs from the shelter and the costs for the initial equipment.
1. acquisition cost
The first cost is directly caused by the acquisition. How much you will pay for your dog depends on whether it is a dog from the Animal shelter or a Pedigree dog should be.
A dog from the Animal shelter or a Animal welfare organization is the cheaper alternative. Here falls only one nominal fee from 150 to 300 euros an. This fee covers only the care costs of the dog for the shelter.
If you do decide to Pedigree dog from breeder the price depends on the breed. You should always find out what your chosen dog breed usually costs.
If the price is significantly below average, it is most likely not a reputable breeder. It is most important that the puppy and also the breeder suit you. The price should be secondary here.
Depending on the breed of dog the price can be between 500 and 2500 euro vary. So you can use a Pug expect a price of 600 to 1000 euros. A Labrador puppy on the other hand will cost you between 1000 and 1400 euros. Should it be a English Bulldog the price can range from 1700 to 2300 euros.
The prices for certain dog breeds depend on these 6 factors:
- Dog breed size: the bigger, the more expensive
- Rarity value: how many breeders are there?
- Status of training: Is the dog trained? (relevant for e.g. hunting dog)
- Demand: How popular is the breed at the moment?
- Special breeding conditions and characteristics
- Additional costs of the breeder
2. costs for the initial equipment
The cost of the initial equipment depends on the quality and type. Basic equipment of adequate quality costs on average 200 - 300 Euro.
You can save on accessories or spend a fortune. Depending on the material, workmanship and brand, there are very large price differences.
You should be on a good workmanship and pollutant-free materials pay attention. The best place to get advice is a specialty store. Another price factor is the size of your four-legged friend. The bigger your dog is, the more expensive the accessories will be, as this will also be bigger.
To ensure that the new family member lacks nothing, you need to purchase this equipment before your new darling moves in:
- Dog or puppy food; wet or dry food, treats (approx. 50 Euro)
- Food and drink bowl (approx. 25 euros)
- Dog harness or collar and leash (approx. 60 Euro)
- Dog bed and dog blankets (about 30 euros)
- Toys (approx. 20 euros, highly variable)
- If necessary a transport box (approx. 100 Euro)
- Small medicine chest (approx. 25 Euro)
(The prices indicated refer to accessories for medium-sized dogs from the middle price segment).
Additionally, in the case of puppies from the breeder, there may be veterinary costs for the Microchip and EU pet passport of about 45 euros will be added.
What are the regular costs?
Of course, you also have to be prepared for the regular costs. After all, it's not just about the purchase. Now you can find out what costs you will always have to pay:
1. dog food
With the dog food it depends on the one hand on the Feeding method and Quality of the feed. Whether you choose BARF, Dry- or Wet food is up to you. In addition, you should also give your darling from time to time treats indulge
Since the price of dog food varies greatly, you can not set a flat monthly expense.
A second point that determines the cost of food is the size of your dog. A large dog eats much more than a small one.
For a medium-sized dog, you can expect to spend 50 to 100 euros per month on high-quality food. Be sure to choose a high-quality food that is designed to meet the needs of your four-legged friend.
2. veterinarian
Once or twice a year you can Vaccinations and Worming plan firmly. For this you should expect costs between 100 and 150 euros per year calculate. This health prediction is very important to maintain your dog's health. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee.
An accident can quickly lead to a costly operation. That's why you should always have a Plan for a reserve for animal emergencies. Operations can quickly amount to over 1000 euros. Even diseases, for which a blood test (about 120 euros) is due, cause high costs.
3. dog tax
As a dog owner in Germany you are Dogs-taxable. However, the tax rate changes depending on the city or municipality. The exact amount you can ask in your competent authority.
You can here with costs between 50 and 100 euros per year for your first dog. However, the prices can vary greatly depending on the breed list of the individual states.
If your quadruped is a List dog is, a higher amount of 500 to 900 euros per year may also apply for certain breeds. You can assume as a general rule that for "fighting dogs" the multiple of the normal tax rate applies.
4. insurance
Insurances are another important topic and also cause regular costs. Two different insurances are relevant here:
A Liability insurance is in most federal states obligatory. Even if this is not the case, you should still take out liability insurance.
If your dog destroys someone else's property, you're on the safe side. A vase is quickly knocked over while romping around, a tire is quickly bitten.
Through a liability insurance you ultimately save a lot of money. You can get a good dog liability insurance for 60 euros per year.
The Dog health insurance is an important investment, especially in old age. The older your four-legged friend gets, the more often he has to visit the vet. You should take out health insurance for your pet at an early stage.
Above a certain maximum age, most insurance companies no longer accept dogs. The entry age also determines the monthly premiums: The older your dog is, the more expensive it will be. There are different insurance models. For one Full protection insurance you have to calculate with about 50 Euro per month. If you only want to use the OP insurance cover you pay around 15 euros per month.
5. care products
Your pet also has its own grooming routine. For regular coat care you need a suitable dog shampoo. Otherwise, you should use a remedy against ticks and fleas to keep the vermin away from your four-legged friend. The cost of grooming products is not high. You can buy about 50 Euro per year include.
6. dog salon
Depending on the type of coat or breed of your dog, a regular visit to the dog salon may be due. A complete grooming such as bathing, blow-drying, cutting or clipping, ear, eye and claw care starts at about 45 € depending on the breed or size and can rise up to 150 €.
So you can expect monthly costs between 175 and 250 euros for a medium-sized dog.
What additional costs may be incurred?
Certainly not all costs are foreseeable. As already listed under veterinary costs, high costs can result from Diseases and operations arise. However, there are other irregular costs:
Diet food
With a Food intolerance or Overweight you must resort to special diet food. This is more expensive than normal food.
Castration
If you adopted your dog from the shelter, he is already neutered. Otherwise a Castration recommendable. It prevents diseases and, of course, unwanted reproduction.
A male dog can be castrated for about 100 Euros, a female dog is much more expensive with about 400 Euros.
Dog sitter/boarding kennel
Dog owners also want to go on vacation. Not always you can take your darling with you. If neither family nor friends can take your dog, the only option is a dog sitter or a kennel. You can expect daily costs of 20 to 30 euros.
Cleaning or repair costs
Unfortunately, it's not a rumor that dogs like to chew on the furniture or soil the carpet once in a while. Especially young dogs that are teething like to gnaw everything from the sofa to the shoes.
It is recommended to always give your little one Chew toys to provide. Nevertheless, a mishap can happen quickly. For this reason, cleaning and repair costs will most likely be incurred more often.
Puppy or dog school
To ensure that your pet listens to you and is well behaved, you should think about attending a dog training school. Especially as an inexperienced dog owner, it will be difficult for you to pay attention to all details when training your four-legged friend.
To avoid damaging your relationship, you should leave parenting to the professionals. A visit to the Dog school costs between 150 and 300 euros.
Broken or old dog accessories
Even the best accessories eventually wear out or break. Then, of course, it must be renewed. Pay attention to good quality, so that your darling can use it for a long time.
Conclusion
As you can see, a dog causes very high costs and is therefore definitely not an inexpensive pet. The question of how much a dog costs per month cannot be answered in a general way. The listed factors play a major role in the monthly costs.
If you want to get a list dog or a larger dog, you have to expect even higher costs. If your pet has an accident or becomes seriously ill, the costs will rise sharply.
You should also keep in mind that a dog's life is on average 12 years long.
Are you willing and able to raise that much money on a monthly basis for the long term?
Only if you are absolutely sure and can offer your dog a decent life, you should get one.
I am an editor at hundeo and when it comes to dogs, my heart beats faster. My goal is to publish the best dog guides on the web. There is a lot of passion in every article and I am happy about every feedback to constantly improve our content.
Share now:
