Key facts at a glance
- There are costs involved in purchasing and follow-up costs.
- Most first-time dog owners forget about hidden costs.
- Reasonable insurance coverage helps prevent nasty surprises.
- If the cost of owning a dog is too high, there are methods to still get a lot of contact with dogs.
General information about dogs and costs
Many people who are considering getting a dog have only two things in mind when it comes to cost – the purchase price and the cost of dog food. In everyday life, however, this quickly proves to be a misjudgment, because a dog inevitably causes additional costs. You must definitely reckon with these costs with dogs:
- purchase
- Basic equipment
- Dog Food
- health care
- insurances
- dog tax
- care products
One-time costs for dogs
One-off costs are primarily incurred in connection with the purchase of your dog. They include the purchase price and the costs for the initial equipment that you need for your four-legged friend.
Cost of getting a dog
The first thing that involves costs for you is getting the dog. The amount you have to pay here depends, among other things, on your breed.
If you buy your dog from a reputable breeder, you can expect a purchase price of around 1,000 euros. Depending on the breed, your dog may cost you as little as $500. However, it may just as well be that you have to invest around 2,000 euros.
A dog from an animal shelter is a cheap alternative here. Because there you only have to pay a so-called protection fee. This is usually between 150 and a maximum of 400 euros.
costs for the initial equipment
Of course, the purchase is not enough. Because now you need initial equipment for your dog, which also causes costs. After all, the new family member should not be missing anything.
The following things should not be missing from the initial equipment for your dog:
- Eating and drinking bowl
- A dog harness or leash
- Dog bed (possibly with pillow and blanket)
- toys for occupation
- If necessary, a transport box
- A small medicine chest (in case you need to provide first aid)
Depending on which items and what quality you choose for your dog’s initial equipment, the costs can of course vary greatly. However, you should expect a total of between 250 and 300 euros.
Regular expenses for your dog
Once you have gotten the dog from the breeder or from the animal shelter and taken care of the necessary initial equipment, the spending money does not stop for a long time. From now on you have to reckon with regular costs for your dog, which can be incurred monthly or even annually. These regular costs include the following things:
- Buying dog food
- health care
- Contributions for insurance companies
- Payment of the dog tax
- Purchase of toiletries
Dog food costs
With regard to the running costs that a dog causes per month, dog food should normally make up the largest item. But here, too, the exact amount depends on two different factors.
- quality of the feed (Wet food from the discounter costs from 50 cents per can, while the price of premium quality food can be around 3 euros.)
- size of the dog (A small breed might need 100 grams a day, while a very large four-legged friend can easily eat a whole kilo of food.)
The monthly costs for dog food can therefore vary greatly. 10 euros are just as possible here as 250 or 300 euros. For a medium-sized dog and decent quality food, you should expect to spend around 50 to 100 euros a month.
healthcare costs
Of course, as a dog owner, you hope that your four-legged friend will remain healthy for a lifetime. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee for this. Something can always happen. Your dog can have an accident, get injured while playing with other dogs, or get a serious illness.
If this is the case, you often have to reckon with high costs for the veterinarian. Operations on dogs quickly cost 1,000 euros and more. It is not much different when it comes to the treatment of diseases. Again, you have to reckon with high vet bills.
Even with a healthy dog, you cannot avoid regular visits to the vet. You can count on annual costs of 100 to 150 euros for preventive measures such as deworming and vaccinations.
Dog insurance costs
Another factor that you should not underestimate when it comes to the cost of your dog is insurance. These are often useful, in some cases even required by law.
Dog owner liability protects you against financial damage caused by your dog. In some federal states it is required for all breeds, in others a dog liability insurance only has to be taken out for certain breeds. The costs are around 50 euros per year.
In addition to liability insurance, we also recommend that you take out dog health insurance. Here you have the choice between pure dog surgery insurance and comprehensive health insurance.
dog tax
Of course, the state insists on earning money from dog owners and causing additional costs with the dog tax. Since the dog tax is levied by the respective municipality, the exact amount depends on where you live.
As a rule, the costs are in the order of 100 to 200 euros per year, although in most cases they are lower in rural areas than in a city. However, it becomes significantly more expensive if your dog is a so-called list dog. In this case, the costs for the dog tax quickly amount to 500 to 900 euros per year.
care products
Be it a tick repellent, a preparation against fleas or a shampoo for dogs – your four-legged friend also needs one or the other care product from time to time. The costs for this are manageable. However, you should calculate around 50 euros per year for this.
Other possible costs that may arise once or irregularly
As a rule, you cannot avoid the costs mentioned so far. Because you have to buy food, for example, just as you have to pay the dog tax to your municipality.
Apart from that, however, your dog can incur a number of other costs. These can occur both once and at irregular intervals, but can also be avoided or eliminated.
They include, for example, costs for attending a dog school, castration, accommodation in a dog boarding house or damage that the dog may cause in your home.
Dog school fees
A dog should of course be well trained and listen to you. At least if you don’t have a lot of experience as a dog owner, you should think about attending a dog school.
Of course, this causes additional costs, although here too it is difficult to put a general figure on the exact amount. As a rule, you should be within a realistic range of around 150 to 300 euros.
Costs for a possible castration
Neutering dogs can have benefits. Because it not only prevents reproduction, but also helps to reduce the risk of some diseases.
Unless you buy an animal from the shelter that has already been neutered, there will be additional costs for the neutering. The height can vary depending on the veterinarian and also depends on the gender of the four-legged friend.
- Cost of neutering a male dog: around 100 euros
- Costs for neutering a bitch: up to 400 euros
Accommodation in a kennel
Of course, as a dog owner, you don’t want to miss out on your vacation either. But the dog cannot always accompany you. If no one in your family or circle of friends can look after your four-legged friend, accommodation in a kennel might be an alternative.
This will cost you between 20 and 30 euros per day. However, before you decide on a kennel, you should look around there personally. After all, you want to be sure that your dog is in good hands during your holiday.
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