Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op please do some research on those breeds. If you have no experience with dogs, I would not start there. Research family friendly, lower energy dogs.

I can’t tell you how many friends I have who’ve idiot golden retriever or lap had eaten expensive shoes, swallowed socks (5 figure vet bill) or chewed up kitchen cabinets.

Better for the OP to get whatever breed of dog that they want. They are the ones that will have to live with the dog for many years.

Or not. They might get frustrated and send the dog to a shelter.

I think someone would get more frustrated with a breed of dog that they didn't want in the first place rather than one they wanted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op please do some research on those breeds. If you have no experience with dogs, I would not start there. Research family friendly, lower energy dogs.

I can’t tell you how many friends I have who’ve idiot golden retriever or lap had eaten expensive shoes, swallowed socks (5 figure vet bill) or chewed up kitchen cabinets.

Better for the OP to get whatever breed of dog that they want. They are the ones that will have to live with the dog for many years.

Or not. They might get frustrated and send the dog to a shelter.

Anonymous wrote:Op please do some research on those breeds. If you have no experience with dogs, I would not start there. Research family friendly, lower energy dogs.

I can’t tell you how many friends I have who’ve idiot golden retriever or lap had eaten expensive shoes, swallowed socks (5 figure vet bill) or chewed up kitchen cabinets.

Better for the OP to get whatever breed of dog that they want. They are the ones that will have to live with the dog for many years.

~$2K / year vet inclusive of 1 or 2 emergencies
~$5K / year walking, 5 days / week
~$3K / year boarding while traveling, this was high as we traveled a lot last year
~$700 / year food

some other stuff. My personal capital shows 2019 expenses of ~$12K

we can afford it, but ya it's crazy.

I did not even consider a dog until I decided to go part time at work. By then DCs were teens and I felt bad they never had a dog (dh either!) I forgot how much work and $$ they are!

We lucked into a great rescue puppy at a shelter- 6-months old, now a medium-size dog. We feed raw meat + liver which must be cooked- i buy on sale avg $1.25/lb x 1.75 lbs/day

We already had a fenced yard and a dog door.
Vet bills are minimum. No grooming- I did buy a dog brush. Because I am home a lot and am able to exercise the dog regularly we don't have to trim nails (the sidewalk does it) and medium-length hair doesn't need professional grooming.

I had NO IDEA how much work it is- double or triple the vacuuming! It always becomes the Mom's Dog so be aware. Puppy year is the worst- chewing everything in reach. Can't count the $ spent replacing headphones, shoes, books, loaves of bread and cakes of butter and fresh baked cookies on the kitchen bench! Yikes!

When we travel we use Rover.com and it's about $35/night for great care - which is less than in the DC area but usually adds at least $500 to every vacation.

It's great for DS because he has something warm and fuzzy to hug on and a good reason to go for long walks alone- this is good for this boy.

60-lb dog requires at least 1 hr exercise/day. That's bare minimum- 24hrs in a day and one hour out of the house. Not a lot. Dogs are smart and require a lot of stimulation.

Op please do some research on those breeds. If you have no experience with dogs, I would not start there. Research family friendly, lower energy dogs.

I can’t tell you how many friends I have who’ve idiot golden retriever or lap had eaten expensive shoes, swallowed socks (5 figure vet bill) or chewed up kitchen cabinets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to be very careful with German shepherds. Do you have any experience with them?

A dog that size, I’d estimate at least $100/month for food.
$40/month for meds
$15/walk if you need a dog walker
$50-$100/night for boarding when you go away
$500/year for vet bills
$1000 for training

This is pretty in line with what we spent, other setup and ongoing expenses I didn't anticipate:
$80 - crates
$150/year - toys and treats
$25 each time we take him to get a bath (which is rare, he doesn't require any grooming, we trim nails at home)
$300ish for neutering (required by rescue)

It's a lot. So much more than I expected, but expecting it to be cheaper in the second year.

I forgot grooming. I spend more on my dog’s haircuts than my own. $100/6 weeks including tip.

Anonymous wrote:OP, dcum is not the best place to get this kind of advice. Look into pet insurance, costs and what is covered v what isn’t. Most people (outside of dcum) do not have a dog walker once dog is trained.

They do for a puppy, even if it is the neighbor's kid.rather than a service. An adult may be OK for a normal work day, but a puppy can't wait that long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, dcum is not the best place to get this kind of advice. Look into pet insurance, costs and what is covered v what isn’t. Most people (outside of dcum) do not have a dog walker once dog is trained.

People who work full time have dog walkers.

Not everyone. Step outside the bubble.

NP here. Agree with this, not everyone who has a dog that works full time has a dog walker.

It's better to have a dog walker but not everyone can afford this. If only people who could afford a dog walker were allowed to have dogs there would be plenty more dogs at the animal shelters waiting to be put down.

DCUM is a bubble.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, dcum is not the best place to get this kind of advice. Look into pet insurance, costs and what is covered v what isn’t. Most people (outside of dcum) do not have a dog walker once dog is trained.

People who work full time have dog walkers.

Not everyone. Step outside the bubble.

Anonymous wrote:OP, dcum is not the best place to get this kind of advice. Look into pet insurance, costs and what is covered v what isn’t. Most people (outside of dcum) do not have a dog walker once dog is trained.

People who work full time have dog walkers.

OP, dcum is not the best place to get this kind of advice. Look into pet insurance, costs and what is covered v what isn’t. Most people (outside of dcum) do not have a dog walker once dog is trained.

Anonymous wrote:my kids are requesting for a puppy, please let me know the total monthly cost for s puppy, I want to make sure we can afford it before we bring the puppy home.
If some one can breakdown and explain me that will be really helpful.

Most pets are an extravagance.

Anonymous wrote:You need to be very careful with German shepherds. Do you have any experience with them?

A dog that size, I’d estimate at least $100/month for food.
$40/month for meds
$15/walk if you need a dog walker
$50-$100/night for boarding when you go away
$500/year for vet bills
$1000 for training

This is pretty in line with what we spent, other setup and ongoing expenses I didn't anticipate:
$80 - crates
$150/year - toys and treats
$25 each time we take him to get a bath (which is rare, he doesn't require any grooming, we trim nails at home)
$300ish for neutering (required by rescue)

It's a lot. So much more than I expected, but expecting it to be cheaper in the second year.

Try fostering to see how it suits your family. It might be the best thing ever or your kids might lose interest once they see how much work it is.