Monthly Expenses For Larger Breeds...

[Nekhbet]

you know my family keeps saying dogs cost too much ... I feel like I spend very little after reading the rest of the posts

I can spot an orange reduced sticker in the meat aisle from 2km away.

make friends with a butcher or find a wholesale meat place

I got 5 cut in half pigs heads for $15, thats 10 days food for one dog.

local butcher gives me meat off cuts for $2 a shopping bag

chicken place does 10kg chicken frames for $4

Supermarkets are BS. They charge waaaaaaaay too much.

[cowanbree]

My biggest costs are the vet bills. You get lulled into a false sense of security when they are young but as they get older a few things start to happen that might need a pill here or a powder there and next thing your vet bill costs more than groceries each week. Honestly my tea routine takes me ages and I have different pill bottles everywhere. I do love my oldies but they are not cheap.

[Burkes]

you know my family keeps saying dogs cost too much ... I feel like I spend very little after reading the rest of the posts

I can spot an orange reduced sticker in the meat aisle from 2km away.

make friends with a butcher or find a wholesale meat place

I got 5 cut in half pigs heads for $15, thats 10 days food for one dog.

local butcher gives me meat off cuts for $2 a shopping bag

chicken place does 10kg chicken frames for $4

Supermarkets are BS. They charge waaaaaaaay too much.

I keep meaning to do that! I'm a shift worker so sometimes I do my shopping at 7am when I finish a night shift or 11pm when I finish an arvo. Then I just have to hit up Woolies. But, I really should just get myself organised!

[Kissindra]

I honestly don't want to know what I spend

[Staff'n'Toller]

My biggest costs are the vet bills. You get lulled into a false sense of security when they are young but as they get older a few things start to happen that might need a pill here or a powder there and next thing your vet bill costs more than groceries each week. Honestly my tea routine takes me ages and I have different pill bottles everywhere. I do love my oldies but they are not cheap.

Quite right. We can treat things like dog arthritis and congestive heart failure very well, for a long period of time, but it does cost.

[jesomil]

Wow, some people spend so much!!

For my 3, (2 med and 1 lge) I used to spend only about $30 a month on food. Free big bags of chicken bones from butcher etc

The only other costs were worming every 3 months and council rego which is $22 per dog.

Beds came from op shops. No vet bills.

I think you can spend as much or as little as you want on a dog. Some people feel the need to buy every accessory known to man others dont.

[Sky_Mel]

I don't want to know what I spent on my Shepherd haha

[Beth.]

I prefer to live in ignorance of what my two GSDs cost me per month

With 3 Rottweilers (and 1 pug) I just don't want to know what they cost either.

I think I will stick with you guys on this one I'm rediculous when it comes to Lottie - everytime I go out i'm always coming home with something new for her!!!!

But in reality - maybe $100-150 a month on food, toys, worming - then the travelling too and from obedience (I often have to travel about an hour or so!!), and other things like that on top of that?? The joys of being a student and only having her in my life = SPOILT!!!!!!!!

[whiskedaway]

Puppies cost heaps when you first get them.

Food probably about $40/month but we buy in bulk. Kennel and/or crate is a one-off cost (assuming they don't destroy it) of about $200. Collar and lead (we're on our second collar and third lead due to destruction) are about $20 each. Car harness (we're on the second because the first was outgrown) about $30 each. Toys... no clue what I've spent but I try and get cheap ones because Akira destroys them.

Vet bills are where a puppy gets expensive. So far we've spent $670 on vet bills in the three months we've had her - three vaccinations, microchipping and an emergency visit when she was throwing up - but we still have desexing to go and that's another $300 roughly.

Oh, and your costs will depend on if you add in things that the dog has chewed that wasn't supposed to. Eg, my $10,000 worth of landscaping, about $200 worth of shoes, 6 tv remotes, 3 sheridan doona covers........................................

Completely agreed. Two pairs of $250 Nike sneakers, two pairs of slippers, a jacket, a bra, the surround sound cables... That adds up too!

[Agility Dogs]

Just found this on the Urban Dog Training website. Thought it was quite interesting. It's a rough guide only, but it gives you the kind of idea of what dogs can cost.

http://www.urbandogtraining.com.au/trainin...fford-a-dog.htm

Just download the PDF article

Interesting some of the costs they have on there. Obviously they are not recommending people go to them for obedience classes. LOL.

I had a look at what doing a class with my new pup would cost me and ruled it out instantly. Pup will be coming with me to flyball, agility and frisbee and will work off to the side so it will be socialised and trained well, but I was looking for some other environments to take it to.

I think some of the costs are very conservative - especially the vet bill side of things. eg: I choose to get Chiro check ups every 4 months or so - $70 each. My girl had an injury earlier this year - $400 for a torn shoulder muscle. You need to consider how active your dog is going to be as well. Active = potential for injury.

[jaegertheweim]

We have a (growing) standard poodle so I guess she'll eventually be a larger breed. It's a heck of a lot cheaper to keep a large dog in the States than in Australia

Food - $25 including kibble and bones

Treats - around $15.. she goes through a couple of bully sticks and beef tendons each month

Worming - $5 for Interceptor

Flea and tick preventive in summer - $7.50 for Advantix

Grooming - We groom her ourselves but the starting expenses were Wahl KM-2 clippers $120, set of clipper combs $35, pair of Dubl Duck scissors $60 and a couple other odds and ends

[minxy]

Just found this on the Urban Dog Training website. Thought it was quite interesting. It's a rough guide only, but it gives you the kind of idea of what dogs can cost.

http://www.urbandogtraining.com.au/trainin...fford-a-dog.htm

Just download the PDF article

Interesting some of the costs they have on there. Obviously they are not recommending people go to them for obedience classes. LOL.

I had a look at what doing a class with my new pup would cost me and ruled it out instantly. Pup will be coming with me to flyball, agility and frisbee and will work off to the side so it will be socialised and trained well, but I was looking for some other environments to take it to.

I think some of the costs are very conservative - especially the vet bill side of things. eg: I choose to get Chiro check ups every 4 months or so - $70 each. My girl had an injury earlier this year - $400 for a torn shoulder muscle. You need to consider how active your dog is going to be as well. Active = potential for injury.

Yea some of the prices quoted were a bit different to what I thought, but it is only an average for a medium dog. So far that's actually the cheapest place I've found for puppy school (that's how I came across the figures). Was really surprised to see that of about the 5 or 6 I found yesterday, RSPCA was the most expensive

[Hafhafa Hounds]

I prefer to live in ignorance of what my two GSDs cost me per month

With 3 Rottweilers (and 1 pug) I just don't want to know what they cost either.

mmmm, me neither - I have 2 Tenterfield Terriers, 1 JRTX, 2 Salukis and a Kelpie.

This past month has seen me spend near on $1000 at the vet, but that's a VERY unusual month for us!

Sonia

[Pointees]

Two Pointers and a small breed here.

$250 on dog food a month (thats two bags of Advance dry food, the 15kg or bigger bags, and raw bones, raw meats and treats)

Under $50 for flea and worming a month.

Then on top of that, whenever I have money I go out and buy beds, and toys, and stuff even though I don't have to.

Oh! Kepala Meets once a month is $45 for the 3 dogs, and then whenever else we decided to go we use the indoor pool, grass run and the hyrdobaths and that costs under $60 for it all.

[Parkeyre]

Monthly; I have no idea.

Food.

I know that my kibble sets me back $118 and another $15 in frieght to get here.

I spend about $20 (6kilos of chicken necks) at leonards each week between all three)

I also buy cheap bags of raw offcuts from the butchers every 2nd of third day ($5ea)

Toys.

Everytime there is a new dog visit, toys are destroyed or stolen, so regularily need replacing.

I do try to bring home a new awesome toy each week or two for them though.

Vet.

Wormers, defleas, etc

I don't do pet insurance, but I would consider it if I had the money to pay for it annually and could forget about it.

My vet is very inexpensive, but I do visit him for every single funny sounding cough, longstanding limp or anything unusual

Equipment.

I have a Petsafe Radio Fence Pet Containment System $350 + 3xcollars @$160ea for when they need it.

There are three large kennels I recently purchased $410 ea and then add the roofs and ancors there's extra cost (cant think of price atm)

Dog Groomers.

Every month they go $40 each

[fermanrique]

I prefer to live in ignorance of what my two GSDs cost me per month

Agreed!

I have a Mastiff and a GSD and I really don't want to know how much I spend!

Dry food, meaty bones, chiken necks, slamon, sardines, treats, heart guard, advantix, vaccinations, vet visits, etc!

I know is probably a lot more than I should spend!

[MelissaS]

I prefer to live in ignorance of what my two GSDs cost me per month

Agreed!

I have a Mastiff and a GSD and I really don't want to know how much I spend!

Dry food, meaty bones, chiken necks, slamon, sardines, treats, heart guard, advantix, vaccinations, vet visits, etc!

I know is probably a lot more than I should spend!

Ditto

I know that my four always eat well and I spend all my money on them

I'm naughty though as I always come home with something for them food or toy or bedding etc.... I could easily cut costs and stop spoiling them but my favourite thing to spend money on is my dogs

Edited July 31, 2010 by MelissaS

[Hafhafa Hounds]

I could easily cut costs and stop spoiling them but my favourite thing to spend money on is my dogs

DITTO DITTO DITTO

much to the disgust of my OH!!

Sonia

[Kajtek]

I could easily cut costs and stop spoiling them but my favourite thing to spend money on is my dogs

DITTO DITTO DITTO

much to the disgust of my OH!!

Sonia

Same here... + I don't want to know

[Poodle wrangler]

Food is a minor expense- bag of bones costs same as a coffee.

I only feed cheaper dry food+bones/ chicken carcass etc.

Worming/flea and tick treatment is more for big dogs.

I used to live on the coast, so summertime was every 2 weeks for tick prevention i.e. 12 weeks cover for ~$60.

Much cheaper than getting a tick, however.

If dogs were indoors less, would use a cheaper tick collar, instead, but I don't like the idea of kids cuddling tick collars.

I have a 25kg+ 7kg, so share the stuff for >25kg dogs between them.

Vet fees if your dog gets sick/ injured are the killers as drugs and anaesthetics are more for larger dogs.

Kennelling can also be expensive.

Much cheaper than kids ;)