How much does a dog cost annually

ando

Guys, we are thinking of buying a Golden Doodle. Size would be slightly above average to large I would say.

How much can we expect a dog of this size to cost annually? We just want an idea as its hard to find this info!

How long is a piece of string?

It's going to depend on what you expect and on what the dog needs. My little terrier likely costs me under €300 a year because she can and is happy eating scraps and plain nuts. She's been to the vet once in 7 years aside from vaccinations/fixing. Shaved twice a year at €30 a pop. Dog bed was €25 in Aldi, toys usually a couple of quid a pop (and others have bought most of the them 😅). With a bigger dog insurance may be advisable.

But it really does come down to the dog and the people. I can use a €1.50 lead and collar with her, with bigger dogs you can spend decent money on harnesses as well. If the dog has specific dietary needs that a good bit more money. If if needs a proper grooming multiple times a year that's a good bit of money. Anything serious will cost more in the vet.

I'm sure people with similar dogs will be along soon with far more useful information. 😅

RubyK

Beautiful dog - we have 2 cockapoos, which are about half the size of a golden doodle - not sure if it will be any help but I will try and give you an idea of what we spend.

Golden doodle will need a groom every 8-10 weeks and this could cost around €70 a go.

Food-wise - use perfect fit biscuits and go through a large back every 3 weeks (€13 per bag) and their dog food costs around €2 a tin and would go through 4 a week approx, and another €10 a week on treats (high quality treats).

For us, this works out at about €1200 a year food wise, and about €500 on grooming.

If you go away for a few days/holiday is there someone who can mind the dog for you or will you be using daycare/boarding kennels?

Faith

Much, much more expensive than you think!

We have a 12 week old golden retriever puppy. Excluding the cost of the dog herself (which was expensive because we went through the kennel club to find a reputable breeder), we’ve had to buy/pay for:

A very large crate (€80 secondhand)

A couple of different dog beds (one for the crate, one for outside the crate)

Food. Good quality puppy food costs about €1.50 per day, very roughly, for a dog that size

Bowls for water and food (a couple of each)

Toys. There is no end of toys needed for some dogs, especially for puppies that need lots of stimulation and that are teething

A harness and lead (at least 1)

Treats

it cost us €15 to transfer the microchip to us

vaccinations

flea and worm treatments

per insurance

something to keep them safe in the car

a lot of these are one-off purchases but we’ve spent way more on her than we expected so far.

Annually, you’ve got the cost of food (let’s say €500 - €600 if you’re feeding just dry food, plus another conservative estimate of €200 on treats), insurance (depends hugely, maybe €150 per year?), vaccinations/flea/worm treatments (let’s say €100), a dog licence (€20 per year or something like €140 for a lifetime licence), miscellaneous expenditure like new toys/leads/anything else they may need (€100), grooming (maybe €350 per year?). I could be forgetting things, but that’s about €1500 per year as a very rough estimate. Plus, unless you’re planning to work from home and never take holidays, you’ll need to consider what pet sitters, dog day care or kennels might cost (pet sitters and day care seem to range from €15 - €25 per day in cork).

you may also need to invest in training and puppy classes at the start too, which obviously cost more again.

cocker5

Depends on dog and the owner.. 

I have a rescue springer (20kg) and here are my costs on average per year:

Food €110 per month (feed raw diet) = €1,320

Treats €20 per month = €240 ish

Grooming €55 every 6 weeks (every 8 weeks over winter) = €430 

Beds (2-3 around the house) / leads / toys / drying coat / harness / balls / ID tags / shampoos / salmon oil  / brush / supplements (when needed) incidentals €50 per month = €300

Pet insurance €350 per year 

Kennels €34 per day (35 days a year max sometimes less) = €1,200 approx 

Yearly vaccinations etc €100

Tractive gps tracker subscription €100 per year 

Approx : €4k per year ish

Soo in reality the cost a lot but he’s worth every penny

anewme

I was just thinking today about the cost of my dog as his insurance is due, his kennel cough vaccine, his groom, his licence - all at the same time!

hes small so while I buy expensive food, He only eats a small portion so say 30 per month!

but everything else including grooming exery six weeks 😳

He is completely spoiled - no 3.99 leads or harnesses in this house, very like cocker above I’d say 4k a year! And no regrets!

phelixoflaherty

There are a few discounts too.

Extra walking for you, more fresh air. It will also lower your cholesterol by eating your food.

Sir Galahad

My grand dog 🤗 it’s my sons Golden Doodle. €100 a month on food and other bills as per other posters. Insurance is really important. My son and daughter do the grooming. It’s not difficult.

cezanne

Our German Shepherd cost 70 euro per month for his dry nuts

250 per month Appoquel tablets for his ears & general immune system

chicken mince turkey veg on top of this in the supermarket prices increasing every day

grooming 4 x120 per annum

vet fees for wormers vaccines are ok - but a brush with a car and you are in very expensive territory orthopedics surgeries all cost as much as a human.

I walk one of these dogs and he has to get a lot of grooming as people dont comb out their dogs so groomers have a ton of work on them & charge accordingly.

Wear & tear in your house thats a cost no one realises until after they get a big dog my german shepherd is huge 60 kilo long hair i am sure i have a fur ball in my belly from his shedding all dogs shed dont be fooled .

If you want an easy dog for both lifestyle & costs a grey hound or whippet. Big hairy dogs = big money to buy, big money to to look after & kennel fees when you go on holidays 15 / 25 per day . Get a rescue, the rescue are full of these designer dogs given up after Covid & it will cost a lot less to purchase and will also come neutered & vaccinated ! Good luck my actual advice is dont buy a big dog rescue one.

jellybear

Just re greyhound/whippet as mentioned above, vet's fees can come into play here as they are prone to injury due to their light coat and thin build. We've had countless deep enough cuts and quite a few sprains/impact injuries and that's just from our lurcher playing out our back garden. We've spent a large amount in vet's fees, even with insurance, on these type of injuries and they seem to be very common for these breeds. Yes, they're lazy lumps but can be very clumsy too!😆

Still stihl waters 3

500 to 5000 a year

micah537

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119322111#Comment_119322111

€120 to groom a GSD? Wow my medium hair one is 70 and the long haired on is 85 for full deshed grooms in Galway City. 120 seems crazy.

cezanne

Everything to do with dogs is gone ott. My pal has two terriers & a huskey 35 euro per dog per day to be minded while he goes on a 4 day mini break 105 x 4 is 420 euro because every kennel in the country is full and half of the kennels have shut down due to insurance. The idea of a dog was marvelous during Covid but n one took into account the lack of facilities for them once covid was done and movement allowed. If you are going on hols next year book your kennel now ! Puppy farmers filled the country with dogs and now rescues are closing their gates due to the surrenders a colossal amount of dogs being given up despite the cost of them in the first . people are so callous discarding dogs like an old pair of unwanted shoes. Disgusting.

PsychoPete

My two dogs have been fairly lucky health wise no major problems outside the usual flea,worm and vaccines etc. Haven't done out the costs properly yet but it's about €1,000 euro each either way its worth it. I also have two cats but one cat is a disaster for having problems, she probably costs about €600 a year on vet bills alone

piplip87

Shocked at some of the costs of boarding Kennels and groomers here.

We have two dogs a Spitz and a cross (Pomsky got at a Greek street Dog through a fence).

The Spitz needs a grooming once a month and it's €50. Daycare for both of them in €20 if they need to stay over night it's €25.

SuperBowserWorld

Oh, and stop buying, breeding and promoting these dogs with horrible health problems. This practice needs to die out. The people that do this are dopes.

https://www.hsvma.org/brachycephalic

Tony H

10 month old golden retriever

around €2000 a year

food around 1200 a year (best quantity dry Canagans )

vet plan and annual vaccinations around 300

vet insurance 276 a year

toys bedding 300

endless love and affection FREE

SEPT 23 1989

also factor in the cost of the damage done to your home and garden when they are a pup

Hooked

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119364284#Comment_119364284

Not having a go here... but... apart from the odd hole dug, I've had zero experience of this. With two Siberian Huskies!

I'm a firm believer that if you train, exercise, entertain and "house" your puppy well - you'll have little to none of this. Kong chew toys & crate training. There's my tuppence worth!

On the costs - many have shared the 'probable' costs... I'll share the "best case" scenario.

We feed Markus Mühle NaturNah... kibble. And a raw diet in the afternoons. I'd say EACH dog costs roughly a fiver a week to feed. 2 vet visits for stomach upsets in 11 years. So... negligible over their lifetime. No yearly vaccinations - I don't believe in it. The odd worm dose when needed, maxitrol in the press for eye issues, surolan for ear mites, tweesers for the odd unwanted guest. Luckily I have a chemist that will sort me "under the counter" for stuff like that...

Kenneling can be pricey. Especially with 2... Again, the boys holiday with us in Ireland so any foreign trips have to have kennel cost factored in. And doggy day care (if needed) plus insurance.

Up front - you'll have crate(s), harnesses, leads, etc... to factor in. Week by week - I'd say the 2 boys prob cost us a tenner to feed and a few euro here n there for poop bags. No grooming THANK GOD, as being Huskies they clean themselves! Theres another thing to consider - the extortionate cost of grooming!!!

TLDR - dogs are great!

Dental work- 250 (small dog)

x Ray- 250- small dog

Vet visit and minor procedure- 60

Their my latest bills along with all the other stuff above-

Before you start forking out for pet insurance make darn sure you know what you’re getting for your money- it could be invaluable or a complete waste of money

Groom for small dog is about 45 per visit- about 9 visits a year

Food is cheap enough as a small dog eats a lot less than a big dog- obvious I know but 1 euro a day for a small dog could become 5-6 euro a day for a big one - a huge difference of over 1k per year - add up more expensive grooming and potential vet bills for ad hoc issues that require multiple visits and treatment and you could have significant financial commitments in any given year- or you could get away with say 1500 that year - all depends on dogs health really

Mr Crispy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119367821#Comment_119367821

Do you get any push back from your vet re: no yearly vaccinations?

lea26

One piece of advice is get Pet Insurance. I have an 11 year old labrador. She needed two knee replacements at the age of two costing about 4,000euro. Has had numerous vet visits since, physio, and laser therapy treatments. Her food is quite expensive, approx 170euro every two months. Plus medication of about 100euro per month since her operations. She now has a spine condition so I had to buy a wheelchair accessible car so she can walk in and out on the ramp. It all adds up, she is lucky I love her so much 😆😆 luck of the draw I think when it comes to dogs .

Gael23

A lot. But what you get back in return is substantially more .

For us it’s €29 a month for food and probably the same again for treats

€45 every 6 weeks for grooming

Then you have vet visits, toys and all that. Outs is happy with a tennis ball though so doesn’t cost much

hamburgham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119367821#Comment_119367821

Why don’t you call the crate a cage which is what it is. The idea of a husky in a cage is horrific. This country is going backwards where animal welfare is concerned.

Mod note: Hamburgham has received an on-thread warning for this post.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119509903#Comment_119509903

Never ever even thought about the 'running costs' ........ my dog is a legend..... simple as that🤣

DBB

Hamburgham,

You've been warned before for your outbursts such as this one.

Give it a rest.

One more similar outburst in the future, and you will receive a forum ban.

Thanks,

DBB

Akrasia

We have two dogs. One of them, a lovel male Pomeranian costs us very little. Routine vet and grooming plus food and replacing things like bedding leads, collars etc

The other, a female Maltese has cost us thousands in vet bills on top of the things mentioned above.

Just the luck of the draw, she had weak joints and had 2 ACL tears that required surgery

Hooked

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119513076#Comment_119513076

Sure, log in there and make a HUGGGEEE assumption about me and my 2 dogs.

How about the idea of 2 Huskies who (combined) have been part of my wife and I's LIFE for TWENTY years. They come everywhere with us. Have the run of the house (indoors and outdoors), their own pet-beds in both living rooms... and yes a CRATE for SLEEPING IN!!! They're regularly exercised, fed the best of food, and have been an integral part of our holidays, weekends away and general day to day company. Covid has seen them practically welded to my wife's side (who works from home) - and I still train them (multiple tasks and tricks) once a week to leep their brains as healthy as their bodies.

So no - it's not a CAGE - it's their bedroom. And you could do worse than educating yourself on the MANY other benefits of CRATE training.

hamburgham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119516211#Comment_119516211

Thanks, it’s ok, I’ve never had any need to put a dog in a cage. My bedroom is also my dog’s bedroom.

DBB

Here's the thing.

There's a sticky towards the top of the forum page which highlights the requirement for posters to be respectful towards one another. People don't have to agree with each other, but if you disagree, you must do so respectfully.

Hamburgham, your passive aggression in the above post, coming hot on the heels of an on-thread warning to cop yourself on, has just crossed that line.

Therefore, as I flagged in said on-thread warning, you are now receiving a one-week forum ban.

Thanks.

DBB

SillyMangoX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119367821#Comment_119367821

One phrase I don’t agree with here, the “extortionate” cost of grooming. The vast majority of groomers I know don’t charge half enough for the work that goes in to these dogs. If we were to charge what we actually should, then I would agree, but people simply won’t pay it and the animals welfare suffers.

Its back breaking physical work on a moving animal who doesn’t understand your language and that you’re trying to help them and not hurt them. There’s often sweat blood and tears involved (from the groomer, not the pet) for very little thanks. Pet industries seem to be hit with a major lack of respect and this is a worldwide problem not just in Ireland. World over there’s a shortage of vets, nurses, groomers, kennels, trainers. Vets have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession out there. And so much of this isn’t to do with the pets themselves but the people behind them and the costs involved.

I spend hours behind the scenes of work researching products, buying the highest quality I can afford to ensure it’s good for each pet. I’ve bought in shampoos just for one particular dog because I know it will work better for them. I keep up with continuing education, research, seminars both online and in person as do the majority of groomers around the country. Yet still my heart was in my mouth having to raise my price slightly this year to keep up with inflation.

groomers are not extortionate. They don’t charge enough for what they do. If you have a good one who you know, trust and love, value them greatly because it’s becoming a rare commodity these days!!