How much does a dog set you back financially each month?
Posted by EyesWideShut__@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 198 comments
Small dog owners of the UK, advice required pleases and thank yous!
I am desperate for a dog, have been since I left my folks place! I grew up with dogs, it made my childhood and young adult years more bearable. I had an incredibly close bond with one of them and she became my shadow.
When I turned 23 I moved out of my parents place into rented and was unable to have any pet of any kind. At 27 I bought my home, tiny little place, but it’s mine; but I was out of the house a lot with work and had virtually no money left each month, so still not possible.
Now at 36, money and progression within my field is is much better, but I’m lonely. Incredibly lonely. I work a really hard job in the NHS and getting depressed with coming home to an empty house every day and feeling like I lack some purpose other than working. I have good hobbies which I engage in regularly, but they’re also quite solitary! I’ve never wanted children, but being responsible for something other than myself would be incredibly good for me. To have something that loves me unconditionally, a walking buddy, someone to talk to…I’m lucky every two years my pay increases with the banding, I’m a low band 5 currently but looking to specialise and go to a band 6 in the next year or so if possible. If not, highest band 5 in four years which is £37,396k pa. So now I’m trying to work out a plan of action to make my dreams of a dog possible in the next couple of years.
So my questions are…
- how much does insurance cost you per month?
- how much is dog food per month?
- do you put anything extra away in case of vet emergencies, if so how much?
- any particular small breeds to avoid? Pugs and short faced ones aren’t advised and neither are dachshunds due to their likely and problematic health conditions.
- any breeds which are particularly good?
- if you use doggy daycare how much does that cost?
- if you use dog walkers for during the day what does that cost?
If I’ve forgotten anything else really obvious please do let me know! (As a side note, I’m really not a cat person, for many many reasons, so please don’t suggest one of those over a dog. Absolutely no offence to cat people!!)
I bought well within my means as I knew doing it alone would mean absorbing rising costs every year with my singular wage. I had a decent deposit which paid off over half of the mortgage, so my monthly repayments are not that big, I can live off of my £31k wage fairly comfortably without being under too much pressure and have around £400 left after all bills and savings. I’m really hoping I can make this happen, it feels like my next logical life step. I just need to make sure it’s done properly for myself and the dog. If it isn’t a viable option then I really will have to make peace with that…but what a nice goal to work towards, my version of a family
balconygreenery@reddit
Miniature poodle
£60 a month on posh dog food because he gets bad poos on anything else. £17 a month on pet insurance £10 a month on treats £20 every few months for worming/flea treatment £42 every 2 months for grooming
Still think he is the best value for money entertainment going!
_Sad_Ken_@reddit
Insurance is £70 a month
Vet Plan (for injections, worming etc) £20 Food £72 every 3 weeks (so £96 a month) Treats etc. £20 a month
£206 in total. Shit. Anybody want a dog?
JobAnxious2005@reddit
This for us too
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
Why bother paying insurance when it's that much?
Puzzled-Barnacle-200@reddit
£840 per year is a lot, but if your dog has something significant it can easily cost £5k. You "lose" if your dog is healthier than expected, which is a win.
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
I think in that case I would look at putting the dog down and getting a new one! Prices for vets are crazy.
Objective_Mousse7216@reddit
Evil
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
It’s not evil at all. It’s realising that it’s a pet. I’m sure you’re happy eating your chicken or beef every day without seeing yourself as evil. Don’t be a hypocrite.
Crer@reddit
Please never have a pet, you’re not a good person
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
Stop pointing fingers at people telling others such horrible black and white comments based on a single comment. People who label others as bad are generally avoiding their own darkness. Have a wonderful day and hope you figure out whatever’s troubling you in life.
StandupSitdown0G@reddit
That comparison doesn't make sense, one you're killing to eat the other you're killing out of convenience, your comparison just doesn't work.
AWhistlingWoman@reddit
I mean… killing something to eat is definitely killing for reasons of convenience.
StandupSitdown0G@reddit
How so? We don't personally kill the animals and the meat industry's purpose is capitalistic in nature, sure if you killed something to eat in terms of hunting whilst having an abundance of other food sources that would be for convenience but the commenter did not mention that and that also wouldn't be a good comparison as most people do not hunt. If you have a pet you're raising it to take care of it and companionship not for food purposes and killing it when it becomes too expensive to save is purely for convenience in nature with no other motive.
AWhistlingWoman@reddit
I’m not discussing the varied ethics of killing a pet vs a farm animal. I’m just saying, the sole reason people kill (or subcontractor out the killing of) animals, is for the convenience of eating them. It’s a convenient food. It’s not for any other particular reason.
StandupSitdown0G@reddit
Okay but why are you making this point? What was the goal? As all that does is detract from the point I was making about the difference between comparing a pet owner putting down their pet because they don't want to pay for treatment or get insurance vs killing an animal for food.
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
Think a bit more deeply.
StandupSitdown0G@reddit
The more I think about it the more stupid I think your comparison is - in the situation that you're putting your pet down is there any other reason than a financial reason and you not wanting to take out insurance?
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
Because it’s a dog and not worth it. Even if I had money I wouldn’t pay insurance.
NaomiBK29@reddit
I really hope you never own any pets.
StandupSitdown0G@reddit
Right and other than an animal dying how does your comparison work? Whilst I don't like the meat industry, those animals are raised specifically for food and when they are killed they're being used as food. Pets are optional you choose to have one, home it, usually treat it as a member of the family yet if they get sick or injured you would let them die rather than pay to save their life? I think a more accurate example would be if you adopted a child would you make the same choice?
signpostlake@reddit
Other poster clearly doesn't have a dog. Or any empathy.
Objective_Mousse7216@reddit
Because my dog needed two operations that would have cost more than £5,000
Have you seen the cost of vet care now? It's eye watering.
dukesolinus@reddit
Can confirm. Same price for Labradors as well. Recently new cost of him having anti histamines daily. About £50 a month. However insurance pays of for these.
CutePoison10@reddit
You do know dogs can take human antihistime. Google it for products and obv weight of dog for amount.
_Sad_Ken_@reddit
His Prozac is £92 a month, which is why our insurance is so high.
Frizzyfluffy@reddit
I had a dog on prozac (oral suspension). Get a prescription from vet and buy it direct from an online pharmacy yourself. A bottle costs £6.99 rather than £35 from the vet.
NatureConnectedBeing@reddit
I hope this is a joke! LOL
alfa_omega@reddit
Dogs take Prozac 😳
alfa_omega@reddit
Ps, unethical life tip; get it proscribed for yourself and give it to the dog
theworldsaplayground@reddit
I don't have any insarance. Buy flea and tick stuff from pets at home every few months which costs like £12.. Food costs £3 for a bag of kibble and £4 for the pouches. That'll last 2 weeks.
So about £17 a month.
He's a 2 year old cockapoo. Been ill once from a bug. Said I would get insurance, Tesco insurance was only like £10 a month or something but didn't.
Complex_Ad399@reddit
Sounds like terrible quality food. Why do you not feed him decent food?
theworldsaplayground@reddit
Nothing wrong with the food. 12 pouches of pedigree chum £4.50 mixed with 2kg of kibble, normally either the cheaper Harrington stuff or bit more expensive nood or similar which is like £2 a kilo.
Complex_Ad399@reddit
It’ll be made from shit left over after everything decent has been taken out. Research the food you feed the dog. If it’s not good for human consumption, it’s not good for dog consumption
allegroconspirito@reddit
It is wise to have it, - a slightly more serious stomach bug can cost thousands if they are losing fluids and need an overnight stay on the drip. Costs are very breed, age and health history dependent, there're various levels of cover too.
hide_in_plain_sight_@reddit
£70 for insurance? Seems v high
snakeoildriller@reddit
It's market rate I think, and it gets progressively higher once they reach 8 years old. Mind you, when you see the vet bills for even a minor procedure it's worth it.
Kaiowas1@reddit
Agreed - it must cover a pre-existing condition. I have a 3yo sprocker and am paying under £15/month (claims every year but nothing pre-existing or long term).
OutdoorApplause@reddit
I pay £116 for my insurance.
amberthezombie@reddit
£70 a month?! How old is your dog? What excess/coverage do you have? I pay £14 for my 1yo, £200 excess, £7500 a year coverage
LeTrolleur@reddit
Mental dogs, but I also don't want any other dog after growing up with my parents owning spaniels.
They have a character like no other.
totallysenseless@reddit
Aren’t the vet plans a bit of a scam? Wormer for me is something like £14 every 3 months and the annual vaccination is like £30/40 once a year at jollyes.
GrandAsOwt@reddit
I use Pets at Home. Their plan is cheaper than the cost of the vaccinations, wormers and flea treatments, and you get 10% off one vet treatment per year.
LiamoLuo@reddit
Aye, and a few included general health check ups as well which would usually cost.
flightlesspotato@reddit
Vets4pets?
GrandAsOwt@reddit
That’s the one, sorry.
super_sammie@reddit
We have a working cocker! You can get insurance far cheaper than that. Also raw food works out at something like 30p a meal.
Yes mental as anything but they are a working breed. Ours needs 2-4 hours minimum of exercise to be chilled every day.
I’m lucky I take mine to my second job and he has 2 hours of proper exercise and work.
Happy to share tips and take any tips you have!
Behaviour wise he’s great unless you are placated of him then his dominant side comes out. Takes a strong voice to control him.
Never had any issues though, just gets his guard bark on to stop people getting too close.
Ok-Personality-6630@reddit
aaaand if you need to pay someone to give them walks it shoots right up
itsfourinthemornin@reddit
Both of my son's grandparents have three dogs each. One has three Cocker Spaniels and the other has three Boxers. Both energetic dogs, both households are chaos sometimes. I think they are both absolutely bonkers to have three dogs yet I absolutely love all of them. Both have had many dogs over the years too, especially my mum (she's the Boxer crazed one).
Valuable_Salad_9586@reddit
Don’t forget grooming costs
Ruskythegreat@reddit
That's a lot for food. I have 2 miniature schnauzers and a golden retriever and they get through £120 of raw meat a month
GrandAsOwt@reddit
Raw dog food is indeed the way to go. Pre-mixed frozen minces, available from big pet shops like Jollyes, are about £4.50/kg. An adult dog needs 2 - 3% a day. For my tiny dog that’s about £4.50 per week. You can do it even cheaper if you buy big packs of meats but then you have to portion it yourself and figure out how much muscle, bone and organs to feed, and it takes quite a lot of freezer space.
_Sad_Ken_@reddit
Butternut Box. It is expensive, but he wasn't eating his food at all. We got a week's trial of Butternut and he's never looked back.
Shameless referral plug for 60% off; https://butternutbox.com/Andy709
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EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
Mad as a box of frogs is what I hear about cocker spaniels!
NaomiBK29@reddit
We have a cocker spaniel and while yes, he can be a bit crazy, he’s also the most loving animal I’ve ever met. They are what you make them.
_Sad_Ken_@reddit
Sometimes lovably mad, other times worryingly mad.
EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
People say the same about their children!
LJ161@reddit
I pay the same for my chihuahua and all he does is snuggle and have walks - oh and get a tumour that costs us 2k after insurance and lost him an eye.
Crazycrossing@reddit
About 400-500 a month for 3 dogs.
CrossCityLine@reddit
We have a 9kg Yorkie spaniel cross and we spend probably £20 on food, similar on treats, £10 for ongoing flea/tick prevention, £10 for insurance… and that’s about it.
She gets a £40 groom a couple of times a year but that’s about the only other notable cost.
She’s really low maintenance to be fair to her.
Complex_Ad399@reddit
Surely when the food is that cheap it’s not decent quality?
CrossCityLine@reddit
Thanks for your concern. She eats about 200g of good kibble a day. Expenditure does not correlate with quality if you shop sensibly.
CrossCityLine@reddit
Forgot the dog tax.
Additional-Ask-5512@reddit
Someone's got to say it... That is a majestic photo! If a dog could pose...
CrossCityLine@reddit
Thanks for your concern. She eats about 200g of good kibble a day. Expenditure does not correlate with quality if you shop sensibly.
EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
She is too cute! My grandparents had a yorkie when I was a small child, we used to call her loobrush as a nickname. She was a wonderful little doggo!
Are you able to walk them during the day or do you leave them/have other support?
Consult-SR88@reddit
I also have a 3 year old Yorkie. He’s 8kg, & I got him as a puppy. Took a lot of dedication & money to get him to be the confident little man about town that he now is. My financial situation is similar to yours.
His food costs around £25 a month. His treats I bulk buy cos he has a sensitive stomach & can only eat 4 treats which are cheaper to buy in bulk. They’re about £40 every two months.
Insurance is £21pm for £10k a year, lifetime coverage. Never had to claim on it yet. £19pm for vet plan that covers his monthly worming, vaccinations & check up & includes two free vet consultations & two nurse consultations. Due to his sensitive stomach, the vet & nurse visits have saved me a lot of money.
I cut his hair myself with a grooming kit from Amazon. It’s actually quite easy.
I used to send him to daycare at a cost of £28 a day when he was a puppy. That’s gone up to £34 a day so we stopped that. He now stays home on my two office days & a dog walker comes to take him out for 30mins at lunchtime, £8 per 30min walk.
I have no one to look after him if/when I need to go away, so that costs £36 a night.
CrossCityLine@reddit
She’s great, super chill.
Mrs works from home 3 days a week and I’m able to nip home on my break and walk her the other two days so she’s not alone more than 4 hours. She just sleeps anyway and tbh I think she’s happy for the break from us when we’re working 😂
InterestingIsland981@reddit
so cute!
Ok-Bluebird2989@reddit
We have a yorkie too, he is still only 7 months old, will probably end up about 6kg fully grown, so not a tiny yorkie but still a pretty small dog. He is a total legend of a dog: calm, clever, kooky, great with kids and other dogs.
Food is about £12 a month for high-quality kibble (although ours would eat anything, my sister has his litter mate who will only eat Butternut Box at about £60 a month, so that's not guaranteed).
£35 pm insurance for £12500 cover with a 10% excess- you can get cheaper but that is whole of life and an insurer with a very good track record of paying out.
£20 pm vet plan, covers parasite treatments, injections and a twice yearly check up.
Grooming is expensive where we live in the South West, about £45 every 2 months. You could groom yourself but ours hates us doing it so for us its worth it. You could also get a breed that doesn't need grooming- we also have a short haired Dachshund and she has zero grooming costs (but you said they were ruled out so focusing on Yorkie costs).
We both work from home so no walker or day care costs for us.
All in all, that's £55 per month in direct debits and I then budget £100 a month for anything he needs, the rest goes into a Sinking Fund for unexpected costs ie. In his first week we had him he ate something he shouldn't have, had horrendous vomiting and the vet visit, one anti nausea pill and 3 tins of special food cost £100!
Environmental-Row-57@reddit
£64 a month for insurance (that covers cat and dog) £60 for food £18 for flea/tick and wormer (gets delivered and covers cat and dog) £10 treats (varies)
So around £150
Barbora1519@reddit
I understand you are lonely , but if you are at work 5 days a week that’s a life of loneliness for a dog . My neighbour had a dog , it cried all day . I couldn’t even spend time in the living room because it was so upsetting . Emergencies are very expensive . Once my dog had a stroke at night , I rushed her to an emergency vet , they spent 10 min with her , said there was nothing they could do from an emergency point of view and charged me £350 for that. My current dog has allergies and needs monthly injections , which are about £130 a month . If you are not at home all day, don’t get an energetic breed because they can develop behaviour problems when not exercised enough. You might also need a dog walker during the day , around here they charge around £10-12 for 40 minutes .
EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
Exactly why I’ve never allowed myself to have one since living alone and want to make sure it’s done right :) I couldn’t bear to allow the dog to live a miserable life, but if I can make it work by using the sitters/walkers/adjusting working hours then it will be worth it, they’d have a life filled with love and attention.
sweetlycb@reddit
Have you considered a different pet type? Dogs are brilliant, but there are plenty of pets that are sweet and caring that might suit your work schedule better, especially crepuscular types like rodents. I had chinchillas for many years, would give them a load of scritches before work, theyd sleep all day, then be up and ready for mischief when i got home
boulder_problems@reddit
Seeing some people spend £500 plus a month on their dog is absolutely bonkers to me. My dog is a small Italian greyhound and aside from food, treats and tablets, he costs barely anything. Maybe less than £40 a month. The most expensive thing in his 8 year life so far has been a £300 dentist trip to remove some teeth.
The only set back for me wasn’t financial. It is having to make arrangements for his care when I am not around and the times I forwent events, holidays and plans. Also I can’t commit to anything that lasts 4+ hours. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Montgomery99@reddit
The most obvious issue that’s jumping out at me is that you simply can’t leave a dog alone all day whilst you’re at work. It’s distressing to the animal. I appreciate how nice it would be for you to have the company but people don’t always appreciate how much work and what a commitment it can be, especially if you’re on your own. You have to constantly consider their schedule along with your own. No going on holidays without a dog sitter, no lie ins at weekends as they need letting out to pee and walks, no short notice after work drinks with friends because you need to pick them up from a daycare. Your life revolves around them to an extent. If you’re after company, cats are also great. If you got two rescues, say, you’d probably be okay leaving them home together while you’re at work but you’re still going to need to think about them when any holidays are planned.
dinotoxic@reddit
£30 pet insurance, £45 food, maybe £15 on treats and other things shrug
noobulousuk@reddit
So we have two miniature labradoodles, 14kg each. the below is for both of them Food is butternut box -£100 pm Additional kibble - £20 (lasts a month and a half) Insurance - £30 Vet plan for boosters and flea - £35 Grooming - £140 every 3 months Treats and dental sticks etc - £20~
They're expensive, however, we always get the best food, the best treats, with their grooms they get teeth cleaning etc so we could make it cheaper if we wanted to. They have their "own" bank account so a set amount of money goes in each month, and we usually put in a little more than needed, so that ends up paying for things like the treats or goes towards the grooms and such.
Dogs are expensive. I don't know why I wanted two.
butchbadger@reddit
Sounds like you have a demanding job. I don't think a dog is for you. Getting one to leave at home alone for extended periods is not fair on the dog. The alternative is paying for doggy day care which alone will eat up your £400 spare income.
Mookiev2@reddit
I have a Cavalier.
Her food costs around £30 to £40 a month, she will only eat butcher's wet food.
Her insurance is £12 because we've never had to use it. That's with an excess of £150.
We've got a VIP plan with the vet so that costs around £30 a month but it works out as includes a heck of a lot.
We don't use a daycare or dog walker but last year I checked and a daycare for full day round my way would have been about £18 a day. Not sure about a dog walker.
On top of this there are treats, toys and she has medication.
Just for an idea in case your dog needs meds, her apoquel for her allergies cost about £105 every three months and she also gets eye drops at £45 per bottle for six weeks.
We put what we can away for emergencies etc. in case needed but as we pay the vet VIP and insurance we don't worry too much about that.
Can't really suggest breeds, honestly mixed breeds are probably healthier to go for rather than a pure bred no matter which breed you look at.
Difficult-Shelter-89@reddit
To my previous, I would love another dog or cat but insurance gets so expensive. And I always promised I would care as best I can. The vets are the ones scamming us via the insurance companies. I could tell you horror stories of how we were treated by a vet when our previous Westie was treated and died, WITH insurance!
Difficult-Shelter-89@reddit
14 year old Westie, my best mate £190 a month insurance £15 ( actually £14 something) healthy pet club, covers flea and worming. Food approx £40 a month but does eat our chicken and has to have certain food As I say, cheaper than sending a kid to University lol
montymole123@reddit
It worries me a bit that you regard the dog as a substitute for a partner and children. You want someone to talk to wouldn't a human be better? You have a difficult job with long hours so dog will be left alone most of the time unless you spend big money on dog sitting. Many dog owners don't care and just leave it to bark all day which is a nuisance to neighbours and bad for the dog
H1ghlyVolatile@reddit
Have you met other people? I’m with OP, a dog is much better.
Looking after it however, yeah I don’t agree with leaving it for long periods.
wewereallrooting4u@reddit
It is a lot harder to adopt or buy a partner
HahaLady1@reddit
Depends what you have. Pedigree’s cost more. My Great Grans dog Boda was 21 when she passed. She was a complete heinz. Only started having to take her to the vets regularly at about 17/18. I’d say a pedigree costs more
miss_sigyn@reddit
Makes me realize how lucky we were with our dog. Apart from the regular jabs, she only ever cost us food and pet insurance until the day she went to sleep forever.
South_Body_569@reddit
My springer is 9y/o with skin problems which are now under control.
I pay £210 per month for insurance. Why is it so much more expensive than anyone else’s?
keeptheeveningslong@reddit
Not a small dog (lab mix) but: - Insurance - £16 - Vet care plan - £24 - Food/treats - £100ish And I also spend about £100 on pet sitting but that might not be necessary for you!
pingusaysnoot@reddit
Just want to be that person that says whichever decision you make - regardless of breed - try to avoid feeding your dog human food regularly.
Our family dog developed diabetes after my brother was slipping him fast food, and mum was giving him her leftovers as a 'treat'. She has to pay £150 every 8 weeks for insulin, £100 for blood sugar monitors, he has to be fed at the same time every single day - which so happens to be 4am and 4pm to be given his insulin. My mum has aged about 10 years in just the last 3 years since he was diagnosed. He's in the vets regularly for tests, he has cost us thousands just in insulin and treatment alone.
The kindest thing to do isn't to indulge them, but to look after them. 😔
I know someone who gives their dogs lasagne and fried fatty foods as their main meals and its just a long term illness waiting to happen.
Electrical-Injury-23@reddit
Our last dog ran up 40k of bills(orthopedic surgery and cancer treatment) insurance covered about half, so 200(ish) quid a month over 12 years.
ankyolosaur@reddit
About £200
KezaBoo@reddit
We have an 11ish year old rescue dog, had her for 9 years. She's 18 kg, so not a large dog but not small either.
£28 insurance (monthly) £62 10kg dog food every 2-2.5 months £229 nexguard/spectra flea and tick treatment (this is for the whole year but we give one dose per month) £59 yearly health check £80-100 yearly vaccinations
£1096/year or £91 per month
I work from home so never have to use dog walking or day care. But the going rate where I am is £12-15 for an hour walk. I live in the country.
Wild-Individual6876@reddit
Wr have a a JRT cross. We pay around £55 a month for Pet Plan and insurance. That fully covers him for everything, so no surprises and all worming, fleas etc paid for. £20 a month for food. Worth every penny, he’s been a fantastic addition to the family.
btmptn@reddit
Not the answer you are looking for but can you do a quick research abouy fancy rats? Sounds like you are away from home for long hours and looking for a companion animal. Rats are like small dogs. You need at least 2, preferably 3. After initial costs (cage and etc), they cost £10 for food, another £10 for bedding and that's all. They are fine to stay inside the cage while you work full time, go crazy as soon as they hear you opening the door, and happy to hang out with you outside of the cage for hours and sleep on your lap. They are very smart and learn tricks faster than dogs. Please have a look at them.
Altruistic-Pick9041@reddit
£100 a year for insurance Flea tablets when i see fleas on him and worming tablets when i see worms in his poo say twice a year for both £40 a year Lives of eggs i get free from my dad and cheap bacon from Morrisons and whatever i leave on my plate so £3-10 a week So not much
No-Instance-1728@reddit
Gez they are far more expensive than I thought they’d be! 2k for him himself, and then I’d say at least 100 a month… at least… but then there is home from homes when we go away which is 300£ a week.
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the-shittest-genie@reddit
I only had a 5kg Chinese crested but:
£30 a month on food Treats: eggs and a bit of cheese, wouldn't even count it as a cost Insurance: about £40 a month over the course of her life, started at 25 went up when she was considered geriatric
Dental care: not covered by insurance, important to do regularly, cost us about 250 a time (though this is also down to the breed we had as they ate rampant with tooth issues) will be cheaper if just a scale and polish but is necessity, but again one off cost when needed.
End of life care: 3000, 2000 covered by insurance.
Never had day care as schedules meant she was only ever home alone for like 5 hours max, in her whole life she'd been left 9-5 a handful of times and we'd have a friend pop in and let her wee.
We also never had holidays together as boarding costs a bomb for good ones.
Grillmyribs@reddit
I have a cockapoo, 8 years old. She costs me £20 a month for her vet plan. Food is £30 a month. They are absolutely brilliant dogs, lovely nature, Very loving, only issue is she has terrible separation anxiety if I'm not around.
ReindeerRemarkable76@reddit
With the greatest of respect internet stranger, the monthly cost would be the least of your concerns judging by your comments such as "looks like i need a job that allows me to be home more". (For the record i'm not a small dog owner but my big old unit of a 4 year old labrador probably costs about £100-£120 a month all in, the key thing however is that he's almost never home alone)
You loved having dogs as a kid, fair enough, very common. Did you train those dogs? Do you know how to train a dog? Is your house dog proof? Have you spent a lot of money on furnishing your house with nice light coloured carpets and sofas that are about to be soiled a lot?
Because from looking at your comments you're falling into the mistakes that so many 1st time dog owners do (a lot of which i made myself when i got my first puppy within 6 months of buying my first house - same as you i rented for years with no pets allowed) and skipping straight to how lovely the companionship would be but it doesn't sound like you've factored in building a relationship in the first place and all the hard work in the early months (yes, months)
Number 1 - i presume you're talking buying over adopting? Because i imagine you'll struggle to adopt if your opening gambit is that the dog will be alone 42 hours a week while you're at work. Have you seen the adoption paperwork these days? Are your garden fences the right height for example?
That being the case, if you're buying a dog - are you looking to buy a puppy or an already adult dog? If a puppy, how much time are you taking off work? Do you have the leave to take off work? Going from 0 to having an 8/10/12 week old puppy will be like waking up tomorrow to a toddler suddenly in your house - not toilet trained, don't know what's expected behaviour-wise, EVERYTHING goes straight in their mouth, possible struggles sleeping through the night etc etc.
What's the plan for when you bring your puppy home - will you be crate training? Where will the dog sleep? How will you gradually introduce the concept of you leaving the house? How many times a day is it eating? When? Who's feeding it?
Do your nearest puppy classes run at times that you could attend? Are they at places you could physically get to? (As another commenter mentioned, puppy classes being beneficial on the socialising front alongside the training - teaching a dog to sit on command is a piece of piss but you can't teach them how to greet another dog without getting a nip on their nose, they need to learn that in "real life")
You're lonely and i completely understand that but you're talking about owning a living, breathing animal with its own personality and emotions - you absolutely can't pick up an 8 week old puppy on a saturday lunchtime then head off to work on monday morning for the first of your 10.5 hour shifts, dog walkers coming in during the day or not.
AntipodeanOpaleye@reddit
I probably spend at the top end for mine. He’s 11 months now so at the more expensive end with training - I’d expect the cost to drop after a few years.
Around £400 a month for regular outgoings;
Food/Treats/Toys/Poo bags/toothpaste: £100 Vet plan (covers fleas and worming treatment and monthly check up): £18 Dog trainer: £200 Insurance: £75 Grooming: £40 (it’s £80 each time but we go every 6-8 weeks) Then in addition there was the cost of group puppy class (£275) and the initial rescue donation (£500). I am expecting another bill for his neuter when that comes round - my vet typically neuters around age 2. I’m lucky as I wfh so haven’t used daycare yet.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something but mentally I budgeted up to £8k a year excluding emergencies before I committed to getting him.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
That's a shit load of money on training. You can learn it all for free online.
Rooatno8@reddit
My vet offered free puppy training classes.
AntipodeanOpaleye@reddit
There are good online resources but our trainer offers a more personalised approach that simply isn’t comparable, including gait analysis and liaising directly with his vet on ongoing health issues that interact with behavioural issues.
Luckily it’s not a meaningful expense for us and well worth it as he’s a rescue dog with specific requirements.
Tricky-Meet5837@reddit
We have a mini labradoodle, had all sorts before and this has been the best breed so far. So loving, always wants cuddles and strokes, walks well, friendly with other dogs and people, likes to play with toys, can be left without barking (we have a dog flap to the garden). Pretty low maintenance. Taught herself most things like toilet outside, learning the stairs etc doesn’t jump on the sofa (but puts front paws on so she is half way on, as that is not technically breaking the rules 😂) If I was going to get another dog, I would get either the same or a Labrador.
Insurance £25 Food £70 (McAdams dry, always left down and wet food am and pm) Groom £45 every 9 weeks
Lay out costs: harness and lead, bed, bowls, toys, puppy pads, food, injections and chipping, insurance.
Can’t think of anything else
Inevitable-Slice-263@reddit
I've not seen anyone mention doggy day care. Where I live it's anywhere between £20 and £35 a day. It will be harder to find one if you do long days and night shifts. If you do 5 x 7½ hour day shifts a week thats almost £500 a month.
lucylastic89@reddit
monthly: insurance is £15 I probably spend around £40 on food I don’t put much away for emergencies because his insurance is pretty good but there is a small pot to cover insurance excess doggy daycare around here is £27 for 11 hours and a dog walker is £20 for an hour
as a single childless dog owner the hardest thing is if you’re ill like I have been this week with covid you can’t just spend the day in bed recovering. he solely relies on me for walks and feeding which can be pretty draining if I’m really busy with work and life I still have to fit taking him out for a decent walk into my day. I also can’t just up and go away for a weekend or agree to go to an all day event for example. he’s great company but it’s really bloody hard work on my own. Just something to think about.
Consult-SR88@reddit
Same situation for me. If you’ve no support network then having a dog as a single person can be restrictive.
EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
Considering when one is poorly is good food for thought. My parents don’t live that close by, a solid hours drive, and I don’t have much of a support network where I live. So it would be all on me too…
I am however fortunate that my folks would have them if needed for whatever reason. An hour is a fair way, but it could work…I appreciate your honest response though, gives the good and the bad
fungi-dinosaur@reddit
Being able to spend on the dog is also a way around this - there’s tonnes of dog walking companies / dog walkers / pet sitters out there if you’re willing to spend some money and do some due diligence. I’m not a fan of putting dogs in kennels while their owner is on holiday as many find this distressing.
Headi110@reddit
Consider fostering a guide dog. We foster a guide dog and have her in the evenings and weekends. She’s great, well trained and costs nothing as guide dogs provide everything.
Have a look on their website they’re desperate for fosterers.
Beneficial-Law-5459@reddit
Insurance is £36 for a 6kg mutt. Vaccines and flea treatments are £17. Food is around £40 a month. Round up to around £100.
RussianRoule@reddit
Insurance - 60 Food - 110 Supplements - 20 Treats - 20 Vet plan - 20 Daycare - 220 (for her socialisation)
So somewhere in the vicinity of £450 a month.
Plus yearly new harnesses, collars, name tags, birthday hats etc 🤣 +£££ for doggy daycare when we go on holiday (last 9 day trip was £500)
watermelonfling@reddit
I spend about £200 a month on my golden made up of £40 insurance, £100 food and the rest I save towards flea and worming and any other unexpected costs that are under the insurance radar. I feed him a mix of human grade food and a bit of kibble. Lots of chicken, sardines etc.
I work from home so don’t need a walker.
Pic for dog tax, he was scared with fireworks so became a burrito to calm down.
Dink2022@reddit
I have a 12 yr old border terrier who has developed health issues over the 11 years we’ve had him - each of those has cost a minimum £8k for the initial crisis, and at lease another £2k each in medication and specialist foods. Some of this has had to be paid up front and reclaimed from insurance ( it depends on the vet). First couple of years his insurance was £100/150 for the year, now its over £200 a month, and no longer covers his repeat medication or his specialist food. We continue to pay it because his next illness will be expensive, and vets are not cheap!
Prepare for the medical bills you may have, not just the costs of insurance now.
Food costs 140 per month Ver plan (flea and wormer and annual healthchecks) £16 per month
Monthly injections ( he has addisions disease) £50
Dogs are not a cheap pet, and as they get older the expenses rise.
He has been worth every penny - he is the sweetest natured wee fella who charms the socks off everyone he meets. He’s also a black hole when it comes to money.
Research your pet insurance well, read the fine print and know what’s covered and what isn’t.
DrFabulous0@reddit
About £1.50 on poo bags, £6 on treats, and £8 on biscuits, otherwise he eats leftovers, but we're a big family. Maybe £4 on flea and worm treatment. So about £20. I don't bother with insurance cos it's a massive rip-off.
ProcedureGloomy6323@reddit
I don't pay insurance. It's like gambling, where statistically you will most likely end up losing money. I tanke my dog to yearly vaccination, it's like £80 a year I think
Food...A LOT, our dog is not picky at all but I'd describe him as having a "discerning palate" We spoiled since we got him with human-grade food, last time I cooked chicken legs for him, my wife ate 2. Bones are a nice extra for him but we can't always get free bones so sometimes we have to buy oxtail or similar.
It's funny when someone wants to give him a treat, first they ask permission to us, and I say "you can but he most likely refuse it" and then seeing the face of displease of our dog is a bit "rude" on his behalf but hilarious.
Although we don't earn a lot, we have healthy finances and save a chunk of our income, so if we need money for an eventuality we would just pull cash out of our ISAs.
On the topic of spening money on healthcare, I am reluctant to spend much. I was born in a farm, my dad was a rural veterinarian and he always had the seemingly contradictory philosophy that pets shouldn't get "top" healthcare...it's cruel for the animal and in a global aspect where half of humans on earth can't access the kind of treatment what many "pooches" in the first world get. I would never treat my dog for something like cancer...if he needs to die he will be put down.
WHen it comes to breeds, there are many that are definitely not for "begginer" owners. I had dogs my whole life, I now have a Border Collie and it's a challenge, definitely wouldn't reccomend a dog like this for someoen inexperienced.
About daycare, dog walker... none of that nonsense. Luckily we have a lovely neighbour that has another dog who is a "buddy"of mine and she take care of ours sometimes or vice versa.
NowIRide@reddit
I have two spaniels.
I buy 5 bags of 1kg raw food each week at £5.99 each, so that's £30 a week, plus I also buy 15kg bag of dry biscuits that last about a month and a bit so that's another £50 approx.
Insurance I don't bother with anymore. One of my other dogs who passed away last year needed a few things and the cost of the excess made claiming pointless. We had insurance on him his whole life and he was 15 when he died, so we spent thousands on insurance we never used. Now I just put aside some money each month as an emergency vet bill fund. If something really bad happens, then I'll get a credit card!
Don't use dog walkers or anything like that.
Other vet bills like checkups and injections can be £100-200 every 6 months or so. Also prepare for about £600-1000 for spaying or neutering if that's a route you go down.
Also worming tablets and tick treatments can add up, probably works out like £10-15 a month or so for both of them.
Independent-Cat-59@reddit
£600-1000 for neutering?! Bloody hell. My dog was neutered last week and it cost £250!
NowIRide@reddit
Female spaying is quite a bit more expensive than neutering. Think our last was just over £600 all in with 2 checkups and a prescription of metacam.
Sad_Glass_9521@reddit
£30 insurance (had £6k worth of surgeries in the first year) £30 vets pet plan £45 monthly groom Plus pet food So over £100 per month 18 month old Cavapoo
Ok-Albatross-1508@reddit
Not a small dog but our 35kg Labrador costs about £10 a month for flea/tick medication, £18 a month for insurance and about £15 a month for food. Maybe £10 a month for poo bags / toys / treats. However, he saves us about £20 a month for a burglar alarm.
General_Stretch248@reddit
My lab is doing me for £20 on flea and wormer
£70 on insurance
his food is well over £30
Snacks, toys and shit bags are another £10-20
You have a cheap lab
Ok-Albatross-1508@reddit
Yeah we’re lucky he’s ludicrously healthy and pretty easy, but that’s why we got a lab in the first place I guess. Pretty straightforward dogs compared to most breeds.
General_Stretch248@reddit
Yeah you're not wrong. I love my lad, he's a pleasure to be around
El_duque86@reddit
That seems super low for food. Do you have a secret?
Ok-Albatross-1508@reddit
15kg bag is £15. Thats about it.
Beginning-Cobbler146@reddit
not op, but i spend £35 ish every 75 days on food, so £14 every 30 day month, the secret is buying in bulk, my girl has a sensitive tummy so we had to search far and wide for a food that worked, but now we spend about £35 for a 15kg bag, i say about becuase sometimes its £33 and sometimes is £38, depending on Amazon and their own websites sales (were poor so i always go for the cheapest price)
OreoDisney13@reddit
We have a Beaglier. She costs us: -£17.50 vets member club. This covers vaccinations, flea and worm pills, free checks, etc etc - £25 a month in food I reckon - £45 every 6 weeks ish for a groom -£50 a month for one dog walk a week - £13 insurance
I’ve probably forgotten obvious things!
_chastity_sub_@reddit
I had insurance for mine and none of the things that went wrong were covered or worth claiming. Mainly Teeth, but a few other minor things. I'm not convinced it's worth it. YMMV
Bwuk@reddit
We hit £350p/m insurance for our boy, but he was always poorly, we just didn't want to give up on him. He sadly passed last year, and now we're back down to a more mammals £35p/m for our rescue
Sobernaut1@reddit
2 cocker spaniels £80 a month each in food and I save £40 a month for potential vet bills. So £120 per dog per month.
Not cheap but worth every penny.
You can do it cheaper (as others have said)
Guilty-Jellyfish-855@reddit
I have a large breed dog so food expenses will be different but it also varies a lot on the type and quality of food you'll feed them. There are many very overpriced and overmarketed options these days that'll be constantly bombarded by. Mine costs about £80/month on food and treats.
Insurance £150/month. Started on £40 but unfortunately had to claim quite a bit over the years. Vet treatments are very expensive so make sure you've got adequate coverage/savings. Regular flea/worm/tick medicine and annual jags works about £15/month.
One off things like beds, coats, toys.
Do you work shifts? Both my partner and myself work shifts and we manage between ourselves alright mostly. Occasionally use dog walker, £15-20 a walk. Boarding around £40/day, usually needs to be booked months ahead.
It can be difficult and expensive to find help and it absolutely breaks my heart leaving them home alone. Research your area and don't automatically assume that dog walkers/daycares will have availability because they're all very much in demand! And if you end up having a dog with behavioural issues, it'll be even more tricky to find help.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
You can avoid this trap if you pick one of these 3 insurers:
Pet Plan
Agria
Kennel Club
They don't put up their prices if you claim. Their prices start off higher from the get go though, and they will go up every year as the risk increases with age.
Also, switching insurance basically isn't a thing you can do as a dog owner. Once you've made some claims, or even just some visits to the vet and got anything on their medical record, insurers will claim loads of stuff are preexisting conditions.
So you kinda have to stick with the insurer you're with. Only swap if you've never visited the vets for more than vaccinations.
Guilty-Jellyfish-855@reddit
Wish I knew this before we got trapped with our current provider. Too many things would be excluded now if we were to change.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Yeah, the industry is setup to con you. They offer very low rates initially knowing you're stuck with them once you've made a claim and they can start charging whatever. And if you are swapping from another insurer, they'll use anything in your vet records to try and add sweeping exclusions.
I took my dog to the vet for a limp. Literally lasted 15 seconds on a walk, probably stepped on a thorny bush or something. But I had vet plan, and visits were free, so whatever. Vet looked her over and said she's fine, but notes he put down made it sound really bad.
Changed insurer completely forgetting about this visit since it amounted to nothing and bam, back legs excluded (on a breed with back leg problems that are common). Luckily after arguing with the insurer, and getting her signed off by a vet as being fit as a fiddle, they added them back on. But that's pretty unusual and I was quite lucky.
Familiarsophie@reddit
For food, insurance, dog walks every day etc.
£800 a month. More than my mortgage.
cadburyshero@reddit
We have a 15kg rescue that we put £210 in an account for each month to cover food, vaccines (£90 a year) , grooming (£50 every 6-8 weeks), vet bills, insurance (£30ish), medication (£60 a month) etc.
He previously had a dog walker at £16 an hour but he had to have spinal surgery a year back so now I come home at lunch time when I’m in the office two days a week. It’s only 15 mins away but obviously only doable because I have a flexible job.
The aforementioned spinal surgery was the killer. It was an out of the blue case of IVDD (slipped disc) which resulted in a £10k surgery of which the insurance only covered £4k (up your insurance premiums lads). We were in a fortunate position to be able to afford that but if we couldn’t we would have had to make an unpleasant decision so worth considering these situations.
this_is_theone@reddit
Have you looked into fostering? Its completely free, all vet bills and food paid for. You generally keep the dog for 6-9 months. Obviously not a good idea if you think it will be hard to say goodbye. You do get first dibs on adoption if the owner doesn't want them back but they usually will.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
What's the deal with fostering? Why are people giving their dogs to someone for 6 months then asking for them back?
this_is_theone@reddit
It's done through the dogs trust charity. It's for women who have to go in a women's shelter due to domestoc abuse. Can't keep a dog in the shelter. Usually takes them about 6 months to get housing but could be more or less. I've had a dog now for 10 months. It's been great.
midori87@reddit
I have 3 small dogs and insurance for all of them and our cat comes out to £89 per month. Obviously the costs varies depending on breed and age. Food is about £100 but again, it's for 3, and one is a puppy so he has different food than the others.
When we had just one dog pet insurance was about £20 and food £30.
I highly recommend papillons, beautiful healthy little dogs and extremely intelligent.
Dog tax:
_Dan___@reddit
Main thing is insurance - can get as they get older.
Mine is £100pm now for 8yo cockapoo. Goes up about £20pm each year now.
Food / grooming is another £60pm or so.
fluentindothraki@reddit
If no one has suggested it: consider a dog share. Gives you freedom to travel or work extra shifts, half the cost for the owners, double the love for the dog.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
If you're going to do this with someone you need to be on the same page with how you'll train the dog. Consistency is key, and one person either not training it or worse enforcing bad behaviours would be a nightmare.
Necessary_Doubt_9762@reddit
Something to consider is how much they’ll cost you in their old age. Both my dogs lived to 16, they were costing us £500-£600 a month each for monthly veterinary visits for jabs for arthritis, daily medication, food, insurance and a dog walker for when were working . It was an insane time of my life and it went on for two years. I loved my dogs but just consider if you can afford the rise in costs as they get old.
ComplexOccam@reddit
It’s not just the financial cost which in total could be like £200 a month when you consider food, insurance, worming etc. it’s the fact that, it’s extra if you take them with you on a staycation, finding a dog sitter when you go abroad, the stress if they’re not well. It’s way more of a tie than you realise. Sure it’s great but if I had my time again I also wouldn’t get a dog in my 20’s and would have waited.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Yeah, I'd advise against a dog in your 20's too.
I got mine at 35 and it was still a huge disruption to my life, things I liked to do, etc. I was prepared for it, but still it was a bit more of a disruption than I imagine.
On the plus side I almost entirely gave up drinking because fuck walking a dog on a hangover.
emsbby@reddit
I have yorkie mix ~8kg Insurance £44 Food + treats £119 every 3 months Chews on average probably £20 a month Worming + flea ~£50 every 3 months
Boarding for holidays ~£50-70 a day. I take her to work so no idea of cost of daycare. Dog walking for an hour been between £12-20 when I have needed in a pinch.
Know the breeder which ever dog you go for. Mixed breeds are generally healthier than full breeds.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Can only tell you for a golden retriever:
£45 insurance
£65 food
£31 vet health plan (drugs, 'free' consultations, etc)
That's the bare minimum imo.
Polyglot_ocelot@reddit
I have a cocker spaniel bitch. She is my world. Insurance is £50 a month with kennel club, then another £30 to the vet which covers all her jabs, flea and worm treatments and 2 annual check ups.
Food is about £40 a month but this varies depending how lazy I am with buying in bulk or getting small bags. She gets Orijen and it's a bloody fantastic freeze dried kibble. On top she gets raw veggies, suitable fruit and meat or fish.
Please, please for the love of all that is holy, do not feed your dog cheap shit. Honestly, imagine only ever getting McDonalds and fries each day. You'll have so many issues, that's stuff like Pedigree for you.
Please do not get a dog unless you can afford to feed them properly, it's tantamount to animal abuse in my opinion.
Also, you are committing to daily exercise and also mental stimulation, just burning them out with a long walk is no good at all, you need to play in a format that stimulates the brain.
If you work even normal office hours, your dog needs a visit half way through the day. If you can't do that yourself, it'll be about 12 quid a day for a half hour visit or walk.
Dogs are not an emotional support mechanism unless you can commit to caring for them entirely.
They're a rewarding companion but are not a cheap pet if looked after properly.
Supergoose5000@reddit
Insurance £25pm
Food is about £30 every 6 weeks
Factor another 2-£300 for presents because He's SUCH A GOOD BOY
Aggressive_Past4410@reddit
I have a 10 year old lab and it costs me £42 food (don’t buy cheap food it has barely any nutrition) £80 a year for vaccinations. I get her flea and worm tablets every 3 months (monthly is recommended though) which are about £40 for extras like treats I would put in another £30 a month Dog walkers around my area are about £15 for half an hour but I’m lucky I can come home at lunch to let her out for a wee and walk her when I’m home and I also wfh some days too
For insurance they will try everything and anything to avoid paying you and even when they do you pay a lot of excess and extra when they get older. My advice would be to see what insurance would cost you each month and put it into an ISA or savings account and just use when needed. I’ve paid around £50 a month for 10 years and they rejected my claim and I ended up paying £3000 If you’re planning on a small dog I would imagine you’d pay less (I’m in the north east so depends where you live also) Tbh my dog costs me more than my 6 year old does lol but research the type of dog you’re getting to see what issues they can have labs get arthritis for example
Evening-Manner9709@reddit
A fucking fortune. 2 cockers and a lab is too many dogs.
360+ dog walks 130 min dog food Plus vets
ah111177780@reddit
I did this the other day.
Insurance: £85 a month (about to go up as he has epilepsy now) Vet plan: £20 a month Food, treats, misc: £80 a month Day care: £500 a month (he does 3 days a week when we are in office and it’s central London so about as expensive as it gets for that. But they’ve had him since he was a puppy and they know about his epilepsy)
So £685 a month, but you could save a lot on day care. But then you need someone to look after them while you are away on holidays which gets expensive. If you have friends who can house sit that’s the best option.
geekatthegig@reddit
Mine’s about the same monthly - day care’s a killer! (But I budgeted for it when I made the decision to get her.)
rev-fr-john@reddit
We have 2 girls as pets and two working boy golden retrievers which cost,
£50 a month in fresh chicken.
£2 in asprin.
£45 in dry dog food that's in a large pot available 24 hours a day.
Vaccinations are £100 each for their life, so the monthly figure depends on how long they live, one of which is going to live forever apparently.
No insurance and the only vet bills so far are for speying the two girls.
Unstableavo@reddit
Mine only sets me back £30 quid per month. Insurance and treats. I bulk buy food worm tablets flea stuff £100-£175 per year. Once a year vet cost £80.
EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
Damn! That’s low!! What breed do you have out of interest?!
Unstableavo@reddit
Sausage dog. The insurance is the most important in my opinion as they can have spinal issues.
Dog sitters are very expensive which is why we hang out alot together lol
slippery-pineapple@reddit
Pet Insurance 16.57 Pet Plan 21.50 Food 33.50
So just over £70 a month
There are one off expenses such as
Paying the excess when he does need vet treatments (health check up, vaccinations, flea and worm are all covered by the pet plan) ~ £100 about once a year (non this year woohoo)
Treats and Toys - tbh the ones he gets for Christmas from family last him all year now, as a puppy way more. I dry out liver in the dehydrate setting on the air fryer for his treats which is like £2 a pack and last us ages because he's very praise motivated and has a dodgy tummy
Lead harness ect - again we don't go through these regularly now maybe every couple of years £30
Daycare/Boarding is by far our biggest expense. It was £30 a day when he was younger and my work situation was different, now we can get away with a dog walker on the days I need to go into the office which is 12.50 for a half hour walk. Boarding is £30-50 per night depending on who he goes to
Nearly 5 year old whippet/lurcher
halfthewordsarewrong@reddit
Really don’t want to put a damper on your plans, and I know how massively beneficial pets are to one’s mental wellbeing, but have you considered getting cats instead? They’re more suited to a single working person’s lifestyle than a dog
ben_jamin_h@reddit
I would not recommend getting a dog if you're solely responsible for it and work full time.
I got two chihuahuas with an ex, we had schedules that meant the dogs wouldn't be left alone for more than a few hours at any time.
We broke up, and now my schedule is different so they're left on their own for 12 hours a day.
I'm in the process of giving them up for adoption as it's not fair on them to be on their own so much.
If you're planning on getting a dog and you're going to be out at work all day, you need to budget for doggy daycare or at least a dog walker to come and take them out during the day.
Don't be like me and end up with a dog that's left on their own all day, it's awful, you feel guilty as fuck all the time, they get anxious and frustrated being alone, and for me at least I now have to go through the heartbreaking decision to give them up for adoption because I can't care for them the way they deserve to be cared for.
Electronic_Cream_780@reddit
You've had lots of money related responses. Just slow down and double check you can actually fully meet their needs. The welfare guidelines in the UK say you shouldn't leave a dog for longer than 4 hours, 1-2 if they are a puppy. Can you meet that? Because most decent rescues and breeders will stick to that, and if you work shifts that gets really difficult to manage. Most daycare is 8-6, nothing earlier or later. A lot of the smaller breeds are in the "companion" group, their job is to be with their human and that makes them really prone to separation anxiety and one hour may be too much for them to handle. Budgeting for daycare costs is all very well if your dog is very sociable and good with dogs and people. If they are aggressive daycare won't be an option & dog walkers will charge more.
Don't forget training costs and holidays. Boarding is expensive and there are extra charges if you take your dog with you
alighieri85@reddit
Can’t believe how many are suckered in by vet plans! £20 a month for what? Fleas and worms are resistant to certain meds and the frequency of giving it that vets are promoting will make this worse plus it’s not needed monthly. Such a waste of money and vet practices should be ashamed of themselves for it. £££ before best practice
Ancient_phallus_@reddit
Pet plan -£18.99 month ,covers flea and wormer and vaccines Insurance - £30.00 month Groomers - £50.00 every 5 weeks Pet food - £40.00 a month
MarketingWarm8804@reddit
Insurance - £45 a month (rising every year with PetPlan was £35.
Also, Vetplan- flea, worming, annual check ups ect -£20 a month
Food - £50 a month/£30 kibble here and there (butternut box)
Groom - £45 every 6-8weeks (i try in between grooms to keep her tidy)
Spay -£500 (if you choose to do that)
Emergencies - we have savings/have reviewed excesses needing to be paid with insurance. But luckily she hasn’t had any issues yet (shes only 2)
Breeds to avoid - agree with your comment but not all dogs are perfect
Good breeds - biased but a maltipoo but depends on your lifestyle and what works for you, and what work looks like ect also how long will they need to be left alone?
Dog walkers/dog care - we’re fortunate that family are able to take care of her, also my partner works from home 4/5 days a week so not needed at the moment.
Our maltipoo is 2 and manageable.
Above all you have to remember whatever dog you have, it’s a commitment for the next 10+ years but the best decision we made as the amount of joy she brings is unmatched.
This is our first ever dog, originally wanted a rottweiler and as nice as that would’ve been, we wouldn’t be able to fulfil all its needs. Dogs have to also fit into your life and lifestyle, things will change but you don’t want the change to be so drastic it’s unmanageable.
Maybe if you like some breeds, join the specific FB groups for them to ask more questions?
Pic of dog in question 🐶.
slightleee@reddit
We have a tratterdale terrier. I reckon, food, treats and insurance around £100 a month.
Objective_Mousse7216@reddit
With insurance, food, medicine he needs, at least £300 per month.
Cat_Friends@reddit
You need to plan really far ahead with costs like insurance. My shih tzu cost less than 20 quid a month when we first got him as a puppy, but it's 117 a month now he's 11 and has had some serious health issues these past few years.
books-cows@reddit
We have a corgi which is classed as medium I think but ours is on the smaller side. Not a sole dog owner so it makes the costs cheaper per person and easier to handle if one is ill.
We pay £55 a month for insurance (I think it is linked to our home and car so not sure exact breakdown off my head)
We pay £17 a month to the vets which covers all her flea and wormer, 6 month check ups and a few other things.
We pay £16 every 6 weeks for her nails to be trimmed.
Then for her food it’s about an extra £100 a month. But she is in specific brands for her weight management.
Other costs to consider is when we take her away with us there are extra fees for her to stay places. If she can’t come luckily my family will have her and it costs us about £60 for some flowers and wine.
SocProf93@reddit
Insurance is about £45/month. Mine doesn’t eat “dog food” because she has stomach problems so her diet is strictly chicken, eggs, rice etc which cost about £4/week because I can buy those items in bulk. I’m lucky I can work from home half the time and my partner the other half so we don’t use dog walkers/sitters apart from when we go on holiday and then it usually runs us about £200-£300 a week for a good kennel.
Itchy_Hunter_4388@reddit
£12 for Xanax
£35 food
£10 insurance
£3 poo bags
All of a sudden taken to pissing in the house so what ever cleaning chemicals cost.
Fuel for driving to good walks, £8
My sanity.
Ok-Slip-8663@reddit
I know you said small dogs but we have a 2 yo rescue lurcher! Insurance: £12 Food (we just switched to posher stuff): £40 Treats/misc: ~£10 Generally not expensive and a lovely breed to have around!
feebsiegee@reddit
Insurance for an 8yr old lab cross husky, and a 7 month old lab is £20 ish, food for the older one is about £25 for a 15kg bag, puppy food is cheaper but can't remember how much.
Mine only go to the vets if they need it, but the second lot of jabs for the puppy (breeder did the first and microchipped) was about £40.
We do buy lots of treats, sometimes all in a oner from pets at home, sometimes in dribs and drabs. We always have frozen carrots for them as well. Cost for that depends on what you're buying, where from, and how much stuff.
Puppy's cage was about £60, we did get him a bed but he chewed it, so we got little blankets off amazon and they were about £10 for 6 - we now have two lots.
Dog bowls are pretty cheap, they all do the job. Puppy has like a hamster water bottle that feeds into a dish that screws onto his cage because he can't be trusted with a water bowl.
I buy the earth rates (brand name) poo bags on amazon, anywhere from £12-£16 depending on how many are in a box.
AgonisingAunt@reddit
We paid £45 a month for insurance (get a lifetime policy), £80 a month for food and treats because he’d get diarrhoea if we even thought about giving him anything with grain in it but he’d happily eat fox shit with zero fucks.
The dog walker cost £350 a month, £10 a month for nail cutting, £20 a month for flea and worm meds.
If you’re going to be out a lot maybe just get a cat. They’re way cheaper and just as snuggly.
Current_Fly9337@reddit
Man reading these comments I’m about to hug my low maintenance boy. He has a very basic diet (bakers small dog food around £7 per kilo) which lasts him a month or two. His insurance is around £35 a month now because he’s 12 but was around £4 when I got him, he’s also had some dental issues so a claim on the policy.
Treats, worming, flea treatments just get thrown in the basket at Asda and probably cost around £50 a year if that.
I am lucky that my little 4.5kg cutie is friendly with other dogs and I have lots of family and friends who love his company when I’m poorly, working out of town or on holiday so don’t have to worry about walking/daycare costs.
Find a breed that suits your needs, budget and lifestyle. You won’t regret it…unless you get a puppy 😂
EyesWideShut__@reddit (OP)
Give them a squeeze from me too! What breed do you have?
I think the biggest issue for me by the looks of it will be the need for someone to walk/be with them during the day when I’m at work. I’d be happy to morning and evening walk, but they can’t be left from 7:30-6pm each day. I’ve applied for flexible working which would mean four days, but long hours, would be out from 7-6:30…this is the biggest thing holding me back. Cost wise it’s looking doable from the comments, without the requirement for walkers and/or sitters…
Looks like I need a job that allows me to be home more!
Helicreature@reddit
Honestly ensuring that my dog was visited twice a day was what cost me the most before I was able to WFH. It cost me £600 a month ( visit for letting out into the garden and some playtime every 4 hours) I walked her before and after work and she was a very sensible, relaxed Greyhound with no separation anxiety. She was worth every penny to me and I had carefully done the sums before I adopted her, knowing that I would be able to WFH in the near future but working full time with a dog is an enormous responsibility and scarily expensive if you want to give your pet a decent quality of life.
Current_Fly9337@reddit
He is a cross Jack Russell chihuahua and not like either breeds at all in temperament. He’s quite shy and loves a hug but doesn’t have the yappy territorial issues some other dogs of those breeds do. I babied him a lot so that could be down to me but that also works both ways.
I work remotely so can be in and out of the house usually, when I have to work away which is once or twice a month, he gets spoiled at grandmas house usually. It is a big commitment without support.
omg_daisy@reddit
I have a 1.5 year old dachshund and because of the potential back problems a high payout insurance is a non negotiable, he's also a bit of a picky eater so since getting him I've spent my fair share on different foods but we've actually found a reasonably affordable option that he seems to be enjoying (for now lol) my monthly costs are
Insurance £26 Food £30 For emergencies I try to have £100-£200 on hand (for prescriptions etc) I use a vet called snoots which is £33 but that covers unlimited vet visits, x-rays and investigations etc Every 3 months flea and tick treatment is £20 He has one walk a week which is £80 per month, but we're moving house and the new dog walker will be taking. Him 3 times a week which will be £288 a month I sometimes use doggy daycare when it's raining because he hates the rain which is £45 a session And we also buy him treats which is around £10-15 a month
So a rough total of £200 atm and that will increase to around £400 when we move (due to the extra walks)
For reference we live in London
goldsparkleoat@reddit
10kg, 9yo Jug (Jack Russell x pug)
Owned since 2yo, paid £220 adoption fee for him
Usual monthly costs:
£35.99 insurance (used to be £14.99 but I claimed for hydrotherapy and phsyiotherapy) last year Approx £35 on food (AVA sensitive) £20 pet health club (flea/worm/nail trim/annual vaccines) £35 groom (he sheds like a bastard and a monthly bath and deshed does wonders. I don’t pay for this in spring/summer as just wash him at home myself) £30 medication (arthritis) £60 1x 1 hour dog walk per week (the day I can’t take him into work)
V lucky that my parents live nearby and can usually have him on the rare occasion we go on holiday and can’t take him with us so don’t have to shell out on boarding anymore; that costs a lot
But yeah pretty expensive and def couldn’t afford another one!
ChocolateSnowflake@reddit
I have 2 small dogs (Pomeranians).
Food - £90 per month. Flea/tick/wormers - £15 per month Doggy daycare - £80 per month Insurance - £45 per month Treats/toys/other misc - £10-£20 per month Groomer - £80 every other month Annual vaccines including kennel cough - £250 per year
So halving to account for 1 dog - approx £155 per month.
ADH02@reddit
My Medium sized 18kg dog cost per month:
Insurance - £40 Vet Plan - £18 Food - £60 Treats/extras - £10
HoneyBunnyBalou@reddit
Mine is about the same plus 'day care' once a week (£30) but I work from home so she gets to socialise and it's one day I don't walk her. So far, no kennel fees as I'm lucky that my mum looks after her if I'm away.
Saltysockies@reddit
Insurance £30. Pet plan £20. Treats £30, we're constantly training as she's anxious.
Food, not that much. We cook for her and add supplements. We'll cook a batch on Sunday and she'll have that every evening. This week shr had fish, rice, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
Neddlings55@reddit
My dog is £178 a month in insurance alone! He is 27kg and almost 11, but my neighbour has a Frenchie thats less than half his age and she is paying almost as much as i am.
hovis_mavis@reddit
Dog’s getting old so the insurance has now reached £65/m. Food is around £20/w including treats etc. grooming is £35 every 6-8 weeks.
Spinxy88@reddit
3 staffy crosses, probably about £100 a month on average. (on averages) One of them manages to set us back about £500 - £1000 at the vets about once a year. Never works out quite enough to risk putting insurance premiums up.
Also jointly owned with a vet nurse so only need vets when something is wrong.
MoleDunker-343@reddit
Not a small dog but GSD was about £180 for good quality monthly food, vet insurance and a vet plan for working etc.
Of course a bit extra on top of that for treats and toy purchases.
ParamedicNo4010@reddit
A lot. £65 insurance. £20 vet plan £50-100 food, treats, toys £55 hair cut every 6-8 weeks Day care £30 a day Dog sitter for over night £50 a night
Spent a couple thousand this year on additional vet costs. And we like to take him on a few holidays a year
melikebiscuit@reddit
We currently have a small lurcher, but our last dog was a border terrier - I highly recommend the breed, they are wonderful!
Currently we pay around £35 pet insurance (get lifetime - it's more expensive but covers any chronic illness down the line) We pay £90 every 6 weeks for a large bag of pretty high quality food. Around £20 a month on tick and flea treatment. Treats I just buy with the food shop or make my own (liver cake and mackerel bites - really easy to make) but I bulk buy two large boxes of natural treats a year (£70 a year).
I assume you're a shift worker, so you'll have to factor that in. Do you have any friends or family that can help while you're on a long shift/nights? That'll help keep the cost down. We're nurses too, and on the odd occasion our shifts overlap my mum will look after the pup, or pop in to walk her (she has a dog too, so we help her when needed in return).
You may need to consider grooming requirements too (we pay £40 every 8-10 weeks) and the cost of a spay/neuter (we paid £750 for a lap-spay, but regular is cheaper and neuter is cheaper still).
The initial setup is the most expensive. You'll need collar, harness, lead, crate if planning to crate train, beds (multiple 🤣), toys, chews, kongs. You may want to consider dog training sessions too whether a puppy or an older rescue/rehome.
The thing you can't really factor in though is time. When you first bring your dog home they'll take several weeks to settle in so you'll need extra support over that time. It takes time to toilet train and properly socialise them too.
It sounds like it is doable for you, especially if you can maybe find a family member/friend/colleague willing to help out :) honestly they're the best company.
Hawk-bat@reddit
Answered this same question the other day so here's the same answer:
Our large rescue dog costs us £100 a month in food (human grade pre-prepped stuff because she's had food allergies with others), £90 for a pain injection and about £60 for meds, about £50 for physio, for arthritis and £66 for insurance which we then get some of the meds cost back on. The medical stuff is obviously a big part of her monthly costs. Then there's the flea and tick stuff every so often.
I WFH most days so don't need walkers/daycare
Bitter_End_5643@reddit
Are you in the office/working externally 5 days a week? Or do you wfh some days? You can't leave a dog at home by themself for 9 hours a day, they need at minimum a visit each day by a walker and not mandatory but good for social skills once a week at doggy daycare £10-15 for 1 hour depending on your location dog walker each day (4 days a week if you work 5) = £40-£60 per week; 1 day of doggy daycare a week for socializing with other dogs; depending where you are located £50-£100 per time = £315-£480 per month
£15-30 insurance per month depending on age £130 food & treats estimate per month £50 savings per month to set aside for boarding for yearly holiday £50 savings per month for vet visits for yearly check up/jabs/flea meds (none of which are covered by insurance) plus toys/leads/collars/winter outdoor clothes if a small dog that gets cold etc So around £500 if you're working external to home 5 days a week, less if you wfh a couple of days and don't need a walker, and depending on where you're located in the country for how much it costs. i.e. in London pay £50 for 1 day of doggy daycare as there are so many, but in Suffolk my friends pay £90 for 1 day. Luckily I also wfh 3 days a week
Princes_Slayer@reddit
For my dogs, food is roughly £1.75 per day per dog (I raw feed). Insurance for the two gradually increased from maybe £50 per month to £200 as they became senior. Couple of packs of treats maybe £10 a month. Poo bags a couple of quid. Support stuff bought sporadically (beds, leads, harnesses, bowls, mats etc). Vet trips cost £150 for annual visit for the two boosters, £120 every 3 months for working & flea treatments, other costs adhoc. Grooming cost us £100 for the two every 10-12 weeks.
Best companions in the world.
MissFlipFlop@reddit
Doggy day care cost varies a lot around the UK... And different levels of the service you can get will change the cost. That's worth looking into first and see what is local and if there are spaces etc.
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