# How much you spend on your gsd per year?



## cqok (May 22, 2018)

I want to get an idea before getting a puppy. thanks for your info.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

I lost the 'genetic lottery' with my dog, I've been averaging $500 each month on vet bills the last 12 months. I regret not buying a more comprehensive pet insurance policy than the one I bought when I got my dog as a puppy. 

On a monthly basis you have worming and heartworm medication, pet insurance. You could add to that training fees and equipment. If you want to go away on holiday you may have kennel fees. There's bedding, toys, shampoo, training treats, a collection of first aid and medical items for health and wound care, immunizations, dog registration, and equipment that needs replacing from time to time. There's the cost of desexing. There's the weekly food bill. As a puppy, my dog cost around $1000 in chewed furniture, remote controls, carpet restoration, and other stuff I've long ago forgotten about. I'm conservatively guessing I'm spending over $10,000 a year. I'd say a healthy dog with no ongoing medical expenses, all in, would hopefully cost $3000 to $4000 a year.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

wow, it can vary greatly. Instead of giving you a total let me give you an idea of what you may have to pay for. We have $$ in savings in case our dogs get injured, and active GSDs can be more prone to that than your average couch potato dog. Otherwise you may want a pet health insurance policy. You'll want to stay current on puppy shots and check ups. You'll want to find a good vet, not just pop into a pet store clinic. They can be good for small issues, though. Micro-chips can be implanted for $20. and depending on the brand may cost about that much to put your info into their data base or update the info if you move. Money well spent. If you register your dogs with your county it can run as little as $25 and even less if your dog is neutered / spay. 

Then there is food and training treats. You can spend from $40 to $80 for a 40 lb bag of decent food. If you feed raw, that can be much more. Someone else will have to give you that estimate. Bags of treats can run around $7. We like to give bully sticks and buy those in bulk which makes them half the price of buying them one at a time in the pet store. One of my dogs like crunchy carrots so that is much less expensive. 

Training can run you $50 a session to $200 for a six week course. Some even more. If you want to join a sport club there may be dues. 

Equipment can vary a lot. I'd stay cheap with puppy collars and harnesses. They outgrow them right away. At about a year the dog has their full height and will fill out muscle wise. You can still pretty much determine how big they'll be. Then you can spend good money for gear that will last and won't need constant replacing. If you do IPO or Man Trailing or Agility or Flyball, etc that is $$$

You want a good leather leash, a long line, a good flat collar to hold things like i.d. tags, training collars if you need them. For those you want to shop around. You can still get quality at a decent price. You will most likely want a crate for in the house, maybe an x-pen. You'll want some sort of dog bed. I suggest not spending a lot of money on one of those until you know if your dog will use one. You may want to invest in some good chew toys but again, start cheap because you could buy a bunch of Kongs just to find out your dog doesn't care for them. I allowed my pups to tear up cardboard boxes and rinsed plastic juice bottles. Just watch out for staples, tape and rough edges. When they get beat up throw them away. 

All that being said, my first GSD from a shelter was an already trained adult. We didn't do any sports. I didn't feed him premium food. I did take him for long walks and loved him. It didn't cost us nearly as much money as our two now that we got as pups. The two we have now I've spent more money on than I've ever spent on dogs! And the list above doesn't take into account how if you become a GSD fanatic you may want breed specific t-shirts and mugs and car stickers.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I spent every bit of $20,000 in the 5 years I had Newlie and that did not include food, treats, toys, training lessons or swimming in a local pool, etc. It did include the cost of two surgeries (repair of an ACL tear and removing a mass from his leg), compensating a neighbor for half the cost of treatment after Newlie and their dog got into an altercation under my chain link fence, putting up a privacy fence so no more altercations could occur, routine medical care and heartworm/flea and tick treatments.

The amount is staggering to me, but figures don't lie. You pay out some money here and some money there and it is different than being asked to fork over that much money in one lump some. I don't regret it, I loved my boy, but despite the fact I love Rocky, too, I can't do it again. I am nearing retirement age. I need to make a priority of getting a pet insurance policy while Rocky is young and healthy. I would advise you to do so as well when you get your puppy.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

That can vary most of the money is on fun things my dogs are young so most of the money would be on preventative care. I do have pet insurance just in case which is helpful. Max is very active just had a wound on his toe which cost $400 to stitch up so that was in additional this year.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

I did a quick estimate after my 1st GSD passed and before I got the current pup. I probably spent in the ballpark of $30,000 (probably more) in the almost 12 years of his life. Vet visits, vaccinations, medications for things like skin infections, regular medications like flea/tick and heartworm, medications for a lifetime disease (EPI), toys, treats, collars, leashes, clothing (a jacket for late years, rain jacket to cover that sponge they call his coat, booties), hundreds of antlers, gas for the car (to drive him everywhere like hiking, beach, etc.), obedience classes, grooming (in the early years), replacement tv remote controls, carpet cleaning, etc. etc. etc. I'm not even counting the car I bought that would fit him better.


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## Katsugsd (Jul 7, 2018)

Most of the money I've spent on my pup has been for fun things - trials, training, and practice (pool rentals, barnhunt, protection work). I've spent $120 alone on 2 FastCAT trials in September. Then I have membership dues for our dog academy where I train - that's not cheap ($100/mth. We're looking at alternatives at the moment.). I try to limit myself to $200 for training/practice. I love spending time and doing things with my girl.


I get a 40lb bag of Victor dog food for about $50-60 and it usually lasts 2-ish months since her morning meals are sometimes replaced with Redbarn or something similar for our training sessions (2 4lb rolls of Redbarn ~$20 on Amazon). I get raw frozen marrow bones from the commissary (we're military) 3 for $2-$3. I'll usually stock pile these in our extra freezer. We have the Seresto collar for 8 months flea and tick prevention ($55). I also paid for a 6 month supply of Advantix II for when we do Barnhunt and FastCAT (dogs run naked). I got that on sale for $46. I have a bad habit of buying collars, leashes, and toys for my pups too. I can't put a price on that, but I'd imagine it's quite a bit :grin2:. 


If I had to total the vet visits for her so far, it'd probably be $1500-2k. She hurt a ligament in her hock a few months back which cost me a pretty penny, then the puppy vaccinations aren't cheap. My other dog has a pay plan through Banfield (so something like that might be worth considering if you are able to visit the vet after hours/emergency. Banfield does not do this so I chose to avoid them this time)


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## MayzieGSD (Aug 28, 2006)

Last year, over 10k on vet bills for Gracie. She had to have surgery to repair a fractured femur and have an open wound (from a dog bite) treated. This year she had to have surgery to remove a benign cyst that ruptured and wouldn't heal on her side. That cost $900. Plus her rabies vax, nexgard, heartgard, routine appointment. So we're at about 1100 so far this year. Just in vet bills. That doesn't count the food that costs $70 per bag. Treats, toys, etc. Dogs are expensive!


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## El_rex (Jan 14, 2016)

These figures look horrendous! I guess we've been lucky so far. My dog has insurance and thats about £50 a month (we live in the UK). 
Policy excess is £90. We used it twice so far, first when my dog chewed on a light bulb at the age of 11 months and had to have a massive surgery to remove it. Second, he was tested for EPI and some other food intolerancies..annual shots aren't expensive, cant remember the exact figure tho..
Food, my dog is fed with high quality food and again its about £60-70 a month. We've been through one long line, short leather lead is the same we bought the first. Collar is the same since he was a puppy (surprise, his neck never outgrew the first puppy collar).
Medication (anti-flea, anti-worm etc), good quality spot on treatment marketed under Advocate brand here is £20 a month. Thats it!
If we had to pay some ££££ mentined here we wouldnt be able to afford the dog  
I'd say try to get the best insurance for your dog, and you save lots!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

For a less scary response, keeping in mind that my boys are well established at 11 & 5, so most of my expenses fall into the “basics” category... I spend about $1000/ea/yr. 

Baring no extereme veterinary or training needs, the first and last year are the most expensive - especially if you’re starting from scratch. Spend money on good equipment and supplies and it can last thru a few dogs.


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## MayzieGSD (Aug 28, 2006)

FWIW, my first gsd Mayzie who I got as a puppy had very minimal vet expenses for her entire life. Her most expensive vet appointment in the 11 years I had her was the $900 e-vet bill the day she collapsed and had to be PTS due to hemangiosarcoma. Otherwise it was mostly all just routine care.

My other dog Bruno, I have had for 3.5 years now and he has only had a few non-routine vet visits for an itchy nose.

When I bought Mayzie as a puppy I started putting $50/month into a vet expenses account instead of insurance and didn't have to use much of it during her lifetime. So that's where most of the money for Gracie's bills came from.

But then my brother's GSD has had two ACL repair surgeries, and then another surgery to remove an infected plate, and multiple dermatology issues including another surgery to repair a skin lesion... he has spent far more than me on vet bills!

It can vary so widely! With Gracie it was sort of a freak accident. With my brother's dog, I'd say poor breeding (he is a very backyard breeder, giant oversized but very sweet dog).

Insurance might be a good idea. If I didn't have the money for Gracie, we would have probably had her leg amputated  with my brother, if he couldn't pay for the surgeries, he would have to PTS.


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## GSD234 (Jun 11, 2018)

Basic costs:
Medical plan + regular heart worm/flee prevention: about $500/year 
Food + treats: about $1000 / year
Boarding/day camp/bath&grooming: $500/year
At least $1,900 / year.


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

I honestly don't spend much. I spend $200 on food for 2 dogs. Both are over 100lbs. I was spending more, but they were younger and eating higher protein sled dog food from victor. They're now on Purina Pro Plan Sport. This is the only Purina food I would be comfortable feeding any dog. I spend another $200 for them a month on flea and tick medication. They also go petsmart once a week to get treats or a new toy but they're relatively inexpensive to take care compared to most here. So I'd say maybe $300 per dog a month, and that's on the high end. Other than shots and checkups my GSD has only been to the vet once. He managed to get a fishing lure stuck in his gums and had to have minor surgery to remove it. My other dog hasn't been to the vet for an emergency ever. I'm lucky enough to be self employed so my dogs are with me near 24/7. Really cuts down on the possibility for injury.

Edit: I saw someone else mention raw feeding. I had tried this with my dogs but was far too costly for me. It was around $10 daily per dog. So nearly $600 a month. If I had one dog it might be manageable but given their size and activity levels, it was tough to manage.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

Rough costs for North Carolina, USA...


SETUP:
Fencing our backyard (6' wooden fence): $2000 (gulp)
Rumo's rescue adoption fee: $180 (oddly, he cost a lot less than his fence)
Crate: $100
Memory Foam Orthopedic Dog Bed  : $50 
Martingale Collar & Leash: $35
2 Bowls, stainless steel: $24
Furminator (Amazon): $40


MONTHLY:
$70 food
$30 chewies & toys
$5 Heartgard (heartworm prevention)
$20 Nexgard (flea/tick prevention)

ANNUAL:
$120 Vet Visit (assuming healthy)
$14 Registration / License 


VARIABLE:
Boarding: for us, 2- 3 weeks per year @$37/day: $518 - $777
Basic Obedience Class (K9 Manners): $180 for 6 weeks
Trainer/Behaviorist/Ongoing Classes: {varies?}
Vet Visits if in Trouble: {varies?} **look into pet insurance / vet's payment plans
Grooming/Nail Trims: {varies, depending on if you do it yourself?}


DOGGY LOVE, COMPANIONSHIP & FUN:
Priceless


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

GSDchoice said:


> Rough costs for North Carolina, USA...
> 
> 
> SETUP:
> ...



You must live in one of the rural areas of NC. I live in Suburban **** in Central NC aaah. Where are you from?


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Well, her food is about $60 a month, but I have to drive across the city to get it. I put $50 a month away for vet bills, and have a credit card just for her since vet bills seem to please her. I spend another $30 on treats and stuff, about $60 a month on supplements that are necessary. I have spent tons on stuff that doesn't work for her, so basically throwing money in the trash. A dog license here is about $100 a year, and her dewormer is about $100.

Without any extra bills she costs me about $3500 a year. 

Because she is my darling genetic nightmare on average I have spent $8000/yr for each of the last 8 years.


But hey, she was free! Lol.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I work to support my habit.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Jax08 said:


> I work to support my habit.


BEST STATEMENT EVER! :rofl:


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## Kimbie (Jun 17, 2018)

Not had Yoshi for more than a couple month but working out what we need to pay for etc then running costs will be close to something like this:

Insurance £360
Food £840
Vet Care Plan £240

This does not include startup costs like crate, bowls, toys etc


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

Food £500 pa
Insurance £365 pa
Collar and leads £75 pa
Flea and wormer £20 pa
Training £ free
Walking £ free


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

GSDchoice said:


> Rough costs for North Carolina, USA...
> 
> 
> SETUP:
> ...


dang, forgot about the price of fencing. 
and someone mentioned gasoline, but if I didn't have dogs I'd still be going out and doing things. You could consider the cost of detailing your car to get the dog smell out of it, but I'm cheap and try to do it myself with limited success.


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## Jpage24.87 (Jan 19, 2018)

Some of these numbers are down right terrifying! ?
He's less than a year old. He's backyard bred, and so far we've been blessed with no real ailments. 
Vet: About $350, for vaccines, check ups, and a parvo scare.
Food: $70/month, plus random bully sticks or bones $20. We use food we already have on hand for high value treat (cheese, steak, chicken, hotdogs).
Preventative: $50 flea and tick. $50/mo to saving for medical.
Equipment and toys: $30 leather leash. 3 outgrown nylon collars $15. $5 cheap nylon leash. $30 prong collar. $10 drag line. About $25/mo for toys. 
In the first year we are looking at just over $2200. For a healthy spoiled rotten beast.
Now that I add up my expenses, I'm a bit shocked dogs are so expensive, and that I've spent so much! ?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Sabis mom said:


> BEST STATEMENT EVER! :rofl:


Right?! It's my husband's line...about me!


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

Oh boy here we go.....
$500 per month on special raw food, a couple thousand every few months on vet bills (including ER vet and diagnosis), think we have dropped about 10K now on vet bills, classes are usually $160 for a 6-8 week class and he has been through 5 of them so $800 for training classes, luckily he is a very good boy and has never destroyed anything including his beds and toys but I've bought him a fair amount of toys so probably $150 on fun supplies, then the crate, and the bowls, and we moved out of our apartment and bought a house so he could have a yard of his very own :hammer: We built the fence by ourselves so saved some there... $30 a month on treats and another $30 on cow ears and another $20 on raw chew bones
its safe to say this dog has cost us a fortune. I'm still trying out cheaper foods every once in a while to see if he can handle it since the $500 a month food bill is crushing us (we spend less than that on the two humans in the house) but he gets diarrhea every time I try something else besides his special raw food  . We also wasted several hundreds of dollars on pet insurance but they all just denied our claims (Healthy Paws & Nationwide FYI) He is not quite 2 years old. My husband and I eat VERY cheaply, don't go out or do anything, and live off of as little as we can so we can take care of him.

But so worth it ... I wouldn't trade him for the world.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> Right?! It's my husband's line...about me!


You married well... 

I once totalled up the costs of my animal habit$ (i.e., two wolfhounds, a cat, and a horse who was boarded and on whom I lessoned and competed every few months). Once my heart rate went back down, I decided to _never _do that again. 

For me, the question was whether I should change my lifestyle choice$ vs. pursuing what's given me great pleasure and taught me important life lessons. I chose the latter. To be fair, if I was pushed to meet monthly obligations (e.g., rent/mortgage, food, etc.), I might have reached a different conclusion. But, I'm not, so I didn't.

I did, however, make certain pragmatic decisions which I've kept to over the years. I shift any extra money into a separate cash acct for animal-related incidentals, a cc for vet expenses only, and I've given up certain indulgences (e.g., cute shoes and first editions mainly). Otherwise, I live inexpensively.

Here's my rationale for the choices I've made. I work very hard and am (fairly) productive --- but no European tours are in my future. I have no dependents, animals have given me great pleasure and taught me incredible things (often about myself), and I've met all sorts of interesting people in consequence. I've also enjoyed access to great vets as well as knowledgeable folks on this and other forums, so I've learned quite a bit about preventative care and management. 

I'm good. 



Aly


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Oooh, I forgot to mention lawn restoration expenses.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> I work to support my habit.


My husband works to support mine >


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## DaBai (Aug 13, 2017)

Around 10k per year from training cost, vet cost, routine meds+vaccinations cost, boarding cost, dog walker cost, food cost, toy cost, treat cost, and damage repair cost. She didn't even have any major surgeries, lol.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

DaBai said:


> Around 10k per year from training cost, vet cost, routine meds+vaccinations cost, boarding cost, dog walker cost, food cost, toy cost, treat cost, and damage repair cost. She didn't even have any major surgeries, lol.



That's not fair! We are spending about the same amount. Since she is mentally challenged no training costs, we do not really have an issue here with fleas/ticks or heartworm so monthly preventatives, no one but me CAN walk her without a hissy fit to rival the worst of toddlers, she does not get boarded because I don't leave her and all things being equal she is not and never has been a destructive animal.

I'm doing something wrong!


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

Dunkirk said:


> I lost the 'genetic lottery' with my dog, I've been averaging $500 each month on vet bills the last 12 months. I regret not buying a more comprehensive pet insurance policy than the one I bought when I got my dog as a puppy.
> 
> On a monthly basis you have worming and heartworm medication, pet insurance. You could add to that training fees and equipment. If you want to go away on holiday you may have kennel fees. There's bedding, toys, shampoo, training treats, a collection of first aid and medical items for health and wound care, immunizations, dog registration, and equipment that needs replacing from time to time. There's the cost of desexing. There's the weekly food bill. As a puppy, my dog cost around $1000 in chewed furniture, remote controls, carpet restoration, and other stuff I've long ago forgotten about. *I'm conservatively guessing I'm spending over $10,000 a year. I'd say a healthy dog with no ongoing medical expenses, all in, would hopefully cost $3000 to $4000 a year.*


I think you nailed it right on the head


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Dunkirk said:


> Oooh, I forgot to mention lawn restoration expenses.


Hahahahaha. A lawn? What's that?

Mulch is your friend...

Aly


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

I kept a running total but I can't find it now, so I looked it up. I am an RN and I used to be a vet tech so I do my own maintenance medical 

Frauline Inga von Deutschland GSD puppy- $800.
4 puppy shots total $40 from TSC I administered them myself.
Wormer $8 I administered myself on schedule
Toys $40+ 
42" kennel cage and cover for the house, $50
54" locked kennel cage for riding in back of truck, $100
Frontline Plus flea stuff $40 for three doses- as needed. It is possible to make fleas extinct on this hill for a while
Collars and leashes $40
Sportdog Fieldtrainer e collar $170 (a god send)
Outdoor run $200
Outdoor dog house $120
Don Sullivan's training method DVDs $65 (a god send)
Rabies shots 2 at TSC traveling vet $40 total 
Microchip $20 TSC traveling vet
Vet- torn ear suture ran through barbwire $230- only time she been to the vet knock on wood
Cost to feed her $1 a day Purina 1 Large Breed $31 a month- $360 a year
Dog biscuits, dry jerky, peanut butter without zylitol additive, ect. $25 a year
Ivermec cattle wormer mix with glygeine $28 (As a nurse I make my own heartworm preventative Do not try this).

Total- puppy and 1st year cost $2040
Total, second year $653

Best dog I have ever known in my entire life. 30 commands proofed within her 1st + year, an awesome ranch dog.


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

Nurse Bishop said:


> I kept a running total but I can't find it now, so I looked it up. I am an RN and I used to be a vet tech so I do my own maintenance medical
> 
> Frauline Inga von Deutschland GSD puppy- $800.
> 4 puppy shots total $40 from TSC I administered them myself.
> ...


I'm extremely jealous of your food costs lol.. :hammer:


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

I don't want to know... but I do know when there aren't any high vet expenses, it's not real bad...


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Gandalf, Inga does get her own ranch raw foods such as occasional baby rabbits and calf testicle gorges. And then, there was the highly prized dried dead rat....


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I used to keep track of expenses until the number gave my acid reflux and a deep need to drink a whole bottle of wine  I stopped keeping track. Some days I want to cry that she didn't turn out to be the perfect dog we had hoped she would be and turns up with another health issue. Mostly we just love her and enjoy all she has to offer...which is a lot. 
I think we scared to OP away with all our horror stories of high costs. I hope the OP realizes that every dog and it's needs and expenses are different. Cost vary so widely. I hope the take away is that with a healthy dog of any breed (aside from actual purchase price) $1000-$2000 a year is a reasonable average for the care and maintenance of any dog.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Springbrz said:


> I used to keep track of expenses until the number gave my acid reflux and a deep need to drink a whole bottle of wine  I stopped keeping track. Some days I want to cry that she didn't turn out to be the perfect dog we had hoped she would be and turns up with another health issue. Mostly we just love her and enjoy all she has to offer...which is a lot.
> I think we scared to OP away with all our horror stories of high costs. I hope the OP realizes that every dog and it's needs and expenses are different. Cost vary so widely. I hope the take away is that with a healthy dog of any breed (aside from actual purchase price) $1000-$2000 a year is a reasonable average for the care and maintenance of any dog.


I have always been in denial as to the "actual" cost of having a dog to enjoy! Until your post, I was tempted to chime in with what a depressing topic this is! LOL! But I did get a hearty laugh out of the acid reflux and a bottle of wine comment, thanks! OP, whatever the cost, the benefit totally outweighs it! And no, I will not provide, nor even think about, any "actual" figures for my dog...in my mind she's a gift!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

cqok said:


> I want to get an idea before getting a puppy. thanks for your info.


Your question just put me into a full-blown panic attack. And so close to bed-time. I will probably have nightmares now. Thanks, just thanks. >

My true answer is that it is never-ending. If I have the audacity to pay off the vet, there will be a catastrophe. But then, I have a lot of dogs and half of them are on my vet's list under "geriatric."


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

selzer said:


> Your question just put me into a full-blown panic attack. And so close to bed-time. I will probably have nightmares now. Thanks, just thanks. >
> 
> My true answer is that it is never-ending. If I have the audacity to pay off the vet, there will be a catastrophe. But then, I have a lot of dogs and half of them are on my vet's list under "geriatric."


You made me laugh so hard I had tears coming out of my eyes! Thanks, I needed that...


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

clipke said:


> You must live in one of the rural areas of NC. I live in Suburban **** in Central NC aaah. Where are you from?


Triangle area - suburbs! 
However have had years of training in keeping a budget (i.e. when we got married, my husband was a graduate student...) so we are good about shopping around, comparing costs, keeping life simple.

Of course I omitted that at the grocery store, an extra bully stick or two may find its way into the cart, but I don't "count" that ...;-)
I also started giving joint supplements recently, which I forgot to include... 

Anyway - I think it's great that the OP is thinking about it in advance!


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

First, keep in mind vet costs vary WIDELY in different parts of the US (and presumably the rest of the world too). You will pay FAR more for basic vet care as well as injury/illness treatment in San Francisco or Manhattan than you will in suburban Louisiana or rural West Virginia. So to some extent, regional awareness is part of planning.

When adopters ask this question in Louisiana, our rescue tells them to budget _at least _$200/mo. There may be months you don't spend anywhere close to that much, and months you spend far more, so put the extra away if you can. Or better yet, include pet insurance in that $200/mo. In a more expensive part of the U.S., you might have to increase that by 50% (or even 100%).

You _can_ control some of these big, catastrophic bills that people have posted about by spending about $50/mo. on a good pet insurance plan that will pay them -- Healthy Paws would be a good one to look at. The earlier you get it in place, the better, as you won't have pre-existing conditions to worry about! If you wait to put the policy in place until problems start showing up, they won't be covered.

They don't pay for wellness (or with HP, exams) -- you can cover those small charges yourself. They do pay for multi-thousand dollar disasters -- your pup gets out the door before you grab his collar, and then gets hit by a car and needs $5,000 in reconstructive orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation, or races after a ball and tears an ACL as an adolescent, or gets mauled by another dog that was off-leash-- bad luck that _can _happen.

My middle aged dog needed $2,000 in vet dental surgery last year to save his front canines after a freak fetch accident. Healthy Paws paid 90%. This year, he has needed over $8,000 in eye surgeries and cancer treatment for a bizarre, genetic form of melanoma in the eyeball. They're paying 90% of that too! 

Maybe you have a $10,000 dedicated "dog emergency fund" for stuff like this, but most people don't -- so pet insurance is a good solution, esp. if you only have a single dog. (NOTE: many companies and policies are awful -- don't buy one unless you know it's a good company that pays actual charges incurred, without arbitrary exclusions!)

On the other hand, another of my dogs has needed no vet care whatsoever except for her annual wellness care -- for years and years. One time she had a hot spot that cost under $200 to treat, but she's never had any thing else go wrong in 5 years. We have a policy on her but never have claims with her.

You can't "plan" to have a dog that never has anything go wrong though. It just happens. So instead, we try to plan to be able to handle whatever goes wrong!


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

A lot of members here suggest pet insurance. I have looked at it numerous times and, in Canada at least, I deemed it not worth the money. The premiums and deductibles are high and the coverage is low. They don't cover wellness or preventatives. So do your research and be clear on WHAT you are paying for. Also understand that in many cases you need to pay the bill and then the insurance company decides whether or not to reimburse.

I take a different approach. I put at least $50 a month in a "vet account" and I have a credit card for emergencies. I have a good relationship with the vets and they are aware that major bills may require installments. I also stick to private clinics as much as possible as chains are much more stringent with payment.


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## cqok (May 22, 2018)

Thank you so much for your info and stories. Yes. the costs you spent really scared me I thought around $1500/year. excluding toys and crates.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

cqok said:


> Thank you so much for your info and stories. Yes. the costs you spent really scared me I thought around $1500/year. excluding toys and crates.


I thought I'd be spending around $1500 a year too. Sorry for scaring you. If you loved being scared, there is more stuff I could share .....:grin2:


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Magwart said:


> First, keep in mind vet costs vary WIDELY in different parts of the US (and presumably the rest of the world too). You will pay FAR more for basic vet care as well as injury/illness treatment in San Francisco or Manhattan than you will in suburban Louisiana or rural West Virginia. So to some extent, regional awareness is part of planning.
> 
> When adopters ask this question in Louisiana, our rescue tells them to budget _at least _$200/mo. There may be months you don't spend anywhere close to that much, and months you spend far more, so put the extra away if you can. Or better yet, include pet insurance in that $200/mo. In a more expensive part of the U.S., you might have to increase that by 50% (or even 100%).
> 
> ...


OMG!!! 200/month for 1 dog??? For vet care? Honestly, I spend 3k to 5k per year at the vet, for 14 - 22 regular dogs, and 0-3 litters of puppies. (one year I had three litters, several years I have had 0, I average 1.5.) But if you go with 3k divided by 14 dogs well for simplicity let's say 15 because I did just put Milla down. That is $200/per dog per year. Yes, some of my dogs cost more than that, and most don't need to go in at all. If you are buying heartguard or preventative flea meds, your yearly cost will go up by 2-400 per year. And in Louisiana that would be a must. But for the last several years, my cost has been approximately 3000. Having the vet come out and do vacs, was a huge money saver -- $50 or $75 dollar charge for the home visit and a single exam fee and the cost of the vaccs. Taking them in individually would cost me $130/per. Thank God they only need vaccinations every 3-4 years.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

It's vet care, food, supplies, toys, training -- everything. Some years it's less than $2400, others it's going to be more. That's why we recommend people stash the unspent portion of the monthly budget away, esp. if they aren't going to get pet insurance. Otherwise we get a call in a few years about a dog with a $3000 bloat bill because they didn't plan.


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## Tulip (Jul 31, 2012)

Let me think....

I buy Orijen, which is about $90/30 lbs bag after tax, which I buy every month.

So,
Food: $90/month * 12 months = $1,080/yr

As far as vet bills, he's 6 yrs old and has never gotten sick besides getting an upset tummy every now and then, and I only revaccinate for DHHP once or twice after all the puppy boosters, I never do the bordetella unless I plan on boarding him, and rabies is only required every 3 yrs. For a puppy, however, you'll be going to the vet a lot more often; at least 3-5 times in the first year. I also only give heartworm preventative from May through October.

So I'd guess this
Vet bills for puppy 8 wks to 1 yr.: $200-$300 (add another few hundred if you spay/neuter)
Vet bills for my adult dog: $100-$200/yr

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


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## Biznitch15 (Apr 15, 2014)

I had my pup since 8 weeks. She's now like 6mos. Ive probably spent around $2k including food, puppy classes, day care and toys and stuff. Probably more if i don't already have a crate and a pet bed. She Sprained something near one of her front legs and i elected to not take her to the vet. I just bought an ankle wrap and she healed in 3 or 4 days. Probably saved me around $300-$500 not taking her to the vet. Dogs ain't cheap.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Get insurance. We never needed it until we did. It’s worth every penny it costs unless you don't plan to save the dog in an emergency. Even if you save the same amount as the cost of the policy, one expensive treatment or surgery can wipe out your entire dog savings. If you get a puppy, get insurance right away before they have any pre existing conditions.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

$10k a year in food, gas, training, vets, this year more :frown2:


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## cqok (May 22, 2018)

ausdland said:


> $10k a year in food, gas, training, vets, this year more :frown2:


Wow. This is a lot. I think most people will find difficult to afford this range for a GSD.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

cqok said:


> Wow. This is a lot. I think most people will find difficult to afford this range for a GSD.


It's crazy. She's been injured a couple times but I'm factoring in all my SAR costs.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

cqok said:


> Wow. This is a lot. I think most people will find difficult to afford this range for a GSD.


You have to understand the costs you're hearing here are like one side of a spectrum. My last dog cost me a total of about 500.00 in her whole life for vet bills, and her food cost, back then, was around 30.00 per month. She lived to be 12 1/2 yrs old, and would likely have lived much longer, but unfortunately found some antifreeze in a puddle somewhere and it did her in. The treatment she got, and euthanasia, in the end, was at least 1/3 of the entire vet total.

When you talk about cost, it's also important to think about the benefit. In every single case, for me personally the benefit COMPLETELY outweighed any and all costs! 

While it is important to go into dog ownership with a good idea of the expense it could be, for everyone here saying they've spent 10K, I guarantee there are an equal or far greater number of people out there who've spent orders of magnitude less! My first dog probably cost me less that 300.00 his whole life, and he lived to 12 1/2 yrs also...of course, I didn't feed him Orijen or Fromm, but he was happy and healthy his whole life!


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

There was a time when I was keeping track... 



But right now:
Good dog food 30# @ $50 including shipping - Order 2 bags at a time to cut down on shipping cost. (actually order 4 bags at once and that quantity lasts 2 - 2.5 months for 2 dogs)
Allergy meds - can run $125 a month for one dog but the shot seemed to take care of it so allergy shot for each dog $150 and it seems that may be for 6 mos or maybe just one and done or once a year. 

I order treats on line - poultry feet, beef trachea, chicken, beef, or whatever jerky. Maybe $100 for 6 mos supply for two dogs. Or I make my own - 1# beef liver, 1 C whole wheat flour - cost maybe $4 for two months of training treats for two dogs. (I am not generous with these). 

IPO club dues & DVG membership $300 or so annually but can run $400+ at some clubs.
Building my own equipment -- climbing wall - about $300 initially, maybe $45 a year to recarpet; Hurdle - $50 to build (and it could be rebuilt any old time)
Buying equipment -- #1 dumbbell is about $20 and will last several years.
Training reward toys -- Kong on a rope (put your own rope on this) maybe 8 - 10 $ -- need at least two - will last a couple of years.
Training vest 40 to 100$, Bite sleeve, other stuff -- whatever you want to spend. Most of this is one time purchase for the casual handler. 

Driving 2.5-3 hours to club averaging 3x per month @ Maybe $30 a trip? What the heck just say $100 a month
Toys -- buy these on sale. My dogs like to rip them up. Sooo a thrift store towel (sometimes in a sack of 10 for $4), a strip of faux fur, or for a very durable "toy" one of the fleece golf club covers 50 cents to $1 each.


Vet care - After puppy shots, I titer and vaccinate only as indicated. Rabies here is a 3 year at least. But then I do lazer treatments on the one dog, accupuncture and chiropractic. In Arkansas, accupuncture & chiro was $60 a dog 4 to 6 weeks as necessary. Let's see there was the trip to the evet to have the dog pee in their office and immediately feel 100% better but we ran tests anyway just to be sure $300 (but a heck of a lot cheaper than bloat surgery); there was the cheat grass awl in the paw that was actually a splinter another $300 --- I am so sorry you asked this question!


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## cqok (May 22, 2018)

tim_s_adams said:


> You have to understand the costs you're hearing here are like one side of a spectrum. My last dog cost me a total of about 500.00 in her whole life for vet bills, and her food cost, back then, was around 30.00 per month. She lived to be 12 1/2 yrs old, and would likely have lived much longer, but unfortunately found some antifreeze in a puddle somewhere and it did her in. The treatment she got, and euthanasia, in the end, was at least 1/3 of the entire vet total.
> 
> When you talk about cost, it's also important to think about the benefit. In every single case, for me personally the benefit COMPLETELY outweighed any and all costs!
> 
> While it is important to go into dog ownership with a good idea of the expense it could be, for everyone here saying they've spent 10K, I guarantee there are an equal or far greater number of people out there who've spent orders of magnitude less! My first dog probably cost me less that 300.00 his whole life, and he lived to 12 1/2 yrs also...of course, I didn't feed him Orijen or Fromm, but he was happy and healthy his whole life!


thanks for your words. otherwise after saw those big numbers and aggression videos on youtube, really feel discouraging and feel no confidence to take care of a GSD.


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## cqok (May 22, 2018)

middleofnowhere said:


> There was a time when I was keeping track...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. You dogs are so lucky to have you. I dont have any plan for the IPO stuff.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

cqok said:


> Wow. This is a lot. I think most people will find difficult to afford this range for a GSD.


It's not just GSDs, I was talking to a lady who'd spend $20,000 on vet care for her maltese.


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## cqok (May 22, 2018)

Can I say Vets make a good amount of money in the States? More than doctors?


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Actually they don't, cqok. They earn far, far less than human doctors unless they are specialists. I think some of the specialists probably do earn a pretty good living, but there aren't many of them because it takes so many years to become a specialist (and it's so hard to get matched into a residency program).

General practice vets fresh out of vet school can earn as little as $50,000 in some markets. The average salary (including senior vets) is about $100,000. That may sound good, but unlike other countries, the American education is staggeringly expensive: 2016 veterinary school graduates in the U.S. averaged *$167,534.89* in student loans at graduation, and over 20% of them had at least *$200,000* in debt. That means they have to pay a huge chunk of their earnings toward servicing this debt -- student loan debt also cannot be discharged in bankruptcy in the U.S., so it will follow them for 30 years (their whole career) if they can't pay it off sooner. Their debt-to-income ratio is double that of human doctors.

They also work incredibly long hours that most clients never see. After the clinic closes, they are still there with patients, often late into the night, and then they have to be bright-eyed to greet clients in the morning. I've had text conversations at 2AM with one of my vets, when she was still at the clinic, fighting to save a patient.

The veterinary profession has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the United States.


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## MayzieGSD (Aug 28, 2006)

The thing is, it's like playing the lottery. Chances are, you won't have 10k in vet bills. My first GSD was almost all routine vet care and I had her for 11 years. But it's good to plan for the worst. Although, I know many people who would NEVER spend 10k on a dog. They couldn't afford it! And it's just a dog!. All while driving 30k cars, always having the latest iphone, going out to eat/drinking several times a week, paying $$$ for the covered parking every month. I'd rather spend my money on my dog


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

The veterinary profession has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the United States.[/QUOTE]

The same in Australia, a vet nurse told me a couple of years ago about the veterinary profession high suicide rate.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yes, on average, vets make less money than engineers, doctors, lawyers, and many other professionals and they probably do more pro-bono work. 

Out here, vet care is cheaper because people just can't afford it. But if the vet were to set up his shingle in California, he could charge way more. But then overhead would be way more. Staff will cost way more, and living there will cost way more. 

The initial investment is similar to what doctors and lawyers pay out for their education. 

But the suicide rate for vets is really bad. Everyone thinks the vet is cheating them. Everyone thinks the vet should do surgery on their dog even though they can't pay for it and won't. Everyone thinks vets get to work with animals and have the greatest job in the world. But in reality, vets see a LOT of pain. They see pain in the critters because lots of folks only bring them in when they are near death. And they see death in critters they can't fix. And they see folks losing their minds over their pets. It's a **** job, really. You think you are going to work with animals, but I think you deal with people a lot more, and then there is all the business crap. There are the vet techs and office staff to keep happy with each other and trained, and computer software, and then you have to stay up yourself on all the new technology and all the newest fads in medicine. 

Your ordinary doctor is a GP or a Surgeon or a specialist in a particular field. Vets are GPs and Surgeons, and may have a specialty too, and then they are not just focused on dogs, or even mammals, there are birds and fish and reptiles, farm animals, pets, and so on. And then we have people who are self-taught experts all arguing with the vet about this or that. 

And the vet can serve 18 pets in a day just fine, with never a thank you or have a good day, but one minor issue in the waiting room, or with the staff or with the care their dog has and then you have a ticked off customer that lets you have it with both barrels. No, it's a tough job, and since I am not a vet, I don't even know the worst of it, like cleaning maggots off of a matted dog in order to get to the wounds, the neglect, the abuse. Or having someone come in with their young dog to have it put down because they couldn't be bothered with training. Or seeing a young dog that you've known from a puppy die from bloat, and there is nothing you can do but euthanize because the owners cannot afford the surgery or don't want to put the money into the surgery. 

I wanted to be a vet when I was a kid. I am glad that I did not go down that road.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

One of my vets told me about people wanting to put down healthy dogs so the owners can go on holiday. Apparently, it's cheaper than boarding the dog, and easy to get a replacement dog when they return.


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## Mfilbert18 (Jun 20, 2018)

Springbrz said:


> I used to keep track of expenses until the number gave my acid reflux and a deep need to drink a whole bottle of wine /forum/images/smilies/eek.gif I stopped keeping track. Some days I want to cry that she didn't turn out to be the perfect dog we had hoped she would be and turns up with another health issue. Mostly we just love her and enjoy all she has to offer...which is a lot.
> I think we scared to OP away with all our horror stories of high costs. I hope the OP realizes that every dog and it's needs and expenses are different. Cost vary so widely. I hope the take away is that with a healthy dog of any breed (aside from actual purchase price) $1000-$2000 a year is a reasonable average for the care and maintenance of any dog.


I did so well the first two weeks we had our Geno, however, then he broke his leg. The surgery alone was 5872. Medication was not too bad. Then, the follow up x-ray and visit at the same emergency vet was over 800. Then, he attacked a rabid racoon that was on my foot and that was 80. Needless to say, i lost track. I know that this puppy has cost me a small fortune. He is the best dog I've ever had and wouldn't change him for the world. He is truly blessed and so are we. This poor little puppy was all bones when we got him and so frail. We bulked him up now and he is just a big, floppy, fluffy, loveable, lap dog.


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