We wanted to take a couple of minutes to outline the basic costs associated with a new 4 legged member of the family!
Firstly - lets talk purchase price. The price of puppies tripled in the period January - April 2020 period - with people paying anywhere up to €2000 + for a dog (in many cases, more!) and these would often be Puppy Farm pups (whether direct from farm or through a broker - which we discuss in this blog post: How best to avoid a puppy farm).
Setting aside the initial outlay and food (see our nutrition tips here!) there are lots of required and 'miscellaneous' costs that will arise particularly in the first 12 months and these are:
Vaccinations: €100 (two sets of vaccinations - assuming all goes well and no re-vaccination needed)
Wormer: €5 a dosage. Twice a month up to 3 months, and monthly until 6 months
Microchip €25 for implantation and €15 for registration
Dog Licence: €20 for an annual licence or €240 for a lifetime licence
Crate: €50 (may have to buy bigger size - so this could be €80+ over the 12 months)
Harness: €10-€25 for entry range, may have to buy 3 in the first 12 months
Lead: €10-€20
Collar: €5-€15 (plus a disc with contact details!)
Bed: €20 - €30
Insurance:€200+ depending on the dog.
Training: €100+
Grooming: €40-€70 every 6 weeks (depending on breed)
As with everything, how much you spend on any one of these items is up to you! A conservative pricing estimate puts the first year of dog ownership very easily into the €1000+ bracket, before we even buy any food!
It's important to note that from a cost perspective, rescuing is normally a significantly lower cost option as the adoption fees are usually €100-€160 which will include neutering and vaccinations at a minimum!
We'd love to hear if this came as a surprise to you or if there's any hidden costs we've missed!
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