How Much is that Doggie in the Window? Articles | Dogs

By: Pat McGuire

(The hidden cost of pet ownership)

So you’ve made a decision to buy a puppy. You have factored in the cost of the dog; the crate, the food, the chew toys, the treats, the bowls, the shampoo, the collar and leash, the toenail clippers, and the brush. The breeder or the pet shop will tell you that your puppy needs shots (every year of its life); and of course, being a responsible pet owner, you will have your pet neutered. We also had our puppy micro chipped for $150.00. Our $350.00 puppy cost over $1000.00 by the time we finished paying for all the above items and services.

More than one thousand dollars. A little more than we had expected when we fell in love with that little waggley tail. She is a sassy 10-pound yorkie-mix with a little curly tail. She is a precious dog that we absolutely love. She is our best buddy. She is very good when we are not home—she doesn’t chew the furniture or dig holes in the carpet; so once we found that she could be trusted when we were gone, she was no longer crated and has the run of the house. It is when we are home that she is our little money pit. Here are some of the unexpected additional expenses we’ve incurred because of our little Scamp.

$35.00 for a neat little Bissell spot cleaner while we were housebreaking. (She is over a year old, and I still use it—get what I’m saying??)

$18.95 for a blanket to cover the couch, because puppy runs in from outside directly to the couch to see what is going on in the front of the house.

$265.00 for a Hoover steam cleaner to clean up all the muddy prints. (see above)

$55.00 for cleaning and deodorizing solutions

$5.00 for a carpet remnant to put at the back door to catch the wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, or snow that she tracks in.

$25.00 to replace door wall screen after she punched a hole in it.

$60.00 puppy training pads

$35.00 trips to groomer

Chewing damage:

$35.00 a pair of sandals

$15.00 another pair of sandals

$30.00 tennis shoes

$45.00 work boots

$7.00 remote

$4.00 extension cord

$? phone cord

$? speaker cord

$250.00 pair of glasses

$? countless pairs of dollar-store reading glasses

$200.00 cell phone

$2.00 new plug for cd player

$17.00 library book

$???? chewed-up ear plugs, mail, receipts, bookmarks, newspapers, magazines, toys, paper money, socks, lipstick tube, pop bottles, toilet paper, tissues, venetian blind pulls, wooden spoon, Tupperware, headphone covers, and fish food.

Now let’s talk about time spent on this beloved puppy:

Washing nose and paw prints off windows in house and car; cleaning paw prints off carpets and furniture; picking up toy stuffing and tiny bits of torn-up paper; washing bedspread and couch blanket weekly; washing throw rugs that she uses as puppy pads; steam cleaning carpet every couple of weeks; cleaning puke from car-sickness; taking puppy for walks; Grooming and bathing; picking up poo—inside and outside.

It can be discouraging to look at this list, and almost all dog owners can come up with a similar list. (Some people have to add things like chewed-up furniture, carpeting or fences.) If you are thinking about buying a dog, please consider this list. This is a reality of pet ownership. When some people discovers the real cost of ownership, they punish or abandon their dogs. Dogs are first, and foremost animals. They do not grow into well-behaved furry little people. Their general nature is wolf-like. They tend to dig, bark, and make messes. They need a lot of attention and care, and as you can see, it takes a lot more money to provide for them than most people imagine.

We treasure our bright-eyed little beast. She has one ear up and one ear down. She is ready to play at a moment’s notice. She greets us at the door with that tick-tock tail, acting like we’ve been gone forever, when all we did was take out the trash. She sleeps with us at night. She is a great source of amusement as we watch her chase squirrels in the backyard, or run the fence with the neighbor’s dog, stretched out like she’s flying. It is a pleasure to watch her enjoy life. I look into her trusting eyes and imagine what her life could be like if she had an owner who would not put up with the muddy prints and the damage she has done. It breaks my heart to think of all the puppies and dogs who are punished just for being what they are—animals.

If you are on the fence about whether you should buy a pet or not, go over this list again, and factor in the real cost of owning a pet. Trust me, every dog owner can give you a similar list. Bring an animal into your life only if you are willing to make this kind of commitment.