I think this is more relevant for the UK members... but my boyfriend is thinking about getting a dog, so wants some information.. for example, how much you spend on your dog a week (food wise, plus anything else)?, and how much vet treatments cost (vaccines etc)?



Thanks

I'm not in the UK, but I think there is one consideration that is often over looked when people are thinking about having a dog for a pet: if you work or go to school, what does the animal do when you are not there to be with it? will it be miserable? if you like to travel, who will take care of the pet while you are away? will it have to be sent off to a kennel?



just some things to think about. we have dogs back home and cats and a horse so their care is something that my family has had to think about a lot.

Cheers yeah he's already been thinking of those types of things.. there's always someone at home, he lives with his parents and grandparents, and i'm there a lot of the time as well lol.. so pretty sure there'll always be someone around, and to take it out for walks etc is no problem.



It's not definate that things will go ahead, at the moment it's just a thought

If money is an issue definatly get pet insurance, you don't want to be forking out a couple of grand because the dog decided to swallow it's toy.

Personally I don't think those are that big of concerns. Dogs sleep a lot, so in reality when you go off to work they're just going to catch up on sleep. I've always worked full time, and I've never felt like I'm neglecting my dogs.

And putting a dog in a kennel is not a bad thing every once in a while -- although there are always other options such as doggy day care or a house sitter, when you can't just bring the dogs with you.

Yeah the dog would definatly be insured, will have to look into that as well. Does anyone here have their dogs insured, if so by who?

There are some threads on pet insurance. I haven't felt it to be worth the cost, but I'm able to save money on my own for emergencies.

This advice would certainly not ring true for all dogs and it is essential that new owners look at whether the individual dog will be suited to being left rather than presuming that it will 'just catch up on sleep'. Some working breeds, young puppies and dogs with seperation anxiety, if left for long periods could become stressed and destructive.



As far as costs go it will vary wildly from dog to dog. According to the kennel club it usually costs up to £25 per week to keep a dog.

The first consideration is the source of you pet. If looking for a puppy then a registered pedigree will cost you a few hundred pounds where a mongrel will cost you considerably less. If buying a puppy dont be tempted by a cheap, quick offer out of the newspaper, ensure that you find a good breeder who breeds few litters and carries out all the relivent health checks. If looking for an adult dog the best place to start is rescue centres where you with find all ages of dog in all breeds and mixes. Most rescues will charge an adoption fee from around £30 - £200.



There are a few initial expenses when you first get your dog. The cost of bowls, collars, tags, leads, beds, grooming equipment and car guards adds up to quite a sum but once bought do not need replacing very often.



If you go for a rescue dog vaccines, neutering and a health check are often done proir to adoption and are often included in the adoption fee. If vaccinating yearly then this will cost you around £70 and will probably not be covered by insurance, however it may not be necessary to get that done annually. Neutering will costs vary from vet to vet and is ussually £30-£190 with male castration costing less than a female spay. Microchipping costs around £20 gives you pet perminant ID. If you dont have adiquate savings to pay a large vets bill then I would suggest insurance.There are many tochoose from and your best bet is to look at price comparison sites for the best deal. Look for a policy that will protect your dog for life and for ongoing conditions, insurance for dogs starts at around £7 per month.



When looking at food I think it important to go for quality over price as a poor quality diet can lead to health problems. The best manufactured foods available in the uk in my opinion are Dry- Burns, james wellbeloved and orijin Wet- Burns, nature diet, natures menu and natures harvest. All these vary in cost and it would depend on the size, breed and activity level of the dog. As an example a 25kg would cost around 60p per day to be fed on burns. Anothe option is to do what I do and feed a raw diet based on raw, meaty bones, meat and organs. It cost me a bomb to feed this way as it is all organiclly sourced but some people who have a good relationship with their butcher can feed for pratically nothing. However as this is a veggie message board I presume you neither have a good relationship with your butcher nor want a freezer full of raw meat.



There are other ongoing costs to think about. All dogs need training and you may want to consider going to a local class to give you guidence, this will range from around £2 - £20 for a hour with private tutoring costing even more. You may also want to train at home in which case youy would need to invest in books and mabee equipment. Flea and worm treatment may also be needed and these vary in cost depending on brand and quality. Finally if you end up with a dog that needs professional grooming like a poodles,spaniels and some terriers then those costs will vary according to the style of clip, quality of groomer and how often the dog will need doing.



Hope that helps Punk_in_Drublic and welldone for researching - something that alot of would be dog owners dont bother to do. Good luck in finding a 4 legged friend if thats what you decide.

Wow thank you so much Glitterpixie, that's brilliant. We'd be looking at a rescue dog, so i'm sure the centre would be able to provide us with information as well.



I think that's pretty much covered the lot, so i'll be able to pass that all onto my boyfriend so he can have a think about it.



Thank you !!!

Sure, I agree it's good to consider. Although I had to laugh at your wording because that is exactly what I have right now.. two working breed dogs, one 5 month old puppy, and a dog with separation anxiety! And I'm often gone for 9 hours, occassionally as long as 12 hours, although I try to get a dog sitter to stop by when it's that long.

Happy to help






Im not saying it can't work but it has the potential to go seriously wrong and I have seen too many dogs and owners suffer because they have made the totally wrong choice of dog for their circumstances.