Last Updated on June 13, 2023 by HodgePodgeDays
There’s nothing like having a dog in your house to make it feel more like a home. To get that warm welcome when you walk in the door, to have that feeling of unconditional love – and another addition to the family. A dog has many benefits to a loving family, but there is no denying that there is a significant cost attached to having a dog as your pet – and you need to ensure that it’s manageable for you. That’s why it’s crucial you make sure you factor it in to your monthly budget in order to make sure that you are taking the best care of your dog as you can.
Take into Consideration the Breed of Dog
Not all dogs cost the same to maintain, it’s important to remember that. If you have a large dog for example – you need to factor in that they will eat more food – and potentially require more activities. Long walks of course are important for large dogs, and depending on where you live it could be that you need to drive or take public transport. Although these might seem minor costs, they all add up. They also may need to be fed a certain type of food that you may not have considered. Make sure you clue up on breeds of dogs.
Keeping the Dog Happy and Healthy
Keeping your dog happy and healthy is of course the most important thing. You need to make sure that they’re given the right food and given adequate exercise. In some cases, you’ll need additional supplements to keep their coat healthy. Obviously, you can’t prevent everything from occurring which is why you need to have insurance. As most people will have to dog their to the vet after an accident or illness and it’s not cheap. You need to ensure that you take into account any fees associated with vets are taken into account when buying a dog. You can check out what kind of policy by checking this as an example, https://www.petsure.com/dog-insurance. If you don’t get insurance you might not be able to afford a potential emergency vet trip and this could be quite disheartening.
Do you Have Experience in Training Dogs?
If you don’t have experience in training dogs, it could be that you need to attain the services of a dog trainer. Some breeds of dogs can be slightly more difficult to deal with than others, and you may need some guidance. Border Collies for example, are working dogs, so they need to be stimulated more than others. Dog agility training is incredibly popular within this breed, and maintains a lifestyle for them that is more suited to their breed. There are standard puppy training classes, and others that are more bespoke depending on what your individual needs may be.
Pet Sitting and Holidays
Although the rules for traveling around with dogs have since relaxed – there may be a situation where you can’t take the dog with you. In this case you might need to take your dog to place where they can be minded while you are away. So, you may also need to take into account any pet sitting or boarding fees you will have to pay for if you go on holiday regularly. If you work at the office or have to travel from your home a lot for work, it might also be a good idea to look into how much a dog walker would cost and ensure that this cost is also taken into consideration.
The reality is, there are lots of costs associated with owning a dog, and you need to make sure they are manageable, and you are able to live within your means comfortably owning one. It’s a good idea to draw up a checklist of the potential outgoings based on some of the considerations and see if it’s feasible for you.
This is a contributed post.