When you are looking to bring a new puppy into your life and/or family, you always need to understand the true cost of owning a dog, so you are prepared ahead of time and are not caught off-guard with unexpected expenses or expenses you did not realize should be included in your budget. Please Note: Many websites downplay the realistic cost of owning a dog, and we feel that offering that kind of information is a disservice and does not adequately prepare people to be responsible, committed dog parents. So we have created this page to be a guide specifically to help you plan a realistic budget before you bring home your new fur-baby. The information below has been carefully calculated with small breeds like ours in mind. If you are planning to get a larger breed, please understand that your budget for the cost of owning a dog will need to be adjusted to take into account your pet's size, breed, and related needs.
PURCHASE PRICE: $3000 - $6000
When you purchase a puppy from an ethical holistic breeder, you should expect to pay between $3,000 and $6,000 for your puppy. An ethical holistic breeder invests a lot of time and money to ensure your puppy is well-bred, supported in optimal growth & development, & reared to be a superior puppy. Related Pages: What's Included With Our Puppies Our Puppy Rearing Methods Puppies For Sale Get On Our Puppy Waiting List Purchase A Puppy Now
TRANSPORTATION: $0 - $2000
If you live within 45 minutes of our farm, we deliver your puppy to your home for free. If you live further than 45 minutes from our farm, we provide a free meet-up service that is 45 minutes from our farm. If you live further out, or even completely across the country, we provide meet-up and delivery services - including nanny flight delivery - for a fee. Related Page: Shipping & Delivery Options
FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS: $1200 - $2500
Up until about 9 months old, most puppies will be eating close to two times as much as they will need when they are adults. During this period of growth and development, superior nutrition is extremely important, so plan to spent extra money on food and supplements the first year you have your puppy home. And remember, between 80% and 100% of vet visits can be avoided with superior, high quality nutrition and appropriate supplementation combined with reduced exposure to toxic substances through holistic healthcare. So providing high quality food and supplements is an investment into your puppy's long-term health, quality of life, and longevity, and will likely save you a great deal in vet bills down the road. By investing in superior nutrition & holistic healthcare, the long-term cost of owning a dog is greatly reduced. Related Page: Feeding Your Puppy A Superior Holistic Diet 7 Reasons Why We Use & Recommend PawTree
SUPPLIES: $200 - $1000+
There is lot of wiggle room in this category as some people want to buy a lot of extra supplies for their new fur-baby. In reality, you need to make sure that at a minimum, you have a sufficient puppy pen, potty, crate, bed, sweaters & jackets for cooler weather, several toys (including some puzzles for enrichment), a food and water dish, and a few basic grooming supplies. Additionally, it is wise to get a small holistic medicine cabinet of various remedies on hand so you are prepared for small emergencies. Related Page: Order Supplies From Our New Puppy Checklist
TRAINING: $178.50 (After 25% Off Coupon Code: SEEKINGSHALOMACRES)
For most our puppy families, we find that Baxter & Bella Online Puppy School (online training) Lifetime Membership is more than sufficient for all their training needs. Requiring only a one-time initial cost up-front, this program is a very cost-effective investment that provides you with a comprehensive curriculum that teaches you how to train your puppy. Providing unlimited one-on-one sessions with a professional trainer whenever you need it, this program pays for itself in no time! Related Page: Baxter & Bella Online Puppy School
GROOMING: $0 - $300
If you want to groom your puppy at home, there are lots of resources on YouTube to teach you how to do so. Our puppies have so much grooming desensitization from just after they are born that most of them are easy at-home groomers. But if you prefer to use a professional groomer, plan to take your puppy to the groomer every two months at a minimum.
PET-SITTING / BOARDING: $0 - $1000
If you plan to take any trips without your puppy or leave your puppy home alone for extended periods of time, you will need to arrange for proper care for your furbaby during those times. If you have friends or family who can take care of your puppy during those times, you will not need to budget for pet-sitting or boarding your pet. However, not everyone has family or friends who can help with their puppy, so it is wise to budget for these potential expesnes as well.
VET BILLS: $400 - $10,000+
Vet expenses are to be expected when you own a dog. But you have choices that can help keep these expenses much lower and dramatically decrease your need for veterinary services at all! By learning how to care for your puppy in a holistic way (decreasing toxic exposure and increasing nutritional support and other functional holistic support), you can dramatically decrease your need for veterinary services. We keep our dogs holistically, and it is very rare that we need veterinary services because of this approach. Unfortunately, conventional veterinary care is a leading cause of health problems in small dogs like ours, because they are regularly overdosed when cared for under the conventional standard of care. Therefore, we recommend that every dog owner learn and use holistic care with their pets. Emergency vet expenses can arise despite the best holistic care. For example, if a puppy swallows something they shouldn't or gets hit by a car, emergency care will be required. Obviously, every owner should take the best precautions possible to avoid there circumstances, but realistically, they still do happen sometimes beyond your control. This is the main reason we recommend that you carry a health insurance policy on your puppy. That way, if an emergency arises, you are not stuck with a very high ER vet bill, and can dramatically decrease the cost of owning a dog. Related Page: Why Every Dog Owner Should Use A Holistic Vet Why Are Holistically-Reared Puppies So Healthy?
HEALTH INSURANCE: $420 - $1200
Health insurance is a great way to lower the cost of owning a dog. We provide 30-days free Trupanion health insurance with every puppy we sell so you know that you have good coverage for any emergencies during your first month with your fur-baby. But we recommend that you either keep the Trupanion health insurance or pick up a health insurance policy with another company and keep it for the life of your dog, so that you are not stuck with very high vet bills if or when an emergency happens! The cost of your dog's insurance will depend on what services you elect to include, the deductible you select, etc.
PURCHASE PRICE: $3000 - $6000 TRANSPORTATION: $0 - $2000 FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS: $1200 - $2500 SUPPLIES: $200 - $1000 TRAINING: ~ $180 GROOMING: $0 - $300 PET SITTING / BOARDING: $0 - $1000 VET BILLS: $400 - $10000 HEALTH INSURANCE: + $420 - $1200
TOTAL: $5,400 - $23,400
Please Note: The higher end of this projected cost is a worst-case scenario where you end up with some very high vet bills that were not covered by insurance (or you did not have insurance). Such a scenario is unlikely, but could happen, and should at least be considered when planning to bring home a puppy. In most cases, the actual cost will be closer to the lower end of this estimate!
FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS: $800 - $2000
Your dog will need less food after 9 months old because he or she will no longer be growing. Because of this, you can plan to spend a bit less on food and supplements from here on out. But never feed lower quality food as superior food is the foundation for good health and is critical throughout your dog's entire life! Related Page: Feeding Your Puppy A Superior Holistic Diet 7 Reasons Why We Use & Recommend PawTree
SUPPLIES: $50 - $100
You will likely need to get new toys and new clothes for your puppy periodically, but there really are not a lot of other supplies that you will need to purchase. Related Page: Order Supplies From Our New Puppy Checklist
Vet expenses are to be expected when you own a dog. But you have choices that can help keep these expenses much lower and dramatically decrease your need for veterinary services at all! By learning how to care for your puppy in a holistic way (decreasing toxic exposure and increasing nutritional support and other functional holistic support), you can dramatically decrease your need for veterinary services. We keep our dogs holistically, and it is very rare that we need veterinary services because of this approach. Unfortunately, conventional veterinary care is a leading cause of health problems in small dogs like ours, because they are regularly overdosed when cared for under the conventional standard of care. Therefore, we recommend that every dog owner learn and use holistic care with their pets. Emergency vet expenses can arise despite the best holistic care. For example, if a puppy swallows something they shouldn't or gets hit by a car, emergency care will be required. Obviously, every owner should take the best precautions possible to avoid there circumstances, but realistically, they still do happen sometimes beyond your control. This is the main reason we recommend that you carry a health insurance policy on your puppy. That way, if an emergency arises, you are not stuck with a very high ER vet bill, and can dramatically decrease the cost of owning a dog. Related Pages: Why Every Dog Owner Should Use A Holistic Vet Why Are Holistically-Reared Puppies So Healthy?
FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS: $800 - $2000 SUPPLIES: $50 - $100 GROOMING: $0 - $300 PET SITTING / BOARDING: $0 - $1000 VET BILLS: $400 - $10000 HEALTH INSURANCE: + $420 - $1200
TOTAL: $1,700 - $13,600
The biggest determining factor in the cost of owning a dog is YOU! As the dog's owner, you will make choices that increase or decrease the overall cost of owning your dog. For example, if you prioritize holistic care, superior nutrition, and preventing toxic exposure, you are investing in the long-term health of your dog and will often spend more up-front. But if you look at it from a long-term perspective, you will save a lot more money than people who don't make that investment up front because you will generally have far less vet visits and chronic illness when you invest in the long-term health of your dog from the beginning. We almost never see the chronic health problems in our dogs that sooooo many others experience on a regular basis with their dogs. I am convinced that this is because we prioritize superior nutrition and holistic healthcare with our dogs and puppies, while intentionally avoiding the most common sources of toxic exposure that most dogs face on a regular basis. So make the commitment up front to provide superior nutrition for life, to learn how to use holistic healthcare, and to avoid toxic exposure, and you will likely dramatically decrease the overall cost of owning your dog!
In conclusion, the real cost of owning a dog can vary dramatically depending on the choices you make and the healthcare approach you follow. The old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is very true when it comes to the cost of owning a dog. Natural prevention through superior nutrition and supporting your dog's natural immune system via holistic care and decreased toxic exposure is the best way to proactively keep the overall cost of owning a dog on the lower end! I hope this article helped to give you a fresh and realistic perspective on the cost of owning a dog and how your choices can not only keep those costs down, but improve the quality and longevity of your dog's life!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
This site was created with the Nicepage