Would like a dog...help establish budget??

froggy27_2

Might sound strange but my daughter would love a dog...She's only 6 but has always been mad on dogs. We both (parents) had dogs when we were younger and I can understand the need for companionship for a child. She's an only child and I think it will be good for her. BUT her dad keeps going on about costs.... So can you help me make a list? Pro/ cons...
where to get the dog? Insurance? food? Vaccins? Dog Passport?
holidays? etc etc.
It will have to be a small dog like a King Charles...and don't mind getting it from a rescue centre... although i have no idea what's required, how to go about it.... as you can see from the above!
Thanks in advance.

elsien

Can't help with the food and insurance costs, as my dog is bigger than what you're looking for - english bull terrier. However if you want a worst case scenario, she costs about £40 a month for food (dodgy stomach so I have to be careful) and £600 a year for insurance as she's 13 and knackered.

Vaccinations are annual, and alternate cheap one year and a bit more the next, depending on what's needed. (£20 ish? will need to check.) The average vets fees for me (midlands) are £22 for walking through the door, then the cost of meds on top of that. The average excess is about £50-£60, before you can start claiming on insurance.
Holidays -I pay £14 per day kennel fees or £20 a day to a petsitter while away. And a dog limits going out for the day, unless you have a friend or neighbour who can call in while you're out.
Cost of replacement furniture from chewing - lots!

There's lots of threads on here about the pros and cons of breeder versus rescue, maybe do a search. There's a lot of very strong opinions both ways, but I'd personally say look at rescues first even if you want a pup, they can be assessed for being around children as that will obviously be a concern.

However the most important thing is the amount of time and care a dog needs. Your daughter is 6 - she may love playing with it, but she's not going to be the one walking several times a day, feeding, grooming, clearing up wee, poo and sick etc. So is that something you're ready for? Do you both work away from the home, or will one of you be around for most of the day? If you're considering a puppy, they mess, chew, howl and are generally hard work for the first year or 2. And can live up to 15 or 16 depending on the breed.
I wouldn't be without mutt, but she is a huge responsibility, costs me a fortune (I have a knack for choosing unhealthy dogs!) and does limit my social life quite a lot. Just think very carefully about exactly what's entailed and who's going to be doing it before you make the leap - I had dogs when I was a kid, but had no idea how much time my parents put into looking after it.

Edit - sorry if that comes across a bit lecturey, just seen too many dumped dogs when people realise they're taken on more than they realised.

Caroline_a

When my children were little we had 2 dogs most of the time they were growing up. However, the dogs were always family dogs, rather than the children's dogs. A dog needs a responsible adult owner to ensure that they are treated correctly, with regular food times and amounts, training to ensure that they behave well both in and out of the house, and also able to identify potential illnesses and health problems. For the most part, a child cannot do this, so the adult has to take the responsibility.

Financially a lot depends on whether you get an adult dog or a puppy. If you get a pedigree pup, then you can pay several hundreds or more. A rescue adult (or pup) will require a donation paid to the rescue centre which can be around £50 or so, depending on which rescue and where you live.

Insurance again will depend on the age and the breed of dog. I would budget around £250 for this per year. Do, however, bear in mind that there will be an excess amount, so if you visit the vet for several minor things costing usually about £30 per visit, then your insurance will not pay out if these things are all different.

Worming and flea treatments, probably around £10 a month, innoculations about £30 a year. If your dog needs to be professionally groomed, that will depend entirely on the breed, size and where you live. I've never used a professional groomer so can't help with that one.

Food, again, depends on what sort you want to feed. A raw diet can be quite costly unless you have a friendly butcher, or an all-in-one type of food can cost around £15 - £25+ a month. (My GSD costs around £30 a month but he does get a daily bone too)

Not sure why you would need a dog passport, unless you intend taking the dog abroad. I've never done this. Kennels will cost around £7 a day, and if you go away in the Christmas period there is often an extra payment.

Also there are costs for beds, toys, crates, etc which can be as much or as little as you choose, and remember, both pups and dogs can sometimes be quite destructive in a new home.... and it's very doubtful that your home insurance policy will cover animal damage.

However, having a dog is wonderful - i certainly wouldn't be without one!

Sorry some crossing of posting there! (edit)

bouncydog1

And do not forget the cost of insuring your pet which is a must have. A bill for a dog injured in a road traffic accident can literally run into thousands of pounds. You will need to ensure that you buy a policy that gives you cover for life, as some policies will not insure you when your dog gets to about 9. At that age lots of other insurers will not take you on as a new risk, and even if they do, anything for which you have seen a vet previously will be excluded.

Sorry - just realised Caroline mentioned insurance. One thing to remember is that it will increase year on year - ours started around £9 per month for each dog and over the years went up to around £50 and £35 respectively - we had spaniels.

Also remember that dogs can live for a very long time - 15 -20 years in some cases. Your daughter will be likely left home and you will still be looking after the dog.

If you are still keen, please read the threads on here about KC's - lots of them have health problems due to inbreeding. I would suggest that you perhaps visit your local dog rescue and see if they do fostering before you make a firm decision - you may be asked to look after a dog for somebody who has termporarily gone into hospital for instance. The upside is that if it isn't for you, the dog will go back to the rescue centre. If you own the dog and then decide ownership is not for you, you would have to let it become a rehoming statistic.

The idea of a dog is great - we had them for nearly 30 years - but we will not get another one as we actually enjoy the fact that we can do whatever we want without having to walk the dog etc. E.G. last minute weekends away, planning a holiday without having to get a pet sitter in - ours suffered ill health as they got older and we would not put them into kennels as we felt that this might unsettle them. Think long and hard and make sure you make the right decision for you.

CFC

It has to come down to you wanting the dog as it will be your dog and responsibility while he/she is also your child's companion. Dogs are great for kids but it depends if you want one or not - it's like having another child that never grows up