How much money should I have saved up before getting another dog?

U

unknowndoom101

Tourist
As stated in the title I would like a ballpark estimate of how much money I should save up before I get another dog. I have a bed, crate and gravity fed water bowl. I plan on adopting a dog from the animal shelter because of the cost of getting a dog from a breeder and giving a dog a home that needs it. I know that I will need food for the dog as well as a food bowl, flea/tick/heart worm medicine along with pet grooming supplies, leashes and treats. Ideally the dog’s size would be around 45lbs or have the height of around that of a Labrador. So my question for you all is what should I prioritize first and what should I get when I get the dog? What amount of money should I save up before getting the dog?The shelter I am going to covers the cost of basic medical care(vaccines and health checkups) as well as spay/neutering costs so I don’t have to worry about stuff like that.
 
Vet here. Look into pet insurance for the first year or so of having your new dog—
that’s when those unforeseen expenses can crop up. All of my personal animals are insured, it just means I can pull out all the stops at any point and not worry about the bill. Of course, it’s a gamble, since if your doggo is perfectly healthy you are just handing money over to the insurance company, but peace of mind has high value in and of itself.

If I threw the entire kitchen sink at a patient that came in, you’d have a bill around $800. If I was an emergency vet and you came in after hours, that cost goes up dramatically.

Thankfully, shelter dogs are usually mixes, who posses what is called “hybrid vigor” meaning they usually deal with a whole lot less diseases and medical conditions than your pure breeds. The biggest ongoing extra cost initially medical wise will be an entire additional dog’s with of preventatives, depending on what you choose.

Otherwise, I think there’s a thread lurking around here with the total calculated costs of owning a dog—I’ll see if I can dig it up.
 
Just thought I’d add don’t cheap out on insurance either. We made the mistake of having a cap of £2k a year for a past dog and she unfortunately developed a bowel issue where it wasn’t producing a certain type of enzyme needed to break down food. It required a LOT of visits to get a diagnosis and the bills racked up quickly.
 
Are you hoping to play with your new dog? If you are from the USA I believe all male dogs from a shelter are neutered. That's a problem I ran into when I was considering it.
 
TrixxxTrixxx said:
Are you hoping to play with your new dog? If you are from the USA I believe all male dogs from a shelter are neutered. That's a problem I ran into when I was considering it.
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While yes I am hoping to play with my dog like that, it’s not a requirement for me. I mainly just want a younger dog that can fetch a ball or play tug of war with since my current dog is 12-13 years old and showed no interest in toys. My mother will be taking care of my current dog and my landlord agreed that I could get a new dog if my dog either passed away from natural causes or my mother takes him into her care. I know my mother will take good care of my dog.
 
Without knowing specifics, I would say $6k... Or a 3-6 months of savings. Which should help with vet bills and job loss/switch.
 
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