[aggballer93]

Hey guys im currently trying to adopt a puppy, A Sheperad Mix Puppy. I was Wondering How much on average would i be paying A month with Food, Vets, Grooming ETC.?

[comom]

It depends on where you live. Grooming you can do at home. All you need is brushes, comb, dog shampoo and nail trimmer or a Dremel. For a GSD mix, I'd suggest a good rubber curry comb type brush, either one like what they use on horses or a Zoom Groom, and a bristle brush. I like the metal combs with teeth of two different widths for getting the under coat out(sometimes called "Greyhound combs"). Shedding blades and Furmantor type things break the coat.

Vet- It depends on where you are. In Novemeber I paid $160 for our Lab's annual check up, vaccination, Interceptor (heartworm preventative), and anti-biotic cream because he had an ear infection. That's fairly inexpesive for NJ. The best suggestion I can give you on that is to talk to some other dog owners in your area and ask them about costs.

Food- again, it depends. Not just on where you live, but what you're feeding. Our Lab's food runs a little over $2/pound, but he has allergies, so is on a limited ingredient food.

[aggballer93]

thank you any one else

[leland1]

DOnt know if you still need tips but natural food is the way to go it has less fillers and is extremely healthy for the dogs now that thing is this will cost you a pretty penny but for the most part and in most scenarios animals will get fuller faster and stay full which in the long run will save you money...and to be honest you cant cut expenses when it comes to the health of your pets....also for vet bills some places are really expensive some places not so much i dont know where you are located but I work for petco and we have Low Cost Vaccinations on the weekends so perhaps your local petco has a service like this

[hamburger.walrus]

depends.

my sled dogs eat for free, feeding on left over squid that the pod do not eat.
this keeps cost of ownership low.









I am hamburger walrus

[NEp8ntballer]

assuming the animal is healthy the cost of ownership won't be too much. a 40 pound bag of food should get you by for awhile, monthly heartworm and flea and tick(frontline), nail trimmings etc. Most dogs only need an annual checkup and shots but if your dog has issues like allergies or requires constant medication it can get a bit expensive. Emergency vet visits aren't cheap either if your dog requires immediate care. We lost a dog once due to a twisted stomach and after that our next dog went in to the emergency vet a couple times to the tune of 600+ dollars a visit. Surgeries and medical procedures aren't cheap either. It's kinda like being a human and not having health insurance in the cost of care, but not quite as bad.

[MATTSDAD]

And don't get a dog from a pet store. Bonus if you adopt

[starshot44]

Adoption is a really good idea. Like the fellow above me said..

[kapp_badbloodz]

1) adopt
2) you will need room for this breed to be active or they can get anxiety
3) keep an eye on their hips. They are prone to hip issues
4) we use Science Diet Active for most our working dogs and Z/D Ultra if they have a food allergy
5) start obedience early. This breed WILL test you for dominance. Let them know who mommy/daddy is early and you will have no issues

good luck

[ooMichelleyxD]

Dogs are expensive

[Antho_shisha]

i have 2 dogs and they cost me $300 a month

[Deimus85]

Sounds like you have never had a dog before. I would highly suggest investing in dog training classes, unless you know an expert dog handler that can give you some pointers.

Other than that, if the dog is healthy, the cost of dog ownership is not high, but it is also not cheap. I don't have an accurate figure on how much I have spent on my dog in the 5 years that I have been taking care of her, but she has not been cheap. Some people suggest that you should have about $5,000.00 put aside when you adopt a dog, for incidentals and accidents.

[Rebekah]

Adopt a mix, hybrid vigor is the way to go!

My dog eats Taste of the Wild. It's grain-free and I highly recommend it. Spending $50 for a 30lb bag of dog food isn't really all that bad when you consider how easy it is to spend $50 on your own food.

Grooming can be done yourself if you can purchase a grooming tool, such as an Oster (brand) hair clipper.

Vet visit vary greatly, a check-up and basic shots cost me $120 last time I went.

[xbustax]

if money is tight i would not recommend getting a dog