# How much does it cost to own your poodle?



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

What size poodle? Paying for a groom of a mini could cost $60-75 every 4-6 weeks. A standard would be at least $85 and a toy a lot less. Food would be less for a toy. I haven't figured out how much.

Vet costs are per procedure and not size dependent. Costs vary depending on any health issues.

Some people like to get health insurance, which could be $300+ a year.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Health insurance is important, if you don't want to suddenly have to come up with thousands at once - personally, I think that it is well worth the monthly expense. Getting around $2,800 hundred back from Petplan this month!
Also don't forget the costs of vet things that are not covered - dentals, shots, microchip...
Then there are training classes, toys and chews. and boarding, daycare, and dog walker are all possible expenses depending upon your situation.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

This is for Smiley, a 23 lb. mini poodle

Monthly costs:
- $45-50 premade raw food
- $15-20 raw bones, bully sticks, dog treats
- $7 poop bags

So in total, typically around $75 a month. I groom Smiley myself, and that's big savings a month too.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I have a 'Mini' size dog and I spend approx. $50.00 mth on food, treats, & toys. Grooming tools to start off are a little pricey but will pay off for the money saved in grooming if you do it yourself. I take my dog to the groomer every 6 weeks but I pay a lot ($85.00 + tip) because she is cut in a clip that requires extensive hand scissoring. A basic pet clip is usually about $40.00 here.
Then there is the cost of neutering or spaying I paid $55.00 thru our low cost program here...most states have low cost spay/neuter programs.
Also licensing and rabies vaccination are required by law in most states....here I paid $52.00 for license and 3 year rabies vaccination....it varies also in cost for each State.
Those are just the basics...........Vet visits,(Emergency and just everyday 'well checks') Training classes, Boarding, all have to be considered also!!!!
Yup it's more than just food and a few toys........:faint:


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I just paid almost $500 for teeth cleaning and a few blood tests for my 3yo dog. Hopefully I will brush her teeth enough in the future but she may need it again in 3 years.

Heartworm medicine also is not cheap.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Oh yes, and flea/tic preventative if you need that where you live.


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## honda123 (May 29, 2014)

MiniPoo said:


> I just paid almost $500 for teeth cleaning and a few blood tests for my 3yo dog. Hopefully I will brush her teeth enough in the future but she may need it again in 3 years.
> 
> Heartworm medicine also is not cheap.


Regarding teeth cleaning is a good point.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

I have 2 toys and spend about $40 per month for food/treats. They both have pet insurance which totals $90 per month combined. Then there's their heartworm/flea preventative. I buy a 6 month supply at a time for each dog (they are in seperate weight categories and cant share) which totals around $180 combined. I groom one of them myself. The other one gets shaved down by the groomer and then I let her grow out over several months. She may get a professional groom 3-4 times a year. That runs me about $70 including the tip. Also I would say I get maybe $10 in toys per month. 


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Prices vary by country and area, but things to consider include:
Food, and treats - a good quality food appears more expensive, but can be a saving in the long term.
Vet care - routine vaccinations, neutering, teeth care, parasite prevention, plus insurance or a savings account for major accidents or illnesses, which can quickly run to several thousand dollars.
Liability insurance - in the UK you are responsible if your dog causes an accident or damage.
Grooming, or the equipment to do it yourself - plan on every six weeks or so
Training - at least one puppy class, and probably a couple of CGC classes as a minimum; more if you get involved with Agility or other activities.
Exercise - factor in costs of getting to and from parks and walks, and possibly paying a dog walker or dog daycare if you are unable to do it.
Boarding when you are away.
Damage to your house and belongings, especially when the dog is a puppy. It is a rare pup that does not chew something, or pee on a rug somewhere, although close supervision will minimise problems. 
Toys, replacement collars etc, replacement bedding, bowls etc, etc - few things last forever!


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Almost all of these costs are generic, applicable to any dog of any breed. The purchase price might be more, and grooming is an expensive extra, but otherwise, I can't see that it's any more pricey to have a poodle than another breed of comparable size.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Good point JudyD. Food is food, whoever you feed it to! fjm I was interested to see liability insurance on your list. How much is that for you? Is it required to be insured or can people forego the insurance and hope they don't incur liability?

One other thing that I didn't notice on people's list of expenses was training classes. A puppy class (8 weeks) at my obedience club is $180. I take lots of classes there still since we do performance sports. Thankfully you pay for what you take for adult dog obedience classes, but I spend generally between 40-70/month for obedience classes. I also take private lessons for my agility training which are $60/lesson (usually 2-4x per month). My training costs are much higher than most people would incur, but it is worth at least budgeting a puppy class and probably one beginner obedience series to get you through adolescence. If you have a private trainer come to your home the cost will depend on your area, but near me you should expect to pay $60 an hour.


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## Feelingdoc (Feb 18, 2014)

When it is all added up like this it would scare me to death! Seems like as others have said there are costs with any pet that seem "standard." The grooming is probably unique to the poodle. I pay $60.00 monthly not counting tip.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Liability insurance is not (yet!) required in the UK, but is something to consider. Most pet insurance policies cover it, as do some some household policies, or membership of the Dogs Trust charity covers it for all of your dogs.

I agree that most of the costs are the same regardless of the breed of dog, but I think people tend to underestimate the potential costs of pet ownership. If you are lucky they can of course be minimal, but it is always best to be prepared!


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## Bellesdad0417 (May 18, 2014)

The real question is how much do you want to spend. 

Several members have given great answers as to how much things cost it's only a matter of how much you want to spend on these categories. We all know there is a frugal route and an indulgent route, it's up to you to choose which end of those spectrums or in between you want to be.

All of these things are over your one time purchases of thing like crates, bowls, gates/play pens, bedding

My wife and are fortunate we can go the indulgent route and we spend probably close to 200-250 per month on Finn.

Food. 35
Treats. 25
Grooming. 70
Training. 15
Toys. 5
Miscellaneous 15 
Boarding. As needed 35 per day
Vet routine. 30 monthly avg over yr shots, dental checkups, flee/tick etc.
Insurance 27
Vet unexpected ???????


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

*What if grooming is your hobby?*

Sure, people can save money if they groom their own dogs, but what if you declare to your DH that grooming is officially your hobby, and if you have multiple dogs, then of course, your budget for grooming MUST go up.

First, grooming on a card table in the kitchen just won't do anymore. So let's move to a new house that has a room in the basement that can be made into a grooming room. (New house: $200,000 +)

Then, a real professional grooming table is needed (since that card table just won't do), so add about $150.

Then, bending over in the tub and shower are very bad for your back and you want to be able to groom till you drop at the ripe age of 80, so you NEED a professional dog grooming tub that has a ramp so you don't have to lift the dogs AT ALL. Add $400-$700.

Then, since you will be in that grooming room for HOURS and HOURS, you need a little TV set so that you can have something to watch while you are drying the dog, dremeling his nails, etc. Small TVs are pretty cheap. Just add $100.

So totalling up the above with the cost of assorted clippers, combs, sprays, shampoo, etc., grooming may only cost you only around $202,000.

Cheap for a hobby, don't you think?


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## Rusty (Jun 13, 2012)

I think it's great to realistically consider what you're going to spend on your dog. For our spoo, the purchase price has really been insignificant to the continuing costs, and he's a healthy dog. I keep a monthly budget, and the "dog" line has varied from $219/month to $680 a month over the past several months. Kudos to those of you that limit your spending to $50/month!

Other things that may or may not come into play in your situation:
Training classes: $65/month for continuing drop-in agility classes
Doggy daycare: $12/half day, once a week
Food: $50/month
Treats/chews: $30/month
Toys: $10/month
Vet visits: varies depending on need. Count on anywhere from $65 - $200 for regular visits, and that's assuming your vet has fairly low prices.
Grooming: even grooming yourself costs money, especially when you're purchasing the equipment for the first time. Blades need to be replaced, shampoo runs out, and (as I found out last month), dremel tools will break and need replacing if you drop them.

Then consider "special" vet expenses, such as neuter surgeries, gastropexies (planned or emergency), and other expenses.

They're worth every penny, but it's important to be realistic about the cost associated with dog ownership.


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## Bellesdad0417 (May 18, 2014)

Screwed up on that training number 15 was per class not per month increase my 200-250 by 45.

Hell lets just call it what it is expensive!!!! But worth every penny

I used to have 2 Spoo's and a golden at one time, grooming alone was 200 per month.


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## Marcie (Aug 2, 2011)

Momoshells said:


> Trying to realistically budget for the addition of a poodle to our family. Other than the initial cost of the dog, crate, and maybe food dishes, how much do you spend per month or year on recurring expenses such as food, vet, grooming, and anything else I may not be thinking of?


Approx Cost Per Month for 2 Toy Poodles and a Pomeranian - Not Counting Vet bills

8lb Bag Food from the Vet $30.00
Treats (Make my own from Sweet Potatoes) $1.00
Heartworm/Flea Treatment (Trifexis) $30.00
Grooming $10.00 (Shampoo/Conditioner)
Toys $1.00
Piddle Pads $10.00

Round it up to $100.00 a month for 3 dogs. This is just an approximate amount since I groom my own dogs and I have the equipment.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Is this something I'm suppose to keep track of? I have absolutely no idea and I don't want to know.:ahhhhh:


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I was thinking the same thing. I don't really want to know, but if you get a mini poodle and groom yourself it shouldn't cost too much. Toys, etc are extra's and can be made, etc. A standard poodle eats a good amount of food. The main expense with a poodle is the grooming. You can learn to do it yourself and save a lot of money. I'd say $50/mo. would be enough for the bare essentials. You should plan on training class and those vary a whole lot in cost. Vets around here have puppy plans that include worming if needed, all vaccines/exams and a discount on spay neuter. Those plans are $200-$300. After that you shouldn't have a lot of vet expenses, but if something happens it can drain you pretty quickly.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

outwest I think that if someone is considering adding a dog, particularly of a breed that has particular grooming needs like a poodle, it is wise to get an idea of how much it costs to maintain proper husbandry. The worst thing in the world to me would be to bring home a pup, spend a few months getting wildly attached to it and then realize that you couldn't really afford to keep it.

After the mortgage crisis set off the recession in 2008 shelters by me filled up with dogs the families could no longer afford to keep either because they simply barely had enough money to feed their family or because they were losing their home altogether. The shelters really struggled since lots of their donors weren't as generous as usual. I am not talking about people who could barely afford the dogs to begin with. I am talking about middle to upper middle class and even wealthy people living on 1/2 to 1 acre lots with 500K and up homes.


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## PoodLuv (Apr 5, 2014)

Thanks for the info, everyone. I'm soon to be a first time spoo owner and this has been a good appraisal of the adjustments I'll need to make to my budget. 

Questions about a preventative gastropexy: Is that advisable? How much does that cost? Can they do it at the same time as a neuter?


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## Pluto (Jul 8, 2012)

Don't be afraid to call around and get prices, I did this for both grooming and spay surgery with a number of providers before we found our girl.

Her first yearly costs(small standard):
spay - $120 (I got quotes up to $600 on this and just went with a cheap clinic)
heartworm test and a years supply (covers fleas and ticks) -$80
vaccines -$48 
city registration and microchip-$20
food -$360
toys, leashes, collars, tags, harnesses (fun junk, not req) - $155
dog trailer for bike -$50
grooming supplies (slicker, ear wash, blade sharpening, new pair of shears) -$185
self serve bath fee ($15 per)- $120
grooming-$110
beginning training class (parks and recs, can return to practice for free for þe life of the dog)- $110 
advanced training - class $85

Her second yearly cost:
food -$360
vet, in home visit and Rx for ear infection, test and heartworm prev-$145
heartworm meds- $80
city license- $17
pet sitter (friend wanted to do it for free)-$100
toys, leashes, treats- $48
self serve dog wash- $150
grooming- $260

So you can see my average "monthly" costs can range from $130 to $94 a month for a standard poodle. That is with a mix of walk in clinics for shots and spay to in home visits from our neighborhood vet. Good quality food, lots of toys and unnecessary fluff, and a mix of DIY grooming with tools I had, and taking her in when I don't have time. She needs frequent baths regardless, sometimes I use a dog wash, sometimes i do her on the back deck with a hose.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

I don't count lessons or agility stuff in as expenses because they're fun...I'd put those in the entertainment column of the budget.  If you buy good grooming equipment a little at a time, it saves you big money. Just spent $1800 on Maddys foreign object eating adventure but before that none of my dogs ever cost anything in vet fees except well puppy visits so at 3 years old, that would be (gets calculator out) $2808 I would have paid in pet insurance premiums by now if I had it. It's kind of interesting to compare. 


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Indiana said:


> Just spent $1800 on Maddys foreign object eating adventure but before that none of my dogs ever cost anything in vet fees except well puppy visits so at 3 years old, that would be (gets calculator out) $2808 I would have paid in pet insurance premiums by now if I had it. It's kind of interesting to compare.
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I've got insurance on both my poodles, and I consider it money well spent. I'll be perfectly happy to pay it and hope I never have to use it, but somebody somewhere will, and we'll both be glad.


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## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

So very true Lily CD. People abandoned family pets during the rough times. Heart breaker for the people and the pets.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

MiniPoo said:


> Sure, people can save money if they groom their own dogs, but what if you declare to your DH that grooming is officially your hobby, and if you have multiple dogs, then of course, your budget for grooming MUST go up.
> 
> First, grooming on a card table in the kitchen just won't do anymore. So let's move to a new house that has a room in the basement that can be made into a grooming room. (New house: $200,000 +)
> 
> ...


You know what is really funny about the above, it is all true. :act-up:

We moved in 2010 to a new house and I had a grooming room built in basement with table, tub, and tv. Since we have no kids, we devote more of our resources to our dogs than most, and yes, I do claim it as my hobby to justify the expenses. I would not admit this to a lot of people but thought this forum would understand.


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