# Costs of Poodle Ownership?



## someday (May 3, 2016)

Well, it's certainly going to be a few years until I'm really ready to own a dog, but I thought I might as well start getting an idea of the rough monthly costs of dog ownership. 

I seek the input of all dog owners here. How much, say monthly or yearly to make it nice and neat, does your pet and all the fixings cost you? If you could list a ballpark on certain expenses and note the size of dog, I would just be over the moon. 

I am a bit innocent on the matter, having never had a dog. The only pet I pay for totally costs me $24 a month until she grows and needs different food. No treats, toys, leashes or vet bills. Other than that, it is just water, paper towels for bedding, and empty boxes to sleep in. A little bit different from a dog!

I have looked at some articles on the cost of basic husbandry and vet bills but some people in the comments seem to have a bone to pick with their numbers so I'd love to hear it straight from the many sources!

I'd also like to know what dog-specific costs I'm missing. Past early gotcha-type supplies (bowls, crate, that kind of thing), what am I forgetting? There's always something 

Food, pet insurance, treats and chews, grooming, cute accessories... 

Emergency vet bills, yearly checkups, heartworm and flea preventatives (do you use them in cold states?) puppy classes, obedience classes, testing for CGC, etc.

Then other things that are considered not necessarily mandatory but would be fun or enriching: Showing (not sure I'd do it myself because of personal shyness but I'd love to hear about it!), agility/rally, special classes like that. 

Phew! Having a small python is so much easier


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Poodles are expensive, however, grooming yourself saves a bundle, I have 3 toys and it is 55 each per month. Then every 2 weeks I trim or take to have the face and feet trimmed that is 24 per dog. So in a month each dog cost 79. I do not keep tract of my cost but shots, physicals (do not have pet insurance). This month my bill was 1010. Blood test every year runs 180 per dog. Tick and flea is very expensive140 for 6 months. This is not food, treats, clothing. Dogs are expensive but worth it, and I do not travel ( as I could lose a lot of money due to my career if out of town) so I figure that is where my money goes.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Puppies and elderly dogs are expensive. Young and middle-aged dogs less so. Before I get into costs, think how much you save! A great deal of entertainment is built into your household. Lots of your exercise is free -- walking. You will probably not want to travel quite as much.

Food: depends on what you feed. We do premium here, it costs me about $100 per month for about 1.25 large bags of Acana, plus about 5 cans of dog food.

Medical care: where I live, Pericles' insurance is about $350 per year. Jupiter who is senior does not have insurance. I spend about $650 per year at the vet for Pericles (shots, titers, minor ailments, frontline, heartguard) and about $2000 for Jupiter (two check ups, shots, blood work, three medications, frontline, heartguard, other visits and problems). 

Grooming: Both my dogs are groomed every three weeks. Pericles is on a schedule where he gets a full groom every other visit, and face/feet/tail the other. Jupiter gets done what they can (he doesn't stand for long, and it depends on how he's feeling). Each visit is about $140 total, plus tip. 

Day care: Pericles goes to day care a few times a month, depending on weather (if it's very hot, or steadily raining) or if I'm having work done in the house. Cost is $400 for 20 visits, about half of what it was in the New York area. Say $800 per year. 

Kenneling: $75 for both of them per night, includes day care.

Training: I am training with a friend, and on my own, after basic puppy training was done.

Plus toys, collars, crates, combs, etc.

When I moved to my new house, had a fence built -- $$$$.

Now I see where my money goes! It's close to $8000 per year. This is for two dogs, one of whom (Pericles) is big and active, and the other, Jupiter, senior. Clearly I could save a lot by grooming myself, feeding less expensive food, and not taking Pericles to day care.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

A lot of cost depends on where you live. I live in an urban city in Canada.

Monthly: 
Food: Raw $40-50 (23 lb poodle)
Treats/toys: Barkbox subscription ~$20, additional bully sticks/chews ~$20-30
Grooming: DIY $0
Poop bags: $3 for 160 bags from the dollar store

Yearly:
Vet: $200-300 (yearly check up, heart worm test, flea/tick preventative meds)
Training classes: 6-8 week course ~$180-250

Additional buys:
Winter coat: $60+
Boots: $10-60+
Unnecessary new collars/harnesses/leashes: $20-60+


Boarding/dog sitting/dog walking are really expensive. I'm fortunate enough to have my parents as dog sitters/boarders, and I am able bodied, and have a work schedule that does not require me to hire a dog walker. I don't think I could afford a dog walker or daycare every day.


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

I have two ~60 dogs (a spoo and a doodle)

Monthly Cost:
$60 Food (I feed a combination of EVO and raw)
$65 pet insurance 
$20 miscellaneous (treats, cute toys, etc)

If I were to pay a groomer, it would be about $70 a dog every 6 weeks. I groom them myself and save over $1000 a year. 

I alternate taking them to classes every 6 weeks, and each class is about $90

I buy flea, tick, and heartworm preventative online for about $200 a year

vet visits are $45 each, but now that they're past puppy stage this cost only occurs once a year or in emergencies (like my Piper's mouth warts  )

vaccines will be about $60 a year (or so says my vet when I phoned yesterday) 

dog park yearly membership is about $45 for two dogs

sometimes I'll send them to daycare if I'm going to have a long day - that's $40 a day for them both. Overnight kenneling (different facility) is $38 a night. So a week long vacation for me costs an extra $266. I don't vacation often 

I should tally up everything I've spent in the year+ since I got my pups. I'm sure I'd blow my own mind haha


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## someday (May 3, 2016)

Thank you all SO much for your responses! This is all supremely helpful. I see that boarding/sitting/daycare is a huge, huge cost that I had overlooked. I don't know how I could have missed that... I babysat (petsat??) for two different households this month! 

Picture of my latest client because he's a sweet boy and every thread needs cute pup pics


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I have three large dogs, 2 spoos and a German Shepherd dog, and can't really break out my costs to per dog just now, but here you go.

Food: $110/4 weeks

Treats: $30-60/month

Flea tick heart worm prevention for all three for the year about $900.

For me grooming is zero other than conditioners and shampoos, but about $800 dollars to acquire all of the tools and equipment (over time).

Regular vet bills for all three about $600 per year (with a discount from my vet for multiple animals brought in together).

I don't have external insurance, but maintain an emergency fund for all household and veterinary and automotive issues of over $12,000 on average.

Training expenses: although I train for free at my club (where I also teach) I do have private obedience and private agility trainers who are $70/hour.

Trials and travel expenses related to them, probably about $5-6000 per year.

Miscellaneous expenses: probably $300/year.

Since I am a trainer and to be a trainer you have to have dogs to practice on (they are effectively equipment for the business) many of these costs are business expenses (equipment maintenance) for me. Otherwise I would not be able to afford everything I do. In addition to training with Lily I also use her as a neutral dog for dogs who need exposure below threshold to other dogs. Her boundary zone is pretty close in to her so she never goes over threshold before the dog that I am working on.


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

I'm probably on the cheaper end of poodle ownership but some of it is lifestyle, some good luck, and some of it is lack of services that I would spend a mint on, were they available to me and the two standard poodles I own  

Food: Acana, $100/month
Vets: $80/year
Grooming: $80/year
Toys: $50/year

The vet cost is so cheap because the poodles are de-wormed every year or so and our vet gives them a checkup then, but they are on a minimal vaccine protocol and thankfully they're extremely healthy. I groom them myself, but did invest in some good equipment early on and take good care of the equipment. The $80 is for a new blade now and then. I do have about 15 blades to have sharpened though, which I just keep putting in a box until I get around to mailing them away; I just keep buying a new #30 blade when my other ones gets dull, ha,ha. Now, IF we had a groomer, agility club, a doggie daycare or dog play centre in town for sure my costs would be a lot higher!! But alas we do not, not even a dog walker, so I save all kinds of money in things I can't take the poodles to, lol. Same as Lily, I don't have pet insurance and instead I keep a savings account for emergencies but have never had to use it for the poodles, so at the end of every year I put the excess into an investment account for fun stuff.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have two toy dogs, only one is a poodle. Costs here in the rural UK are probably very different to the US, but thinking about total spend if I only had one dog:
One off and occasional costs
Grooming equipment - I do it myself - set up cost £250/$325, monthly costs minimal, time about 5 hours a month
Crate for the car, bedding, collar, leash, etc £50/$68
Boarding, when occasionally needed, £20/$27 a night

Per month
Insurance (highly recommended for a puppy/young dog, especially until you have built up a good cushion in a savings account) £36/$48
Food - raw/home cooked - £6/$8
Routine vet visits, annual/12 - £6/$8
Tooth stuff - £6/$8
Treats, toys, collars, leads - £6/$8
Petrol and car expenses for walks etc, 300 miles @ £0.20 a mile, £60/$80 

For a puppy you would need to factor in training classes (around £6/$8 an hour here), more toys and chews, possibly pee pads, and damage to your property.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Spoos are one of the most expensive breeds you can own! You are wise to look at the financials ahead of time! 

Here are some of the first year expenses: 

-her purchase price ($3K w/travel)
-insurance ($600)
-food ($360)
-collars and leashes and tag ($100)
-crates ($120)
-bully sticks ($1,800)
-poop bags ($20)
-grooming ($900)
-training and testing ($250)
-vet bills ($2,000)
-flea pills ($180)
-spay ($350)
-toys ($300)
-boarding ($180)
-miscellaneous ($500)

In her second year, her bully stick bills and grooming costs are going down, but I bought a house with yard for her, and I'm buying another spoo, who is for me, but also kind of for her LOL

Showing in AKC is very expensive, but if it is your dream, you should go for it! I have found people in poodles to be very nice. I hear showing in UKC is very fun and much more relaxed.


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## Kassie (Apr 7, 2016)

zooeysmom said:


> Spoos are one of the most expensive breeds you can own! You are wise to look at the financials ahead of time!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




This is great feedback! Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

zooeysmom said:


> Spoos are one of the most expensive breeds you can own! You are wise to look at the financials ahead of time!
> 
> Here are some of the first year expenses:
> 
> -bully sticks ($1,800).


Thise must be really _serious_ bully sticks!


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

fjm said:


> Thise must be really _serious_ bully sticks!


I spent a lot on the local pet store bully sticks ($8/ea.) before ordering them online and saving a bit. Now I give the kids cow ears instead, as they are much less expensive. Bullies are a special treat!


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

I budgeted $100 a month for Ginger and that took care of food, toys amd grooming although I did the face and feet and butt myself in between grooming and I found a great groomer who charged 43.20. always had friend stay with her when on vacation. always wanted to take her to cape cod and never got the chance - our timeshare doesnt allow dogs. so many restirctions on beaches etc she probably would have been miserable anyway.


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## aasteapots (Oct 6, 2013)

I think what you really want to consider is grooming expense. It is really the only constant besides food. Every dog has yearly vet checks and most owners will explore some sort of training which can range from $15 to $20,000.00 depending on what you want from your dog. Everything else is gravy. Toys,beds and all the other fluff all dogs can live with out. SO its really up to you and what you want and are looking for to decide what your costs will be. As for the grooming I can speak for anyone but us but I pay $60 dollars every 6 weeks and I have heard a million times over that $60 dollars for grooming a standard is unheard of so God bless my groomer!


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

aasteapots said:


> *Toys*,beds and all the other fluff all dogs can live with out!


Maizie begs to differ :lol: If I didn't have toys for her, she would go pretty crazy.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Here's an idea of what we spend on Hans (46lb standard):
Food: $50-100 every 6 weeks (he gets 1/2 kibble and 1/2 homemade raw, but the cost of the raw varies a bit depending on what people give me and what sales I find). It's definitely possible to feed a dog for less, but it's also possible that your dog could need some sort of special diet and that could cost more. 

Insurance: $30 per month

Flea/Heartworm meds: $120 per 6 month supply - we are in FL so he gets them year round

Vet: around $150 - $200 for annual checkup, heartworm test, shots, etc. The first year was more, due to the multiple visits for puppy shots. 

Chews and treats: $30 - $50 or so per month

Grooming: I groom him, but I've probably spent $600-$700 on supplies (table, dryer, brushes, clippers, etc) over the past 3 years

Training: we haven't done formal classes, but Hans is a retriever. I've easily spent $1000+ on retreiving stuff, not counting my guns and ammunition (I had those anyway)

Toys: Most of his toys have been given to him by dog loving family members. He doesn't chew up his stuffed toys and still has the ones he got as a puppy so I rarely buy him toys. I have spent $100 or so on toys for other dogs, because he loves to destroy toys that don't belong to him when we visit friends/family that have dogs (he's a brat). 

We have not had to board him because he can stay with my parents. He either goes to work with me or I work from home, so no dog walker or daycare either.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I try to be reasonable in what I spend on Molly, but never on the essentials 
so, for my 13lb. spoiled mini............

Food & treats, $900.00 yr minimum
Grooming (every 10 wks ) I do her 'inbetween' grooms to keep the cost down
$450.00yr ($90.00 per groom)
Licensing (required by law) $46.00 every 3 yrs
Annual 'well check' (with bloodwork) $160.00 yr
Misc. Toys, collars, leashes, hair products, dental products, clothes, and other
'Fun Stuff' $300.00 yr.
GRAND TOTAL $1,926.00 PER YR. ($165.00 month)


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Here is one of those unanticipated expenses, just incurred today. I took Lily to the vet because I think she might have a UTI. Both boys have been sniffing her privates very closely for a couple of days (after some earlier more casual checking) and Javelin gave serious thought to mounting her last night (I stopped him before she bit his nose off). Today she has been avoiding drinking and seemed really reluctant to urinate, so all of those things added up to suggest it was a good idea to get her checked out. Well, exam, one dose of antibiotic injected, a ten day course of antibiotic and a urinalysis and culture = $383! I paid it out of pocket (and am grateful to afford to do so), but it will make me think about what I buy at the food store for the next couple of weeks.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

It really very much depends upon where you live. I won't shock you with Manhattan prices unless you happen to live here, but figure double what everyone else spends, including their pat plan insurance which is based upon breed, age, and location.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Tiny Poodles said:


> It really very much depends upon where you live. I won't shock you with Manhattan prices unless you happen to live here, but figure double what everyone else spends, including their pat plan insurance which is based upon breed, age, and location.


LOL there are other places in the country that come close to, or are equal to, Manhattan prices now.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

zooeysmom said:


> LOL there are other places in the country that come close to, or are equal to, Manhattan prices now.



I don't think so...
Try doing some Petplan quotes for the same dog with the zip codes that you think are equal to Manhattan...


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Tiny Poodles said:


> I don't think so...
> Try doing some Petplan quotes for the same dog with the zip codes that you think are equal to Manhattan...


I just did out of curiosity, using San Francisco, and for a toy poodle up to 1 year old, and it was $1-5 higher/mo. than Manhattan.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Los Gatos, where I'm from, is the same as SF - higher than Manhattan.
Bethesda, MD, where several members live, is equal to Manhattan.

Pretty much all of Los Angeles area, La Jolla, and Laguna Beach to name a few are also higher than Manhattan (same price as SF).

Where I live now is about $10 lower/mo., so I'm glad we had this conversation so I can call them and tell them I need a lower rate!


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

I never thought of the area you live in influencing costs, but I guess even things like land values will impact how much vets have to charge. Ours has his business on a big acreage, and his fees are very low. He's mainly a livestock vet.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlemanic said:


> I never thought of the area you live in influencing costs, but I guess even things like land values will impact how much vets have to charge. Ours has his business on a big acreage, and his fees are very low. He's mainly a livestock vet.



Oh I get very jealous when an online friend will tell me that they paid $180 for their poodle puppies first year of Petplan - Trulee's was $532. Her first vet visit with fecal $179, to be repeated next week for her shots. First class, five weeks of 1 hour classes will be $350. Timi's spay, and one tooth removed was $1,800.
If they have to be hospitalized, it averages about a thousand dollars a night.
And Teaka's Petplan, I could buy a new poodle puppy and cover the first couple of vet visits every year for the money!
I am thankful at least that I can buy pet supplies online and pay the same as anybody else - around here I would pay at least 50% more for the same darn bag of dog food!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Poodlemanic said:


> I never thought of the area you live in influencing costs, but I guess even things like land values will impact how much vets have to charge. Ours has his business on a big acreage, and his fees are very low. He's mainly a livestock vet.


On Long Island the costs for routine services at veterinarians (and I suppose groomers too) varies east to west and north to south. Although it is a big island (just under 120 miles long and about 23 miles at its widest), for Nassau and Suffolk counties you can pay very different fees for all kinds of services. One small part of why I still go to the vet I do is because he is a south shore practice and less expensive by far than the vets right near me on the north shore of Suffolk county.

I see a number of posters have talked about worrying over being able to find low cost vets or being concerned about the costs of specialists, so I will make one more pitch here for the importance of factoring those things in to ownership of any companion animal. If you don't need your emergency fund then you have the cost of your next puppy down payment and their first year of care on hand before you go looking.


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> On Long Island the costs for routine services at veterinarians (and I suppose groomers too) varies east to west and north to south. Although it is a big island (just under 120 miles long and about 23 miles at its widest), for Nassau and Suffolk counties you can pay very different fees for all kinds of services. One small part of why I still go to the vet I do is because he is a south shore practice and less expensive by far than the vets right near me on the north shore of Suffolk county.
> 
> I see a number of posters have talked about worrying over being able to find low cost vets or being concerned about the costs of specialists, so I will make one more pitch here for the importance of factoring those things in to ownership of any companion animal. If you don't need your emergency fund then you have the cost of your next puppy down payment and their first year of care on hand before you go looking.


So true, and when you see what many people spend their money on (designer makeup, the latest clothing trends, smoking, nights out with friends (aka lots of $8 drinks), $7 coffees from Starbucks, fast food), poodles are just another little hobby expense. It's easy to pack your own delicious coffee and snacks to work and save $50 a pay period; it just depends on your priorities. Personally I had pet insurance for the first year but our dogs never needed it, so I got tired of the monthly expense. Now they are 6 years old, and I have just put a small monthly sum into a savings account every pay day in case they need it. Not having needed it, I have been able to do some really fun things with that money (like adventure travelling where you go on hikes in exotic locations, whale watching, and cooking classes in unusual locales). But if they ever do need it, I never worry that I won't have the money.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Poodlemanic, like you I also self insure for dog emergencies and similar things (car repairs, etc). For those who say they can't afford certain necessities a good hard look at the costs of mani/pedis, lattes, tattoos and other body art, 100 pairs of shoes and the like sounds in order for me.

I have had many students who were carrying Coach or Louis Vuitton bags or had keys for expensive cars on their key rings tell me they couldn't afford the lab manual or vital safety supplies or the lecture textbook. Huh? You are carrying the money for the books on your shoulder. I didn't get my first Coach bag until I was able to celebrate earning tenure and a promotion in my mid thirties.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

lily cd re said:


> Poodlemanic, like you I also self insure for dog emergencies and similar things (car repairs, etc). For those who say they can't afford certain necessities a good hard look at the costs of mani/pedis, lattes, tattoos and other body art, 100 pairs of shoes and the like sounds in order for me.
> 
> I have had many students who were carrying Coach or Louis Vuitton bags or had keys for expensive cars on their key rings tell me they couldn't afford the lab manual or vital safety supplies or the lecture textbook. Huh? You are carrying the money for the books on your shoulder. I didn't get my first Coach bag until I was able to celebrate earning tenure and a promotion in my mid thirties.


The problem with the world today, kids get to much given when young and expect it all through life. Hell, I had my first steak at 19 years old in a restaurant and paid for it myself. I hate spending 200.00 on a purse, but will spend 200 on my dog for whatever I want them to have.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Glorybee I tend to agree with you. BF's daughter is an only child and has often asked for things like a puppy, UGG boots, Coach bags and the like. Although he said a flat no to the puppy (who was to be a yorkie and to live with us) he was more than willing to get her the other things if she did work to earn them, things like read a book and report on it, good report card grades and the like. She could get them, just not that day. Inevitably her mother usually just caved and bought what she wanted. Now she is living in Florida and working, but since she left college without finishing her loans have been called due. Mom is bailing her out on them with some help from BF (given with great reluctance).


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

STUDENTS carrying Coach bags? What the heck?? I still don't have one. I got a vintage Coach briefcase off eBay years ago which is very soft and supple leather, but it was only $20, ha,ha. I know I'm behind the times; a lot of the middle-aged ladies who work for me have tattoos of their children on their inner arms and on their backs; some of those tattoos are colour portraits. A couple of my employees have a tree of life type of tattoo on their backs with spots for their grandchildren and future grandchildren. They tell me tattoos are very expensive, but I wouldn't know. I have not ventured into that territory yet! But the point you make and I support is, there are all kinds of ways to spend lots of money. We all just need to save it for what is important to us. I even buy second hand tack; I like the old-fashioned leather and after being treated with leather cream, it is usually nicer than the new stuff, in my opinion.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The what's important part is a key part of the formula I think. You have to look at how you will balance wants and needs as you go along. If a student postpones buying fancy fluff in favor of buying books and getting good grades they will all the more easily afford the Coach later. The same can be said for getting/adding a dog/cat/horse/bird. What I wanted terribly when in college was a standard poodle. I didn't have any of the resources needed to make it work (no time, no money, no yard...) so I waited and waited and waited. Instead of being frustrated as all get out back then I am wildly happy now!


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## someday (May 3, 2016)

Interesting discussions of whether to do pet insurance or not. I'd have to do the math myself for my area, but I really don't know where I'm going to be living when I have my own place and money anyway. Looks like it's still a tossup for me right now since my immediate future is full of unknowns. I mostly want to be covered for huge surgeries or treatments but I suppose an emergency fund would do a similar thing.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

someday said:


> Interesting discussions of whether to do pet insurance or not. I'd have to do the math myself for my area, but I really don't know where I'm going to be living when I have my own place and money anyway. Looks like it's still a tossup for me right now since my immediate future is full of unknowns. I mostly want to be covered for huge surgeries or treatments but I suppose an emergency fund would do a similar thing.


Unless you're earning a high income and/or have a fat bank account, it makes much better financial sense to use pet insurance. Personally, I don't want to spend my savings on a huge vet bill when it could be covered by $600/yr. in insurance.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

someday said:


> Interesting discussions of whether to do pet insurance or not. I'd have to do the math myself for my area, but I really don't know where I'm going to be living when I have my own place and money anyway. Looks like it's still a tossup for me right now since my immediate future is full of unknowns. I mostly want to be covered for huge surgeries or treatments but I suppose an emergency fund would do a similar thing.



On the subject of Pet Insurance it took spending $15,000 in the final month's of Taylee's life to convince me that it was a great thing. She was also a very expensive dog throughout her lifetime, not with major things, but allergy treatments, and just little things. I added it up once, and it came to approximately $45,000 in her lifetime.
Other dogs I have had, it was just the basics until they got old and it would have been easy to save up the money for their old age.
With multiple dogs I feel like it pretty much equals out - I may be spending money on insurance for one of them and make no claims, but then another has a big claim and gets that money back for me, so I feel like at worst 
I break even, and at the same time I have the security of knowing that if any of them have something major happen, or worse yet, more than one of them has big medical expenses at the same time, I have no worries.
If I had only one dog, I might have them covered for the first two years, enough time to see if they were going to be an expensive dog or not, and if they were not, drop the coverage and start saving. Maybe pick it up again when they got to be seniors, maybe not.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I just built a quote for my three dogs on PetPlan using my real zip code and their real ages and breed info. It would cost me $396.55 per month. I can save that $4700/year and have a good emergency fund where the money is still mine at the end of the year. For those who have benefited by having insurance I understand your POV entirely, but I have a different perspective (and thankfully make enough money to afford that perspective).


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

someday said:


> Interesting discussions of whether to do pet insurance or not. I'd have to do the math myself for my area, but I really don't know where I'm going to be living when I have my own place and money anyway. Looks like it's still a tossup for me right now since my immediate future is full of unknowns. I mostly want to be covered for huge surgeries or treatments but I suppose an emergency fund would do a similar thing.



With all of our Pets ( 8 Poodles, and many cats), we were lucky that nothing outstanding in vet bills ever came up. After hearing here on the forum of so many owners having Poodles with health problems, and thousands of dollars that they've had to pay, I then realized that we have been EXTREMELY lucky all of these years. When DH and I first became pet owners, we actually made payments to our vet, and that worked out great for us for many years. But most vets don't do that anymore. Our vet would ( and has) done it since for us, but that's because we have been established clients of theirs since 1975. 

Shortly after Trixie passed away in 1998, we started a savings account that is just for our pets. For years, we put $25 in the account every month, and then when we would get a tax refund on our yearly taxes, we would put some of that into the account as well. Fortunately now, we're able to put $50 in each month. ( well, to be truthful, I would have to say MOST months, not all). We are not to go into it for anything else, but anything that is pet related, we are free to take money out. I feel that is much better than pet insurance because, this way, the money in the bank is all yours, plus it accumulates Interest. It does take time to build the savings up, and one has to be very vigilant in not getting into it for non pets items, but it CAN be done. This is what has worked for us anyway.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

I also prefer to put money aside instead of paying for insurance.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> I just built a quote for my three dogs on PetPlan using my real zip code and their real ages and breed info. It would cost me $396.55 per month. I can save that $4700/year and have a good emergency fund where the money is still mine at the end of the year. For those who have benefited by having insurance I understand your POV entirely, but I have a different perspective (and thankfully make enough money to afford that perspective).



The prices do stay lower I think when you sign them up young. And it does vary by breed. My three are less than that a month. And let me tell you, around here you could spend way more than $4,700 on one weeks hospitalization...


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> The prices do stay lower I think when you sign them up young. And it does vary by breed. My three are less than that a month. And let me tell you, around here you could spend way more than $4,700 on one weeks hospitalization...


I think when I looked into it when Lily and Peeves were young it was going to have been about $120/month for the two of them and I have no doubt that if you start a policy for a puppy that the rates go up slower than indicated by the prices for Lily and Peeves if I started them now, but at the time saving for problems seemed more sensible for our situation. I also have the option of either doing paid substitute teaching or taking on an extra private or two to pay for things like the bill for Lily this week.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> I think when I looked into it when Lily and Peeves were young it was going to have been about $120/month for the two of them and I have no doubt that if you start a policy for a puppy that the rates go up slower than indicated by the prices for Lily and Peeves if I started them now, but at the time saving for problems seemed more sensible for our situation. I also have the option of either doing paid substitute teaching or taking on an extra private or two to pay for things like the bill for Lily this week.



That is nice to be able to get extra work whenever you need it!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> That is nice to be able to get extra work whenever you need it!


But being the substitute teacher is stinky even in college, lol!


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

That IS good you can take on extra work if you need to! I mean, there could be any number of reasons you may choose to do that...a special trip you want to take, something extravagant that you suddenly want, or even semi-retirement in the future. I still plan on having a table at the farmers' market as my extra income when I retire. Organic eggs are very very popular right now, especially those who have different coloured eggs (lavender and brown are very popular right now and look so nice when mixed with white eggs), but also I by chance found a new little opportunity! Plants are very popular at our farmers' market; bedding plants in the spring, and house plants any time. I love succulents, and on a recent seaside holiday I decided to bring back some succulents with me as a little reminder of our time there. A couple of leaves fell off, so i watered them, and presto! Little tiny succulents are growing up from the leaves! So I thought, what if I just kept propagating them all winter long, more and more, and sold tiny little succulents in cute tiny ceramic pots (which one can buy in the dollar store for $1) in the spring? If I asked $5 each, that would be a healthy profit. All I'd need to do is keep a steady supply of babies growing at all times. And heaven knows, I have the room since most of my kids have grown up and moved out. Oh and another thing...I tried that peach confit recipe on the Health & Weight Loss thread..DELICIOUS!! Then I made peach, grapefruit and lemon marmelade, also really good. (I love canning; now that the kids have mostly moved out I still enjoy it, but have many less mouths to feed!) I am thinking about making 1/2 pint jars of beautiful organic marmelade with local honey instead of sugar, putting a pretty little cloth and raffia top on them, and selling those for $5 each too. The work involved is minimal and fun, and the farmers' market here is only 3 hours long each week with a very robust customer base.


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