What will it cost?
Rough costs in Canadian dollars, before you commit. The price of the animal isn't included.
A small dog
Bigger dogs eat more and cost more at the vet. Grooming varies most: a short coat needs a brush, a long or curly one needs a groomer every few weeks.
- To set up
- $1,000 – $2,100
- Before it comes home
- Each year
- $1,500 – $4,100
- About $125 – $342 a month
- The first year
- $2,500 – $6,200
- Set-up plus a year of keeping
- Over its lifetime
- $19,000 – $67,700
- Usually lives 12 to 16 years
Before it comes home
- Crate, bed, bowls, leash and collar$200 – $400
- First vet visits, vaccines and microchip$300 – $600
- Spay or neuter$350 – $700
- Training classes$150 – $400
Total$1,000 – $2,100
Every year after
- Food$400 – $800
- Routine vet care$400 – $900
- Grooming$100 – $900
- Licence, toys and replacements$200 – $500
- Insurance or an emergency fund$400 – $1,000
Total$1,500 – $4,100
These are rough guides for planning, not quotes. Prices vary a lot by region and by what you choose, and one emergency vet visit can cost more than a year of everything else. The price of the animal isn't included.