WE ADDRESS THE MONEY QUESTION: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO OWNER TRAIN AN ASSISTANCE DOG?
- Initial dog cost
- Annual dog food expense
- Annual dog insurance (including Public Liability)
- Vaccinations
- Vet fees
- Toys
- Equipment
- Treats
- Travel expenses
- Trainer fees
- and more!
With pet ownership comes expenses. You’ll have one off bills (big purchases usually) as well as reoccurring ones. There more often than not are always more expenses to pet ownership than people realise.
The more you try to limit expenses, the more it ends up costing you.
These are merely estimate costs. You should do your own maths and write out your own budget. Then when you get to a final number, we recommend adding 20% to that for unexpected bills, putting this number aside in a savings account.
Best case scenario you now have a nice savings account for spoiling your pet or a holiday for yourself. Worst case scenario you’ve got the money needed for them hidden expenses you never predicted.
Some can end up varying according to dog size (e.g. medication doses need to be higher for larger/heavier dogs)
| Dog purchase | £1000 – £3000 |
| One off Bills | Estimate | Reoccurring Bills | Estimate | Timeframe |
| Dog crate | £50 | Dog food (dog dependent) | £30-£80 | monthly |
| Dog bowls x2 | £20 | Dog insurance | £20-£40 | monthly |
| Dog collar | £10 | Flea & tick treatment | £10 | monthly |
| Dog ID tag | £5 | Worm count/treatment | £25-£30 | 3-6 months |
| Dog lead | £15 | Extra toys | £1-£20 | As needed |
| Car safe harness | £25 | Vet check | £30-40 | yearly |
| Toys & chews | £30 | Titre test | £40+ | yearly |
| Initial vaccinations | £50-80 | Booster vaccines | £30-£50 | 1-3 years |
| Pet Passport (optional) | £120-180 | Dog trainer or classes | £5-£30 per session | 1-3 years |
| Dog Coat (optional) | £30+ | Dog behaviourist | Unknown | Unknown |
| Rabies (required outside of the UK) | £30+ | Groomers (brush, bath, nail trim). Breed & behaviour dependent as well. | £20-£120 | Every 6-8 weeks Or as little as twice a year. |
| Grooming items | £30+ | Poo bags | 50p-£10 | Per 100 bags |
| Dog treats | £1-£5 | Per 100g |
The average yearly cost can be anything from £1000 to over £3000. At £1000 a year you’re on the very low end of the budget, self grooming, small dog, easy maintenance, and other budgeting methods.
Other expenses you may come across are travel expenses (this is dependant on your situation, distance, do you drive, can you use buses or trains, or do you need a specialist private hire vehicle).