My two weaknesses in life are desserts and dogs. I was seven years old when I convinced my mother to adopt a dog so that I could “learn how to be responsible.” Using my expert negotiating skills I learned as a child and refined over the years in the world of finance, M&A, and strategy, I convinced my boyfriend of five years that getting another dog would be a good way for us to simulate starting a family.

• Sizeable upfront costs
• Scheduling life around the little one, including middle of the night potty breaks
• Training and teaching the do’s and don’ts

I recently decided to leave my job for a variety of reasons and started sending around my resume. I received a hit for a senior position at PuppySpot, an online marketplace for dog lovers to connect with responsible breeders nationwide. I ultimately decided to end my candidacy because of the 45 minute commute to the suburbs from the beach. If it weren’t for the commute, the job would have been a no brainer!

Serendipitously, my job search led me to a thought I haven’t had in a decade: I want another dog. We currently have a 11-year old Yorkie-Chihuahua named Pooka. For some reason nobody wanted “Bandit” and the breeder decided that she would keep him after one more week on the market. I negotiated his price down from $500 to $400 and Pooka became my best friend. Since he’s getting older and less active, we’re hoping having a puppy around will keep him active.

Adopt vs Purchase from Breeder

There’s a great debate as to whether one should adopt from a shelter or purchase from a breeder. My family has adopted three dogs and purchased two dogs from a breeder. There are many considerations when choosing to bring a new pup into the family: breed, size, temperament, allergies, life span, and lifestyle. My boyfriend and I ultimately decided to purchase a toy Aussiedoodle because of its size and friendly temperament. We like to travel and bring our pup everywhere - having a Great Dane (aka gentle giants) that could weigh 150 lbs or more wouldn’t be easy to travel with, especially on planes. Regardless of your choice to adopt versus purchase (please make sure that you purchase from responsible breeders!), there are upfront and ongoing costs to factor into your decision to get a pup.

Approximate Upfront Costs of Getting a Puppy

Looking at the costs, the real difference is the purchase price, spay/neuter services, and microchip. Types of vaccinations you choose to give your pup will vary. Below is a schedule from the AKC on timing and types of vaccinations. Some vaccinations (e.g. Rabies) are required by law or for travel.

Approximate Annual and Lifetime Costs of Dog Ownership

Insurance - dogs will be dogs and get into trouble when you least expect it

Upfront costs aside, keeping your pup healthy and happy should be your number one priority. I’ve been fortunate with Pooka to have only two incidents in his life where my wallet felt the burn: teeth cleaning/surgery and neck surgery (thank you BluePearl Tampa for saving Pooka’s life!).

I’m fortunate to have the means to pay for hefty vet bills; however, not everyone can drop $8,000 of unbudgeted funds towards saving their pup. Even with my ability to pay for unexpected vet bills, I chose to insure my pup through HealthyPaws. This was a great decision. After meeting my deductible of $500, I was only on the hook for 20% of the vet bill.

Needless to say, I will be insuring our new pup from the get go as insuring your dog as a puppy gives you better rates ($10 cheaper than it is to insure Pooka). Other than outlier events that may burn your wallet once or twice, below is a breakdown of what you can expect annually. Note: my pups eat better than me, some of these numbers can be adjusted down per individual budgets.

In 2018, we spent a total of $4,456.79 for Pooka (without insurance this would have been $8,520.66!). In the chart below, you can see that 43% of our total costs were due to unexpected surgeries or vet visits. This is pretty common for senior dogs.

Our next largest expense was our subscription to VCA’s Senior Wellness Plan. While $975.92 sounds like a lot of money, this included an annual anesthetic dental cleaning (regularly $1500), an annual physical exam (incl. X-rays), 3 vet visits, senior bloodwork, and vaccines. When we moved to Miami, we unfortunately didn’t have access to a senior wellness plan. Now that we live on Miami Beach, our local VCA offers one with unlimited vet visits!

Dogs are a huge investment; however, it’s one that keeps on paying dividends.

I made $70,000 as an investment banking analyst in NYC. This afforded me a “decent” lifestyle (e.g. shared a one bedroom with another investment banking analyst with a faux wall); however, I had to make sacrifices. Below is a snapshot of what $70,000 looks like a month.

At $4,095 take home pay, my budget looked something like this:

• $1,400 rent (doorman building with gym and credit card laundry)
• $0 gym
• $150 metrocard + misc taxis
• $1,500 credit card budget for food/entertainment/laundry ($375/week)
• $400 dog walker (5x a week)

Total Spend: $3,450

Total Savings: $645 [not much but it was a start!]

It may not seem a lot in savings but my friends were typically spending $2,500 on their credit cards and living in the red. Less cocktails and avocado toast for me but no regrets on having a dog walker come every day so that I could have my pup when I came home at 2am.

And now the benefits of owning a dog:

• Unconditional love - my friends, family, and boyfriend may get into arguments or tiffs about money, careers, love, or politics - but my pup Pooka is always happy to see me and comfort me when I need it the most.
• Safety - he’s a small yorkie-chihuahua, but his growl behind the door sounds like a rottweiler. Did I mention he’s an expert rodent hunter?
• Health and Wellness - when you work a desk job that’s 15+ hours a day, you don’t really do much besides hurt your eyes and crush your soul. Walking my pup gave me reasons to get up on the weekend and enjoy the city while I could.
• Alarm Clock - you know what’s better than an iPhone going off? Your pup crawling onto you and licking your face to let you know it’s time to seize the day.
• Companionship - probably the most common theme of owning a dog. Who else would have binge watched HBO and Netflix shows with me while I ate birthday cake oreos?
• Budgeting (time and money) - people thought having a dog in college and in the city was “too much responsibility.” Sure it’s more work to care for another lifeform, but I also became more productive and actually thought about what matters most to me so that I could get it all done (gym, tan, laundry, oreos, dog walk, repeat). Did I also need that $30 sugary cocktail at the hip new bar? My waist and wallet thanked me.

“Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind.” Thanks Lilo and Stitch - this is exactly how I choose to live my best life and my pups never get left behind.