Hidden costs of owning a dog
Be ready for hidden costs. When you get a dog not only are you looking at the fees to take them home from the breeder or the rescue organization but you also have to consider the cost of vets, feeding, toys, and other comforts like crates and beds.
Shop around for a vet before you bring your little furry friend home, there is no standardization in vet pricing. Make sure you call and ask if they’re taking new clients and what their yearly check-up fees and vaccination costs are.
Don’t forget about feeding them. Shop around at your local pet stores and look at the different brands of food, again not all pet stores are going to price products the same. Don’t forget to check out your locally owned pet store, they will have lower prices than the big franchises.
And all the toys, toys, toys! Dogs play rougher than kids so keep in mind, you’re going to have to replace their toys more frequently and a bored dog is going to be a destructive dog! You’re better off paying for those toys then having to replace your baseboards.
Every dog should have a leash and collar but also think about getting them a crate, this provides your dog with their own little bedroom. You could also think about the cost of daycare and dog walkers, if you’re working a lot and your dog isn’t entertained they will find ways to entertain themselves.
On that note remember to be putting away for emergencies! You never know what your dog is going to get into, and they never pick the convenient time, it’s always close to a birthday or Christmas or some other holiday be prepared for those slips in the winter, heat exhaustion in the summer, or broken bones and pulled muscle, a torn ACL will keep the best dog down.
If you’re considering getting a new dog keep these things in mind, dogs aren’t a one and done price tag like a book or a toy. I often call mine the cutest little money pit I’ve ever seen.
Grantham Park is lengthy but narrow, has a few trees and the backyards are fenced, but one so if you head to the back corner watch your dog. The park neighbours a church so parking is convenient. When we went they had the snow fence up so access to the road was limited which was good but typically would be wide open to a semi busy street. We didn’t get any pictures of the jungle gym at this park because there were a couple little kids playing on it, as there should be, and we didn’t want to interrupt.
