spending money on your bc

[luvmycash]

I was having a discussion with my boss on this subject and I thought I would bring it up. Not just spending but your dog's welfare and care in general.

 

Tomorrow my dogs will be staying at the kennel where I work while I'm overnighting at my friends' New Years party. They are staying there since I don't trust my family to take care of them even for one night. I was picking up a few things for them at the store. I feed them raw so I grabbed some more chicken. I hate even going through the doggy isles, I feel like a guilty parent that can't afford to buy their kid's toys But I grabbed the $2 box of biscuits instead of the $3-$12 boxes. They are natural with no junk fillers in them, so I feel ok buying them. They don't get treats very often, so this is a real splurge. I also grabbed two cute $1 bandannas. I threw some old blankets and their slightly chewed toys in the washer to go with them, they don't have beds.

 

It just got me thinking what people spend on their dogs. Hands down I spend most of it on food for them. I don't mind buying them toys, as long as they're under $5, I mean they're going to just chew them up. I don't buy doggy clothes for them, except for the occasional cute bandanna. I'm pretty much flat broke right now, due to a catastrophic year with my paint horse, which I don't really care to talk about. So I guess I feel like I shouldn't be spending money on them except for a dollar here and there. But in comparison to other people, I think my spending is quite subdued. The only thing I don't limit is what I spend on food, which still isn't THAT much. I think my dogs are very well off. They actually get to be dogs. They spend a lot of time outside and get to herd (umm... "chase") the goats and be dirty doggies and swim in the pond. This is what I feel dogs should do. Not be locked up in the house all day. I wish they could come in more often, but I'm living with my folks right now and my father has a no dogs in the house rule. So they come in when he's not home I see these people come into the kennel and their way of spoiling their dogs is (junk) food food food! The dogs are either grossly overweight or have five thousand toys and beautiful beds. I had someone send in their dog's crate filled to the top with jackets and coats! So maybe I am a little jealous that these people have the money to spend, but to me this isn't the way to spoil a dog!

 

What do you do for your dogs? What do you think is most important?

[Root Beer]

My priorities for spending for my dogs are:

 

1. Food (I feed raw and grain free kibble)

2. Vet Care

3. Training

 

In with food and vet care I include necessary medications, supplements, preventatives, etc.

 

When it comes to things that aren't vital (food and vet care), I spend most on training. I get a discount for classes since I'm an instructor at the training school, but with three dogs actively training and competing, it adds up. I also buy a fair amount of training books and DVD's. And then there are entry fees . . .

 

And Agility equipment. I make most of my at-home equipment, but I've bought some stuff and the materials to make what I've made.

 

Aside from that, I do spend money to give my dogs a good time. I don't buy them a lot of treats since they get mostly human food as treats, but I do take them to the beach every year if I can and I take day trips and get out and about with them in the summer. Of course, those things are more for me than for them, but they certainly benefit.

[MaryP]

What do you do for your dogs? What do you think is most important?

 

Interactive activities with your dog are hands down the most important thing that you can offer them.

 

I spend A LOT of money on my dogs, but it's not in buying them toys or cutesy outfits, though I will invest in Jolly Balls and Frisbees because those are their most favoritist toys. Plus, those are interactive toys. I spend money on things like agility classes and agility trials, doggy day care, gas money to take them to the park and/or the beach every day, and good, healthy food and chewies (bones, Kongs, and the occasional bully stick).

[Lenajo]

Good food should be number one. Good food however, will only do its job if they get proper exercise and life a healthy life (limited stress, positive interaction with humans and other dogs, safe environment)

 

If you are feeding the right, and meeting their exercise needs, they are likely getting the #1 free item needed for a heatlhy dog - your time. To exercise a dog well you also end up training them...secondary benefits abound to that are widespread

[luvmycash]

Glad to hear your input It seems we agree then, I guess I just get tired of the seemingly typical people that either think feeding their dog is interacting with them, buying them 10,000 toys will keep them occupied and out of your hair, or those who do nothing at all and the dog is just an ornament in the house.

 

I have a blast taking my dogs out trail riding with me, or just walking them. Cash is my main man helping me with the goats and Lexie loves to go tracking. My dogs really aren't working dogs, but I enjoy doing these things with them anyway. They like to have a job, even if they aren't world champions at it. I think other border collies would look at Cash herding the goats and would be on the floor laughing. Next stop: skijoring!

[JaderBug]

Jade has a lot more toys than she probably should, but I don't spend much on them except for frisbees (because she plays with/enjoys them the most). I do buy her a lot of rawhides though. She doesn't destroy her toys so I don't mind spending a little more for them if I find something she/I really like.

 

My herding training right now only costs me the amount it takes to drive there thanks to making some advertisements/business cards for my trainer in exchange for free lessons. Jade will be starting some new obedience lessons next week, so training expenses will go up a little at that time.

 

Jade doesn't wear clothes, but I do make my own bandannas for her, so they're relatively cheap.

 

Aside from rawhides Jade's food costs aren't that high- I usually buy a 40lb bag of dog food that lasts for quite a while. Vet bills aren't that high either, unless there's something that needs attention. I'll be getting a microchip for Jade sometime soon and I think she's almost due for yearly immunizations sometime in the next month or two, so those will be some vet costs.

[Lizmo]

QUOTE(luvmycash)

What do you do for your dogs? What do you think is most important?

 

What do I do for my dogs? I provide them with the best care, training, and love I can give them.

 

What do I think is most important? I'm not sure you can say one thing is MOST important. My parents pay for proper vet care, so that is not something I've had to worry about yet. They also pay for a lower quality food (Sam's Exceed) and I get $20 a month from them for raw food. Anything else, like collars, leads, toys, different food, more raw, treats, etc I pay for. Basically, anything other than vet bill and low quality food, I pay for. So I usually pay for more raw, and I'm going to start paying for better food. Plus, I have to pay for gas money to get me to those good training lessons

 

I hear you about being broke, Luvmycash. I don't have a job, other than babysitting and the odd job for a photographer and I just had to pay for a new retainer that Blaze chewed up (it's just a retainer, I never relised how expensive those things are!). It was my fault, though because I left it where he could get it and he was bored in my room.

 

Oh, and none of my dogs wear clothes. LOL

[Ninso]

Time is the #1 most important thing to spend on your dog! I don't have anything against people who buy tons of toys or clothes or fancy beds for their dogs. I get a little carried away with the spoiling once in awhile too, though I try to restrain myself. But my dog does have a nice bolster bed in his crate and a stuffed bed in the living room that matches the colors of the room. I like to have nice things for him--it makes me happy--but I also don't have anything against people who choose not to or can't spoil their dogs. The dogs don't need it. My fosters get towels in their crates for cushioning--they just happen to be nice expensive thick towels that I bought when I moved into my house, but ended up not liking.

 

Apart from food, rawhides, and training treats, most of my money gets spent on activities to do together with my dog. I spend lots of money on frisbees, since we compete in disc dog events. This winter I decided to get into skijoring and spent quite a bit on the basic setup: harness, line, skijor belt. I plan to use my christmas money to buy a basic pair of skate skis. Vet bills are an obvious expense and have been pretty hefty lately so I've been trying to cut back on extra chews, treats, and toys. We also take obedience classes, and are entering our first Rally show next month!

[phej]

For me (and my dogs) the priorities are 1. giving the dogs something to do or interacting with them in some way, 2. appropriate vet care, 3. good food. Then there is a looooong pause and then the toys and yummy treats and chews and fluffy beds come in. I think I spend the most on agility classes and then on gas (taking my dogs to rescue events to play, to training classes, to hiking trails etc.).

 

I am currently visiting my family in the Czech Republic where noone has ever heard of the Kong or Jolly Ball and a bag of Orijen (the only grain free food I have found here) costs over $100 a bag (with the average salary being some $10,000 a year). And yet, I get to meet tons of happy, healthy dogs here. I think that the main reason these dogs are thriving on mediocre food and with basic vet care is the fact that they get to do stuff with their owners. They are happy retrieving that stick from the river all summer long and accompanying their owners to cafes and pubs in winter. I know my dogs would take that over any amount of cool doggie toys.

[SS Cressa]

If going off of how much is spent on my 2 dogs in a month:

Food- $200+/-

Agility-$200+/- mostly +

Chiropractor/massage therapist-$100+/-

Vet-(*knock on wood 3x) but our dogs are pretty healthy they get the basic visits.

 

But I agree Time is the most imporant thing.

 

Stella

[Lizmo]

If going off of how much is spent on my 2 dogs in a month:

Food- $200-$300+/-

Agility-$200+/- mostly +

Chiropractor/massage therapist-$100+/-

Vet-(*knock on wood 3x) but our dogs are pretty healthy they get the basic visits.

 

But I agree Time is the most imporant thing.

 

Stella

 

I'm curious. What do you feed that cost $200 or $300 a month for 2 dogs?

[sweet_ceana]

I see these people come into the kennel and their way of spoiling their dogs is (junk) food food food!

Unfortunetly I don't think that is isolated to just dogs. I come from a family where if a little is good then a lot is better and I am way more likely to get a massive cooked meal than a hug. I am not quite sure if it is an American thing, or a Western thing, but excess as a way of showing love seems to have become more prevelant. It does more to make the person happy than the dog.

 

No matter what I buy my dogs, they enjoy it because of our interaction, not because I bought it for them. We play with toys together. They get treated for doing what I would like and ask. The things I buy my dogs get valued on the quality of time it will bring us, not on the price. I have bought an expensive frisbee because the cheap one cracks after 10 minutes of play. I also buy cheap squeakies because tearing them up and triumphantly liberating the squeaking part is the pleasure of the toy. So to answer your question directly :

What do you do for your dogs? What do you think is most important?

 

The quality of time whatever I buy brings us.

[Barb Scott]

1. Food

2. Vet care

3. Agility lessons and events (but that's more for the humans here than the dogs)

4. Our old BC did have an expensive turnout coat, but only because he was so cold when we brought him along to watch the other dogs' agility classes in an unheated barn, I had to wrap him up in my coat. Now that he's gone, we have a great coat but none of the other BCs seem to need it!

Barb S

[SS Cressa]

I'm curious. What do you feed that cost $200 or $300 a MONTH?

Raw: we buy a lot of bones, organs, ground meat, etc...

Troy eats over a pound of food and Cressa eats a little under a pound. So it is close to 60 lbs a month. but I think I did my math wrong... my sister handles the dogs food budget. LOL I am happy to buy pre-mix raw which is about $2-3 per lbs... which would make it close to $120-180/month but thats not including bone... Maybe I should just stick with it around $200. I'll fix my post.

 

Stella

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Vet care, food, training, and interactive time with us are on my top priority list.

I just calculated how much I've spent on training, books and dvd's in the last 8 months becuase of my dog, and I was very, very surprised at how much I've spent! BUT, she has issues and I am doing everything in my power to help her, including taking the same class twice! My bf and I aren't going to have kids and we live well for the two of us, so our dog does get stuff she doesn't need, like a big soft bed and excellent qualitiy food & treat, a new interactive toy everytime I see one that I think she'd like. I do draw the line at paying $20 for a so called durrable stuffed animal. She kills everyone that comes into our house, so I go to the thrift store and buy cheap-o's! I do know however that she is not happy unless she's with the two of us doing something, so she comes everywhere with us and we each make time every day to do something with her.

If something happened that one of us lost our job, then she wouldn't get new toys and bones whenever I felt like it, but I would eat kraft dinner for a week if it meant I could still afford a good vet!

[Elizabeth77]

Another interesting topic. Good to have a think about this.

Well I agree the order is

Food

Vet

 

One of the items I find quite expensive are the neck drops for fleas, worms and other nasty thingies.

Meg has a few toys but they consist of a ball, Kong and a couple of rubber bones.

I do have treats to help with training her.

She only has dry food and I dont consider that too expensive.

Initial outlay on a couple of leads and her seat belt.

Oh nearly forgot; I have a dog walker a couple of times a month. This is sort of necessary for me as living on my own I need a rapport with someone who could help should I become ill.

And then there is a kennel for a week twice a year.

As I say interesting once one puts this in writing.

Anyhow I will do without things if necessary so Meg has all she needs to keep her well and happy.

[JohnLloydJones]

What do I spend money on for Senneca?

 

1. Food -- dry (Orijen, Eagle Pack) + some raw + fish oil capsules
   
2. Vet -- just her shots and HW medicine so far
   
3. Treats -- I'm pretty stingy on shop-bought treats, but she does get some home made sour rye treats
   
4. Collar, leash -- as required, about once a year
   
5. Toys -- her kongs are showing no appreciable sign of wear and she has a hand full of surviving stuffed toys that she plays with.
   
6. Training -- her agility stuff is mostly home made. Right now, we've dropped out of classes, but I intend to start again.
   

So far, we've not required kenneling / dog sitter / dog walker. Total expenditure on food + treats is probably not more than $30. That would include some human food too -- an egg twice a week, a dollop of yoghurt now and then, some scrapings of cheese and the odd dried out bread crust (especially flaxseed rye).

[juliepoudrier]

I spend as much as is neeed, but priorities are good food, excellent vet care, and work/trialing. I rarely buy toys because they are destroyed anyway, and we can easily make toys out of "found" things, like pine cones (a huge favorite here). I have two dogs who suffer from the cold, so they get horse blanket type clothes to go out in the cold with. The oldest fellow got a cushy dog bed, but that was more for the fact that he has spondylosis and arthritis and needed something softer than the floor to lie on (and one of the other $#@%^@#$$ dogs chewed a big hole in it anyway, which is why dog beds aren't used more often in my house--besides, there are plenty of couches, etc., for them to lay about on).

 

I own a flock of sheep and all the expenses related to raising sheep are I suppose indirectly for the dogs' benefit.

 

I don't care if other people want to spend scads of $$ on toys and clothing--that's just not how I choose to spend *my* money. I do agree, though, that many folks have the misguided "food is love" philosophy, which means they end up with overweight dogs who are still starved for real meaningful interaction with their humans, but really if others have the disposable income to shower on their canine companions, who am I to judge?

 

J.

[Sasha's Mom]

I bought a homestead and 5 acres in the country. And I'll be paying on it for the next 15 years. Does that count??

 

We actually don't spend _that_ much on food, although 3 of mine are starting to get to the point where I make it a point to keep them thin for their hips. They get kibble at the moment, but we have done raw - I just haven't really had time to look into local sources. Also, one of my foster agencies tends to throw in a bag of food when we pick up a particularly difficult assignment. I buy en masse, so it's usually over 100 lbs at a time.

 

Everyone still has their original collars - we have a set of leashes and harnesses that are put up high and aren't chewed. I was going through running shoes pretty quickly for awhile, does that count? I make cheap dog beds out of $4 fleece throws and old comforters from Goodwill or the neighbor's trash. (Yes, I have done this. And have a lot of nice dog beds.)

 

We don't do a lot of high-dollar treats, but pigs ears are our splurge. And whatever else is on sale. Toys don't get played with; they are dismantled.

 

We buy lots of tennis balls on ebay as fetch with Zoe usually employs at least 3 balls in tandem and we lose a lot of them. DH finds them when he mows. And we buy more.

 

I try to take them to the vet in small groups as our vet does "second pet" discounts. Still, it's usually a pretty staggering bill by the time I get everyone through, and all the Frontline/Heartguard, etc. The older dogs are on Glucosamine, and everyone gets Omega-3 fatty acids. And Sasha needs her generic Claritin.

 

Right now, I'm mostly trying to avoid thinking about how much I'm spending on the chickens and their new coop.

[BustopherJones]

Most significant expenditures (not necessarily in order, although food is obviously number 1):

1. Food (prescription kibble and moist diet)

2. Veterinary care (primarily regular check-ups and shots)

3. Medication (including flea/tick and heartworm preventives)

4. Health maintenance items (ear wipes, eye drops, doggie toothpaste, etc.)

5. Grooming (a trip to the "beauty parlor" every 6 to 8 weeks for a bath and trim)

Annie has her share of toys (her favorites being balls and frisbees), but she is not hard on them; thus, they last a long time, and replacement costs are not significant. We don't travel much, so boarding is only a rare issue, and the vet always takes Annie for that time. Beyond that, all Annie asks for is my time and attention; we go walking, hiking, rowing, etc. together. And if I am running a quick errand, she only asks to ride with me (she LOVES to ride in the car). And, of course, she wants love, although it seems that I get back far more than I give (which is far more than I can say about my 401K)...

[luv2napp]

I don't think I spend too much on Lacee, but maybe I do. She gets fed grain free kibble at $35 for a 20lb bag. I buy her racquetballs (the only ball she'll fetch) and tug-toys. The racquetballs have to be replenished constantly, as we lose them at the park. She gets treats, but natural ones. Of course, the normal vet bills. I give her glucosamene for her joints, which is costly, but well worth it. And, last, but not least, I have to pay a fee for her to belong to a "canine country club" $275/year, also well worth it!! I live in a townhouse with no yard and our county doesn't have dog parks. She loves the club and we go a few times a week, for 2-3 hours at a time.

 

I envy anyone who has a yard with room to run. Maybe one day.

[theshine]

For four dogs I spend more on preventatives - heartworm and flea/tick - per month than food I think. Food is the priority obviously, but my regular monthly expenditures are food, hw, and flea prev. I was using a private trainer at $75 per hour and spending about $15 per month on toys and accessories (collars, leashes, etc), but I've cut that out. There are one time expenses that I couldn't live without, crates, baby gates, ex-pens. Annually they get a vet check....our other vet bills have been small luckily...one bout with Giardia, an evet visit for chocolate poisoning, and neuters. Puppy needs training classes and has to be spayed by March, so that's comong up. I bought a mini van and fenced the yard for the dogs if you want to count that...yikes. Our entertainment is free, my neighborhood is on a lake, the park is a 2 minute drive, and they have live-in playmates. But what I think is important...pretty much what everyone else said:

 

Food

Vet care

Training

Toys and accessories

[Bo Peep]

I have one MasterCard just for the dogs. Since I can claim my disabilities, they go on the card. Food, also can go on the card. I kind of feel like I'm cheating, buy feeding my service dog. NO herding lessons go on the card- they are paid for in cash, to help the trainer. Obedience lessons are a "right off". Though I don't make enough money to even claim taxes. But for some of you, like Bexie, you might want to think about this.

[PSmitty]

Most important to me is quality food and vet care. After that, the money I spend on them is for activities that we do together. Agility, flyball and working sheep are things that enrich their lives and mine, too. Other quality time is free (trips to the park, stuff like that), thank goodness, because the rest does add up fast!

 

I don't spend much on things like toys, since they never last long, anyway. They still seem to end up with plenty, though (gifts, freebies from trials, etc).

 

I would like to spend some money and get them some new collars and leashes. That's on my to-do list.

[BC-Liz]

We're pretty lucky right now. DBF's sister is in vet school at Auburn and sends up 40lb bangs of high quality dog food for free. She pays $5 for them...they cost $40 at petsmart. Other than that they get beneful. So our money goes like this...

 

1. Preventatives (heartworm, flea and tick...we're in the south so we can't ever get off these)

2. Food

3. Vet care, even this is discounted...love having a vet in the family

.

.

3. Toys and Treats.

 

I included that long pause because we really don't spend that much on treats and toys. they got a new big bag of puppy sized treats about once every two months for training. About every two months we buy new ham ankle bones that still have the marrow and jerkey on em, that's like christmas day for them. Other than that they have a couple rubber toys that have survived the ages. Specifically this one rubber football thing that makes an odd squeeky sound that sounds like a dieing duck. They absolutely LOVE that sound and so won't destroy it to get the squeeker out. Can't say the same for the "special" coon hound living with us. Can't both with fabric toys..even the "indestructible" ones are dead in 15 mins. We have the same tug tows for years, we put them up so they can't chew on them.

 

Oh and I bought new collars for them this year. Those were $15 a piece, they're emboridered with their name and our phone numbers on them. We board with friends so that usually doesn't cost any money. Other than that, if time is money, then we spend a lot of "money" on them. Oh and they'll start agility classes again soon...$90x3 dogs per class...*sigh*....