How much does a dog cost?

A medium-sized mixed-breed dog adopted from a shelter costs about $3,020 in the first year and $2,580 a year after that, or about $215 a month. Over a 12-year life that adds up to roughly $32,000. A medium purebred bought from a breeder, such as a Border Collie, costs about $5,950 in year one and $2,920 a year after.

These figures come from our cost model, which builds each estimate from sourced US prices for food, vet care, preventives, grooming and supplies, then adjusts for each breed's size, coat, energy and health risks. The methodology page explains each assumption. Published surveys land in the same range: the 2025 Synchrony Pet Lifetime of Care study put the yearly cost at $2,770, about $2,850 in 2026 dollars, and Rover's May 2026 survey reported $1,930 to $5,305 a year for an adult dog.

Use the calculator to change the breed, food, grooming, insurance and region.

Typical dog: first year and every year after

The adopted dog's first year is cheaper mainly because shelters usually spay or neuter, vaccinate and microchip before adoption. The breeder puppy needs a spay or neuter ($490), a microchip ($50) and a full puppy vaccine series with checkups ($738). The first-year puppy costs guide has the full checklist, and adopt vs buy covers the gap in detail.

Where the money goes each year

For the adopted mixed breed, a typical adult year breaks down like this:

Four items make up nearly three-quarters of the bill:

• Food. The food price is the median of four mainstream dry foods at Chewy's regular prices, including Purina Pro Plan and Blue Buffalo Life Protection. Food costs scale with calories, so a 141 lb Great Dane costs about 2.4 times as much to feed as a 45 lb mixed breed.
• Unplanned vet care. Dog owners spent $458 a year on surgical vet visits in the APPA 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey, which comes to about $650 in 2026 vet prices. Many years cost nothing. One bad year can cost several thousand dollars.
• Preventives. Combination chews such as Simparica Trio and NexGard PLUS cost $34 to $40 a month, depending on the dog's weight.
• Routine vet care. The Synchrony 2025 cost study puts a wellness exam at $95 nationally ($99 at 2026 prices), a heartworm test at $71 and a fecal test at $58.

Costs rise in later years. From age 8 for a medium dog (age 7 for large dogs and 6 for giants), the model adds $180 a year for senior bloodwork and extra visits, based on the Synchrony study's $181 geriatric screening.

How size changes the cost

Size drives food, preventive dosing, insurance premiums and the cost of surgery. The table shows the median across the 112 breeds on this site, with one example breed for each size. All figures assume a puppy from a breeder, except the mixed breed, which is adopted.

A Great Dane costs about twice as much a year as a Dachshund. Its food bill is $1,315 against $348, and its expected illness and injury cost is $2,039 against $531, because giant dogs cost more to insure and have higher rates of conditions like bloat and bone cancer. Lifetime costs are closer together because small dogs tend to live longer. In the model, a Dachshund lives 14 years and a Great Dane lives 9.

Coat matters almost as much as size. A breed that needs clipping every six to eight weeks adds several hundred dollars a year. The Goldendoodle spends $714 a year at the groomer, while a short-coated Labrador needs about $53 a year in brushes and shampoo.

Cheapest and most expensive breeds to own

Ranked by the typical adult year, with a puppy from a breeder and average US prices:

The cheapest breeds are small, short-coated and fairly healthy. The most expensive are all giants with high insurance risk. See the full rankings for the cheapest dog breeds and the most expensive dog breeds.

Yearly cost and lifetime cost can rank breeds differently. A Chihuahua costs the least per year, but it is expected to live 15 years, so its lifetime total of $35,660 is higher than that of some shorter-lived breeds.

Lifetime cost

The median lifetime cost across all 112 breeds is about $42,200. Lifetime totals range from about $30,600 for the Japanese Chin, whose model lifespan is 11 years, to about $60,400 for the Afghan Hound, which lives 15 years and needs professional grooming.

For the adopted mixed breed, the 12-year total of $32,020 is made up of:

• Year 1: $3,020, including the adoption fee and setup gear
• Year 2: $2,300, before dental cleanings start
• Years 3 to 7: $2,580 a year
• Years 8 to 12: $2,760 a year, with senior care

What can push your costs higher or lower

• Where you live. Vet and grooming prices in the most expensive states run about 35% above the national average, and about 15% below it in the cheapest. Those are the regional factors in our model, based on Synchrony state-level vet prices. The adopted mixed breed costs $2,410 a year in a low-cost region and $2,990 in a high-cost one.
• Food choice. Budget dry food cuts that dog's yearly bill to $2,120. Fresh-delivery food raises it to $5,450.
• Services. Two days of daycare a week adds about $3,000 a year. A 30-minute dog walk every weekday adds about $6,000.
• Insurance. For the adopted mixed breed, insurance adds about $250 a year on average. In exchange, a single large bill no longer falls entirely on you. See is pet insurance worth it.

Across these choices, the same adopted mixed breed costs anywhere from $1,950 a year (budget food, home grooming, low-cost region) to $3,620 a year (premium food, insurance, high-cost region). How to save money on a dog shows which savings make the biggest difference.