The tools
- Dog cost calculator
How much does a dog cost per year? Food, vet, grooming, boarding — line by line, with honest ranges.
- First-year puppy & kitten cost calculator
Setup costs separated from ongoing costs, by size, with every line editable.
- Is pet insurance worth it? The math, not a pitch
Break-even formulas, worked claim examples, and the self-insurance alternative — so you can decide with numbers.
- First-time dog owner budget checklist
The costs people forget: deposits, the emergency question, and the first-month timeline.
- Cat vs. dog: honest cost comparison
Same budget method, both animals — where the money differs and by how much.
Where to start
Thinking about a first dog? Start with the annual cost calculator for the steady-state number, then run the first-year calculator — year one is the most expensive, and it is the one that surprises people. Already have a dog and a nagging feeling about emergencies? The insurance math page turns that question into arithmetic. Every figure on these pages is a planning estimate built on published cost data and typical US prices, shown as a range because region, breed, and size move the real number more than any calculator can.